Introduction
Welcome to Vedic Vigor: A Yoga Lifestyle Podcast. Vedas are the ancient texts of wisdom from the East. They are a manual for seeking eternal pleasure in harmony with nature and society. We all have experince of the effectiveness of yoga in healing our bodies. The practice and science of yoga originates from the Vedas. Many have used astrology for finding success in personal and professional endeavors. Astrology too is expounded elaborately in the Vedas. The Vedas provide guidance for happiness in all walks of life such as food, relationships, health, and philosophy. We at popularvedicscience.com have access to experts in various aspects of the Vedas. We hope to bring you the expert advice from the Vedas to live a joyous life.
I am Sidharth Chhabra, a.k.a siddha hari das. I will cover philosophy, vedic science and stories. My friend Gaura Nataraja will discuss yoga and mudras. His wife Sundari will share secrets of food science i.e. ayurveda. My friend Deva is known as a relationship coach and will talk about developing loving relationships. Finally, Lokaram will help us understand our stars. We will publish twice a week with each episode containing multiple segments.
Mudras
Hello, and welcome to today’s podcast. Today, we are talking about mudras. I found mudras interesting because they are the final switch in yoga practice to achieve a joyful state. The practice of yoga is in four stages: asana (the posture), pranayama (breath control), bandha (the locks) and, mudra. Mudra brings about a state of balance. When we practice mudras, they heal five elements. The earth also consists of five great elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether, and we are a subset of earth. Hence, we also have five elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether. Nature’s divine arrangement connects all these elements to our five fingers.
The thumb is connected to the fire element in the body; the index finger is connected to the air element in the body; the middle finger is connected to the ether element; the ring finger is connected to the earth element, and the little finger is connected to the water element. You can only experience how they work and how it is designed. That’s a divine arrangement. Like love, so many things in this world are just a mystery. Is there a scientific measure of love? No, but these feelings are intense, and just by looking at another person, just by our appearance or movement of the eyes, you can invoke certain feelings and thoughts in the other person’s mind. We can change their feelings. This is a beautiful phenomenon.
However, the way this phenomenon works, we can only experience it. Mudras are a beautiful gift of nature once you understand your hands are magical. Your hands control the functioning of these elements. You’ll be delighted to use this mudra constructively to heal yourself, balance yourself, and achieve something you cannot achieve with any other practice. Mudras include meditation, the secret of these little elements if you understand. The thumb is the fire element, just as you cook with fire, so when you connect the thumb to the tip of the index finger, the air element cooks the air and balances the air. The thumb is the fire, so fire is the one that activates all the elements, so the air element gets balanced and healed. So air is responsible for all the movement in your body and transportation. It is said when air goes out of balance in your body, your speed of thought is affected. So, if you want to calm down, you’ll find that it slows you down when you connect the thumb and index finger. It relaxes you. So, the great sages of the past in the Himalayas discovered these beautiful mudras based on yogic practices. Now, if you hold the thumb and the index finger, their tips are very nice and, you’ll be able to feel specific vibrations; the pulse takes a little bit of fine-tuning a little bit of focus, and you may not be able to experience the pulse right away, but if you practice a little bit, you will feel this phenomenon. You will feel the pulse. You will feel the beauty of the pulse. Some people take time. Some people get the pulse immediately, but if you keep persisting with your practice, you will see that you will eventually feel the pulse. When you connect the thumb to the index finger, it is called Gyan mudra, the mudra of memory intelligence healing. I have tried this mudra, and every time I do, I calm down. When I calm down, my memory increases because when I get angry, upset, or depressed, I just forget all the good things; I just become controlled by these emotions, not by logic or understanding.
So this a straightforward gesture called Gyana mudra, when practiced long enough, can control so many problems related to the mind. This is just one mudra. We can explore so many mudras, so the gyana mudra is also beneficial for sleep. I tried practicing the Gyan mudra just as I lay on the bed just before I sleep, and within 10 minutes, I fell asleep; it’s so powerful.
Then, we can practice the same with the middle, ring, and little fingers. The middle finger is the ether element, so either element heals the hearing your space ether means your space your hearing, so if you have a ringing sound in your ears, hearing problems, or deafness when you connect the thumb to the middle finger long enough, practice every day a few months and then this phenomenon can be healed. It also balances your circulation and the bones in your body. Similarly, the ring finger balances the earth element, the earth element, your stability, your body, and your weight, and the little finger is water, so balancing the humidity in your body heals your body. So, if you have dryness when you practice this humidity-balancing Varuna mudra, you will see the difference. It’ll heal you, so these five fingers are the secrets to healing. I gave you a glimpse into this beautiful mudras world; we will explore more in future podcasts. Thank you for listening.
Astrology
The modern science of astrology gets its name from the ancient Greek word astrología, or the study of the stars.
Astrology has been practiced since before recorded history. For instance, ancient Indian culture used a calendrical system that relied on accurate tracking of the moon, stars, and planets. The ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, which is believed by many to be over 5,000 years old, includes many references to astrological signs and calculations. Astrology was not only used to judge a person’s character and destiny, but also for practical daily necessities, such as planting grains, harvesting, and planning weddings and other festivals.
Virtually the same system of astrology as is seen in ancient Indian culture was also used in various places across the world. In the Middle East, there was the Babylonian Empire of the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C, which utilized astrology to predict natural disasters and other major events. In what is now known as Central America, there was the Mayan Empire of the 2nd millennium B.C, which based the architecture and design of their temples on the movements of the planets.
Perhaps the most famous historical event that involved astrology was the birth of Jesus Christ. It was three astrologers who saw a celestial sign in the sky which indicated the birth of a great soul, a king of kings. By accurately interpreting the stellar and planetary positions, they were able to understand the exact time and location when Jesus would be born.
Today, many cultures use astrology, and especially the movement of the moon, to measure the passage of time, and to determine the dates of holidays and festivals. Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and other traditions all base their traditional holy days on a lunar calendar.
What’s Different about Vedic Astrology?
Although Western astrology traces its roots to the cultures of Ancient Egypt and Greece, the practice of astrology was going on in India long before these civilizations came into being.
Traditionally, Indian astrologers calculated planetary positions based on the fixed locations of the stars in the sky. In the same way that the pole star has always been used to determine true North, various constellations were used to measure the movement of the planets along the ecliptic.
However, due to the precession of the equinoxes, Indian astrologers had to regularly their calculations to keep in sync with the stellar positions. Thus, their system is known as sidereal, or star-based.
Around 285 B.C, the Greek astronomer Ptolemy introduced a simplified method of calculating the movements of the planets. He noticed that each planet moved in a fixed rate relative to the Sun. By noting the precise times of the fall and spring equinoxes, and the winter and summer solstices, Ptolemy was able to derive the positions of all the other planets.
In this way, Ptolemy conceived what is now known in Western astrology as the tropical method, or judging planetary positions based on the Sun’s movement from the equator to each of the tropics.
At the time, it so happened that in India, there was a perfect alignment between the Sidereal and Tropical methods. Nowadays, however, the corrective adjustment used in Sidereal astrology is about -24 degrees, or almost an entire sign of the zodiac.
So the main difference between a person’s Vedic Birth Chart and their Western Birth Chart is that the entire chart will be shifted 24 degrees, moving many planets into the preceding sign.
For example, in Western astrology, my Sun is in Aquarius, but in Vedic astrology, it’s in Capricorn.
Another unique aspect of Vedic Astrology is the role of nakshatras, or lunar mansions. These are specific sets of stars that the moon passes through in its orbit around the earth. Each one is said to possess a different personality, as well as different strengths and weaknesses, much like the individual zodiac signs themselves.
Finally, the last main difference we see in Vedic astrology is the inclusion of the shadow planets, Rahu and Ketu. These are calculated as the north and south nodes of the moon, and in a birth chart, they indicate qualities like obsession, rebellion, and chaos.
In western astrology, the planets Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are used in place of Rahu and Ketu.
Thanks for tuning in this week with our brief overview of Vedic astrology! Tune in to our next episode where we’ll be explaining the basic components of the birth chart.
Relationship
Fear First
Today we’re going to discuss the counterintuitive importance of thinking about fear first in your communication and relationships. Fear is not instilled in people; as is sometimes supposed. It’s not sourced in religion or economics or politics – rather all those are, at their root, expressions of our coping with fear. Fear is inherent in our psyche, and ironically is a sign of our recognizing existential truth.
The origin of fear according to the Vedas is conditional life – thinking that our soul is dependent on external factors to exist. Fear is our root emotional response to our immediate existence which is dependent on so many factors outside our true self. As Swami Prabhupada says ‘Our existence is in the atmosphere of non existance’ and recognizing this rightly births anxiety. We are eternal souls that intuitively feel we should live forever, but somehow also we feel that we won’t. Everything we love, hope for and care about will come to an end, and in the face of that we naturally become scared.
Thus as much as its become popular to talk about ‘leading with love’ in our communication with others, it may be the case that the most kind and caring thing to do for someone is to first be aware of their underlying fears and concerns in a given situation. Consider the child who gets in a fight with their parents over homework. The parents are mad the child seems to be procrastinating, but it’s likely that this is the child coping with a fear of failure and inability – the assignment frightens them on some level so they’re avoiding it and their parents are only making it worse by yelling about the behavior born of the underlying emotion of insecurity and fear. Think of a couple that gets in a fight over money or time management. While both may only speak about the way the other lied to them or didn’t follow through the way they said they would; underneath the frustration being expressed is often a deep sense of worry for safety and security that is always there for the person – and now has just been agitated by the particular circumstance with their partner. If you don’t know what a person is scared of when you’re communicating in sensitive situations, it’s likely you won’t help them in a meaningful way, and could even make the situation worse. Take time to ask questions, hear them out, and give space for them to recognize their insecurities themselves by avoiding judgemental behavior and language yourself. Once the fear is out and on the table, address it as a team. Don’t shame them or blame them for it – hopefully they will be able to return the favor for you.
Story
King Janaka’s Visit to Hell
King Janaka is the father of Sita and a great devotee of Lord Rama. He is stated to be one of the twelve great authorities on religious principles in this universe. The following story illustrates the supreme potency of the holy name and association with saintly persons.
After a long life, King Janaka gave up his body through the process of yoga. A divine airplane decorated with many bells descended, and King Janaka boarded it. On the way, the airplane came near to the abode of Yamaraja, the lord of death. There, sinners were suffering punishment in millions of hells. When the wind that had touched Janaka’s body came to them, they felt great joy, and their misery disappeared. Then those persons, oppressed by sins, wanting to keep Janaka’s association, began to lament. They spoke piteously to King Janaka, “O blessed one. Please do not leave. We who are greatly tormented are feeling happy due to contact with the breezes that have touched your body.
Hearing their words, the very righteous king became filled with pity and thought to himself, “If, due to the touch of the breezes that have touched my body, I am bringing some happiness to the residents here, then I will stay in this place. This is heaven for me.”
Thinking like this, the king stayed there by the gateway to hell. After some time, Yamaraja himself, who inflicts severe torment upon sinners, came to that gateway. There, he saw King Janaka, full of mercy and a doer of great meritorious deeds, standing by the doorway.
Yamaraja smiled and said to Janaka, “O king! You are sarva-dharma-śiṛomaṇī — the crest jewel of piety. Why have you come here? This is a place for wicked sinners who cause harm to others. Men like you who perform meritorious deeds do not come to this place. Only those persons who deceive others, who are engaged in criticizing others, and who are intent on stealing others’ wealth come here. A man who abandons a religious wife who is serving him without fault comes here. One who, out of greed for wealth, deceives his friend comes here and receives intense punishment from me.”
Yamaraja then said, “Those persons who do not remember Lord Rama with their mind, words, or deeds I throw into hell and have boiled. Those who have remembered the Lord of the Goddess of fortune leave the sufferings of hell and quickly go to the spiritual world.
“O very intelligent king, my servants, unable to even look at persons like you, bring those who are great sinners. Therefore you should leave this place and go enjoy many pleasures. Enter the excellent airplane and go reap the fruits of the religious merits you have earned.”
Hearing the words of Yamaraja, Janaka replied with great compassion, “O Lord, out of pity on these beings, I shall not go to the spiritual world. Although situated in this place, they are feeling some comfort due to the breezes blowing past my body. If you release all of these persons living in hell, then I shall be happy and will proceed to the spiritual world.”
Hearing the words of Janaka, Yamaraja pointed out to him each of those living in hell and said:
“This one had sex with his friend’s wife who had confided in him; therefore, I am having him roasted on an iron stake for thousands of years. Afterwards, he will be born as a pig. Then, when he again takes birth in a human body, he will be a eunuch. This one repeatedly raped the wife of another man. Therefore he will be roasted in the hell known as raurava for a hundred years. This wicked one stole the wealth of others and enjoyed it. Therefore, having cut off his hands, I shall cook him in puss and blood. This one did not honor or welcome, even with words, a guest who had come to him, oppressed by hunger. He will be dropped into the tämisra hell, which is full of fire. There, bees will torment him for a hundred years.
“This shameless person loudly criticized another. This one here, with great interest, listened to that criticism many times. Therefore, these two have fallen into a dark well.
“This one, who deceived his friend, is being roasted in the hell known as raurava. After making all of these persons eat the fruit of their sins, I shall release them. O best among men who have accumulated vast amounts of religious merit, please leave this place.”
Having pointed out the sinful persons, Yamaraja became quiet. With his eyes full of tears, Janaka, the great devotee of Lord Rama, said, “Tell me, how can these miserable beings quickly be set free from hell and attain happiness?”
Yamaraja replied, “These persons have never worshiped Lord Vishnu. They have never listened to the transcendental accounts of the Lord’s activities. How, then, can they be free from hell? O great king, if you desire to release them, even though they are great sinners, then give them the following religious merit possessed by you: Once, upon getting up in the morning, you meditated with a pure heart upon Lord Raghunatha [Rama], who is
known as mahā-pāpa-harābhidhaḥ — the remover of great sins. Give them the religious merit that you obtained that morning when, with a pure heart, you uttered, “Rama, Rama.” Obtaining that merit, they will get freedom from hell.”
Hearing these words of the intelligent Yamaraja, the great king Janaka gave those persons the religious merit obtained by him from his birth. Janaka said, “Let these persons be released from hell due to the religious merit earned by me from birth by the worship of Lord Rama.”
As soon as he said this, those persons dwelling in hell immediately were freed from their suffering condition and obtained divine bodies. They said to King Janaka, “O king, by your favor, in one moment, we have been freed from miserable hell and will now go to paramaṁ padam, the highest position.”
Seeing those now-effulgent persons freed from hell, King Janaka, who desired the welfare of all living beings, was very pleased in his mind. All those persons praised the great king Janaka, the very treasure-house of compassion, and went to the spiritual world.
Lessons
The power of the holy name of the Lord is such that not only one who chants sincerely is benefited, but those who come in contact with such chanters are automatically benefited. King Janaka chanted the holy of Lord Rama his whole life. His one moment of immersive chanting was powerful enough to deliver those from hell. How eagerly must we take to this chanting to help ourselves and our loved ones!
Great devotees of the Lord don’t mind any inconvenience for the supreme welfare of others. They go to great lengths to uplift others out of misery. My dear teacher, Srila Prabhupada, traveled at the age of 70 to foreign countries with no money or support to share the glory of holy names. He didn’t mind severe weather or meager financial conditions in a country full of strangers because he could see that the West needed his help.
What lessons did you learn? The best way to encourage us is by sharing this episode and writing your comments on the blog post given in the episode details.
Reference: Padma Purāṇa Pātal khāṇḍa (18.31-77) published in Śṛī Kṛṣṇa Kathāmṛta Bindu 1.
