Mr. K.C. Malhotra

Mr. K.C. Malhotra

SIGNIFICATIONS OF THE WEEK DAYS

The seven days of the week have the seven Grahas from the Sun to Saturn as their lords. Specific jobs are prescribed for the seven days.

 Sunday: Coronation, festivities, fire-related rituals, com-mencing medical treatment, making weapons, travelling, cattle rearing, fighting, work related with wood, wool, gold, copper, etc.

 Monday: Work related with silver, pearls, ornaments and precious stones, sexual indulgence, planting trees, water re- lated deeds, agricultural pursuits, food and eatables, flowers, song and music, garments, milk and curd, yajnas, etc.

 Tuesday: Deeds of cruelty, theft, killing, work related with fire, weapons, injury, surgery, arrogance, imprisonment, coral, treasure, etc.

 Wednesday: Dance, sculpting , music, writing, compilation, learning, marriage, warfare, etc.

 Thursday: Religious pursuits, nutrition, auspicious deeds, house building, acquiring vehicles, travel, medication, wear-ing ornaments, trees, vines, etc.

 Friday: Dance, music, decoration, land deals, constructing or decorating a bed, garments, shopping, festivals, etc.

 Saturday: House building, shifting into a new house, spiritual initiation, weapons, poisons, hoarding, sinful acts, servility, work which has long lasting effect, etc.

AKSHAYE TRITYA TITHI

Akshaye Tritya is on the third day of the bright half of the lunar month of Vaisakha (April – May) of the traditional Hindu Calendar. This tithi is considered as auspicious for the Hindus. Akshaya ¼v{k;½ is a Sanskrit word that means which never degrades. The day gains greater importance when it falls on either Wednesday or under Rohini Star. The day is believed to bring good luck and success. On this day, the Sun and Moon are at their peak of auspiciousness. By doing a good deed on this day, one can earn punya for one’s entire life. Any venture commencing on Akshaya Tritiya would grow and bring prosperity. Weddings, business ventures and trips would be fruitful, if either conducted or commenced respectfully, on this day. Purchase of valuable items, such as gold jewellery, on this day, would usher in prosperity Akshaya Tritya is generally observed by fasting, worship of Lord Vishnu as Madhusudana and feeding the poor. It is said that Satyayuga started on this day. Veda Vyasa started dictating the Mahabharta to Ganesha on this day. The Ganga, the most holy and sacred river of India descended to Earth from Heaven on Akshaya Tritya.

Lord Surya gave Yudhishtira an akshaya patra on Akshaya Tritiya. It was a wonderful vessel, which supplied food endlessly to be Pandavas every day. On the commencement of exile by the Pandavas, Yudhishtra was desperate of his inability to feed the sages and others, who accompanied him. At this, Dhaumya, the priest of the Pandavas, counseled him to pray to Surya. Pleased with Yudhishtira’s prayers, Surya blessed him with the akshaya patra on a condition that this vessel would offer unlimited food every day, until Draupadi had her meal. When Sage Durvasa visited the Pandavas with his disciples, no food was left to serve him and his entourage, since Draupadi had her meal earlier. The Pandavas turned anxious wondering how to feed Sage Durvasa and his entourage. When Durvasa and his disciples were away bathing. Draupadi prayed to Krishna seeking help. Krishna saved the Pandavas by eating a grain of rice that was sticking to the akshaya patra and announced that He was satisfied with that. This even satiated the hunger of Durvasa and all of his disciples, since the satisfaction of Lord Krishna meant satiation of hunger of the whole Universe.

Perhaps, the most famous of the Akshaya Tritiya stories is the legend of Lord Krishna and Sudama, his poor childhood friend. Lord Krishna, blessed him with more than the wealth he actually intended to ask for. This event took place on Akshaya Tritiya.

Adi Sankaracharya during the Brahmachari Bhikshadana, visited once, the house of a poor lady. Nothing was available in that house to offer to the brahmacarain. She was upset and regretted her inability to give anything to the young boy. She found an amla fruit (Indian gooseberry) in her house, but was shy to offer it to him. However, she offered it to Sankara in humility and respect. Sankara was touched by the gesture of the poverty-stricken woman and immediately started besseching Lakshmi to be merciful towards the poor lady. He recited 22 verse in praise of Lakshmi, who appeared before Sankara. Sankara pleaded to Lakshmi to bless the poor lady. Lakshmi replied that the lady did not qualify to get any riches in this life, since she was unchariatable in her previous birth, and therefore this is her fate. Sankara, while accepting her stand, replied that in his life she gave him an Amla fruit with great reverence, in spite of not having anything in her hosue due to extreme poverty. This gesture of hers alone would justify Laskhmi’s blessings. With the advocacy of Sankara, She showered a rain of golden Amla fruits. Thus the hymm Kanakadhara Stotra of Sankara came into existence. This event happened on an Akshaya Tritiya and the home of that lady is now famous as Swarnathu Mana. Remembering this incident, Akshaya Tritiya Kanakadhara Yagnam is performed on this day at Kaladi, Sankara[‘s birth place.

This year the Akshay Tritya is on April 28 from 10-29 AM to April 29, till 6-56 A.M.

Rohini Nakshatra Covers this tithi from 13-39 on 28th April to 6-56 AM on 29th April. So this period is most auspicious.

EXALATATION OF PLANETS

Sun is most exalted in the 10th degree of Aries. Moon is exalated in the 3rd degree of Taurus. Mars in the 28th degree of Capricorn, Mercury in 15th degree of Virgo, Jupiter in the 5th degree of Cancer, Venus in the 27th degree of Pisces and Saturn in the 20th degree of Libra. These planets are considered as the most debilitated 180 degrees away from the degree of exaltation.

The constellations falling in the degrees of exaltation and the lords (planets) are also shown in the table below for reference in the comments that follow :

In the tables above, no degrees of exaltation or debilitation have been given for Rahu and Ketu. Obviously for the reason that Rahu and Ketu are not material bodies and they generally act under the influence of the planets by whom they may be aspected or with whom they may be associated. So for as we are aware it is the great Varahmihir who has for the first time given to the world the respective degrees of the sings of their exaltation. The allotment of these degrees as exaltation degrees is not arbiatrary but is based on sound spiritual philosophy and common sense.

 Sun : From the table given above, it is seen that sun is exalted in Aries in a degree whose lord is ketu. Sun is to the universe as the human soul is to the body. It is the sustainer. The Atman. The self, the highest state for the soul ie the state of liberation or salvation and as we know from astrology it is signified by Ketu who is the significator of moksha or liberation.

 Recording of Gita

The attainment of higher states of existence signified by heavenly abode such as the “Brahma loka” involves the return of the human soul of its earthly abode, but having attained to self realization, the human soul attains the highest and no longer returns to its miserable earthly existence. Self realisation or moksha then is the highest goal of human soul. The same idea is expressed by the Holy Bible when it says : “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and we shall go no more out (Rev 3/12).” “No more out” obviously means will no longer take up birth. When therefore, astrology says that Sun in the sign Aries i.e. of the materialistic planet Mars, in the constellation belonging to Ketu, it states a profound spiritual truth to the effect thet the human some even when placed in the tempting condition signified of by Mars (Lord of sign Aries), if it is in the spiritual condition of self realisation (Ketu) it has attained it highest possible excellence. This is clearly a spiritual criterion for the fixation of the sign and degree of the exaltation of sun.

 Moon : Moon is exalted in the 3rd degree of the sign Taurus, whose constellational lord is Sun. This clearly means that moon has to be in the closest contact with the soul signified by the constellation Krittika Moon is an emotional planet denoting human desires and emotions. It highest evolution naturally consists in the condition when it is devoid of hankerings after material possessions but is in rapport with the atman –the self, the soul or the Sun. It will then be able to overcome the surrounding temptations of luxurious atmosphere denoted by the sign Taurus whose lord we know is Venus –the most luxurious and sensuous of planets. Thus the spiritual test of an exalted mind would be that when it is in most tempting and alluring sign of the planet Venus it should be able to remain established in the atman (Krittika). This is surely again a most reasonable spiritual basis for the exaltation of the planet Moon.

 Mars : According to the table given above. Mars is exalted in the sign Capricorn and in a constellation whose lord is Mars himself. This is a statement that shows the conditions of excellence of the martial planets Mars. What are the conditions that should denote the highest attainmens of a solider that Mars undoubtedly is? These condition require that the solider even when surrounded entirely by enemeies shoud be able to retain to the fullest measure, his qualities of courage and bravery as a solider. This is exactly what exaltations of Mars in astrology significes. Capricorn the sign in which Mars is exalted is the sign of his worse enemy “Saturn”. Hence to be in the enemey’s camp entirely, as it were and yet to be fully in his elements (by being in his own consetlleation) is truly a test and a criterion for the heighest excellence of a solider.

 Mercury : Form the table above, it would be seen that the planet Mercury is exalted in the sign Virgo in a degree whose consetellation lord is Moon. Mercury we know is a planet of intellect par excellence. Intellect is the highest possession of man – one that distinguishes man from animals. It is a most prized possession and yet it is lacking in certain respect. What it lacks is most evident in the present day conditions of the human society where man has achieved marvels – space travel, television, raido etc. but has, at the same time invented atom bombs that can efface humanity from earth. More than intellect the present day civilization therefore needs the capacity for human sympathy and compassion signified by the plaent Moon. Thus Mercury while retaining its qualities of brain signified by its own sign Virgo, has to imbibe the spirit of compassion and regard signified by the Moon’s constellation of “Hasta” in order to be in its best.

 Juipter : This planet, as would be seen from the table, is exalted in the sign Cancer and in a constellation belonging to the planet Saturn. Jupiter is the planet of plenty. It is significator of wealth of which he has more than plenty. He does not need wealth for his excellence. Too much of wealth may corrupt him rather. He is a moral and spiritual planet. He rather desires to rise above wealth and attain to “Samadhi”. Now Samadhi, on all accounts is a condition or state in which the function of the limbs, emotions and intellect is stopped and the man gets into a void. The State of “void” is significed by the planet Saturn who is “empty”. Astrological students are aware of the fact that the lunar date (Tithi) belonging to Saturn is always called “Rikta” – empty, void, wanting etc. Hence for a spiritual planet like Jupiter to be in the tempting condition of desires and emotions signified by the sign of Moon (Cancer) and yet to be able to be in Samadhi signified by Saturn’s constellation would be a triumph for spirituality – an excellence or exalatation indeed for Jupiter.

 Venus : Venus gets exalated in the sign – Pisces belonging to Jupiter and in the constellation owned by Mercury. As already observed Venus is a planet of enjoyment of wordly luxuries and pleasures. It is an every day experience of all of us that people given to wordly enjoyments and a luxurious life are the least interested in question of ethics and morality. Such people would detest an invitation to attend a discourse on morality and spirituality. They would rather spend that time in a cinema or a concert. The sign of Jupiter is pisces is thus one that creates trying conditions for such people, yet if in such trying conditions of morality : If such people can be amenable to reason, they can be considered to have had a revoluntionary change towards their excellence. This is what the location of the sensual planet Venus in the moral conditions of the sign Pisces but in the intellectually sound condition of the constellation belonging to Mercury signifies in astrology. Here astrology follows sound common sense in its fundamental formulations.

 Saturn : This planet is exalted in the sign Libra in the fag end of the constellation belonging to Rahu. Saturn is a planet of poverty and want. Libra the sign of Venus – the luxurious would be a sign in which Saturn is likely to lose balance, for it is seen in actual life that poor people suddenly getting rich often turn mad. For Saturn to be in the most trying conditions for him in Libra and yet to be able to retain his moorings by being in the constellation of Rahu—the shadowy planet who again stands for want and poverty, would really constitute an excellence or exaltation for Saturn.

 We have thus seen that underlying the astrological factors for the exaltation of various planets there is sound philosophy and a true practical human experience. Since the nature of this philosophy is Indian in conception, it follows that the basic or fundamental idea of the manner of exalatation of the planets had its origin in India.