Kåñëa

IS THE SOURCE OF ALL INCARNATIONS

 

In the second chapter of Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, Maharishi Paraçara, the father of Jyotish explains the different incarnations of the Lord who descend as divine Avatars in different Yugas of the world's history and who also expand into the Navagrahas, or the nine planets: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rähu and Ketu. Although technically we say that these Avatars and Grahas are the incarnations or expansions of Lord Viñëu, Sri Kåñëa explains in the Bhagavad-gita that He is the source of all incarnations and everything else in the worlds.

  In the 10th chapter of the Bhagavad-gita entitled Aisvarya-yoga Sri Kåñëa also stresses this point:

 Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate
Iti matvaa bhajante maam budhaa bhaava-samanvitaah

 "I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts." (Bg. 10.8., transl. by. HDG. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

 In the proceeding shlokas Lord Kåñëa elaborates on His opulences, actually enlisting all the Grahas there as well. In the 21st shloka He says: jyotishaam ravir amshumaan, "Of lights I am the radiant Sun". All writers of Jyotisha consider the Sun (Ravi) as the most powerful and important Graha amongst all. He is the source of light, and these rays of light are distributed to all the other Grahas, therefore they will represent the different colours and qualities originally manifested by the Sun.

 And the counterpart of the Sun is the Moon (nakshatraanaam aham shashi), which is the crest-jewel on the crown of the stars in the night sky. We see the Sun and the Moon mentioned elsewhere also as Krishna's manifestations: prabhaasmi shashi-suuryayoh (7.8) - "I am the light of the Sun and the Moon";or later, in the 15th chapter (Purushottama-yoga) we also read

Kåñëa's description:

 yad aaditya-gatam tejo jagad bhaasayate 'khilam
yac candramasi yac caagnau  tat tejo viddhi maamakam

 " The splendour of the Sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the Moon and the splendor of fire are also from Me." (15.12.)
 We know perfectly well, how inportant is the role of the Sun and the Moon in Jyotish. Maharishi Paraçara states that the Sun is the soul of all, and the Moon is the mind. Of course everything else arises from these two. And even this is supported by Kåñëa's words: indriyaanaam manash caasmi bhuutaanaam asmi cetanaa - "Of the senses I am the mind, and in living beings I am the living force (consciousness)" (10.22)

 Then Maharishi Parshara gives these two planets royal status, while all the others are subordinate. The basic units of time measurement in Jyotish are also based on the Sun (Aho-raatra - a day and Varhsa - a year) and on the Moon (Paksha - fortnight, Maasa - month). Of course Krishna is the controller of the months and seasons as well: maasaanam maarga-shiirsho 'ham rtuunaam kusumaakarah - "Of months I am Märgaçirça, and of seasons I am flower-bearing spring." (10.35)

 The two basic divisions of the Zodiac are also based on the Sun (Rasi) and the Moon (Nakshatra). Most of the Muhurta calculations are also dependent on these two planets. The elements of Panchanga (Nakshatra, Tithi, Yoga and Karana) with the exception of Vaara are also dependent on the Sun and Moon. We usually associate the masculine energies to the Sun and the feminine to the Moon in the chart. This can be used in many ways, let alone mention the Hora (D-2) chart.

 In the same shloka mentioned before (10.22) Kåñëa says that of the demingods (devas) He is Indra, the king of the demigods (deevaanaam asmi vaasavah). Indra also represents Jupiter, the planet of wisdom and divine knowledge. We also call this planet Brihaspati-graha, and Krshna says: purodhasaam ca mukhyam maam viddhi paartha brhaspatim - "Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Brhaspati" (10.24.) So Jupiter also represents Krishna. Brihaspati is the Guru of the Devas (demigods).

 So there is the counterpart, Shukracharya, who is the Guru of the Asuras (demons). He is the lord of Venus (Sukra-graha), and we know that many times the relationship between Jupiter and Venus is somewhat antagonistic, especially from the side of Venus, let alone take the natural relationship of the planets (Naisargika Sambandha). So Kåñëa says: kaviinaam ushanaa kavih - "Among great thinkers I am Ushanaa (Shukracharya)" (10.37) Usually we take Venus as the Karaka (significator) of Shukra (semen), or potency for procreation. But at the same time Venus represents the feminine sexual potency, which is usually the cause for procreation. So Kåñëa also says: prajanash caasmi kandarpah - "Of causes for procreation I am Kandarpa, the god of love" (10.28)

 If Venus represents the feminine sexual potency, then Mars will represent the masculine traits, and the demigod presiding over Mars (Kuja) is Kartikeya, the son of Lord ®iva. So Kåñëa says: senaaniinaam aham skandah - "Of  generals I am Kartikeya", therefore, Mars is also the expansion of the Supreme Lord.

 The next planet is Mercury. Usually it is said that Mercury is lorded by Viñëu. In the 21st shloka He says that of Adityas He is Vishnu (aadityaanaam aham vishnur). Elsewhere He also says that He is speech (kiirtih shriir vaak ca naariinaam, 10.34), which is the main signification (Karakatva) of Mercury.

 And the last planet in Jyotish is Saturn. It is said that Saturn is governed by Brahma. So Kåñëa says: dhaataaham vishvato-mukhah - "Of creators I am Brahma" (10.33). But usually we also say that Saturn is the planet of longevity or death, and according to the Jyotish Shastras Sani is the brother of Yamaraja. Shri Krishna enlists as His representatives both Aryamaa, the lord of the departed ancestors (Pitris) and Yamaraja, the lord of death as well: pitrnaam aryamaa caasmi  yamah samyamataam aham. "Of departed ancestors I am Aryamaa, and among the dispensers of law I am Yama, the lord of death." (10.29)

 And finally, we should not forget, that the science of Jyotish is actually devoted to the study of time, as the almighty agent promoting the manifestation of karmic reactions and molding the chains of fruitive activities and the individual or collective karmas of the living entities. Time is also the representative of Lord Krishna. In this same chapter Krishna states: kaalah kalayataam aham - "Among subduers I am time" (10.30); aham evaakshayah kaalo - "I am inexhaustible time" (10.33).
 And later, in the next chapter Arjuna sees the manifestation of the Universal Form, where he is able to see the workings of the law of karma under Kåñëa's direction. There Kåñëa says: kaalo 'smi lokakshaya-krt pravrddho - "Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds" (11.32.) There Arjuna was able to see the past, present and future of the living entities, just like a learned astrologer sees the thread of the individual's karma in the horoscope.

 And Lord Kåñëa even mentions the great Maharishis, who were also great Jyotishis, as His representatives: maharshiinaam bhrgur aham - "Of the great sages I am Bhrgu" (10.25); devarshiinaam ca naaradah - "Of the sages among the demigods I am Naarada" (10.26); muniinaam apy aham vyaasah - "Of the sages I am Vyaasa" (10.37).

 The purpose of this short essay was to show how we should remember ®ri Kåñëa while casting horoscopes or reading any individual's indications. Arjuna asked Kåñëa to give examples of His opulence so that we could remember Him all the time. So Lord Kåñëa concludes the chapter in the following way:

 yad yad vibhuutimat sattvam shriimad uurjitam eva vaa
tat tad evaavagaccha tvam  mama tejo 'msha-sambhavam
atha vaa bahunaitena  kim jnaatena tavaarjuna
vishtabhyaaham idam krtsnam  akaamshena sthito jagat

 "Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendour. But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe." (10.41-42)