From: Narasimha PVR Rao <pvr@charter.net>
Date: 2009/2/6
Subject: [vedic-wisdom] Re: ALTERNATIVE TO UPAPADA FASTING
To: sohamsa@yahoogroups.com
Cc: vedic-wisdom@yahoogroups.com
> >> Here is my point and view about the question raised. 2nd bhava is
> >> the bhava of Vishnu, sustainer, and if we fast on the day of UL in
> >> 2nd house, we bring insult to Vishnu who provides the food for us.
My dear Zoran, please allow me to express my disagreement.
Austerities can never be seen as an insult to Vishnu. Self-deprivation of 2nd house matters such as food (fasting) or speech (mouna vrata - vow of silence) are austerities. Giving up food or speech is not an insult to Vishnu just as giving up sex (i.e. brahmacharya) is not an insult to Sukracharya (Venus).
Various gods bestow various things on us, some at the gross physical level and some at the subtle spiritual level. As we overcome our dependendency on gross things, we make progress at the subtle level.
If one eats food, a good amount of internal fire (and subtle internal energy associated with it) is used for digesting it and for generating physical energy from it. If one fasts, that subtle energy is unused and available for other things. This is a tremendous benefit. As a result, one can better digest mantras and spiritual food available all around one.
The mantra one meditates with at the end of a day's fasting is far more effective than at other times. The conservation of energy otherwise spent on digestion or speech will enable far more effective mantra meditation. So fast or keep mouna and then meditate with a mantra, to maximize the effect of the mantra.
> >> However, to be honest, I have not heard this about 2nd lord and
> >> tithi. The basic point is that Upapada is a rashi and carries energy
> >> of Vara or day. If you fast on the day ruled by tithi of the 2nd
> >> lord, you are bringing the jala energy to vara, and gandanta may
> >> occur, and spouse may come into a danger. So, what is the way out.
Why does a rashi carry the energy of vaara only and not that of the tithi???? Why does rashi represent vaara or fire?
After all, Rudra rules over the element of fire and Gouri rules over the element of water and one worships Gouri at the time of marriage. Moreover, Venus (water) is the karaka for marriage. So one could even say that UL/marriage is represented by water element and fasting on UL lord's tithi brings the element of water (prosperity and well-being) to one's marriage (UL)? One could even say that fasting on the weekday of UL lord should be prohibited as it brings the fire element represented by weekday to the water of UL and causes "gandanta"!
Seriously, however, this kind of stretching of gandanta concepts is quite illogical.
Now one more thing: Marriage is a yoga between two souls and why not suggest fasting on the yoga day of the UL lord?
* * *
> Now suppose instead of 11th house if Mercury goes to 12th house or 4
> house then you cannot choose Dwadashi or Chaturthi for the same
> because these thithis are ruled by Mercury only and fasting on these
> tithis will create serious doshas.
Picking tithi based on house (12th house - Dwadashi, 4th house - Chaturthi) is illogical as there are 12 houses only and more tithis.
I have realized one thing over the years - If something is not structurally sound, it is most likely false knowledge.
* * *
I can categorically declare one thing with utmost confidence. You pick any weekday or tithi and take a vow to fast or do mouna vrata (remain silent) on that weekday or tithi and meditate with a particular mantra (any) at the end of the day. You can take a vow to keep that practice for a certain duration of time (say, a few months or years) for a specific purpose. Take a vow and keep the vrata for the duration. If brahmacharya can be kept for the duration of the vrata, there is nothing like it!
If you keep such a vrata sincerely, you will make positive progress towards achieving your purpose and definitely not go backwards, irrespective of what is said by technical calculations based on our half-baked Jyotish knowledge.
* * *
My friends, use the Jyotish knowledge available, but do realize that it is imperfect and corrupted. Why is only the UL lord important? So many planets may have so many kinds of influence on UL in a chart. And UL is one of several factors showing marriage. There may be various influences in a chart showing marriage. Is our thumb rule of using UL lord's weekday missing some important factors? Quite possible!
But, despite some arbitrariness and imperfection, if a thumb rule allows you to pick an austerity with confidence and create the mental feeling that you are doing the best possible thing for your situation, it is good. After all, what is critical is to do *some* austerity to burn the blocking karma, with a positive frame of mind about what you are doing.
But, if endless theorization and complicated technicalities evolving from the thumb rule are creating doubts and confusion in the minds of people as they consider an austerity, that is useless and totally missing the point.
Some people tend to resort to heavy theorization based on very shaky grounds. I suggest going back to the basics, thinking clearly and keeping things simple.
Gem stones may harm when used incorrectly. But, austerities like prayers, fasting, mouna vrata and brahmacharya will NEVER do you any harm. If your body can take fasting, you can do it on any weekday or tithi without too many calculations.
Best regards,
Narasimha
----------------------------------------------------------
Do a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homam
Do Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpana
Spirituality: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vedic-wisdom
Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.net
Free Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.org
Sri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org
----------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Feb 4, 2009, at 12:51 PM, Sanjay Prabhakaran wrote:
>
> > || Om Gurave Namah ||
> > Dear Swee,
> > Can you please tell me the exact rule to use for fasting on
> > tithi?.Do we use the 12th lord tithi?, Like if you are Ta lagna,
> > there 2 tithi one on Triteeya (3) and Ekadasha(11). If we consider
> > only the paksh in which u are born.
> > Now of the two which to use?.
> >
> > Warm Regards
> > Sanjay p
> >
> > 2009/2/3 Swee Chan <swee@...>
> > Jaya Jagannatha
> >
> > Dear Hari, Zoki, et al in this discussion,
> > Namaste
> >
> > The tongue in cheek, I'll excuse ;-)) it's my laugh for the day!!
> > I fast on ekadasi tithi because my UL is in 2nd house (ie 12th lord
> > is in lagna). Since I was born on sukla paksha, Sanjay ji suggests
> > that I fast only on sukla ekadasi.
> > Zoki, if you listen to JUS of Year I, you will note how Sanjay ji
> > came to this conclusion.
> >
> > love,
> >
> > Swee
> >
> > On 3 Feb 2009, at 15:25, Jyotisa Shisya wrote:
> >
> >> |om|
> >> Dear Zoran, namaste
> >>
> >> Would not the general act of fasting be construed as an insult to
> >> Sri MahaVishnu?
> >>
> >> best regards
> >> Hari
> >>
> >> On Tue, Feb 3, 2009 at 5:30 PM, ahimsavm <ahimsans@...>
Date: 2009/2/6
Subject: [vedic-wisdom] Re: ALTERNATIVE TO UPAPADA FASTING
To: sohamsa@yahoogroups.com
Cc: vedic-wisdom@yahoogroups.com
Namaste friends,
I would like to express my reservations on a couple of issues. It is funny that I should be typing this email on an Ekadashi day, when many Vaishnavas fast irrespective of their horoscopes.
> >> Here is my point and view about the question raised. 2nd bhava is
> >> the bhava of Vishnu, sustainer, and if we fast on the day of UL in
> >> 2nd house, we bring insult to Vishnu who provides the food for us.
Austerities can never be seen as an insult to Vishnu. Self-deprivation of 2nd house matters such as food (fasting) or speech (mouna vrata - vow of silence) are austerities. Giving up food or speech is not an insult to Vishnu just as giving up sex (i.e. brahmacharya) is not an insult to Sukracharya (Venus).
Various gods bestow various things on us, some at the gross physical level and some at the subtle spiritual level. As we overcome our dependendency on gross things, we make progress at the subtle level.
If one eats food, a good amount of internal fire (and subtle internal energy associated with it) is used for digesting it and for generating physical energy from it. If one fasts, that subtle energy is unused and available for other things. This is a tremendous benefit. As a result, one can better digest mantras and spiritual food available all around one.
The mantra one meditates with at the end of a day's fasting is far more effective than at other times. The conservation of energy otherwise spent on digestion or speech will enable far more effective mantra meditation. So fast or keep mouna and then meditate with a mantra, to maximize the effect of the mantra.
> >> However, to be honest, I have not heard this about 2nd lord and
> >> tithi. The basic point is that Upapada is a rashi and carries energy
> >> of Vara or day. If you fast on the day ruled by tithi of the 2nd
> >> lord, you are bringing the jala energy to vara, and gandanta may
> >> occur, and spouse may come into a danger. So, what is the way out.
After all, Rudra rules over the element of fire and Gouri rules over the element of water and one worships Gouri at the time of marriage. Moreover, Venus (water) is the karaka for marriage. So one could even say that UL/marriage is represented by water element and fasting on UL lord's tithi brings the element of water (prosperity and well-being) to one's marriage (UL)? One could even say that fasting on the weekday of UL lord should be prohibited as it brings the fire element represented by weekday to the water of UL and causes "gandanta"!
Seriously, however, this kind of stretching of gandanta concepts is quite illogical.
Now one more thing: Marriage is a yoga between two souls and why not suggest fasting on the yoga day of the UL lord?
* * *
> Now suppose instead of 11th house if Mercury goes to 12th house or 4
> house then you cannot choose Dwadashi or Chaturthi for the same
> because these thithis are ruled by Mercury only and fasting on these
> tithis will create serious doshas.
I have realized one thing over the years - If something is not structurally sound, it is most likely false knowledge.
* * *
I can categorically declare one thing with utmost confidence. You pick any weekday or tithi and take a vow to fast or do mouna vrata (remain silent) on that weekday or tithi and meditate with a particular mantra (any) at the end of the day. You can take a vow to keep that practice for a certain duration of time (say, a few months or years) for a specific purpose. Take a vow and keep the vrata for the duration. If brahmacharya can be kept for the duration of the vrata, there is nothing like it!
If you keep such a vrata sincerely, you will make positive progress towards achieving your purpose and definitely not go backwards, irrespective of what is said by technical calculations based on our half-baked Jyotish knowledge.
* * *
My friends, use the Jyotish knowledge available, but do realize that it is imperfect and corrupted. Why is only the UL lord important? So many planets may have so many kinds of influence on UL in a chart. And UL is one of several factors showing marriage. There may be various influences in a chart showing marriage. Is our thumb rule of using UL lord's weekday missing some important factors? Quite possible!
But, despite some arbitrariness and imperfection, if a thumb rule allows you to pick an austerity with confidence and create the mental feeling that you are doing the best possible thing for your situation, it is good. After all, what is critical is to do *some* austerity to burn the blocking karma, with a positive frame of mind about what you are doing.
But, if endless theorization and complicated technicalities evolving from the thumb rule are creating doubts and confusion in the minds of people as they consider an austerity, that is useless and totally missing the point.
Some people tend to resort to heavy theorization based on very shaky grounds. I suggest going back to the basics, thinking clearly and keeping things simple.
Gem stones may harm when used incorrectly. But, austerities like prayers, fasting, mouna vrata and brahmacharya will NEVER do you any harm. If your body can take fasting, you can do it on any weekday or tithi without too many calculations.
Best regards,
Narasimha
----------------------------------------------------------
Do a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homam
Do Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpana
Spirituality: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vedic-wisdom
Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.net
Free Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.org
Sri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org
----------------------------------------------------------
> Dear Swee, & jyotishis
>
> What Zoran is saying is right. Do not mix the energy of day lord
> (Agni) by choosing the same tithi (jala) that will create serious
> troubles for the spouse.
> Let me explain the principle in a simple way so that there should not
> be any confusion.
>
> In your chart (Swee) Vrishabha lagna, UL is in 2nd house. So lord of
> the UL is the Mercury. Since fasting is prohibited for UL in 2nd
> house see where the lord of the UL has gone. In your case mercury has
> gone to the 11th house hence it is Ekadashi. So rule is to choose the
> tithi is based on the placement of the UL lord.
>
> Now suppose instead of 11th house if Mercury goes to 12th house or 4
> house then you cannot choose Dwadashi or Chaturthi for the same
> because these thithis are ruled by Mercury only and fasting on these
> tithis will create serious doshas.
>
> If you are doing fasting on the basis of tithis it should be done in
> sukla paksha only. But if you are doing in Krishna paksha (Pitris)
> also then it should be combined with the donation.
>
> I hope this will clarify the principal.
>
> Best Regards
>
> Ajay Zharotia
> ajayzharotia@...>
> What Zoran is saying is right. Do not mix the energy of day lord
> (Agni) by choosing the same tithi (jala) that will create serious
> troubles for the spouse.
> Let me explain the principle in a simple way so that there should not
> be any confusion.
>
> In your chart (Swee) Vrishabha lagna, UL is in 2nd house. So lord of
> the UL is the Mercury. Since fasting is prohibited for UL in 2nd
> house see where the lord of the UL has gone. In your case mercury has
> gone to the 11th house hence it is Ekadashi. So rule is to choose the
> tithi is based on the placement of the UL lord.
>
> Now suppose instead of 11th house if Mercury goes to 12th house or 4
> house then you cannot choose Dwadashi or Chaturthi for the same
> because these thithis are ruled by Mercury only and fasting on these
> tithis will create serious doshas.
>
> If you are doing fasting on the basis of tithis it should be done in
> sukla paksha only. But if you are doing in Krishna paksha (Pitris)
> also then it should be combined with the donation.
>
> I hope this will clarify the principal.
>
> Best Regards
>
> Ajay Zharotia
>
> On Feb 4, 2009, at 12:51 PM, Sanjay Prabhakaran wrote:
>
> > || Om Gurave Namah ||
> > Dear Swee,
> > Can you please tell me the exact rule to use for fasting on
> > tithi?.Do we use the 12th lord tithi?, Like if you are Ta lagna,
> > there 2 tithi one on Triteeya (3) and Ekadasha(11). If we consider
> > only the paksh in which u are born.
> > Now of the two which to use?.
> >
> > Warm Regards
> > Sanjay p
> >
> > Jaya Jagannatha
> >
> > Dear Hari, Zoki, et al in this discussion,
> > Namaste
> >
> > The tongue in cheek, I'll excuse ;-)) it's my laugh for the day!!
> > I fast on ekadasi tithi because my UL is in 2nd house (ie 12th lord
> > is in lagna). Since I was born on sukla paksha, Sanjay ji suggests
> > that I fast only on sukla ekadasi.
> > Zoki, if you listen to JUS of Year I, you will note how Sanjay ji
> > came to this conclusion.
> >
> > love,
> >
> > Swee
> >
> > On 3 Feb 2009, at 15:25, Jyotisa Shisya wrote:
> >
> >> |om|
> >> Dear Zoran, namaste
> >>
> >> Would not the general act of fasting be construed as an insult to
> >> Sri MahaVishnu?
> >>
> >> best regards
> >> Hari
> >>
> >> wrote:
> >> Om Namah Shivaya,
> >> Dear Bojan and others,
> >> Here is my point and view about the question raised. 2nd bhava is
> >> the bhava of Vishnu, sustainer, and if we fast on the day of UL in
> >> 2nd house, we bring insult to Vishnu who provides the food for us.
> >> However, to be honest, I have not heard this about 2nd lord and
> >> tithi. The basic point is that Upapada is a rashi and carries energy
> >> of Vara or day. If you fast on the day ruled by tithi of the 2nd
> >> lord, you are bringing the jala energy to vara, and gandanta may
> >> occur, and spouse may come into a danger. So, what is the way out.
> >> The simple solution is to do vrata which do not conflict with
> >> rejection of food. So a person may observe the fast on UL in 2nd
> >> day, however, adequate food should be offered as a prasad and eaten
> >> before the Sunrise (not complete fast).In this way, results may come
> >> a bit later, but will certainly come, while a person will not bring
> >> insult to Shri Vishnu by rejecting the food.
> >> This is the way I was taught, and ofcourse others may agree or not.
> >> Best wishes
> >> Zoran Radosavljevic
> >> www.siva-edu.info
> >> www.ahimsazr1.wordpress.com
> >> Om Namah Shivaya,
> >> Dear Bojan and others,
> >> Here is my point and view about the question raised. 2nd bhava is
> >> the bhava of Vishnu, sustainer, and if we fast on the day of UL in
> >> 2nd house, we bring insult to Vishnu who provides the food for us.
> >> However, to be honest, I have not heard this about 2nd lord and
> >> tithi. The basic point is that Upapada is a rashi and carries energy
> >> of Vara or day. If you fast on the day ruled by tithi of the 2nd
> >> lord, you are bringing the jala energy to vara, and gandanta may
> >> occur, and spouse may come into a danger. So, what is the way out.
> >> The simple solution is to do vrata which do not conflict with
> >> rejection of food. So a person may observe the fast on UL in 2nd
> >> day, however, adequate food should be offered as a prasad and eaten
> >> before the Sunrise (not complete fast).In this way, results may come
> >> a bit later, but will certainly come, while a person will not bring
> >> insult to Shri Vishnu by rejecting the food.
> >> This is the way I was taught, and ofcourse others may agree or not.
> >> Best wishes
> >> Zoran Radosavljevic
> >> www.siva-edu.info
> >> www.ahimsazr1.wordpress.com
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