Mars and Saturn a closer look Fundamentals of Astrology Saturn the Heralder of Golden Age Mars the Golden

en Planet Relationship between Mars and Saturn How Planets get Influenced Planets and the Ascendant The Importance of Ascendant Saturn rules Wisdom Saturn and Happiness Mars is Sun's Energy Golden Rules for Saturn and Mars New Astrological Principles Revealed Good Planets Best in Good Houses Essential Energy for Life Rules for Health Positive Living Historic Effects of Saturn and Mars The Right Life In a Saint's Word EPILOGUE Mars and Saturn a closer look

Traditional astrology depicts Saturn and Mars as malefic planets but the new astrology on a closer reexamination finds these planets highly benefic. Saturn in truth is the Savior and Mars the Messiah of mankind. The shadowy planets, which are correctly described as the nodes of Moon, are also benefic since both are "doubles" of Saturn and Mars. Sun is not a harsh (kroora) planet but is a planet of dignity. It is like a king who, while maintaining his very high station, is still very charitable to his subjects. He presents a semblance of authoritarianism and ruthlessness only to excite fear among the unruly for the purpose of administration and control but the thing most dear to his heart is to do good to the people. Mujadid Alif Sani Sirhindi merits a special mention for revealing the highest Sufi secrets. I am thankful to the publishers for accepting my ideas and giving them shape in print. A being is no being without a future. A person can only thrive if he has a future to look forward to, a destination to reach. Life is worth living if it has a future, bright or otherwise. Can we call a still-born infant a baby, a living, pulsating being? Never The reason is obvious. The stillborn child has a past but no future to live. What is death? It is only an evidence of the fact that inanimate body materials have no future. The living soul has a future which has to Part Company with those elements which have no future. Astrology looks to the future alone. When, instead of looking ahead, we look backwards we notice the past. None can identify the present. The moment that we call 'now' cannot be pinpointed specifically. A novelist or a story-teller is particular about the future course of the events in the story. He cannot leave his story or novel in the middle as Samuel Taylor Coleridge has left a few poems in the middle, especially Kubla Khan. Darwin would not have taken a long course of journey which was perilous and very hard had there been no future about which he was optimistic. The Origin of the Fineries is a fruit, of Darwin's hard labor. than with the 'present' hardships of his voyage of discovery.

Confidence, optimism, courage, fortitude, a strong determination and a forceful will are the positive proof of this concept. In his "Ode to a Skylark", Shelley mused: We look before and after and pine for what is not our sincere laughter with some pain is fraught. There is pain in the remembrance but joy in expectancy. So Shelley is not altogether just in his contention. John Keats said, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever". Joy is not joy if it is not forever, especially the future. We are always worried about our future although we are fascinated by our past. In "Solitary Reaper" Wordsworth comes across a highland country girl who is singing by herself in a lonely field. The poet thinks that she may be singing of "Old unhappy, far off things. And, battles long ago". The old battles which might have caused a lot of bloodshed are remembered nostalgically because ancient is romantic and charming and more thrilling than the present. Future has more often been neglected and nobody bothers about it except astrologers and astrology. FUNDAMENTALS OF ASTROLOGY

Astrology has been variously defined. It is described as an art as well as a science, but never a philosophy. In truth astrology is a philosophy of life. You can make or mar your life by the study of stars. When leaders like Adolf Hitler utilized the services of astrologers for the sake of waging war on enemies how can we isolate astrology from philosophical studies? In ancient times no branch of knowledge was separate from philosophy. Let us synthesize all knowledge and accept that astrology is science, art and philosophy rolled into one. At least astrology is closely linked with psychology which is considered to be a part of philosophy in modern times. In colleges, psychology is one of the three subjects that come under philosophy, the other two being ethics and logic. The delineation of astrological signs ('rashis') is chiefly based upon psychology, human as well as animal. Aries is represented by the arm and stands for energy, force, intelligence, pioneering ability, selfcenteredness, pride, commanding abilities, etc. Taurus is represented by the bull and stands for agriculture, refinement in taste, a happy person, a dedicated servant, a great lover, a religious, virtuous and kind-hearted man or woman with qualities of patience and love of peace. He or she is an expert in household affairs. Friendship with the opposite sex. He or she is intelligent and a voracious reader, with a taste for many subjects of study. A Geminian is an experimenter or empiricist by nature. He knows about medicines and, having used them, knows their precise effects. He is interested in arts, science and philosophy. He is moved by pathetic tales. Cancer, represented by a crab, stands for sensitivity, goodness, love of humanity and milk of human kindness. The Cancer-born is charming and delicate but persistent in studies and the task he undertakes. Leo is represented by the lion and is indicative of benevolent dictatorship and a courageous, dedicated and faithful person, kind but cruel when in extreme anger. Pride is the hallmark of the Leoborn. He cares not to stoop low. He loves but he will not lower his dignity to please his beloved with whatever she demands. In other words, he is not appeasing in contrast to Libra, a sign in which the sun is debilitated, which stands for appeasement and surrendering to the whims and moods of the beloved. Leo represents a heart full of kindness and dignity. A Leo woman is like a Queen, full of dignity and love. Virgo is represented by a virgin and stands for work and dedication inherent in the performance of duty. A Virgoan is a hardworking person who cares not much for reward but finds joy in the performance of his duty. For him virtue is its own reward. He or she is an expert in household work, is shy, good-looking, tall and smart but not over smart. Virgo represents the ability for synthesis. He is noble and less talkative than a Geminian who loves gossips. He might have a tendency to limp. He is precise, clear and avoids confusion and tyranny of words. He is prone to stomach troubles. He loves to study medicine, ayurvedic in particular.

Libra is represented by scales and stands for balance, judicious nature; a Libran is a judge by choice, an advocate and a champion of justice. He or she is appeasing, good-natured but a dictator at heart. If you do not want to maintain peace with him, or change the arrangement contrary to his taste, you are in for his wrath. A Libran cares much more for beauty and cleanliness than even a Virgoan. You cannot expect lack of decorum, culture, cleanliness and order when you visit his or her house. A beautician by nature, a Libran woman excels in home decoration even though she is not an expert in cooking as is a Virgoan. A Taurus woman is more dexterous but less refined than a Libran woman. A Libran man or woman loves love and hates hate. Scorpio is represented by a scorpion and stands for peevishness, a feeling of regret or injury received in the past. Scorpio-born has a magnetic and a very charming personality. He is energetic, truthful, blunt, egoistic, proud conqueror, the best friend and the worst enemy. He will sacrifice everything for his or her friend. He has deep thoughts, leaning to bolder philosophies, is excited by the stories of heroism and martyrdom and has imperial and majestic outlook. Sagittarius is represented by a bow and stands for concentration. A Sagittarian loves long walks, has untiring energy for the work that engrosses him, is easy going, carefree, boisterous, cheerful but angry when provoked; he has love for strangeness and novelty, loves to gamble and be happy and cheerful with a glass of wine. But a religious-minded or a thoughtful Sagittarian hates gambling and liquor. Meditation, yoga and thoughts and practices like Zen ism appeal to him. He is interested in Sufism and old religious cults, including the occult. A Scorpio person loves astrology and the occult which explains the hidden phenomena but a Sagittarian loves occult for its strangeness and mysteriousness. He or she is a researcher. Capricorn is represented by a goat climbing a hill and stands for ambition, progress and advancement. A Capricornian is a hardworking and a silent and sober person, but cannot work without a desire for the fruit. The fruit, in fact, is very important to him. He is just like a doctor who is interested in a handsome amount as fee for the service rendered to a patient. He is sociable, cultured and has association with persons belonging to higher echelons of society. He boasts of having connections with rajas and maharajas. He can wait patiently for the rewards and fruits of his action. He is diligent, honest and true to his superiors. As subordinate he is faithful and as a boss he command; respect and obedience from his juniors. Aquarius is represented by a man carrying a pitcher of water. He believes in human brotherhood, a virtuous and noble life. He is balanced, intelligent and has scientific bent of mind, is a wonderful student of psychology and other psychic sciences. He does not have anybody. He believes in equality and fraternity. He is the least jovial person not aspiring for high positions, and he seldom achieves them. He is pro-labor and has a soft corner for manual workers. He waits for a chance to reward hardworking and honest servants and workers. Pisces is represented by two fish moving in opposite directions and stands for a peaceful and sympathetic person. Pisces-born is very firm in his conviction. 1 Piscean woman is beautiful, has eyes as if half asleep and is thrilling to talk with. He or she is moved be pathetic stories and has a fine taste for mystic poetry and is fond of reciting classical poetical works. In order to match with the intrinsic and ecstatic state of poetry Piscean might take to liquor. He should restrict to a few drinks to cheer himself but not transgress the limit. He is happy-go-lucky but is silent, least boisterous; he is fun loving but keeps a semblance of sobriety. A true Pisceai is hard to find in this world of getting and spending Swami Ram Tirtha was a true Piscean and so was Rabindranath Tagore. Both had Pisces ascendants.

SATURNTHE HERALDER OF GOLDEN AGE

Before the outbreak of the Mahabharata war, Lord Krishna, as an emissary of the Pandavas, went to the Kauravas to persuade Duryodhana to give just five villages to the Pandavas so that the impending clouds of war could be blown away, but Duryodhana was not ready to give even a single village. He was adamant, arrogant, self-willed and unrepentant. He did not care about peace and harmony. In a word, he was just the opposite of Lord Krishna, the apostle of peace. Saturn's role is the same, i.e., to bring peace to the two parties that are in strife. Saturn is exalted in the sign of Libra, known for peace,

harmony and love of mankind. Duryodhana rejected the influence of Saturn by moving in the opposite direction whereby he nullified or cancelled the influence. The planet is debilitated in the Aries sign, known for pride, egoism, and selfishness. To have the full benefic influence of Saturn one should make one self open to the thoughts of peace and harmony. Saturn takes the side of dharma, truth and order its role is as benefic as that of Lord Krishna for promoting peace and harmony. But Duryodhana defeated the very purpose of Lord Krishna who wanted to heal the wounds of the two families of cousins. Lord Krishna took the side of the Pandavas and gave to Arjuna the celestial counsel known the world over as the divine message of the Gita. Lord Krishna had Saturn in his ascendant along with Moon. (While Surdasji says exalted Saturn was in 6th with Venus) He shaped his life true to the impact of Saturn while Duryodhana rejected it. Saturn becomes malefic when its influence is rejected. This shows that Saturn is highly benefic and only when its influence is negated or cancelled, bad days start taking shape. While Jupiter does not issue a warning before adverse events take place, Saturn is not so ruthless. It is when its warnings are not heeded that bad effects start. All those who suffer mentally and physically and blame it on the influence of Saturn are wrong. They are, to be precise, suffering because Saturn's influence is not felt by them and they have made efforts to cancel it. A person under the benefic influence of Saturn thinks before he acts, and he who thinks after he acts is not worthy of Saturn's influence. In other words, if you want to feel the benefic influence of Saturn, it is not yet too late to start cultivating the habit of thinking before action, taking the side of dharma and peace. The love of mankind should replace the hate of mankind, and the charitable disposition of helping the poor and the downtrodden should be cultivated. War should be the last resort, as it was for Lord Krishna after all his efforts for peace had failed. Saturn represents the golden age or the harvest time when all farmers are happy with their produce. All saints and all great friends of mankind had Saturn in a prominent position in their birth charts. Paramahamsa Ramakrishna had Aquarius ascendant, Lord Rama and Lord Krishna had Saturn in the angular positions in the fourth and the first houses, respectively. Guru Nanak had Saturn in the tenth position in the Taurus sign. The averment that the saints live in poverty is wrong. Their way of life is the outcome noted not of the impact of Saturn but of their own will. They love to live the life of the poor and deliberately spurn prosperity which comes their ways rather; they bless others with prosperity and affluence. One who is a harbinger of prosperity to others can never be called a poor man. A saint, therefore, is rich with spiritual possessions. To him prosperity means lack of cares. Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya vied with kings in spending lavishly to feed the poor and the saints. So, the person who considers saints to be beggars is mistaken and needs to be corrected. In ancient times, and even a century ago, nearly all the saints knew alchemy by which they could produce gold but they still preferred to live in poverty. The man who distributes wealth to the poor and professes the path of poverty can never be termed poor. Thus, Saturn bestows prosperity and happiness provided its influences are not deliberately rejected. Persons who have Capricorn in ascendant are elevated in position and are high government officials and are prosperous. Aquarius men are not very rich but neither poor.

MARSTHE GOLDEN PLANET

You can easily spot a man or a woman who is under the influence of Mars. He or she will be reading a scripture, the Bible, the Gita, the Quran, or a book on the subject of self-improvement. The person who lets the influence of the planet Mars enter his life loves transformation or ascent to a higher life. A goat climbing a hill is the sign of Capricorn, in which sign Mars is exalted. So a man who is not interested in self-transformation and change for the better is negating or cancelling the influence of Mars in his life. The true son of Mars likes the change in him-self as well as in others. Sir Winston Churchill had

Scorpio in ascendant. He took the reins of the British government during a crisis, national as well as international. He gave V as the sign of victory to the panic-stricken nation. Mars plunges headlong into war when all efforts at maintaining peace fail. Mars is not the god of war and strife, as is generally assumed. It is the planet of peace at all costs. Had Sir Winston adopted the attitude of the Buddha and refused to engage the British forces in the world war in their defensive role, Britain would have been wiped out from the face of the earth. Mars believes in war against war, violence against violence and strife against strife. Hitler who put thousands and thousands of people in danger and indulged in the slaughter of innocent Jews, or Nadir Shah or Chenghiz Khan who put to sword innocent people were not the sons of Mars. They, in fact, cancelled the influence of Mars in their lives. Mars is debilitated in the sign of Cancer, which represents personal likes and dislikes. Sir Winston acted on behalf of a nation whereas Hilter acted to satisfy his own whims, as did Nadir Shah and Chenghiz Khan. A true son of Mars acts for the sake of perfection or to please God, as Arjun was taught by Lord Krishna, and abhors a whimsical action. When Arjuna entered the field of battle he saw his kin and "gurus" in the enemy camp and refused to fight. Lord Krishna came to his rescue and enjoined him to give up his whims and take to the true path of a warrior and a savior. A warrior, if he is not a savior of mankind, is a slave of his caprices. Maharani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi took to arms to defend the prestige and pride of her motherland and protect her subjects from the British who had adopted the path of destruction. She was a true votary of Mars, and so were Shivaji/Maharana Pratap, Winston Churchill, Nelson, Guru Gobind Singh and others. Guru Nanak had Mars in the Scorpio sign in the fourth house. He was a true savior of mankind and a healer of the wounds of people. He transformed evil men like Sajjan, a thug. Alexander the Great had Aries, ruled by Mars, in ascendant. He was a very learned man and a great warrior. But his warlike nature and combative qualities were devoted to his own glory and not to the welfare of mankind; he died early. The holy scriptures teach people to act as saviors of mankind and truth or dharma. Wisdom that mankind has inherited is because of the good influences of Saturn. Jesus died on the cross to do the will of God as against his own will. In fact, he could have saved himself as he was a man of miracles and he had saved Martha's brother, Lazarus, on her entreaty. Mars, exalted in Capricorn, represents devotion to God and doing His will. It, therefore, follows that when one is doing the will of God, one is acting as a son of Mars, and when not doing so or acting on one's whims, one is rejecting the influences of Mars on one's life. Those who believe that they are suffering on account of Mars should change their mental attitudes and start doing the will of God and work for self-improvement. They should be detached in their lives and should learn the secret of detachment and self-sacrifice. Selfishness, pride, envy, jealousy and revengeful thoughts should be given up at once. Mars is a friend of the good and an enemy of the evil. Mars does not want to destroy men but to bring about in them a transformation and a change for the better. Socrates was a profound thinker as well as a great warrior. He could brave the icy cold atmosphere and used to walk barefoot on the snow. In a battle he fought very bravely and saved his friend from a great danger, but recommended his friend's name for a reward. Both Saturn and Mars could help Socrates in such a big achievement. Mercury and Jupiter have no potential to produce such remarkable qualities in a man like Socrates. Mars gave courage and a sense of self-sacrifice, Saturn provided the highest type of wisdom and humility. As Mars is exalted in Capricorn, a Saturn sign, it is clearly established that Mars and Saturn, both conjoin to produce a highly noble person. In Guru Nanak's horoscope, Mars is aspecting from its fourthhouse position in the Scorpio sign and Saturn is placed in the Taurus sign in the tenth house. Maharani Jhansi had Saturn in the Libra sign in ascendant with Mars having an eighth-house aspect upon Saturn from the sixth house, identical with the Pisces sign. She was not only a great strategist but a very courageous person as well. Guru Nanak was a saint of extraordinary powers of thought and action. Mars in the Scorpio sign bestows a highly magnetic personality and Saturn in the Taurus sign bestows a very charming musical voice. Lord Krishna too had Saturn in the Taurus sign, and it is because of that he could cast a spell upon others by his flute. In Emperor Akbar's birth chart, Saturn is placed in

ascendant in the Libra sign; it meant that Akbar was a man with a computer memory and extraordinary intelligence and wisdom. He was a man of great vision, who thought before acting and not afterwards. Those who have caught some disease allegedly during the timing ("dasha") of Saturn have been invariably found to be self-willed, arrogant, and rejecting the counsel and advice of their superiors and the wise. To them the discipline of Saturn appears dictatorial, oppressive and even repulsive. They have, in truth, cancelled and nullified the beneficial effects of Saturn. It is a trait of Saturn to listen to the good advice of others and when this is not so it is clear that Saturn's effects are missing. When a man or a woman is acting on his or her whims and not caring for social order, ethics, dharma or God's will he or she is not cooperating with Mars and is cancelling its effects. Those who have been allegedly suffering on account of Mars are men of strong likes and dislikes. They have never bothered for the well-being of others, and lack in charitable disposition. Arjun acted on his whims and threw the Gandiva on the battlefield. It is Lord Krishna who taught him to act in order to do the will of God. Strange to say, Mars is debilitated in the Cancer sign but it is a "yogakarka" for the Cancer ascendant. The sincerity and goodwill of Cancer makes Mars a yogakarka, but the caprices and whims render it weak. When Saturn and Mars allegedly cause sufferings the upaya (remedial measure) is charity to the poor. Charity to the poor is itself a trait of Saturn. In Aquarius ascendant, a man or a woman is the best friend of humanity with an open, helping hand to the poor. The Maharani of Jhansi distributed articles of luxury among her soldiers when she was locked in the battle at Gwalior. She was generous to a fault. As mentioned eelier she had Saturn prominently placed in the first house. Saturn and Mars were not responsible for her defeat in Gwalior and her death at the hands of her enemy. They made her a noble person with a glorious record. A British brigadier wrote about her, "The British lost the best ally and India gained a colorful legend". Even her main rival, Sir Hugh Rose called her invincible. Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Lord Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammad and other saviors of mankind had Saturn and Mars prominently placed in their horoscopes, establishing the fact that Saturn and Mars are most auspicious and beneficial planets. Mahatma Gandhi had Mars in his first house in the Libra sign and Saturn in the second house in the Scorpio sign. Still, he was one of the noblest men on earth. He fought a war against wars, he disliked hatred and, therefore, he was called the Father of the Nation. Thus, it is incontrovertible to describe Mars as a representative of perfection in action and Saturn as representative of perfection in thought which, more appropriately, is a balance in thought that avoids the two extremes. In Dr. Rajendra Prasad's horoscope, Mars was placed in the first house along with Mercury in Sagittarius ascendant and Saturn was placed in the Gemini sign in the seventh house. Dr. Prasad was the first President of India, commanded great respect and was loved by his countrymen for his noble nature. This shows that Mars and Saturn, being highly benefic, elevated Dr. Prasad to the supreme position. In the horoscope of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the first Governor-General of Pakistan and the founder of that nation, Saturn and Rahu are placed in Aquarius ascendant identical with the first house. Rahu also is an indicator of Saturn, implying thereby that Saturn was very powerfully placed in Quaid-eAzam's horoscope. In Shivaji's horoscope Saturn was placed in exalted position in the third house of effort (parakrama) and it was placed in the fifth house in Morarji Desai's horoscope, representing a very thoughtful and highly intelligent person and a good strategist. Those with Saturn and Mars in their Horoscopes are basically men of peace. Shivaji also fought bravely to establish peace in the trouble-torn country. In Emperor Akbar's horoscope Saturn was placed in exaltation in the first house, identical with Libra ascendant, and Mars was placed in the fourth house in Capricorn. In Lata Mangeshkar's horoscope Saturn is placed in the seventh house in Scorpio (a Mars sign); it made her a top-notch singer and internationally known for her nightingale voice. In Dilip Kumar's horoscope Mars is placed in the Libra sign in the seventh house. This planet raised him to great heights because he was fired with an ambition to excel. The sign of Capricorn which is ruled by Saturn represents ascent (a goat climbing a hill). Many an original thinker and revolutionary new author have Jupiter placed in Capricorn, which is a

debilitating point of Jupiter, which in turn represents traditional wisdom. A person with Jupiter in Capricorn is an iconoclast and an original thinker, while Jupiter in the Cancer sign represents one clinging to the past and not accepting a new change in thought processes. Mercury in the Pisces sign represents intelligence, not of analysis and synthesis but of comparative nature. It is very difficult for a man with Mercury in Pisces to make a summary of his subject. He can explain it in an exhaustive manner. Venus in Virgo indicates synthesis (samanvaya) of emotion and intelligence in the subject. In Dr. Radhakrishnan's horoscope Venus was placed in the Virgo sign, identical with his ascendant. He was very balanced in nature, neither very emotional nor logical to the extreme. His was a very sober and sophisticated nature and his mental disposition was one of respecting the tradition without disparaging the modern trends. His attitude was scientific as well as oriental, appreciative of the past glory of India. In Lokmanya Tilak's birth chart, Mars was placed in the fifth house in the Scorpio sign, showing extraordinary practical knowledge. In his "Gita Rahasya" he laid stress on action or karma yoga. His words and action cast a magnetic spell on others since Scorpio bestows magnetism. In Sardar Patel's birth chart Saturn and Mars were placed together in the tenth house in the Capricorn sign. The only thing that mattered most to him was to see the good of India and raise its glory to greater heights. He was called the Iron Man of India and it was he who made India strong and united and abolished princely rule in India. Nehru and Tilak had Cancer ascendant while Sardar Patel was born in the Aries sign. While Nehru and Tilak were loved by the masses for their loving and kind nature, Sardar Patel was respected for his energetic actions RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARS & SATURN

Saturn is thought and Mars is action and the two are aligned in a very harmonious manner. An action cannot be performed unless it is backed by thought. This is because Mars is exalted in Capricorn, a Saturn sign. One may ask why Saturn is debilitated in Aries, a sign of Mars. The reason apparently is that an action needs the support of thought while an active thought is a nonentity. A man of thought and a man of action do not agree but still thought is the guiding force, a beacon for an active person. Active thought is an absurdity since a thought is always well reasoned and balanced, using strategy and diplomacy. One who acts thoughtfully is a balanced man. Criminals are invariably poor thinkers who act according to their whims and on the spur of the moment. An active man or a man of action needs philosophy whereas a philosopher needs patience and peace to discover higher philosophic truth. It is very difficult to tell a philosopher, "You are given 15 minutes to think and speak." Socrates used to spend nights together in contemplation of higher truths. Hitler made a mockery of philosophy. Hence the golden rule is "to think before you leap"; and if you are leaping before you think you are cancelling the effects, good and useful, of Mars and Saturn. So all diseased persons violate this golden rule. A strong Mars and a weak Saturn and a strong Saturn and a weak Mars cause havoc. Their influence should be well balanced. A person with a powerful Saturn is well placed in thought; but if his Mars is weak he cannot make a mark in life. So is the case with a strong Mars and a weak Saturn. There is quick action but no good results because the power of thought is missing. In the horoscope of great men, Mars and Saturn are well-adjusted in their influences. The Bhagavad Gita lays stress on adopting the middle path and avoiding the two extremes. Those who have brought havoc in the world have indulged in extremes. Hilter, Nadir Shah or Chenghiz Khan paid scant attention to the scriptural teaching. Even Adam disobeyed God's command. Man is experimentalist by nature and he wants to learn after taking an extreme path. Extremism is inimical to Saturn's nature by its exaltation in the Libra sign denoting balance. The Bhagavad Gita has even advocated a regimen of even a balanced diet, and is against too much of fasting or too much of eating. It is against long hours of sleep, and also too much of wakefulness. One who is not interested in self-improvement, like a bohemian, gives himself to low thoughts of enjoyments of the pleasures of life. Leonarda da Vinci, Michael Angelo, Picasso were fired with the ambition of excelling in their lives. Dale Carnegie, Swet Marden, Vincent Peele, James Allen, Frederick

Bailes, and Alexis Carrel have written beautiful books to elevate men and women to great mental and spiritual heights. They are, in truth, true votaries of Mars. Diseases are most caused by overeating and lack of proper exercise. The balance in three elements, i.e., vat (wind), pitta (heat) and kaff (cough), keeps men and women healthy. When this balance is disturbed, diseases appear. An accident, a violent deed and rioting are not caused by Mars but by the absence of its influence, i.e., when Mars becomes too weak to influence the lives of people. During the whole of the year 1947 Saturn was placed in the Cancer sign, which rules personal whims and strong likes and dislikes. The virtues of balance, equanimity and peace, identical with the Libra sign, were absent. Mars had been in the sign of caution and perfection for a month from around January 16 to February 16 in that year, and it never was seen in the same sign during the period of rioting and inhuman deeds of violence. The country was torn in two parts, India and Pakistan, and peace was totally absent. Saturn and Mars had become too ineffective to do anything good as people tried to lower themselves in deeds and thoughts. Extremism and emotional sentiments ruled by the watery sign, Cancer, were predominant. Man had lost reason. The two communities, which could not live in isolation in the past and cannot do so in the future, became blood-thirsty. The question was not of man (an Aquarius trait which sees man as man) but of a member of a community, a Cancer trait. Hindus and Muslims blame the British for dividing them but they are wrong in their contention as the British failed in their mission of dividing the Africans. They told pagans that they were different from the Muslims and the Muslims that they were unlike Christians, but the three retorted, "Are we not Africans?"

HOW PLANETS GET INFLUENCED

Every planet is a trinity of an ownership sign as well as an exaltation sign. Take, for instance, Jupiter. Jupiter rules Sagittarius and Pisces signs and is exalted in Pisces sign. Jupiter stands for happiness. One can be happy if one undertakes a good number of trips, picnics and spends time on tours and travels (Sagittarius). One can be happy if one has a sound sleep, rest and peace after doing a day's work (Pisces). One can gain happiness if one is free from care and tension, and has faith in the goodness of others (Cancer). Thus there is a trinity of the Sagittarius-Pisces-Cancer signs in the planet Jupiter. If Jupiter is placed in one of the three signs, the very sign of its occupation gets more emphasis. Suppose Jupiter is placed in the Cancer sign. It implies happy trips and travels and sleep and rest. The subject gets happier because of his carefree disposition and acceptance of the quality of intrinsic goodness in each man and woman. But suppose Jupiter is placed in other signs, and not in the above three signs; take, for instance, Jupiter in the Capricorn sign. It may imply that the particular person derives happiness from philosophizing, or he is well-versed in accounts and commercial subjects because caution is essential for this line. Again, suppose Jupiter is placed in the Scorpio sign; it may imply that he gets happiness by using his magnetic forces of personal attraction. He delights in attracting persons of the opposite sex. If Jupiter is in the Aries sign it implies that the person delights in forcing his will upon others or in pioneering and original ideas. Venus has Taurus-Libra-Pisces trinity. Venus stands for love and wins the hearts of others. If one is soft-spoken and attracts others by the power of sweet tongue, one can also influence others by one's disposition to work in harmony (Libra). Love is also excited by dreamy disposition and projecting dreams of happiness and joy to others. Poet Shelley soared in skies. He touched strange topics and was rebellious. This shows that he was true to his ascendant, Sagittarius. Keats lived on the earth, and created beauty by touching upon earthly topics. This shows he was a true son of Taurus. Jesus Christ had Libra in ascendant because he came to establish peace on the earth. Lord Krishna had Taurus in ascendant because he came to

spread divine music in the world, Lord Rama came to spread the healing power of being sensitive to others' sufferings and, therefore, he had Cancer in ascendant. Just as in homoeopathy it is difficult to ascertain the exact symptoms of a disease, so in astrology it is to delineate the characteristics of a person with precision and accuracy. Once the true qualities of a planet and the sign are known, it becomes easy to make correct predictions. The juxtaposition of the effects of the combined planets is rather an engaging task. A planet expresses itself in a particular house with a modification according to the sign in the other houses. Suppose you have Scorpio in ascendant with Mars in the Libra sign in the twelfth house and you have Jupiter and Mercury placed in the first house. This combination will be indicated in the following words: "You have a magnetic and forceful personality, you are interested in ultra mundane affairs and you want to attain moksha or liberation through harmony, peace and love, and you are also a wise and practically intelligent man with deep interest in science and occult subjects." A man of science or a scientist is a practical philosopher. He studies the natural phenomena, say electronics, atom, light, motion, space and time, as applied subjects. His is not only a theoretical interest, merely to satisfy his academic thirst for knowledge as that of a philosopher. Where Jupiter and Mercury combine, the indication is that of a scientist, because the scientist puts his knowledge to practical use. A philosopher may study electronics but may not create electronic gadgets as does a scientist. When Venus and Mercury combine, diplomacy and intelligence are indicated. This combination in the horoscope of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the Libra sign in the fourth house made him India's first Prime Minister. Mars in the third house aspecting the tenth also enabled him to hold the highest office. Saturn in the Leo sign in the second house, aspecting Sun in the fifth, made him a thinker and a philosopher, and possessed at the same time dignity and decorum. He hobnobbed with important personages of the world, like Mountbatten, Nasser, John F. Kennedy and others. He was just like a prince and was known before 1947 as the "uncrowned king of India". The royal planet, Sun, in the fifth house in the Scorpio sign made him appear an ill-tempered man though he was essentially very mild, and had love and compassion even for his servants. As Moon is the reflector of Sun, a man or a woman with Moon well-placed in his natal chart is a true disciple of his or her Master. Pundit Nehru had Moon in the Cancer sign in the first house identical with his ascendant. He was a true follower of the Mahatma, the Father of the Nation. As a matter of fact, many saints and sages have Cancer in ascendant because they reflect the beauty and glory of their Master or Maker. Many a poet has Venus and Mercury in the same house, implying thereby that aesthetics or love of beauty and intelligence together can create poetry. Since metrical rules are essential in poetry, it is difficult to write verse without the knowledge of prosody. A technician must have Mercury and Mars conjoined because intelligence and knowledge of mechanics are both essential for a technical man. A yogakarka planet is very powerful in a horoscope. Although Mars is debilitated in the Cancer sign, yet it is a yogakarka for the Cancer ascendant. The reason is apparent: an action should be quick but the wavering mind of Cancer-born will find it hard to make a quick decision. But to a sensitive man with persistence and perseverance of a Cancer-born subject, Mars, the God of work and energy (shakti), will be very favorable in bestowing gifts.

PLANETS AND THE ASCENDANT

The ascendant plays a very big role in a horoscope. Swami Vivekananda had Sagittarius ascendant. He was a prophet and a dreamer of golden thoughts. His Master, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had Aquarius as ascendant with Saturn placed in the Libra sign in the ninth house. He was a great humanist, an unlettered "rishi", but not a prophet. He had no dreams of spreading his divine knowledge. It was his disciple who spread the gospel and his Master's divine message. The difference in

ascendants made the two holy persons different in outlook. Similar has been the case with other holy persons. Since strategy and diplomacy are very significant in guiding the destinies of monarch's, kings and queens mostly have Libra ascendant. Akbar, Shah Jehan and the Maharani of Jhansi had Libra in ascendant; but the Queen of England, since she had nothing to do with politics and strategy, was not born with Libra in the ascendant. As strategy was not required of them, India's Presidents were not generally born in Libra ascendant (Dr Rajendra Prasad had Sagittarius ascendant; Dr. Radhakrishnan Virgo, and Giani Zail Singh, Aries). Just as in homoeopathy a medicine is not related to a single disease, it cures others also, so in astrology a planet has not only one role to perform. Mercury, for instance, is concerned with practical intelligence, mathemetical and technical abilities, and with accountancy. In matrimonial relationship Mercury is concerned with sensual delights. Therefore generally, marriages are solemnised during the Mercury dasha or antardasha. Mars is concerned with war, struggle and, at the same time, it is also concerned with mechanism. Venus is, similarly, concerned with software, computers, luxuries, ornaments and love. Sun and Moon are rulers of gold and silver, respectively, but ornaments come under the domain of Venus. It is the final shape that defines the characteristics of a planet. As ornaments are worn by women, Venus rules ornaments. As armaments are used by warriors, they come under the dominion of Mars. As books, stationery, etc., are used by scholars and students, they are ruled by Mercury. While stars influence our lives, our lives also influence the effect of changes in outlook, and the changed outlook tempers the influences of the stars in guiding our destiny. Aurobindo Ghose was a revolutionary before he started his spiritual quest. Naturally, the influence of Mars, placed along with Jupiter in the Cancer sign in his fifth house, underwent a change in influencing his life. The ancient people were fatalists but the modern man believes that man influences stars as much as the stars influence him. The very stars that made Asoka indulge in violence in the Kalinga war, with his transformation under the influence of Buddhism, changed their course in shaping his destiny simply because his own influence and transformation brought about a change in the course of the stars. The man under the influence of Saturn and Mars with his belief in fatalism creates many problems in his life. Since persistence, efforts, struggle, energy, force, the desire for self-improvement, perfection, moksha, Nirvana, self-sacrifice, and ameliorating the lot of others come under the ruler ship of Mars, there is no scope for fatalism. Saturn, ruling hard work, dedication to duty, self-discipline, and control upon evil tendencies leaves no room for fatalism. There is as much free will in life as there is bondage. Saturn and Mars rule the entire domain of man's life and not much is left to be ruled by other planets. Saturn and Mars, both, give intelligence, wisdom, concentration, self-discipline, luxuries, richness, opulence, splendor, energy, power, station in life, rise in profession and even kingship. Other planets only control various shades of the gifts. Mercury shows professional skills, scholarship, knowledge of accountancy, etc. Jupiter governs scriptures and the priests. Venus rules artists, poets, musicians, singers, actors and actresses. Had there been only two planets, Mars and Saturn, we could have ascribed to them all events and traits. All modern trades, professions, technical or otherwise, are ruled by these two planets THE IMPORTANCE OF ASCENDANT

The placement of the ascendant lord in a particular house defines the whole range of activities of the person concerned. A man has a number of activities in his life but the most significant is the one by which his whole life's concern becomes evident. In Tagore's horoscope Jupiter, lord of the ascendant, is placed in exaltation in the fifth house of creative activities. In Ramakrishan Paramahamsa's natal chart Saturn, the lord of ascendant, is placed in the ninth house of religion; he experimented with all world religions and discovered the truth in each one of them. In Alexander's natal chart Aries' ascendant lord, Mars, is placed in the third house of journeys and effort (parakrama), making him a man of great courage that conquered a large portion of the world and travelled a lot.

Almost all planets are highly benefic in the eleventh house. Mars and Saturn give very good results. Mars gives wealth, sound health, graceful personality and good status in life. Saturn too gives wealth, health, name and fame. The lord of the eleventh house, which is the Aquarius sign of the kalpurusha (with Aries in the ascendant), is Saturn. This shows that if man is full of humanism and is charitable by disposition and believes in human brotherhood, all planets will turn out to be good. Rioting, violence, cruelty and other inhuman activities are due to the fact that man has not acquired humanism. The sign of Aquarius shows a man carrying a pitcher of water on his head. The purpose of his carrying the pitcher of water is not for his needs but to quench the thirst of others. It will be really a golden age if man imbibed in himself the qualities of the Aquarius sign. Capricorn is identical with the tenth house of the kalpurusha. The tenth house rules material position, status, career, administration, social position and even kingship. This sign is ruled by Saturn. There is clear evidence of the fact that Saturn is highly benefic because the houses it rules in the kalpurusha bring happiness and prosperity, peace and love. The traditional astrology links Saturn with restrictions and contractions. A disciplined life is based on self-control, a few wants and a middle path. Therefore, the word 'restriction' cannot suggest anything malefic in nature. Again, Saturn is a yogakarka for Taurus and Libra ascendants. People having these ascendants are balanced in nature and never go to extremes. They avoid the path of extremism, as Akbar the great, who had Libra ascendant, believed in harmonious relations between Hindus and Muslims and even married Jodha Bai, a Rajput princess, to promote these happy ties. The USSR made remarkable progress as it was ruled by the Aquarius sign but it showed a decline when Russian leaders abandoned their own colors and traits and moved closer to the USA ruled by the Gemini sign. The British, who are ruled by the Aries sign, whose lord Mars is exalted in India's Capricorn sign, were very powerful rulers of India. But when they moved to extremes and transgressed the limits of Mars they lost the empire. The Jallianwalla massacre is inimical to the very nature of Mars, which believes in perfection in action. This dastardly act was later deplored by the saner elements in Britain. Had they followed the middle path and cared for the well being of their subjects, just as Queen Victoria had done, they would not have seen the sun setting on their empire If a person transgresses the limits of Saturn and Mars he is faced with problems, diseases, accidents and violence; but if he is a strict follower of the advice he receives from the wise, he enjoys success, prosperity and good luck throughout. The concept of sade-satti (seven and a half years of trouble) and dhaiya (two and a half years of trouble) is also not an exception to this rule. The very fact that we are not in tune with the planet explains why we suffer. We find delight in separatist tendencies and in taking the course of extremism SATURN RULES WISDOM

Saturn is identified with wisdom, and true wisdom is a trait of a man of Saturn throughout the world. It is essential to learn what the true import of wisdom is. Mars is concerned with beauty and joy although it is paradoxical when we link Mars with the concepts of beauty and joy. But a close examination of the concepts of beauty and joy will reveal that Venus and Jupiter are not truly linked with beauty and joy as is generally thought. In traditional astrology, Venus deals with beauty and love while Jupiter is mainly concerned with joy. In the words of Jason James, a noted mystical philosopher who has made an extensive study of the Biblical literature, 'The price of wisdom is above rubies. It manifests itself in friendship just as well as in folly, mistaking a friend for a foe and vice versa. No one can make another person wise; one has to acquire wisdom at one's own expense and experience. It needs healthier mind for greater wisdom." Wisdom presents three fields of human powers or faculties: (1) the field of knowledge, (2) the field of judicious activity, and (3) the field of understanding.

Based on merits, good or evil, knowledge dictates what ought to be done or what ought not to be done. It awakens need, institutes search for facilities, seeks avenues for availability and inaugurates study for application. Wisdom teaches judicious activity and shows how a certain undertaking or enterprise is to be accomplished in a convenient and economical manner. Whereas knowledge tells what to do, wisdom teaches how to do it. It is in this sense that King Solomon asked for the gift of wisdom from the divine court. The fear of the Lord is wisdom. Wisdom of Expediency This aspect of wisdom enforces living by the law of expediency. It displays discretion or prudence which enables men to choose a course of action in a given situation. It has no reference to the spiritual laws of good and evil, to the past or future experiences or effects; it acts for the 'Present', with whatsoever means that are available. It employs godliness and ungodliness as its means to an end as required. It presents a class of society wherein some people appear godly one day and most ungodly the next. Wisdom of Profession This type of wisdom displays quickness of invention and dexterity in the execution of work. It utilizes life energy in the most convenient and beneficial manner. The expenditure of energy is manifested in manual labor and skill, regardless of the intellectual caliber. Being a gift from Providence, it is common to life in man and animal kingdom. It helps in industry, in self-protection, in hostile and adverse circumstances and in procurement of the justified needs and necessities from the natural elemental sources. For his natural life, man lives by the wisdom of his profession, his natural gifts and faculties. It is a feature common to the spiritual life or the natural life, both in man and animal. Spiritual Wisdom Spiritual wisdom occupies itself with the future prospects of life. It proclaims "what is gained by a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul." It reasons the purpose of life. Should man live to eat, or eat to live till the days of his pilgrimage be over? It accepts the fact that the great and the lowly come into this world empty-handed and they go empty-handed. It recognizes that birth of the great and of the lowly confers only the right to inheritance, or the right for the appropriation of the natural facilities invested in the parenthood and the society of the land of one's birth. Demonstrative Wisdom Demonstrative wisdom displays the truth by its demonstrative evidence. It presents the subjective principles, doctrines and plans long before their taking shape. And then at the appointed time, it demonstrates visibly what has been predicted. God said, "Let there be light", and there was light. It demonstrates equality between the subjective and the objective. God is God; Man is Man; Unknown is Unknown; and Known is Known. Each person demonstrates himself or herself, both inwardly and outwardly by the concepts he or she holds inwardly and displays outwardly. It defines 'is'. It portrays what 'is' was; and what 'was' is; what 'is' and 'was' shall be. It lends significance to the 'present' as the demonstrative evidence of the eternal. For without the present there can neither be past nor future. If one has present, it is because one had a subjective past, and because one has present, one cannot escape one's inevitable future which the present predicts. Instinctive Wisdom The Divine pleasure has gifted life with instinctive wisdom to care and cater for the progression of life. An ostrich does not have instinctive love for its young; it caters for the independent living of the young. Motherhood operates not by the moral laws or social codes or traditions; it operates on instinct to care for its young. Wisdom of Perseverance Falls and failures are essential for life even as is the success and rise. By the negative experiences, the value of the positive is ascertained. A prodigal son will always be much more

equipped with knowledge, wisdom and understanding than the one who has not known the brunt of the circumstances outside the boundaries of his home. One must not give in to depression because of failures. Each failure is a trial which presents an invitation for betterment; it presents a lesson or a rung of the ladder for the next step. The difference between God and man is that God does not fall but man falls, and then rises to greater heights. Wisdom of Precaution The conies are feeble yet they make their abode in rocks. There is no apparent danger to the conies; nevertheless they act on the principle of precaution to protect themselves from any possible danger. That is the wisdom of precaution.

SATURN AND HAPPINESS

Saturn rules content (santosh) in the heart and mercy (daya) on the lips. When contentment and mercy occupy a man's personality, peace reigns supreme. The following golden thoughts from Swami Sivananda's 'Elixir Divine' illustrate this point. Saturn rules Capricorn which stands for contentment, and Aquarius, another sign of Saturn rules mercy (daya or karma). 1. Silence strengthens thought-power. Silence is intuitive experience. Silence helps the intuitional self to express itself. To go into silence is to become God. 2. Develop uniformity in thought, word and deed. 3. When the sun of wisdom rises, the fog melts and there is vision of God. 4. Begin each day as if it is the beginning of new life. 5. Selfishness is vice. Selflessness is virtue. 6. The world of change implies a changeless being behind it. That changeless being is God. 7. God takes upon himself the prarabdha of the devotee. 8. Every little action has its effect on character. 9. The more we feel the presence of God, the freer we are. 10. The heart is the sanctum sanctorum. Install the Lord there and worship Him. 11. Prayer to God is selfish in the beginning, becomes selfless later on and purifies the devotee's mind. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. Love is its own reward and joy. Virtuous actions of the past produce Viveka and Vairagya. The essence of man and the essence of the world are the same. Sow the seed of self-discipline. Water it with love. Fence it with the Lord's name. The tree will yield you the fruit of immortality. Love is the healing stream of life. Prayer is the safety-belt when we are sinking in the ocean of samsara. With every struggle you evolve a little. For a man, the world is full of diverse objects. For an aspirant, the world is the manifestation of the Lord, but for a saint, the world is God Himself. A candle burns itself to shed light. Burn your impurities by selfless service to radiate the light of knowledge. Let God be your life. Time has no meaning in eternity. The crown of spiritual life is the vision of unity. Ascend the zenith of spiritual perfection and behold unity. The lower mind is your enemy and the higher mind your friend. Realize the Self as Brahman and realize the world as Brahman. World as world is a relative Truth. World as Brahman is the absolute Truth.

28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50.

Navigate thy ship of life with the compass-needle of thy mind always pointing towards God. Make God your guide when you walk on the path of life. The world of multiplicity is reduced to single unity when one attains wisdom. Every sacred mantra has in itself the potency of the Spirit. Why has God created the world? This is His svabhava or nature. Love is joy. Love is bliss. Love is power. Love is God. Love is nectar. The entire creation constantly moves towards the Divine. The earth is the foothold of God. God is perfection; therefore, God is one. Strive for that wealth which never fades. Prayer is the rock to which man can cling when he is drowning in the ocean of samsara. Faith and reason should go hand in hand. Love rules without a sword and binds without a cord. Bondage and liberation exist not in the Self but in the mind. He who sows generosity reaps Love Divine. Love beautifies the giver and elevates the receiver. Give love, you get love; give hatred, you get only hatred in return. This is the natural law. Jealousy is the jaundice of the mind. Destiny is powerless before Divine Grace. Nature is the executive authority to enforce the will of God. This Atman is infinite beauty, beauty of beauties. Religion is the art of re-modeling man into divinity. Prayer is the mystic bridge built across the gap between God and Man.

MARS IS SUN'S ENERGY

Mars is energy of the sun directed towards the welfare of mankind. The person who has powerful Mars in his chart makes his sun more powerful to do well. He is free from confusion, is dexterous in action and has love of God as well as of man. He is ready to face any challenge in life. He believes in the law of karma. He believes that every good effect is produced by a cause which is good and noble. As Capricorn is the sign in which Mars is exalted, therefore the man with Mars prominent in his horoscope is a man of action and singular in devotion. The following article on Wings by Jason James illustrates the depth as well as clarity in the style of a Martian. A man of Mars is never confused; he defines his terms and does not leave anything vague. He is never redundant or superfluous, as Jupiter and Venus are. Mars has the inventive ability of Aries, the depth of Scorpio and the dedication and love of God and man of Capricorn as its exalted signs. Wings In figurative sense, Wing signifies the means for power for rapid movement or protection, or to furnish or transport with wings. It signifies means which lend speed for traversing by flying. It also signifies means for negotiating the atmospheric conditions, viz., wind, sea, earth and mountains. Wings are provided either by nature or they are improvised by employing the principle of flying. The forms of wings may be different, but their utility is the same in all cases. In spiritual application the word 'wing signifies the taper or the skirt of a garment; spreading one's wing over the other is an expression of love, grace and protection, or a place of hiding wherein secrets may be hidden or covered. 1. An army is called a wing because it is the means of protection against an enemy who seeks to subjugate the people into slavery. 2. Wing is also the extremity or the uttermost part. It marks the external limit. 3. Over the seas, the ships move by winds trapped in the sails which are called the 'wings'. 4. The health-giving life also sustaining rays of the Sun are called wings. The sun of righteousness

arises with healing in its wings. Contact with these beams provides for virtue and its onward transmission. 5. The battlement of a house is also called a wing whence the view of the external world is clear. It provides vision which controls life within, and relative to what is without. 6. Wings signify Divine protection. He bears His people on the wings of angels, and the children of man put their trust under the shadows of His wings. Wings for Covering He that dwells in the secret of the mount high abides under the shadow of His wing. He is covered with his wing in trust and truth as a shield or a buckler covers its bearer. The wings of covering show the blessedness of the covered soul. Blessed is the man whose sins are covered and whose transgressions are forgiven. Covering with the Divine mantle signifies putting on or clothing with, the righteousness of God. It portrays unity based on love. Unity provides the covering, or the wings, of one for the other. In the spiritual world, the wing for the deity is humanity of men; without it, the deity cannot be one with man. Likewise for humanity, the spiritual power is the wing, without this man cannot be one with God. The deity covers humanity under its wing; similarly, humanity covers the spiritual under its skirtthe twain are one. Man aspires to be one with the deity; he strives for contact with the Divine and says, "If only I touch the hem of His garment I shall be healed. And those who touch have the virtue passed unto them for the healing of the body, the soul and the spirit." They go into the peace of God covered by the wings of everlasting love. Wings for Security The Satanic power, that is, the power of death, is an opposing force which seeks to establish its sovereignty over the children of Man to subjugate them for service. To face this evil power, Man has no means of his own, except the power of faith in the one who can deliver him from such an enemy. This is the power of God. It serves as the wing for Man for his protection and security. It gathers children of Man as a hen gathers her chicken under her wings. The Divine wing for such a security is the sovereignty of God manifested in incarnation. It serves the children of Man to deliver them from the onslaughts of the satanic power and the ravishes of death through the wing of lifeThe Resurrection. Wings of Territory Life and death are two dominions wherein two distinct powers rule. The wing which marks the territorial limit between the two domains is that of the grave. Death ceases to operate at this point or at this wing. And life begins to operate at this very point and stretches its wing towards the glory of resurrection. This is one place, or the extremity, where the power of the earth ceases and the power of the flesh stops operation; dust returns to dust. Yet unless the corn falls into the ground, it abides alone. So the very extremity of death lies in death itself, and it gives rise to life, the resurrected life. The beginning of deity is humanity and the end of humanity is the deity; and the end of both in unity gives rise to the new Man. The New Creation is manifested in the glory of resurrection. Wings of Cross Waters The sails which trap the winds to move the ship over the surface of the sea are called wings. Water covering the surface of the earth signifies death and its power; when it is beneath the earth, it becomes the living water. Noah's Ark was the wing of the grace of God for his safety and security, and that of his family who were with him. The waters from above which covered the earth destroyed, and the waters which were beneath the ark sustained life by lifting the ark from the low ground. To negotiate the power of death it needs the wing of the Divine power. It makes provision for entry into the sea of death, of the way through it and, finally, the arrival on the other shore. It accounts for the power of death. Its portrays immortality.

Wings of Light Life and its operation to glorify God depends upon the wing of light. A life given to darkness is a godless life. These who have this are called the Children of Darkness and those who have within them the Light of the Word of God, and the life in oneness with God are called the Children of Light. God is Light; in Him there is no darkness. The Light of God constitutes the wing of light which accounts for the sensations of memory and its perpetuation, joy and comfort and the freshness of life. It acts as a window to provide vision, knowledge, deliverance, understanding, judgment, truth, wisdom and parity. It removes the shadows of ignorance and the distress of darkness. God said, "Let there be light and there was light." And let the wing of light to sustain all life, and regulate time for the interpretation of eternity in terms of time manifested itself. He who inhabits eternity and clothes Himself with the light unapproachable manifests in the wing of humanity incarnation and proclaims, "I am the Light of the world". And having enlightened humanity to reveal God in manhood, He declares, "Ye are the light of the world." Therefore God Incarnate, prophets, apostles, the faithful and wise kings are designated as lights which shine in the darkness of death and decay. They portray the enlightened wing of humanity as opposed to the ones who sit in darkness. Wings of Vision The battlement of a house is called a wing. It typifies two aspects of life: (1) that which is within one's house, and (2) that which is without the house. It enables a person to view both: what is within him and what is without him. It provides for control, incentive, temptations, persuasions and judicial or in judicial judgments; one looks upon his own state and compares with what is without him in the next house. Man compares himself with man through the wings of vision. For his assessments, he applies conventional, traditional and customary standards. For his spiritual progress, he applies denominational or territorial or communal concepts and asserts his superiority. He believes, desires, strives for, acts, and plans projects according to his vision. In the spiritual world, the wing of vision for the perception of the demonstrative display is of paramount importance, for it controls man's life. By the hearing man believes in the subjective aspects of the doctrines, and by the wing of his vision he observes their demonstration, which establishes the verity of his faith in the doctrine he believes. Therefore, a person devoid of vision cannot establish the demonstrative evidence of what he believes. To know God he must have both the hearing and the vision of Him. He finds this in the incarnation; he hears and sees God in the person of the God manifest in the flesh. He, therefore, declares, "I have heard Him, I have seen Him, I have touched Him, and I have smelled Him, I know Him whom I have believed." Thereafter, he begins to live not by the wing of vision but by faith which "is the substance of the things hoped for and the evidence of the things not seen." The wing of vision is, therefore, a means of instruction which leads to living by the perfect principle of lifeFaith in God. Wings of Training As an eagle carries its young on its wings, so does God carry His children on the wings of His omnipotence. It is said that when the eagle sees its young ones old enough to venture flying, it hovers over the nest; it stirs the nest, flutters and excites the young to imitate and to take to their wings. When it sees them weary and fearful, the mother eagle carries them on her back, and at a certain height drops them so that they will learn to fly; then she dives down to take them on her back again. In the divine scheme of things the same process is applied. Under God's care men are taught to be God-like. In the progression of life, stagnation is not acceptable; the nest is stirred up, move for onward march is encouraged, facilities for development are provided, and flight to heights is prompted. God gives power to the faint, might to the weak; and, unlike the ones who rely on the natural powers and sources, the faithful wait on the Lord, renew their strength and mount up with wings as eagles. They run but are not weary; they walk but without fainting. Experienced Wings

Having been born on the wings of the Divine omnipotence, love and grace from the beginning of life, some testify, "He bore us on His wings through the atmospheric phenomena, and humanely devised circumstances, even through the valley of death." Having been taught and trained by the Divine wisdom some move swifter than the eagles and stronger than the lions; their youth is renewed like that of an eagle by the experiences they undertake. They move and mount by the law of liberty as the eagles do, using the wings of instinctive power, of intellectual precision, of knowledge, and of spiritual wisdom. They scale heaven and earth at will. They build their nests high, as the eagles do on the inaccessible rocks. An eagle, in its own entity with its naturally provided wings, is capable of undertaking glorious feats in the air, over the mountains, the earth and the waters above the earth. Yet, with all these faculties, it is classed unclean because of its inward tendency and affinity with the unclean. If depicts (1) the spiritual status, (2) the natural form, and (3) the glorious faculties. It summarizes that proficiency in the natural realm is no criterion for acceptability in the Divine courts. It is the purity, holiness and faith surrender to God which qualify for Divine approbation. The form is good, the natural faculties are worthy; but, nature-wise, that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. It is the nature that matters and not the faculties. The testimony of the spirit born is, "Thou hast beset no behind and before and laid thy hand upon me, where shall I go from thy spirit? Where can I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. If I dwell in hell, thou art there. If it takes the wings of the morning and dwells in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thy hand shall lead me and thy right hand shall hold me." It depends whether one is carried on the wings of the natural power or on the wings of the divine power of life. Humanity is classified into three categories: (1) the flesh born, (2) the spirit born, and (3) that which is flesh and spirit born and is the New Creation. GOLDEN RULES FOR SATURN AND MARS

The following are the golden rules for bringing out or experiencing the most benefic results of Saturn and Mars: 1. If a person with strong Saturn placed in a trine or an angular house is bed-ridden, don't try to engage the person in lengthy conversations. 2. The doctor should be a man of few words. 3. The patient should not turn a deaf ear to good advice or counsel of others. 4. Take as much rest as is essential and don't allow yourself to be lethargic. 5. Don't be aggressive. 6. Don't discourage others if they are self-disciplined and follow strict schedules and regimens in diet, etc. 7. Give due respect to aged persons and never try to humiliate them. 8. Visit a temple or a holy place on Tuesdays and Saturdays. 9. Never give alms for reducing the ill-effects of Saturn and Mars but for honoring the person who has come to your place for alms. 10. Feed a beggar or a blind person any day or on a Saturday or Tuesday. When you are undergoing sade-satti or dhaiya (7 1/2 years or 2 1/2 years period of Saturn), don't eat too much, speak too much, sleep too much, keep awake too much and work too much. Planets are not modified. It is a wrong statement that planets get modified in their results when placed in conjunction or receive aspects from other planets. All planets have individual characteristics. They gain power or potency by aspects or conjunctions and are not changed in effects. Suppose Mars and Venus are placed in the Libra sign. Mars neither modifies nor changes the effects of Venus; it only heightens the effects of Venus, i.e., effects are more clearly evident in the individual's life. The effects of Mars by its conjunction with Venus will remain as they are but they will become least potent in expression. Venus is the planet of refinement, love and sex and with its closeness to Mars these effects will become more

powerful. With the closeness of Mars with Venus, however, the individual will be weak-spirited, less courageous, rather a coward, and fearful.

NEW ASTROLOGICAL PRINCIPLES REVEALED Saturn and Mars as propounded earlier, are very powerful planets but it is most essential to know the motivation of a person. The good aspects of Jupiter and Venus on Saturn and Mars are considered in traditional astrology to give judgment in predicting events. For that purpose it is to be known clearly that Jupiter and Venus are not "benefic" to change the "malefic" effects of Saturn and Mars, but only to establish that the person has good motivation. King Solomon, while delivering his judgment in the case of two women claiming a child, ordered his court official to cut the child in two pieces. The real mother requested the king to spare the child and give it to the other woman whereas the false mother accepted the judgment. This shows that good motivation is sine qua non for receiving the good effects of powerful planets. Jupiter and Venus, even if they are placed in their exalted signs and in quadrants (Kendras) or trines (trikonas), are not powerful to produce good effects. They only give the subject a good nature and peaceful disposition. It is only in relationship with Saturn and Mars that they make the subject powerful and bless him with prosperity and good position in life. Pandit Nehru had Venus in Libra sign along with Mercury in the fourth house, with Jupiter aspecting the tenth house from Sagittarius sign in the sixth house. But both these planets only gave Pandit Nehru a good charitable, virtuous disposition with love for freedom and glory. It is only Mars which elevated him to the most powerful position in world politics due to its placement in the third house aspecting the tenth house. Saturn too influenced him by its aspect on the 11th house of fame and glory, being positioned in the second house in Leo sign. For a rough understanding, you can imagine Venus and Jupiter as a lame person and Saturn and Mars as a blind person, and when both join together they can do miracles. Without Saturn and Mars, Jupiter and Venus bear no fruit, and without the latter the former have no root. 1. All planets in debilitated signs in the second, third, fourth, fifth, ninth, tenth and 11th houses give prosperity and position. It is not essential that there should be neechbhang (cancellation) of debilitation. Although it seems unscientific, in practice these principles have been found correct. But it is not essential that the wealth they bestow is accrued from genuine or honest sources. 2. Jupiter and Venus should not be so much well placed for richness and opulence. A powerfully placed Jupiter, even in its exalted sign, Cancer, cannot give wealth. The person may be receiving wealth through charity or by performing 'pooja' as a priest. 3. Planets not occupying the third, sixth, eighth and twelfth houses ensure prosperity and good position. Manglik yoga (bad effect of Mars in matrimonial affairs) is nullified. 4. Venus influences its next house. If it is placed in 12th house the subject is bound to have beautiful eyes and good appearance. If it is in the sixth house, the wife is fair; if in the 4th house, the first child is fair. 5. Jupiter in the ascendant, or Pisces and Sagittarius ascendance give jovial nature, but if Mercury is in the first house, a man is witty and humorous by disposition. 6. 7. Venus, when it is going to move to Pisces sign, ensures happy matrimonial ties as shortly afterwards it will enter Pisces sign and this will make marriage full of bliss. Sun in Aries sign gives good inheritance or good family ties at the time of birth. If moon is in Scorpio sign the subject will not have good childhood. Prosperity will come later in life. In initial life the parents may be of good nature but they are likely to be far from being rich. Sun in Libra sign gives good practical intelligence; law will be a good subject to study. Moon in Taurus gives a good, kind and loving nature and rich family connections. Venus and Mars, if placed in the fourth, sixth and eighth houses, produce heartburn, acidity and gas problems.

8. 9. 10.

11. 12.

13. 14.

Moon in the first, fourth, sixth and eighth houses causes coryza and cough. Sun in the fourth, sixth and eighth houses leads to heart problems. Soup prepared from fresh vegetables, like carrots, cabbage, onions, etc., without adding anything to it is most advisable to help treat this disease. Sun along with Ketu or Rahu in the second house may cause cataract. Cilantro is most useful to treat opacity of the lens and eye problems including cataract. Saturn is a powerful rajyoga planet for Taurus and Libra ascendants. Mars is a powerful yogakarka for Cancer and Leo ascendants. If a person has Cancer or Leo ascendants, the placement of Mars in another person's chart in a powerful position will benefit him. Similarly, for a person with Libra or Taurus ascendants, if Saturn is placed in another person's chart in a good position, the subject will get good benefits from him. This law is applicable to all ascendants. For Aries ascendant Sun is yogakarka; for Gemini, Venus and Mercury, for Virgo, Venus and Mercury; for Scorpio ascendant Sun and Moon; for Sagittarius ascendant Sun and Mars; for Capricorn and Aquarius ascendants, Venus, and for Pisces, Moon is yogakarka. Debilitated planets are not necessarily evil planets and exalted planets, likewise, are not always the best planets. Mars, if placed in the seventh house for Sagittarius ascendant may cause accidents and a great caution is to be taken to prevent such mishaps. The reason for this is not the 'malefic' influences of Mars but the carefree, merry and hazardous nature of Sagittarius, which loves fun and adventure. Those born with Gemini ascendants prove to be great successes in teaching or travel agencies. Mars in Cancer sign promises banking or finance as vocations. Men and women with Taurus and Leo ascendants are great lovers. They are romantic and dramatic in actions. They are also persons of great religious faith and devotion. Men and women with Gemini ascendant are experimental by nature. Don't expect your would-be wife to be an expert householder if she has not Virgo or Taurus ascendants, or good planets not placed in these two signs. Working efficiency is ensured in Taurus and Virgo ascendants. Memory is very powerful in a person with Scorpio ascendant. Diligence, perseverance and zealous pursuit of an object or thought is keenly observed in a Cancerian. The reason for all these things is deep influence of Mars and Saturn in important signs. Venus does not stand for sex but for love, poetry and arts. It is when Mars is connected or conjoins Venus that one acquires sensual touch. Mars represents energy and, due to its connection with Venus it turns into sexual energy For love between husband and wife, it is most essential to see that there is compatibility. Greed, cupidity and baser thoughts are harmful for married life. Jupiter in Scorpio sign may lead to disaster in married life if cupidity is not curbed. Sagittarius and Scorpio ascendants produce good physicians and surgeons, respectively. Those with Virgo ascendant produce good journalists and reporters. Those with Venus in Libra are grammarians and teachers of language. Jupiter in ascendant gives an oriental touch. Such persons are expert in religious studies. Those with Libra ascendant and with Venus in Virgo sign are too much given to cleanliness and decoration. They are reserved, of quick action and secretive and such men are found mostly in intelligence departments. Rahu and Ketu in the third and ninth houses with Gemini or Sagittarius ascendants, or with Mercury and Jupiter in the first or seventh houses, indicate a sure chance of going abroad or living there for a considerable time. When Rahu or Ketu are in the ninth house it is essential that Mercury planet's gem, panna (emerald) should be worn on a right-hand finger. The size should be 4 rattis. Debilitated planets, or the so-called malefic planets like Saturn and Mars, prove beneficial in foreign countries. If the source of income is a travel agency for transporting people abroad, debilitated planets, or the so-called evil planets, are most suitable. Even if 'bad' planets are seen in a chart, it is advisable to suggest that the subject try his luck in exports and travel agency.

15. 16.

17. 18. 19. 20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27. 28. 29.

30.

31. 32. 33.

Moon debilitated in the sixth house, along with Saturn in Scorpio sign in the sixth house, are beneficial for a person who wants to establish a travel agency If the ascendant lord is placed in the 12th house foreign journey is indicated and living outside is beneficial. If the lords of sixth, eighth and twelfth houses interchange their places, or even if the lord of the sixth house or the lord of the eighth is in the eighth house, or the 12th house lord is in the same house it is a sure indication that the subject will attain prosperity and good position by chance and not by merit. "Dream is a wish-fulfillment" was said by Dr. Sigmund Freud but he was not the first to propound this concept. The first person to propound this doctrine was Lord Byron. He wrote a beautiful poem called 'Dream' in which he has said that mind creates places, people and persons to produce situations in a dream not as they are but as it would want them to be. It shows things as it wants and not as they are found in the working world. So if a man or a woman has the lord of the ascendant in the twelfth house, he should not be perturbed. He is an idealist and should start living according to his ideals. He should shun realism and live in his own world of ideals and ideas. Planets in the twelfth house indicate idealism or living in a dream world. Moksha is indicated by the twelfth house because it is living in isolation from the working realities. Boredom is the cause of all problems of a person with planets in the twelfth house. Spiritualism is indicated if the lord of the ascendant is in the 12th house simply because it indicates living a life different from the real life of getting and spending. Scientific pursuits are best continued if Saturn is in Aquarius sign or if the lord of the ascendant is Aquarius. If a fire sign is in the second house like Aries, Leo and Sagittarius and Sun along with Ketu are also placed there, the ancestral house has danger from fire. If watery signs like Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are in the second house and Rahu is placed there, there is a danger to ancestral home from water. Second house is the ancestral home; fourth house is subject's own house. Fourth house represents mind and education, seventh house indicates the place of education. If Saturn is placed in the seventh house, the place of education is old and so is its building. Wherever yogakarka is placed, it is the best avenue for gaining prosperity. Suppose you are born in Taurus or Libra ascendants and Saturn is placed in the fifth house, speculation, lotteries and gains from shares are indicated. These avenues may bring good luck and prosperity. Prashna lagna horary chart prepared at the time of a specific query can also act as a birth chart. Ask a subject to indicate one figure between 1 and 12 and put that figure in the first house and place that particular day's planets in all houses. The figure indicated by the subject stands for the sign between Aries and Pisces. Suppose you ask a person to indicate a figure between Aries and Pisces (both included) and he says 3, standing for Gemini in the first house; and you place that day's planets in all the 12 houses. Now you have a readymade chart and you can make all predictions from this chart. For those who have no birth details or birth chart, this method is par excellence. My teacher has over 30 years' experience in making predictions by this method. Birth in a hospital is indicated if the lord of the ascendant is in the twelfth house. If the ascendant lord is placed in the sixth house the birth is indicated in maternal house. If the first house lord and the seventh house lord interchange their places, it is an indication of a happy married life. Both are romantically attached to each other. If the ascendant lord is placed in the ninth house the subject may join a big firm with international offices. If the ascendant lord is in the eighth house, the subject will be research-minded or connected with an insurance company or will inherit a big fortune if the planet is benefic or placed in a friendly house. When Saturn is prominent in a birth chart or Saturn's dasha or sade-satti (7 1/2 year circle) or dhaiya (2 1/2 years' circle) is operating, it is advisable to trust in God, mix with saints and visit holy places. Ambitiousness should be avoided since ambition and Saturn are opposed. Saturn is a

34. 35. 36.

37.

38. 39. 40.

41.

42. 43.

44. 45.

friend of those who trust in God, or are sober and never indulge in daydreaming. Money-minded people may suffer during this period. Good planets in the third and ninth houses are best suited for those who want to set up publishing houses. Virgo represents love of Nature; Pisces: love of the supernatural; Sagittarius: love of strangeness and romance, mystic themes and old traditions; Taurus: love of beauty; Scorpio: love of occult; Aries: pioneering work, new inventions and discoveries; Libra: love of justice, mercy and kindness; and Gemini represents theoretical and practical wisdom. If Jupiter is placed in Capricorn sign, and is aspected by Mars in Cancer sign in the 10th house, i.e., debilitated planets are aspecting each other, the subject is elevated to a very high position but he uses crookedness as his modus operandi. Combine Jupiter or Saturn in trines, and trines are favorable for good luck and prosperity. The mantra of Saturn, according to Pandit Rajkumar of Jagadhri, is most effective. GOOD PLANETS BEST IN GOOD HOUSES

In a Zodiac the third, sixth and eleventh houses stand for effort, work and will (hope, aspirations and optimism), respectively. For the achievement of a mission or success in life all these three factors are essential, and it is not possible to evade failures if we lack any of the three vital things. How can we call these three houses evil and on what testimony? Life needs all these three things for happiness, prosperity and success. A warrior in the battle of life can depend upon these things chiefly. Saturn, Mars and their doubles, Rahu and Ketu, are considered powerful to do good in these three houses and the reason for this is given, erroneously, as the placement of evil planets in evil houses; but the true statement is that good planets give good results in good houses. Saturn and Mars, as well as Rahu and Ketu, are good planets, and they give good and beneficial results in these three houses because effort, hard work and strong will are sine qua non for attaining glory, success and prosperity. If one of them is missing, it is very hard to achieve success and gain coveted benefits. Alexander the Great had all these three factors in abundance and, therefore, he became a world conqueror. Arjuna, a man brimming with the energy of a dynamo and a man of great efforts and hard work, threw his gandiva in the battleground of Kurukshetra because of seeing his kinsmen, his guru and friends arrayed against him on the battlefield. This implies that his will power, ruled by the eleventh house, was badly affected. When Lord Krishna gave him the Divine Discourse on nishkam karma (selfless action), he recovered his will power and fought bravely and courageously to gain eternal glory. Jupiter, Venus, Moon of the bright week and Mercury unalloyed are considered good or beneficial planets, and their placement in the third and sixth houses are considered not powerful to do good because all these stars are not prone to hard work but are easy going and fond of luxuries. All planets are good in the eleventh house, because will power is good for all. This will power is defined as a force which is hopeful, optimistic and ever-aspiring. Arjuna became pessimistic, lacking hope and without aspiration when he was overcome by the mood of dejection. Eleventh house is the most powerful house to do good on account of its being the ruler of will power. The twelfth house is a weak house because it stands for pessimism. The real man of action is bound to achieve glory in his life because he has a strong will. In his small but beautiful book Light Fountain, Swami Chidananda of Rishikesh gives the following account of his predecessor, President of 'Divine Life', who is the ideal picture of a real man of action: "When he urges one and all to keep themselves ever active in service and doing of altruistic works, it is just what he is himself actually doing. There is not one idle moment in Swamiji's life. He does not know what 'ennui' is, just as Napoleon did not know that 24 hours are all too little for a day. They are not enough. Every moment is precious. Even a single minute should not be wasted. Keeping the body and mind fully engaged is the best panacea for all physical and mental ills. Unregulated living and idleness

are prolific parents of every known evil". Therefore like Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Smiles and others, Swamiji sticks to a timetable of activities for the day, allocating definite occupations for set times of the day. This practice he recommends to all people in whichever walk of life they may be. This principle of a definite daily routine, while giving scope for maximum and continued activity, yet enables one to maintain serenity as it eliminates all aimlessness and distractions. Though, by nature, Swamiji is utterly the reverse of all formality and convention, yet there is not the least tinge of weakness or vagueness about him. He combines ceaseless energetic activity with constant and undisturbed serenity. Delightfully unconventional, he is yet effortlessly and unconsciously dignified. This has been possible because there are no 'loose ends' in his time and activities. It is the man who does not know 'what to do next' who usually ends up in failure. The harmonious blend of serenity and activity Swamiji manifests is the acquisition of a life of carefully regulated action and a full and fixed daily routine. Such exact routine and regularity effectively eliminate all idleness and agitation from the mind investing life with a mantle of dignity and calm which one can't dream of finding in the irregular and chaotic life of a man without program and principle. Doubtless, time is short, and to devote it to worthy pursuits, the busy man of the city finds very little of it to spare. Yet if he regulates his activities, he will, in a short time, discover that a good deal of time which is habitually wasted away unnoticed will come to light. The fruitful living of one's life is only possible through a wise utilization of time. The latter is, therefore, important indeed, and no effort is too much if thereby one is enabled to lessen sorrow and enhance one's own as well as others' happiness in this world. The time that you daily spend on the train, tram or bus to and from your place of study, work or business could be harnessed and utilized for self-improvement and evolution, instead of wasting it in the time-honored process of window-gazing or gently dozing. Further, the midday lunch time recess need not be frittered away flippantly in gossip. Then again, when a man waits for the bus or train, he invariably gives himself up to profitless worry or to aimless reverie. This twofold evil must be stopped and such time must be 'pressed into service' if you are really eager to win the battle against failure, weakness, pain and evil. These odd bits of time slipping away here and there, all unnoticed, have to be carefully checked up and put to good use. Just as in a total struggle every unit of manpower is conscripted and all manner of scraps are collected and made into weapons of offence and defence, even so the individual attempting to achieve success must pool together all his resources and utilize every moment of his lifespan profitably. Every single day is, as it were, a valuable oyster-shell that comes floating by on the time-current of the stream of life. The diligent one who realizes the great value of time and makes a full and careful use of it has, in effect, promptly opened the shell and secured a priceless pearl ere the oyster has floated away 'down stream'. The waste of time has lost the pearl, never to see it again. Day by day, through the years, wasted days form so many rings of iron that link themselves into a chain binding the heedless person to this existence. But the profitable life forms, at the close, a beautiful chain of precious pearls laid at the feet of the Giver of life. Some of those who have come into personal contact with Swamiji have been inspired by his example and have adopted this course of using every moment profitably. There is no doubt that it has changed their lives for the better. A notable example of this is Sri D.N.J, of Delhi, a gentleman of the legal profession, who has successfully cultivated this habit of making the best use of every minute of his time to improve himself. The popular business psychologist, Dale Carnegie, too, lays very great stress upon the vital importance of this practice. Assiduously cultivated, it will definitely bring astonishing returns to the seeker of success. One should cultivate the same jealous parsimony with regard to time as displayed by the vigilant individual who exclaimed, "Alas! I have just lost one golden hour set with sixty diamond minutes." This great emphasis laid by him on the conservation and profitable utilization of time has resulted in a unique feature, i.e., the Spiritual Diary. It will act as an effective 'Cerberus' to keep guard over the elusive factor of 'time' by keeping out the thiefs idleness, aimlessness and procrastination. Referring to the incalculable benefits of maintaining the 'diary' Swamiji has stated, "There is no other better friend and faithful teacher or guru than your diary. It will teach you the value of time. Then you will be able to

know how much time you are spending for worthy purposes. If you maintain a diary properly, without any fault in any of the items, you will not like to waste a single minute unnecessarily. Then alone you will understand the value of time and how it slips away." Like the speed arrow and the spoken word, the spent hour too is irrecoverable. This aspect of time is very vivid before Swamiji's mind. We have it in his valuable work, Sure Ways for Success in Life where he writes, "Time is indeed most precious. It can never come back. It is rolling on with a tremendous speed. When the bell rings, remember you are approaching death. When the clock strikes, bear in mind that one hour is cut off from the span of your life." Well has the Western mind conceived of 'time' as a fleeting old man with a single tuft of hair on the front of the head. 'Time and tide' are two mighty forces that can neither be held up nor recalled for the convenience of man. Therefore, with Swamiji the motto is 'Do it now'. What can be done a month hence should be done today. If a thing may be done tomorrow, well, do it now. Things must be done at once. Death will not announce its visit to you beforehand for you to prepare yourself. "Life is short, time is fleeting. Arise, awake, realize the self these are terse maxims which he never fails to present to those who seek his guidance. To one who spoke of 'turning over a new leaf on some date in the near future, Swamiji spiritedly exclaimed, "Don't say that. That tomorrow is for fools. It will never come. Days, months, years, even life itself, will pass away all unawares. Exert yourself from this very second." It is a significant thing that Swamiji, a Sanyasi and one revered by many as a bold exponent of Advaita Vedanta should lay such emphasis upon diary, routine, self-culture and success in life, because maya-vadins, as a rule, negate the very existence of the body, vyavaharic activity and the world itself. There is a sound reason behind this. Advaita-siddhi is actually the highest pinnacle, the grand culmination and the crowning glory of spiritual life. It is the last word in realization for the Vedantin. As such, it is not a matter for glib talk and lofty presumption by all and sundry. One has first to render oneself fit to receive and assimilate this dizzy truth by preparing the mind through a life of discipline and regulation. Breaking through the cobwebs of mayaic illusion is not a joking matter. Every moment of your life, every ray of your mind and every faculty of your being has to be resolutely directed towards the task of freeing yourself from the coils of the narrow egoistic personality. To the earnest seeker, all the difficulties and obstacles are very real indeed. Details of discipline have to be very, very, practical. Theory will only serve to inspire and to guide, but practical exertion alone, gradually, step by step will lead one to success; and in this process, vigilance, conservation of energy and profitable utilization of time are all of paramount importance. Saturn and Mars are Blunt The niceties of language and expression, the words to please and delight are not available from Saturn and Mars. Both are blunt and they can present a true picture of you of strength and weakness. It is for this reason that Saturn and Mars are not considered good if they occupy the matrimony house, or aspect this particular house. If Saturn is placed in the seventh house, you can expect your spouse to be free from histrionic nature of Jupiter and Venus. He or she will speak to you what he or she feels is true or what appears true to the person. He or she will shun those expressions which are false but fascinating like the words "You are wonderful. You are superb. I have great fascination for you. I have yet to see a good and beautiful person like you." It is, therefore, that sobriety is most essential for the person seeking good matrimonial ties if Saturn is placed in his or her seventh house because he or she will not adjust in good matrimonial relationship with an easy-going temperament. Mars is blunt but not volatile and violent. Be prepared to receive shocking and hard realities from the persons indicated by Mars in a particular house of your horoscope. If Mars is in your fourth house, your mother is bound to be blunt and free from speaking soft and pleasant expressions to please others. If Mars is in your seventh house, your spouse may be blunt and free from expressions which are airy and flattering. If it is in 9th or 10th house, your father is blunt and, if in the first house, you yourself are blunt. If Mars is in the 11th house your elder brother or sister is blunt.

A writer under this impact of Saturn and Mars in his prominent houses can only speak the truth and present hard realities of life, and is not bothered if these words displease even men in power. Abraham Lincoln had Aquarius ascendant and it is, therefore, that he uttered what he felt was true and useful for the general public. Swami Ranganathananda, a great scholar and ardent follower of Swami Vivekananda, must have been under the influence of Saturn or Mars, or both, when he wrote the introduction to his celebrated book on Upanishads. The following words quoted from this "introduction" present the true character of a man under the benign influence of Saturn and Mars. He alone can present the complete truth. The influence of the Upanishads on Indian Islam has not been very profound in the past. Even though Sufism, the mystical offshoot of Islam, owes much to the Upanishads, Islam as a whole, which has been generally hostile to its own offshoot as to all non-Islamic faiths, has remained largely unaffected." Prophet Mohammed was a deep lover of God and man. And he has breathed this double love into the Quran. Below are given a few verses taken from the English translation of the Quran by Al-Haj Hafiz Ghulam Sarwar. The following three verses singing the glory of God can be found repeatedly in any number of verses in the Vedas and the Upanishads. The opening verses of the Quran possess rare spiritual majesty and beauty: (We commence) with the name of God, The most Merciful (to begin with), The most Merciful (to the end). All praise belongs to God, Lord of all the worlds, The most Merciful (to begin with), The most Merciful (to the end). Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee alone do we serve, And Thee alone do we ask for help. Guide us on the right path, The path of those upon whom be Thy blessings, Not of those upon whom be (Thy) wrath, Nor of those who are lost. In verse 255 of Chapter 2, we read about the power and glory of God: God! There is no deity but He, The Ever-living, The All-sustaining: Slumber overtakes Him not, Nor sleep. To Him belongs What is in the heavens, And what is on the earth. Who is there to second anyone before Him Except with His authority? He knows what is in front of them, And what is behind them; And they encompass nothing of His knowledge Except what He pleases; And His power extends over the heavens and the earth; And the guardianship of these tires Him not, And He is The Uppermost, The Highest. Verse 25 of Chapter 3 sings the majesty of God: Say, 'O God! Master of the kingdom, Thou givest, snatchest the kingdom from whom Thou

pleasest; And Thou exaltest whom Thou pleasest; And Thou abasest whom Thou pleasest; In Thy hand is all good: Thou art capable of doing all Thou pleasest'. The Quran contains specific mention that salvation is not the monopoly of the Muslims. Verse 62 of Chapter 2 says: As to those who believe (in the Quran), And the Jews, And the Christians, And the Sabians Whoever believes in God And the future day And does good, For such, then, there is a reward with their Lord, And there shall be no fear on them, Nor shall they grieve. The Quran insists that the only condition to be fulfilled to obtain divine mercy is good life and good deeds and not subscription to a creed: There is no virtue in your turning your faces Towards the East or the West, But virtuous is he who believes in God, And (in) the future day, And (in) the messenger-spirits, And the Book, And the Prophets; And he who gives his wealth, in spite of his love for it, To the near of kin, And the orphans, And the needy, And the wayfarer, And the beggars, And in ransoming the slaves, And who keeps up the prayer, And pays the stated alms; And those who fulfill their covenants who they covenant; And the persevering ones In hardship, And injury, And in time of war; These are the truthful, And these! They are the reverent. The prophet had set a high example of tolerance and respect in his dealings with non-Muslims. Verse 256 of Chapter 2 of the Quran upholds religious toleration and fellowship: Let there be no compulsion in religion, The right path has surely been made distinct from the wrong, Then whoever disbelieves in the transgressor, And believes in God, He has, then, got hold of the firm handle, No breaking therefore: And God is Hearing, Knowing.

Verse 135 of Chapter 4 (also verse 8 of Chapter 5) emphasizes justice and equity in inter-personal relations: O ye who believe! Be maintainers of justice, Witnesses for the sake of God, And though it be against yourselves, Or your parents, And your relations. Whether a person be rich or poor, Then God is nearer to them (than you), Therefore follow not (your) low desires Lest you do not do justice. And if you distort (the evidence), Or keep away, Then, surely, God knows well what you do. These and other similar verses of the Quran proclaim truths which are eternal and universal; they constitute, in the language of Indian spiritual tradition, the sruti content of Islam. This is Islam as a path to God. There is also another aspect of Islam as a way of life in society. This constitutes the large smriti content in the Quran, the group of ideas and values which the prophet gave to his people to weld them into an Arab nation. This is of limited application, as it constitutes its personal laws and social rules and regulations all those elements that form the socio-political content of a religion. No scripture can legislate on these for all time and for all peoples. The laws that were beneficial to the Arabs of the seventh century A.D. may not be beneficial to the Indians or Indonesians, Europeans or Americans, and strangely enough, even to the Arabs themselves in the twentieth century. Progressive Arab states today are wisely modifying them in response to the demands of the modern age. But the spiritual message of the Quran, its teaching which shows man a path of spiritual realization, is eternal and universal. In periods of dynamic social changes, every religion needs to be subjected to a re-interpretation process, 'a winnowing process', in the words of Toynbee with emphasis on its spirit and a soft-pedaling of its letter, a greater stress on the eternal and less on the historical, so that it may emerge reconstructed to meet the challenge of the new age; for the 'letter killed, but the spirit gives life', as the New Testament puts it. If this is not done, the religion concerned becomes a Procrustean bed, twisting the personalities of its followers. Indian contact with Islam was through Muslim Arab merchants and missionaries during the first four centuries after the birth of Islam. This phase represented the normal form of inter-religious and international contact, resulting in mutual benefit from a peaceful give and take process. It was also the period when Islam reached the height of its power and glory, with the Arab national mind keen for the acquisition of, and warmly hospitable to, new ideas, and taking freely from Greco-Roman, Iranian, and Indian cultures. But from the early thirteenth century, all this changed. Dissensions and corruption set in the wake of imperial power and luxury, which overwhelmed the simple, desert Arabs; and the Mongol invasions in the middle of that century finally destroyed the hegemony of Arab Islam. Islamic learning and culture suffered a terrible eclipse, which was to continue for centuries together. The conquerors, and other central Asian groups in their wake, adopted Islam, or rather adapted Islam, to their own low cultural standards and purposes. When reason and love of truth were dethroned, the 'letter of the law' triumphed, and reactionary orthodoxy entered into unholy alliance with military adventurers, blessing their violent deeds and converting them into a succession of holy wars and jehads with the seal of religious approval. This was the second phase of Islamic contact experienced by India from about the twelfth century onwards, when India and its religions were systematically battered in the name of that religion which had, during the preceding centuries, nourished a culture and a political state which had freely learnt

from Indian knowledge and wisdom and had been the torch-bearer of science and humanism. The history of India and the character of Indian Islam and Hindu society would have been different if Islam had come to India in its second phase, as in the first phase, as a friend and in peace. This is one of the crucial might-have-been of history. It would then have contributed its equalitarian social gospel to the purification of the caste-ridden social edifice of Hinduism. Hinduism would have gladly learnt these lessons from it, while imparting its own Vedantic outlook and tolerance to the sister faith. But the fact that Islam in its most effective forms came to India through ignorant zealots and militant conquerors, through what Nietzsche terms Violence of deed and demeanor', made Islam an eyesore to the Hindu mind. It is one of those sad chapters in inter-cultural contacts which yielded bitter fruits, but which, in a different form, would have had potential for great results for the religion and culture of mankind. The second phase, therefore, has written a sad chapter in the history of India, whose far-reaching evil effects constitute the most serious challenge to Indian wisdom today. And India is facing this stupendous task with the strength and dynamism, far sight and foresight of her Upanishad heritage. All the lofty ideals of love of God and man, justice and equity in human relations, equality between man and man, and toleration and respect for other faiths in short, all the Sruti aspects of Islam which are the nurseries of the progressive trends of a religion became submerged in successive waves of bigotry and intolerance. Hindus and their saints were not the only victims of this reactionary Islam; Muslims themselves, including some of Islam's loveable saints, holding progressive spiritual views or upholding rational sociopolitical ideas and programs, became subjected to persecution, torture and death. And yet, much give and take and cross-fertilization of the two cultures did take place; and mystics and saints did not fail to arise from time to time during this period as witnesses to the eternal and universal values embedded in the Islamic-religion, thus demonstrating the vitality of its Sruti aspect. The period also saw the occasional appearance of a king or an emperor with forward-looking state policies, such as the early Mughals and Sher Shah. Such saints and rulers have always responded to the spiritual beauty and depth of Indian wisdom as expressed in Vedanta. Hindu tolerance continued in the midst of Muslim intolerance because that tolerance was the product of a spiritual vision and philosophical conviction bequeathed by the Upanishads which had become an inseparable part of the Indian outlook and way of life. There is a uniqueness about Indian toleration in that it has always been the product of religious faith, unlike the toleration developed by the modern West, resulting from its waning of faith in religion. Explaining this Indian approach, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan says in Eastern Religions and Western Thought: Toleration is the homage which the finite mind pays to the inexhaustibility of the infinite.' ESSENTIAL ENERGY FOR LIFE

Without a sufficient quota of energy though life cannot be sustained, the energy should not exceed its limits. A rapist, a criminal or a man of violence has excessive energy. They use energy not for happiness in their lives but to disturb the peace of others. A rapist has energy in excess of what he needs to keep himself satisfied and, therefore, he does whatever he likes. Chenghiz Khan, Nadir Shah and all other marauders and ruthless destroyers of life had excessive energy. It is Mars, placed in exaltation sign in Capricorn ruled by Saturn and known for restriction, curbs and checks which exercises self-control for keeping discipline in life. In the armed forces, discipline is considered a sine qua non. The reason is obvious: without discipline, all actions become chaotic. A man free to use his weapon or sword, without any self-discipline and fear of governmental authority becomes a nuisance. The main reason for the spread of violence in the world is lack of fear of governmental authority. In most cases of accidents, the driver is found to be drunk, which proves that the driver had lost control over himself and, later, over the vehicle. In all unhappy marriages, husbands are found to be either headstrong or extravagant, or drunkards or gamblers. They do not care for the happiness and well-being of their spouses. A man coming home late in a drunken state is unmindful of the well-being

of his children and wife. He has transgressed the limits of his thought (Saturn) and has violated the tenets of right action. A person with Scorpio ascendant has a magnetic personality and good psychological knowledge. He has the greatest potential to do either good or bad. Great care should be taken for the upbringing of a Scorpio-born child. If the father is a drunkard he should stop drinking, and if a gambler he should say goodbye to it. The child should be admitted to a good school where conduct and character are taken care of. The company that the child keeps should also merit prompt attention. The child should be encouraged to mix with educated and cultured people. The word 'educated' should not be restricted to an academically qualified person who has studied in a university/college but should also include a person who is self-studied. Rabindranath Tagore is a pertinent illustration of such a person. He did not possess a university degree but could produce marvelously beautiful verse in Bangla and English. He was in no way inferior to the other great poet and "yogi", Aurobindo. If your child is born with Aries ascendant, keep a watch on his pioneering and inventive energies. Bring him the books of great inventions and discoveries. Don't try to suppress and thereby kill his initiative. The child needs freedom to carry out his pursuits. Great care should be taken with regard to the child's education. The child should be given good food so that he grows a healthy body, as he has a good scope for a rise in army life. A man born under Aries ascendant is very inquisitive. The British who came to India as rulers also burnt midnight oil in studying the languages and cultures of the Indian people. Since India is ruled by the Capricorn sign where Mars is exalted, the British experienced flowering of their abilities in India but few Indians have made a mark in England because Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn which is India's sign, is debilitated in the Aries sign. This looks very strange but it is based on reason. Energy, action and effort need self-control for success in life but thought and concentration cannot advance if the person is quick-acting. A man of action dislikes serious-minded persons and calls them lethargic. That is why George Bernard Shaw, on meeting Shivapuri Baba, a great saint hailing from Kerala, who had spent 40 years on world pilgrimage, remarked, "You Indian saints have no value for time." But the Baba retorted, "It is you who are slaves of time. I live in eternity." For a person with Mars prominent in horoscope, Saturn appears useless but self-control and discipline, which Saturn rules, are highly beneficial to him and give him great success. This shows that Saturn is very useful for Mars, but the latter finds the former inimical. India provided the British an empire but the British gave Indians slavery and servitude. The reason is that Saturn is debilitated in Aries ruled by Mars. One who gives one's empire to the other naturally becomes a slave of the latter. For Saturn-ruled ascendants, Libra and Taurus, Saturn is a yogakarka, with the strength and potentiality to do the utmost good. Similarly, Venus is yogakarka for Saturn-ruled ascendants, Aquarius and Capricorn. The reason is apparent. A serious-minded person should have a balanced life and possess the quality of having the right judgment as his guiding light. A refined man with a balanced outlook and with a sense of judgment is helped by thought-power. Nausherwan was a just king because he had a serious outlook in life for he was a sober man. Akbar, the great emperor who believed in unity of Hindus and Muslims, was a sober man. Aurangzeb, who had Aquarius ascendant, lacked in the sense of justice, which is a quality of Venus because it rules Libra which signifies the scales of balance. But if a man with Aquarius ascendant has Venus not properly placed in his horoscope it will be a wise step if he changes his name to be ruled by the Libra sign. He should study law and keep company of judges and advocates, Capricorn and Aquarius; study of law and legal vocation is very useful and ensures success. For the Taurus and Libra-born persons, ruled by Saturn, are very useful and ensure success in their lives. As the Aries and Scorpio ascendants have Sun and Moon as rulers of Kendra (square) and triton (angular) houses, respect of the parents is very auspicious. Gold and silver will be good investments for them. Government service or banking career will be highly auspicious. They can also be successful doctors. Astrology is based upon reason and its basis is truth. Studied with understanding, it will reveal very deep secrets.

A postmaster has generally Gemini ascendant as communication comes under Mercury. A chief justice born with Leo ascendant has Jupiter and Mars (his yogakarka) placed in the twelfth and the eighth houses, respectively, because a judge has to concentrate on what is hidden or what is behind a curtain or concealed. A C.I.D. officer will have Mars placed in the eighth house with Cancer ascendant because his attention is focused on bringing to light, with the help of evidence, what is concealed. A doctor with Scorpio ascendant has Mars placed in the sixth house with his attention on diseases ruled by the sixth house. The placement of Mars of a Scorpio-born ascendant person does not mean that he will contract diseases but that he concentrates his thought on diseases to find out medicines to treat them. A person with his ascendant lord placed in the ninth house need not be a religious man. He can be a student or teacher of comparative religions. It is also not essential that he has foreign tours to his credit but he can be a travel agent or have connections with foreigners living abroad or in far off places. A person with his ascendant lord in the eleventh house does not indicate that he will be a businessman but that he has connections and dealings with the rich and the influential. A person with Moon in the Scorpio sign does not indicate that he will be an unhappy person. He can be a psychologist and a student of serious thought. If Saturn is placed in the Capricorn sign one should not be afraid of it. This gives a signal that one needs more freedom for the flowering of one's personality. Excessive parental or official control in discharge of duties is oppressive. A person subjected to excessive control parental or official feels tension because he needs more freedom. If this is not possible he should change the job or office. Saturn never indicates suppression or repressive control. It represents a balance between freedom and restrictions. Buddha has rightly indicated the quality of Saturn in saying that samyak vani (appropriate language or economy of words) is essential for success in life. The best description of a Saturn man is that he uses telegraphic language. In a telegram one is very economical in the use of words. Similarly, for Mars, the Buddha has prescribed samyak karma (right actions). He has said that one should avoid useless actions. Tension is an indication of the fact that the person has more duties than rights and is too much engrossed in the worldly affairs. He is not making proper use of words and the want of right words creates friction with other people. Introspection is a sine qua non. He should learn yoga and make his mind free from excessive noise of words. He should learn the art of using telegraphic language or economy of words. It has generally been found that those who suffer depression indulge in loose talk in the present and have used it in the past too. Thus tension is not caused by Saturn but by the violation of the rules of Saturn. For a person who knows the value of right language and economy of words, or what the Buddha calls samyak vani, Saturn turns out to be highly benefic. One who knows the value of right action and does not indulge in useless activities and acts upon what the Buddha terms as samyak karma, Mars turns out to be highly auspicious. In Guru Nanak's horoscope, Saturn and Mars were placed in the tenth and fourth houses respectively but because of the Guru's knowledge of samyak vani and samyak karma the two planets turned out to be highly benefic. Shivapuri Baba who laid stress on three disciplines, spiritual, moral and physical, could not but be born under Aquarius ascendant. The Baba, who undertook a world pilgrimage, visiting Mecca, Jerusalem, England, Italy, France and other important places in Europe for 40 years starting at the age of 60 from Nepal, was a man of great physical endurance, stamina and mental and spiritual force. Dr. Radhakrishnan, who met him on way to the coronation of the king of Nepal, was surprised by his very simple philosophy. When the Baba told him that he taught three disciplines spiritual, moral and physical Dr. Radhakrishnan remarked: 'The whole truth in so few words." The very statement is characteristic of a man with Saturn as a ruler of the ascendant, or Saturn placed in a prominent position in the birth chart.

The Baba taught his Nepali disciple, Thakar Manalal Dhar, the value of right discrimination. He asked him to bring flowers. The flowers, brought to him the next day, were not fresh. The Baba asked him again to bring flowers but the next day the flowers, though fresh, were not of the size that could fit in the flower vase kept in the room. The Baba told his disciple that before bringing flowers he should have known the purpose for which the flowers were needed. Had he asked the Baba or understood himself the purpose for which the flowers were required, he would have brought flowers that could fit in the vase. Again, he says elsewhere, "The pains may come and pleasures may come. We should do our duty without caring for the pains and pleasures." This whole teaching if applied in life will make Mars highly auspicious although it is prominently placed in the birth chart in Kendra or trikona. Precisely speaking, Mars represents right action or Swadharma and Saturn, the right thinking or samyak vichar. Arjuna represents wrong thinking while Lord Krishna stands for right thinking. At the battlefront when all warriors have taken their places on either side, Arjuna shudders with compunction and, refusing to fight, drops his weapon, the gandiva, on the ground. He sees his kith and kin confronted against him and he declines to take up arms against them. The refusal to fight at the battlefront is an unwelcome act, unbecoming of a warrior like Arjuna. For a warrior, says Lord Krishna, "the good and bad motives of a material activity are dharma and non-dharma." Arjuna is taught the lesson of nishkam karma (selfless action), and by taking to the philosophy of nishkam karma he is successful in life. Pleasure and pain are not motives for war but the doing of one's duty (Swadharma). The Bhagavad Gita like all other holy scriptures, is very specific in prescribing right action and right thinking. The Bible, in the Sermon on the Mount, has also pinpointed wisdom in precise and concise terms. The Quran is full of useful advice for the uplift of man and for the glorification of Allah. The Prophet has also taught great wisdom through Hadith. Human beings have been quarrelling with each other without getting the real import of scriptures. They have forgotten the message of the divine gospel that anger, vengeance and quarrels are useless actions. Ask an urchin "what does Mars stands for?" and he will abruptly reply: "For anger". But this is far from the truth. Mars actually stands for freedom from anger through self-learning. During the American Civil War somebody suggested to Abraham Lincoln, "Now that God is on our side, we are bound to win"; the President replied: "We are not concerned whether God is on our side or not. We are concerned whether we are on the side of God or not." Kant's philosophy of categorical imperative, "Act in such a way that your action becomes a Universal law", is the true significance of the qualities and nature of the planet Mars. The words of Guruji that "Man should realize that he can lose nothing because he has nothing to lose" are also true characteristics of Mars. A true son of Saturn hears "sermons in stones and finds books in the running brooks". The Zen philosophy and the Japanese small verses using economy of words called Haiku are true examples of Saturn. A shallow person with a shallow philosophy cancels the effects of Saturn in his life. Parents who find it difficult to get a suitable match for their grown-up sons and daughters having Saturn in either the first or the seventh house would do well to consider what should constitute the correct match. With Saturn influencing the personality of the boy or the girl, the suitable match should be a bride or a groom who is least talkative and sober-minded. With Mars influencing the seventh house, they should look for a spouse living a disciplined life. Mars bestows discipline and, therefore, the match should be either from armed forces or from an organization which lays stress on discipline. Rama had Mars exalted in the seventh house, therefore, Sita, a woman of great virtue who had learnt the value of discipline in her life was his spouse. Mars in Capricorn is an exception to the Manglik yoga "because the consort is possessed of disciplined life and, therefore, cannot be quarrelsome, aggressive or violent." Mars in Aquarius in the fourth house is also an exception because the qualities of humanism of this particular sign will not make the partner aggressive and ill-behaved. Mars in Cancer in the seventh house also promises a happy marriage because Mars is a yogakarka for Cancer and the partner is a virtuous and good-natured person; and if he or she overcomes whims, strong likes and dislikes, he or she will not mar the married life but rather make it happier. The placement of Saturn in the same house where placement of Mars makes one a Manglik, cancels the so-called bad effects because right thinking is very vital for right action and, if the partner happens to indulge in a wrong

action, the sobriety of Saturn will check those wrong activities. If a Manglik girl marries a boy with a bad trait, a drunkard or a gambler, her life will become miserable because the choice has been far from satisfactory and there are few chances of improvement in their matrimonial relationship. Mars stands for self-discipline, and in whatever house it falls, it denotes that part of the individual's life or career shows self-discipline. Suppose one has Mars in the fourth house; it connotes the subject's mother having self-discipline as her trait and that the subject has learnt self-discipline from her. The army comes under the domain of Mars not because of war but because discipline is sine qua non for carrying out army activities. An army officer, even a police officer, are ruled by Mars because discipline is essential for the conduct of his duties. Pandit Nehru became Prime Minister during the dasha of Mars. He also taught the countrymen the importance of discipline in life. Mars, combined with Saturn, makes a person an engineer because theory and practice are essential for an engineer. The work of an engineer is to construct new buildings and roads for the welfare of mankind. Bridges and canals help people in ameliorating their lot and saving them from a lot of inconvenience and trouble. The measures (upaya) prescribed for removing the so-called ill-effects of Saturn and Mars in traditional astrology are based on Dana (charity) and daya (mercy). But it is forgotten by the people that these two virtues constitute the real nature of Saturn. A person already practicing these virtues in life has not to fear Saturn. It becomes for him a highly benefic planet. RULES FOR HEALTH Rules of health lay stress on a balanced diet, on intake of all important ingredients of food, including minerals like zinc. Intake of rich foods with too much of butter, ghee, spices, etc. has been discouraged by doctors and books on health. All balanced diets come under the domain of Saturn because Libra, the sign of balance, is the exaltation point of Saturn. Venus, which rules the Libra sign, gives fondness for tasty foods, and the tasty foods develop liking for their excessive use. When the diet is plain and nutritive, it does not excite gluttony. Thus Venus is extravagant not by nature but according to situation. You are sitting in a company and your friends compel you to take liquor and rich food although you are not in the habit of taking rich food and liquor. The social sense and the pleasure of your friends induce you to partake of these things which you actually abhor. Jupiter shows fondness for sweet things and in the company of your friends you are induced to take excessive sugary things. When your sugar intake rises, you develop signs of diabetes. This disease comes under the control of Venus. The reason why doctors do not fall ill too often is that they take balanced food and do not indulge in luxurious life. They have studied the cases of hundreds of patients who suffer due to excessive or extravagant acts and deeds. Almost all books on good health recommend a balanced diet and we cannot learn the value of a balanced diet unless we suffer ourselves because of overeating and overindulgence. Similarly, all good books on character-building and self-improvement recommend simple living and avoidance of useless activities of extravagance. All great men have disliked to bathe in the glare of fame. Fame came to them though it was not sought by them. Sun in Aries gives dignity in action, and not showiness and extravagance as is generally thought. Sun is exalted in the Aries sign and one cannot keep the semblance of a good administrator unless one is a bit aloof from one's subordinates. An administrator has to keep his station higher and care for his self-respect and prestige. While for a king, dignity or dignified living is essential, for a thinker balance is essential. He has to be dignified when he meets the rich and show humility when he meets humble persons. Venus, the planet of love and sex, has to remain silent, quiet and unruffled in all walks of life and its activities. This is why Venus is exalted in Pisces. Freud has diagnosed that all emotional disturbances are due to repression of sexual feelings. Happy sexual relations are essential for a happy married life. This is only possible when Mars is taken care of. A good understanding in married life is essential. It is because Mars is exalted in the Capricorn sign. It is neither possible nor necessary that everybody should have Mars placed in the Capricorn sign. But it is possible that one should learn from the example of others. One may have Mars placed in the Gemini sign, but one can learn from those who have Mars in the Capricorn sign. All educational efforts would have been futile if it was not possible to learn from others. Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Buddha, Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed knew the truth and taught it to others. Therefore, Saturn in all signs except Libra, could also acquire the knowledge and guidance of Saturn in Libra. Sardar Patel had Mars in Capricorn but Pandit Nehru with Mars in Virgo, acquired knowledge

and wisdom by self-learning from men of wisdom and great books. Pandit Nehru had Saturn in Leo but it aspected the Libra sign. POSITIVE LIVING

When a teacher punishes a student for a mistake it means that he wants him to learn and would have certainly wished to reward him if he had not committed such an error. Saturn punishes a subject because his mode of thinking is erroneous. Similarly, Mars punishes a person if he or she is not living rightly. Hence, it is established beyond doubt that Saturn and Mars represent positive thinking and positive living, respectively. Vincent Peele has used most appropriate words to guide his readers in learning the correct way of thinking and living. If you have learnt to follow rules of positive thinking you are bound to achieve your goals in life and attain peace and prosperity. If Saturn punishes as a hard task master, it clearly implies that it wants to see us make progress in life and attain our cherished goals. Mars, like a fair and honest judge, only punishes the real culprits and acquits those who are innocent and have been implicated in false cases by evil persons for vested interests. Saturn is always guided by a supernatural voice, which could be known by any name, divine wisdom or unknown power. A man who is under the influence of Saturn is positive in his approach and seeks divine guidance and attributes all his wisdom and knowledge to the unknown and invisible force. Socrates, the eminent Greek philosopher and master of Plato, was a true example of Saturn. In the beautiful account of Socrates by W.T. Stace, we get a true picture of a typical man of Saturn. We cannot avoid quoting him because the qualities attributed to Saturn, like humility and faith in an inner voice, are present in him in true colors. He was short, thick-set, and ugly. As he grew older he became bald; his nose was broad, flat, and turned up; he walked with a peculiar gait, and had a trick of rolling his eyes. His clothes were old and poor. He cared little or nothing for external appearances. Another peculiar Socratic feature was Socratic 'irony'. In any discussion, Socrates would, as a rule, profess himself to be totally ignorant of the matter in hand and only anxious to learn the wisdom possessed by his interlocutor. This professed ignorance was not affectation. He was genuinely impressed with the notion that not only he but all other men live, for the most part, in ignorance of the things that are the most important to be known, the nature of goodness, beauty and truth. He believed that the self-styled knowledge of the wise was, for the most part, nothing but pretentious ignorance. Nevertheless, he used this profession of ignorance as a weapon of offence, and it became in his hands a powerful rhetorical instrument, which he used with specially telling effect against those who, puffed up with their own importance and wisdom, pretended to have knowledge which they did not possess. Such hollow pretence of knowledge met with uncompromising exposure at the hands of Socrates. With such persons he would open the conversation with a confession of his own ignorance and an expression of his desire to learn the wisdom, which he knew they possessed. In their eagerness to show off their knowledge, they would, perhaps, rush into the breach with some very positive assertion. Socrates would express himself as delighted with this, but would add that there were one or two things about it which he did not fully understand, and he would precede, with a few dexterous questions, to expose the hollowness, the shallowness, or the ignorance of the answers. It was chiefly the young men of Athens who gathered round Socrates, who was for them a centre of intellectual activity and a fountain of inspiration. It was this fact which afterwards formed the basis of the charge that he "corrupted the youth". He was a man of the noblest character and of the simplest life. Accepting no fees, he acquired no wealth. Poor, caring nothing for worldly desires of men, he devoted himself exclusively to the acquisition of that which, in his eyes, alone had value, wisdom and virtue. He was endowed with the utmost powers of physical endurance and moral strength. When he served with the army in the Peloponnesian war, he astonished his fellow-soldiers by his bravery, and his cheerful endurance of every hardship. On two occasions, at considerable risk to himself, he saved the lives of his companions. At the battle of Delium it is said that he was responsible for the rout of the

Athenians. He was an excellent companion and, though simple in his habits and independent of all material pleasures, never made a fetish of this independence, nor allowed it to degenerate into a harsh asceticism. Thus he needed no wine, but yet, if occasion called for it, he not only drank but could drink more than any other man without turning a hair. In the 'Banquet' of Plato, Socrates is depicted sitting all night long drinking and talking philosophy with his friends. One by one the guests succumbed, leaving only Socrates and two others, and at last, as dawn broke, these two also fell asleep. But Socrates got up, washed himself, and went down to the market place to begin his daily work. In his seventieth year he was tried on three charges: (1) denying the national gods, (2) setting up new gods of his own, and (3) corrupting the youth. All these charges were entirely baseless. The first might well have been brought against almost any of the earlier Greek thinkers with some justice. Most of them disbelieved in the national religion; many of them openly denied the existence of the gods. Socrates, almost alone, had refrained from any such attitude. On the contrary he always enjoined veneration towards the gods, and urged his hearers in whatever city they might be, to honor the gods according to the custom of that city. According to Xenophon, however, he distinguished between the many gods and the One Creator of the universe, who controls, guides, and guards over the lives of men. The second charge appears to have been based upon the claim of Socrates to be guided by a supernatural inner voice, but whatever we may think of this claim, it can hardly constitute good ground for a charge of introducing new gods. The third charge, that of corrupting the youth, was equally baseless, though the fact that Alcibiades, who had been a favorite pupil of Socrates, afterwards turned traitor to Athens and led a dissolute and unprincipled life, no doubt prejudiced the philosopher in the eyes of the Athenians. But Socrates was not responsible for the misdeeds of Alcibiades, and his general influence upon the Athenian youth was the very opposite of corrupting. Plato, the celebrated disciple of Socrates, was a true illustration of the power of Mars. Plato came under the influence of Socrates and he burnt all his own poetical works. He became a well known writer of dialogue and gave all credit to Socrates for his philosophy. He was to Socrates what Arjuna was to Krishna. He was only a medium through whom Socrates preached his philosophy. Krishna told Arjuna to think himself to be like a medium as everything was done by God. For the last eight years of the life of Socrates, Plato was his friend and his faithful disciple. The teaching and personality of the master constituted the supreme intellectual impulse of his life and the inspiration of his entire thought. And the devotion and esteem which he felt for Socrates, far from waning as the years went by, seemed, on the contrary, to have grown continually stronger. For it is precisely in the last dialogues of his long life that some of the most charming and admiring portraits of Socrates are to be found. Socrates became for him the pattern and example of the true philosopher. Since Saturn is exalted in Libra, it weighs pros and cons of a situation in the most honest and just manner. Mars is exalted in Capricorn, sign of devotion and true discipleship. Mars is at its best when it works under the true disciple ship of its master, as Plato worked under Socrates and Arjuna under the command and guidance of Lord Krishna. King Asoka would not have been a known figure had he not come under the influence of Lord Buddha in the post-Kalinga period of his life. HISTORIC EFFECTS OF SATURN AND MARS

Let us have a close look at the events recorded in history and holy books: In the Ramayana we study about the step motherly treatment to Lord Rama by Kaikeyi, who is described as an evil woman. But is it so? No. She was one of the noblest women on earth. When Rama was to be enthroned as King of Ayodhya, she knew that it was not an opportune time and that if he ascended the throne at that moment, he would remain only a King of Ayodhya; but if he went to the forest for 14 years, he would become a King of Kings and would also be a Monarch of the animal world. So she did not care for her personal humiliation and disgrace. The role of a true mother is to lift her children sky high and not to bother about herself. Again, she was mother of Bharat, a very noble soul; therefore, she could not be

an intriguing woman (kutila). Lord Rama knew in his heart of hearts that she could not think but of his well being and, therefore, he remained affectionate to her despite this decision. History confirms that this decision gave India a most colorful legend in the form of the Ramayana. Although Bharat was installed King of Ayodhya, Lord Rama remained the virtual king. Astrologers will find that the sojourn of Lord Rama in the forests for 14 years is due to placement of Saturn in Rama's fourth house. But his sojourn in forests and the life of a recluse for 14 years was highly auspicious and gave the world a holy book full of blessings and radiant grace. Again Lord Rama had Mars in the Capricorn sign in his seventh house. Sita suffered a lot and was kidnapped by Lankesh (King of Lanka), Ravana, and was confined to Ashok Vatika for about a year. But Mars in the seventh house made her a gem of female beauty and chastity. According to the Hindus, she is the holiest woman ever born on earth. Her purity is as much respected by Muslims as that of Rabia Basri and by Christians as that of Mary, Mother of Jesus. Hanuman was a great dedicated servant of Lord Rama while Ravana was a great worshipper of Lord Shiva. But the selfless dedicated service of Hanuman triumphed over Ravana's worship of Lord Shiva. Hanuman is respected and even worshipped throughout India and his temples are infinite. The meditation and recitation of Hanuman Chalisa spreads radiant grace in the hearts of devotees. Thus Saturn, which represents service or dasya bhava (attitude of service) is more auspicious than Jupiter, which represents priesthood and worship. The lagna lord of Hanuman was Aries, ruled by Mars, which gives radiant grace. Maharani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi with Saturn in ascendant, although she lost her life at Gwalior, was lifted to skies in fame and glory and was one of the purest jewels of female beauty and bravery. She was full of service and devotion to Lord Shiva. She had Jupiter in her eighth house. Thus Saturn was more auspicious than Jupiter, which could not save her son's life. Jupiter and Venus only give short-lived pleasures and prosperity. Perpetual peace, contentment, solitude, joy, and fame which are everlasting come from Saturn and Mars. Akbar visited Jwalaji, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti's holy shrine, at Ajmer and finally got a son by the blessings of Khwaja Salim Chishti at Fatehpur Sikri. Saints and sages are represented by Saturn. A visit to martyrs' shrines like Fatehgarh Sahib Gurdwara, Gurudwara at Anandpur Sahib, or Shishganj Gurdwara in Delhi provides a devotee with radiant grace. It gives mental and spiritual solace. Mars rules all such places where martyrs' last remains are deposited. THE RIGHT LIFE IN A SAINTS WORDS

In order to illustrate the true nature of Saturn, I am giving below a talk between a devotee and Shivapuri Baba as recorded by J.G. Bennet in his celebrated book, Long Pilgrimage, published by Hodder & Stoughton: Q. Sir, why are we so unhappy? S.B. Because you don't live the Right Life. Q. What is the Right Life? S.B. It is a life with some definite aim. It is a planned and discriminative life, with duties necessary and helpful for achieving the aim in the shortest possible time. Q. What is the greatest aim of life? S.B. To seek Truth. Q. Why should we want to seek Truth? S.B. Because before that we cannot be omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. Q. What are the chief elements of the Right Life? S.B. Discrimination and devotion. Q. Please explain them.

S.B. You see that for maintaining the body, you have to discharge certain duties towards nature, towards family, towards society, towards government and towards your profession. All these should be planned and done with dexterity. Then for making your mind strong you have to cultivate virtues, charity, self-control, fearlessness, patience, together with the rest of the twenty-six virtues described in the sixteenth chapter of the Gita. This is discrimination. The rest of the time you should devote to thinking of Truth in various ways without feeling monotonous. This is devotion. The most important thing is to see that you do not waste your time on any other work. Q. How can we best help the world? S.B. By living the Right Life and practicing charity mental, verbal, bodily and pecuniary. Mentally, we should wish well even to our so-called enemies. We should not speak words likely to hurt others. We should, when possible, try to serve others physically; at least ten per cent of our income should be devoted to charity. This again should be divided into three parts. One part should go to the poor, spiritual aspirants and institutions for spiritual life. Another part should go to deserving cultural people and institutions. The third part should go to poor people and their institutions for helping them. If people practice charity well, where can there be disorder in the world? Q. When shall we realize Truth? S.B. When you continuously and concentrated ask the question: What is 'Truth' or do the like for one 'mahoorta", or 48 minutes. Q. Some say we should give up life in order to realize Truth. S.B. Yes, but giving up life does not mean merely going to a forest or a cave. Even Buddha, after realizing Truth, said that it is not necessary to do that. One can realize Truth even at home if one lives the Right life. Giving up life means giving up craze for name and fame and enjoyments. The above conversation will clearly show the true nature of Saturn of Shivapuri Baba. What he says reflects the correct approach of Saturn as far as expression is concerned. The content shows the true trait of Mars. Extending the beautiful expression used in books of political science, we can say Mars without Saturn has no root and Saturn without Mars has no fruit. History repeats itself and from its repetition a politician has ample to learn. A Questionnaire The following is a questionnaire to ascertain whether the reader happens to know the secret of right understanding and right action. If his answer to a question is in the affirmative he should tick it, and if not he should cross it. 1. Do you think before you act? 2. Do you study the pros and cons before taking a decision? 3. Do you use a few words, or appropriate words? 4. Do you follow the principle of saying the whole truth in a few words? 5. Do you like people? 6. Do you show regard to even those who are lowly placed? 7. Do you believe in self-improvement? 8. Do you study holy books daily? 9. Do you say your prayers daily? 10. Do you believe in humanism? 11. Do you believe in right speech? 12. Do you study lives of great men and women? 13. Do you go to a library? 14. Do you love your children and wife? 15. Do you help others? 16. Do you also love children of other people? 17. Do you cry or weep when alone?

18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

Do you feel angry very often? Do you know the value of patience? Do you love simple food? Do you show regard to other religions? Do you meet your friends often or rarely? Do you remember the days when you quarreled with your friends and others? Do you have a sound memory? Do you remember the ill-treatment received from members of your family? Do you love good sights and want to visit places of scenic beauty?

The purpose of this questionnaire is to know where you stand. A man with good qualities of Saturn and Mars does not remember ill treatment that he had received from others. He wants to live a happy social life. He loves children of others as he loves his own. Likewise, you should question yourself when you are indulging in a wrong activity, like drinking excessively, acting in lust or gambling, etc. Ask yourself: Is this activity useful or useless? Will this activity help me in my future life and make me really happy in all walks of life? EPILOGUE

I have established in this book that Saturn and Mars are highly benefic planets but their results are not experienced by individuals because their beliefs and the planetary effects are at variance. One makes these two planets ineffective by one's ignorance and lack of thinking. When one has sufferings and problems one runs to astrologers and wise-men that provide help by suggesting the study of holy books, visit to a holy place and performance of charitable deeds. Results are seen when the subjective and objective meet. Only when the real nature of Saturn and Mars are studied and properly understood, these planets start influencing a birth chart and one is sure to experience happiness. If man and wife experience not eternal joys but only ephemeral pleasures, satisfaction, and gratification of their desires, it is owing to the influence of Jupiter and Venus because it is from them that these things emanate. It may be noted that once we acquire balanced thought, planned action comes automatically. A man who is balanced in his judgment cannot but be skilled in actions. Therefore, in great men Saturn is either placed in the Libra sign or it aspects in this sign. Action can be defined as an expenditure of physical energy in a specific manner, while thought can be defined as an expenditure of mental energy in a specific manner. A thoughtful action is a real action, otherwise it is a useless activity. Likewise, a balanced thought is a real thought, otherwise it is only kalpana in the nature of a mental worry that haunts men and women. When unbalanced thoughts cloud the mental horizon they are nothing but worries, tensions and depression which reappear in the form of chronic diseases. When thoughtless, unplanned actions dominate one's life, there is chaos, anarchy and confusion. All confusions, when they multiply, make life wretched and miserable. Without entering the futile controversy whether or not there is rebirth, let us remember that life is one unified whole. Our unplanned and chaotic actions are bound to recoil on us even after several years. It is only a lover who acts without thought of good or bad outcome; therefore Sun, the planet of love, is exalted in the Aries sign. Venus is exalted in the Pisces sign because we can have a sense of beauty when we are poetic by nature and have a great quality of appreciation devoid of critical judgment. It must be noted that planets are considered favorable when they are well-placed; they aspect exaltation sign and are blessed in themselves. In Shivaji's chart Mars, though placed in the Gemini sign, by its aspect gets linked with its exaltation sign, Capricorn. The protection of Saturn and Mars is evident even when Mars and Saturn aspect their exaltation signs. Suppose Mars is placed in the Cancer sign in the fourth house of the natal chart. By its seventh

aspect it sees the tenth house. The subject will not have happy domestic life owing to lack of planning at home but will command respect and be successful in his official life, thanks to planning in actions.