27 Nakshatras and 108 Padas

27 Nakshatras and 108 Padas

1.       Asvini (1-4)

2.       Bharani (5-8)

3.       Krittika (9-12)

4.       Rohini (13-16)

5.       Mrigashira (17-20)

6.       Arudra (18-24)

7.       Punarvasu (25-28)

8.       Pushya (29-32)

9.       Ashlesha (33-36)

10.   Magha (37-40)

11.   Purvaphalguni (41-44)

12.   Uttaraphalguni (45-48)

13.   Hasta (49-52)

14.   Chitra (53-56)

15.   Swati (57-60)

16.   Vishakya - Radha (61-64)

17.   Anuradha (65-68)

18.   Jyestha (69-72)

19.   Mula (73-76)

20.   Purvashadha (77-80)

21.   Uttarashadha (81-84)

22.   Shravana (85-88)

23.   Dhanishtha (89-92)

24.   Shatavishakya -Shatataraka (93-96)

25.   Purvabhadrapada (97-100)

26.   Uttarabhadrapada (101-104)

27.   Revati (105-108)

The Sefirot

Correspondences between the Sefirot and Jyotish:

Keter: Ketu

Chokhmah: Sun

Binah: Moon

Chesed: Mars

Gevurah: Venus

Tiferet: Saturn

Netzach: Jupiter

Hod: Mercury

Yesod: Rahu

Malkut: Lagna

Ishta Devata

There is a saying in Sanskrit “ Ekam Sat – Vidwaan Bahutaa vadantii” meaning that “Truth is One (God is One) – Learned Ones of Yore have explained it in different forms!” Though it is true that Almighty is One, it is also equally true that meditating or praying to the Formless, Blemishless Paramaatmaa is not within the mental maturity level of most common persons. The concept of a Personal God (Called Ishta Devataa) helps persons to relate better to Divine....

Here in comes the concept of “Phalana Devataa” (The Divine Form that gives manifest good results to a native). Phalana Devataa is the Form of Divinity that best relates to a human being’s inner psyche and thus gives fast results for mundane activities. We can say that these Phalana Devataas are the guardian angels of a person. Astrology does give valuable clues to find out which of the various Forms of Divine can give best results to a native. Based on these clues if a person does worship to that Deity Form, manifest results can be obtained. This will strengthen the belief system of a person towards occult matters, and when all material desires get fulfilled by the help of that Deity Form, the person may progress to Higher Forms of Meditation and Philosophy which will pave the way for Ultimate Salvation (Mukhti)....

What I have given here is only “indicative” or “suggestive.” If you have already received “Deeksha” from holy persons, they might have relied upon other processes for short-listing the best worship procedures for you. Again, one’s Family Deity (kula Devataa) should be Honoured before one does worship of one’s own Guardian Deity indicated above. On no account should one abandon the worship of Family Deities ( a Deity that has been worshipped continuously in the Family for at least 3 generations becomes the Family Deity of the Family. In most cases, there will be an unbroken line of worshippers of a Deity going back to even 100s of generations! Such Deities as Family Deities over many generations will be powerful, and mostly the Guardian Deity as shown by horoscope will be the same as Family Deity in such cases. These Deity Forms are easily pleased and it is really one’s good luck to be born in such spiritual families). If you are already in a Family of Upaasakaas (Serious Worshippers of a Particular Divine Form), you need not check the astrological indications; you can just follow the path of your ancestors in serious worship. By the Grace of the Family Deity, you will be led to Higher paths – if necessary!

Planetary Mantras

Sun: Raam

Moon: Soom

Mars: Ram

Mercury: Aim

Jupiter: Shriim

Venus: Hriim

Saturn: Kriim

Rahu: Duum

Ketu: Keem

Pronunciations:
a -- vowel sound (v.s.) in "up"
aa -- "ah"
i -- v.s. in "it"
ii -- v.s. in "eat"
u -- v.s. in "us"
uu -- v.s. in "you"
e -- v.s. in "et"
ee -- v.s. in "ate"
0 -- v.s. in "ah"
oo -- v.s. in "oh"
ai -- v.s. in "ice"

The Signs of God

Krishna the Avatar represents the astrological sign Cancer, ruled by the Moon.
Siddhartha the Buddha represents the astrological sign Capricorn, ruled by Saturn.
Jesus the Christ represents the astrological sign Aries, ruled by Mars.
Nanak the Guru represents the astrological sign Libra, ruled by Venus.

Cancer, Capricorn, Aries, and Libra are the signs of action-against-all-limitation.

Dattatreya the Avadhut represents the astrological sign Leo, ruled by the Sun.
Muhammad the Rasul represents the astrological sign Aquarius, ruled by Saturn.
Moses the Prophet represents the astrological sign Taurus, ruled by Venus.
Vardhamana the Tirthankara represents the astrological sign Scorpio, ruled by Mars.

Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, and Scorpio are the signs of utter-resoluteness-against-all-enemies.

Confucius the Wise represents the astrological sign Virgo, ruled by Mercury.
Laozi the Master represents the astrological sign Pisces, ruled by Jupiter.
Kabir the Poet represents the astrological sign Gemini, ruled by Mercury.
Zarathustra the Priest represents the astrological sign Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter.

Virgo, Pisces, Gemini, and Sagittarius are the signs of vibrant-creativity-within-creation.

Says Kabir:

O how may I ever express that secret word?
O how can I say He is not like this, and He is like that?
If I say that He is within me, the universe is ashamed:
If I say that He is without me, it is falsehood.
He makes the inner and the outer worlds to be indivisibly one;
The conscious and the unconscious, both are His footstools.
He is neither manifest nor hidden, He is neither revealed nor unrevealed:
There are no words to tell that which He is.

Sins, Gifts, and Virtues

Astrological symbolism exists regarding the seven capital (or "deadly") sins, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the seven virtues.

Stars and Saints

One might observe astrological and religious parallelism.

The Karmic Remedy

“The three degrees of karmic intensity which may apply to one, many, or all areas of a person’s life are:

1. Dridha (fixed) Karma
2. Dridha-Adridha (fixed/non-fixed) Karma
3. Adridha (non-fixed) Karma

Dridha Karmas give fixed results because they are so difficult to change that they are practically non-changeable. These karmas, pleasurable or painful, are destined to be experienced because of the intensity of their causes.

Dridha-Adridha Karmas, good OR bad, can be changed through the concentrated application of creative will, though considerable effort is required.

Adridha Karmas are said to give non-fixed results because they are easily altered.

Upaya (Sanskrit for ‘method’ or ‘remedy’) refers to future and current actions that remedy adverse Karmas (that is, that remedy the adverse results of previous actions). When the karma is non-fixed, one may expect immediate change on commencement of an upaya. If the karmas are fixed/non-fixed, results are anticipated after some concentrated efforts, often after a period of forty days. But even for those who do persevere, transformation of fixed karmas may not necessarily be expected during this lifetime, though a slight modification of results will perhaps be secretly anticipated. So long as the upayas are patiently and consistently resorted to over the course of this incarnation, however, they will act as well-planted seeds whose crop of desired results will be reaped during a future incarnation.

Remedies are designed to prevent or to correct undesirable results of previous actions. Often the best remedy of all is to worship an ishta devata, one’s chosen deity. An ishta devata makes it easier to live a life in which you act of your own volition, instead of being perpetually driven by your karmas, or by the karmas of others, to act in frequently undesirable ways. When you worship an ishta devata, your focus restrains the fluctuations of your mind, which permits a little spark of Reality to flow from your deity to you. It is this spark that appears in your awareness as intuition. Though the worship of an ishta devata may seem to some an exercise in idolatry, the deities are really representatives of the One Reality. When you worship a personal deity, you indirectly worship the Absolute One, the Singularity who manifests as the personal deity. The personal relationship you cultivate with an ishta devata plugs you in to a personal relationship with the One Reality, the source of all questions and all answers.

-- Hard de Fouw and Robert Svoboda. Light on Life: An Introduction to the Astrology of India. Twin Lakes, Wisconsin: Lotus Press, 2003. 24-36. [Some editing included.]