Category Archives: Astrology

Bhrigu Samhita’s relevance to devotees

Q. How perfect are Bhrigu-Samhita’s predictions? A lot of ISKCON followers consult Bhrigu. Can our current actions drastically change our destiny?

A. Bhrigu-samhita, being a part of the Vedic literature, is all-perfect. It deals with astrological science and the predictions made according these calculations are always accurate.

In his purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.1.49), Srila Prabhupada writes,

“A human being must be educated to understand his past life and how he can endeavour for a better life in the future. There is even a book, called Bhrigu-Samhita which reveals information about one’s past, present and future lives according to astrological calculations. Somehow or other, one must be enlightened about his past, present and future.”

With proper reference to the context, this instruction is meant to make us aware of the importance of the human form of life so that we don’t take it cheaply. If astrological predictions can help us understand our future destiny, we may take corrective action so that we can “endeavour for a better life in the future,” which of course means a life that is more Krishna conscious.

Our current actions and also our thoughts, prepare our future destiny because they decide what we think at the time of death. “Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail,” Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita (8.6). If we think of Krishna at death, we go to His abode.

Overall, Prabhupada did not very much encourage his disciples to consult astrological charts and understand the future. As soon as one takes to Krishna consciousness, all his karma is destroyed, and the Lord takes full charge of the devotee. Whatever happens in his life either auspicious or inauspicious happens under the direct supervision of the Lord. The devotee therefore has nothing to worry about his future.

Effect of past life

Q. I too believe that GOD exists. But very recently I have been experiencing very bad moments, whatever I think it doesn’t happen, whatever I touch it gets postponed, wherever my name is involved the work some how mysteriously gets cancelled. So I started checking my numerology and astrology online, people tell me that our present life karma is based on past life deeds. Is it true?. Is our fate is already written by Brahma, are we just puppets in God’s hands. I checked my last life jyotisha in some astrology website it says that in my past life I was a big cheater and also based on my name numerology I carry my past life karmic debts to this life.
I don’t understand why should I be responsible for my past life which I have no clue about, why can’t God punish people in the same life itself for their misdeeds and give everyone a fresh new life. My main question is can’t we change our fate written by Brahma.

A. One’s karma is based on one’s deeds, not only of one past life, but of many many past lives.
Everything is calculated very precisely.  Continue reading Effect of past life

Astrology

Q. What is Astrology? I have heard it said that when one is born in this world his horoscope is fixed depending on the time and place of birth. People born at auspicious time will have all the good of nine Grahas, which determines ones life, i.e., what he will become, how long he will survive, rich/poor etc.

Was Duryodhana born as wicked man and Yudhisthira born as good man? Is this all based on their past karma?

Ans: The material circumstances of a person, their future, their general disposition etc., are all predestined according to one’s guna and karma. When the soul takes birth in this world, the event takes place according to their karma, during a corresponding arrangement of constellations. Astrology is a branch of Vedic science that, among other things, gives detailed techniques of how to use this information (stellar arrangement at the time of birth) to predict one’s future.

While one may have particular tendencies or conditioning of modes of nature from birth, it is also to be understood that the association one is in, has a great influence on their character traits.

What about Free Will?

Q. In BG AS IT IS Krishna says I know past, present and future. Knowing past and present is ok, if Krishna knows exactly (means every single moment of us) that means our future is well defined then where is the free will for us.If there is free will then how Krishna knows what will we do in future.

I already asked Maharaja same question, he explained that there is free will, Krishna will not interfere in that, but at the same time He knows what will we choose from that free will. I have not satisfied with that answer, can you elaborate that.

Ans :  Father may know that his son likes ice-cream better than anything else. Still, out of love he might ask his son, “My dear son, would you like to have ice-cream or cake?” The father knows the son will choose ice-cream but the choice is still there and the boy can still choose either of the two. This is just a very crude example; Krsna’s ‘knowing’ is much more than that.

He is omniscient, beyond just the present circumstances of time and He exactly knows our innermost desires, propensities etc. Even if we were going to choose ‘cake’ this time, He would know it! Yet as the Supreme loving father, He gives us the choice every moment, ‘Choose Me or choose maya’, and we can choose as we like! Krsna’s knowing ‘future time’ does not diminish our freedom of will to choose

Three Planetary Systems

Q. What are the three Planetary systems and how do they work ?

A.  There are three planetary systems, triloki: the higher planetary system, the middle planetary system, and the lower planetary system.

Bhagavad gita 14.18 :

  • Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds,there is an upper planetary system, consisting of the heavenly planets, where everyone is highly elevated. According to the degree of development of the mode of goodness, the living entity can be transferred to various planets in this system.
  • The mode of passion is mixed. It is in the middle, between the modes of goodness and ignorance. A person is not always pure, but even if he should be purely in the mode of passion, he will simply remain on this earth(MIDDLE PLANETARY SYSTEM) as a king or a rich man. But because there are mixtures, one can also go down. People on this earth, in the mode of passion or ignorance, cannot forcibly approach the higher planets by machine. In the mode of passion, there is also the chance of becoming mad in the next life.
  • The lowest quality, the mode of ignorance, is described here as abominable. The result of developing ignorance is very, very risky. It is the lowest quality in material nature. Beneath the human level there are eight million species of life—birds, beasts, reptiles, trees, etc.—and according to the development of the mode of ignorance, people are brought down to these abominable conditions. Or they will go to hellish planets (LOWER PLANETARY SYSTEMS)

There is an opportunity for men in the modes of ignorance and passion to be elevated to the mode of goodness and also beyond the three modes, and that system is called Krishna consciousness. But one who does not take advantage of this opportunity will certainly continue in the lower modes.

Free will and predestination

Q. I have been struggling for some time with questions such as: Is everything pre-determined?

Do we have to accept that everything is pre-determined and occupy ourselves with devotional service while still performing our duties?

Or do we have to strive toward a goal (even if that means being competitive) while still performing devotional service?

A.  If I understand correctly, it seems that your question focuses on whether or not someone performing devotional service should strive to achieve something in the field of their occupational duties or in some specific way strive to improve their present life situation.

Devotees also have goals and aspirations that they strive towards, but their impetus is simply to please Krishna and increase their devotion  and not the achievement of any material objective in itself.

In the course of trying to cultivate our Krishna consciousness and steadily progress towards the spiritual plane, we are advised to carefully perform our prescribed occupational duties and so we do. In the course of executing duties there may be standards to achieve and milestones to be reached. Our acharyas recommend that devotees should live very simply but whatever is needed to perform one’s duties nicely, one should strive according to their best capacity and to dedicate such endeavors and all facilities provided for that service fully unto Krishna. While working industriously the devotee also knows fully well that the result of one’s endeavors is in Krishna’s hands, not merely a product of their personal efforts. 
Finally, there is a clear connection between devotion-based endeavors and the notion of predestination.

As concluded in previous Digest discussions, our past actions “pre-determine” our present circumstances in life  but they do not pre-determine what we choose to do now. Our present choices determine our future. What we choose to do now can be executed on the material plane (deliberately or mindlessly, impelled by past conditioning), yielding temporary material results; or our present choices can be enacted on the spiritual plane, thus lifting us completely out of the cycle of karma. In other words, a devotee is neither directly interested in changing his/her karmic destiny nor overly concerned with improving his/her material circumstances per se, simply for sake of material welfare; however he/she is keenly interested in cultivating their relationship with Krishna. The devotee is contented to base their spiritual endeavors upon whatever position or within whatever circumstance of life they find themselves. In turn, Krishna takes charge of such a surrendered devotee  and their life is orchestrated by Krishna  and not karma.