Sapta Loka & Tala

Sapta Loka & Tala SJC USA Annual Conference, 2003 Venue: West Coast, San Jose, CA, USA Date: August 20, 2003 Presented by: Pt.Sanjay Rath Note that all the charts given here have only been discussed at the conference, so if you wish to study them in detail, get the conference CDs from Lakshmi Kary

Definitions Kāla means time and the word puruśa refers to the personification of God. Any personification needs the definition of space that is to be occupied by the body. The body of Kālapuruśa is called Virāť (literally meaning huge) and refers to the entire manifested universe. Thus, Kālapuruśa refers to the personification of God (Viśnu) in the fourth dimension (time) using the three dimensions of space where the body is the entire manifested universe. The personification of God in the twelve sign zodiac is the Kālapuruśa whereas the personification of God in the 27 constellations is called the nakśatra puruśa. The complete definition of the Kālapuruśa is given in the Bhagavat gita, Bhāgavata Purāna and various other literatures. The next step would be to define time. Time has been defined as (a) a linear progression of the state of being and (b) a cycle that repeats infinitely and comprises various sub-cycles. This will be discussed in greater detail in the paper on Time to be presented in the SJC Workshop (7 September 2003) in the east coast. Suffice is to say that time is defined for this planet earth as a Samvatsara which is the period of sidereal progression of the Sun around the zodiac. The period from the spring equinox to the fall equinox, adjusted to the revolution of the solar system (ayanāmśa) represents on half of the zodiac from Aries to Virgo and defines the upper body of the Kālapuruśa called the loka (spiritual planes of increasing purity and bliss and understood as the heavens). The period from the fall equinox to the spring equinox (adjusted using ayanāmśa) represents the lower limbs of the Kālapuruśa called the tala (spiritual planes of decreasing purity and increasing suffering). The word tala literally means lower and refers to a fall or decrease in spiritual strength.

Loka & tala The Sun is the soul (ātma) of the Kālapuruśa and is exalted at 10 degrees of Aries and debilitated in 10 degrees of Libra. The space from Aries 100 to Libra 100 represents the seven lokas while the space from Libra 100 to Aries 100 represents the seven talas. The body parts are based on the Bhāgavata purāna. Here, the first and seventh sign has both a loka and a tala in it thereby accommodating the fourteen planes within the twelve signs of the zodiac. Table 1: Kālapuruśa: Extent of loka/tala & body

Loka

Extent

1 Satya

Aries 300

2 Tapas

Taurus

Body center

Tala

100- Crown of head Atala Forehead

Vitala

Extent

Body center

Libra 100-300

Hips thigh

Scorpio

Lower thigh

or

Upper

3 Janas

Gemini

Mouth

Sutala

Sagittarius

Knees

4 Mahar

Cancer

Neck

Talātala

Capricorn

Shanks

5 Svar

Leo

Mahātala

Aquarius

Ankles

6 Bhuva

Virgo

Rasātala

Pisces

Foot toes)

7 Bhu

Libra 00-100

Pātala

Aries 00-100

Under foot

(heels

to

Since the animate beings are made in the mould of the Kālapuruśa, they will have these very spiritual planes reflected within their astral bodies. The entire universe is within us and to seek God we need to look within ourselves and not without.

Seven Cakra There are seven cakra in every being that are a reflection of the spiritual planes. The illusion We see the Sun ushering the day in the east at dawn, rising to the heavens by noon and setting in the west every evening. What we behold is the Sun moving in a retrograde (anti-zodiacal) manner from the first house at sunrise to the tenth house at midday and finally to the seventh house at sunset. Yet we know that the Sun can never retrograde and the real truth is that the lagna moves in a zodiacal direction as the Sun is relatively stationery. This apparent truth of the visible movement of the Sun (akin to that of Rāhu) is called māya or the illusion and is the principle of the Sūrya-Candra-Rāhu cakra. What we see is not the truth but the apparent truth, reflecting on which, the intelligent man can realize the truth. The effect of this illusion has been illustrated in the Sūrya-CandraRahu cakra (Praśna Mārga) where the Sun moves in a retrograde manner starting with Sagittarius and covering one sign per hour and the Moon is always placed in the seventh house from the Sun. This Moons constant placement in the seventh house from the Sun is based on the full Moon principle defining the Vedic month (starting and nomenclature as well). The illusion or apparent truth is a mirror image of the real truth. When the Sun rises, the apparent truth and truth are the same i.e. both are in the first house. However, as the day passes the illusion increases until sunset when again the truth and illusion are together. These points of sunrise and sunset are equated symbolically to the birth and death because it is only at this point that the illusion ceases. This has been explained well in the Dakśināmurti stotra. rāhugrastadivākarendusadŕśo māyāsamācchādanāt sanmātraħ karanopasamharanato yo'bhūtsuśuptaħ pumān |

prāgasvāpsamiti prabodhasamaye yaħ pratyabhijnāyate tasmai śrigurumūrtaye nama idam śridakśināmūrtaye || 6|| The Sun (ātma) is eclipsed when the Moon (Mana) conjoins it and the Moon is in the latitude as the orbital plane of the earth where the intersection points are the nodes (Rahu & Ketu). It is this Rahu that is said to cause the eclipse. Similarly, the Rahu of our lives is our own desires and since Rahu is a node of the Moon (mana), the desires are the creation of the mind. It is the coming together or conjunction of the ātma (Sun), mana (Moon) and desires (Rahu) that causes an eclipse or birth itself. Just as the brilliance of the Sun is really not diminished during an eclipse, but not visible from the viewpoint of this earth due to the shadow, similarly the power of true cognition remains suspended during the course of life just as it does when a person is asleep and is unaware of what transpires during his sleeping state. It is only when one awakens that he realizes the world around. In a similar way, the ātma (self) exists in all purity even though unseen due to the veil of the māyā. Moreover, just as a person after awakening realizes that he was asleep and dreaming, similarly, spiritual awakening causes the person to recognize his true self (ātma) and this is self-realization. Simultaneously he realizes that the previous state was that of ignorance and was untrue in all respects. Obeisance's to Sri Dakśināmurti (Siva the teacher), Who (in real life) is the form of the Guru enabling us to cross over these myriad dreamy states and finally awaken and realize our true nature, the eternal truth. That we are spiritual beings (called Ātma) having a material (śarira) experience (mana).

Effect of the illusion The effect of such an apparent motion of the sun causes the spiritual planes to be reflected like a mirror image. It is for this reason that the spiritualists advise the use of the internal loka for meditation and suggest that the lokas and tala are present inside the body and we need not look for god outside. What we see is not the truth but the apparent truth, reflecting on which, the intelligent man can realize the truth. This difference is indicated in Fig-2 where the internal loka are used for spirituality and the external loka with the planets in it are used for horoscopy. [Fig-2 to be discussed in detail]

Figure 1: Internal & external loka

Table 2: Sapta loka in the body (Internal) House Cakra

Near body

Loka

Planet

part 1

Sahasra

Head

Deity

Lotus

Alphabets (Sŕśťi-creation

(Acyuta das) petals Satya

Jupiter

Guru & Gurvi 1000

principle) 0

ॐ om

2

Ājnā

Forehead

Tapas

Saturn

Ādi & Ānādi

2 vertical 2

ह॑

aspirate

3

Ākāśa tatva

Śabda (sound) – 1 tanmātrā

Visuddha

Throat

Vāyu tatva

Janaħ

Moon

ha kśa Sadāśiva &

16

Pārvati

vowels

16

Śabda (sound) sparśa (touch) - 2 tanmātrā

अआइईउऊऋ ॠ ऌ ॡ ए ऐ ओ औ ॑ं ॑ः a ā i i u ū ŕ è lŕ lè e ai o au am aħ

4

Anāhata

Heart

Mahar

Mercury

Viśnu &

12*

12

Lakśmi Agni tatva

Śabda (sound) sparśa (touch) rūpa (sight) – 3 tanmātrā

कखगघङचछज झञटठ ka kha ga gha na ca cha ja jha na ťa ťha

5

Manipura

Navel

Svarga

Venus

Brahma & Sarasvati

10

10

डढणतथदधनप फ

Jala tatva

6

Svādhiśťhana

Śabda (sound) sparśa (touch) rūpa (sight) rasa (taste)

da dha na ta tha da

– 4 tanmātrā

dha na pa pha

Private

Bhuva

Sun

Kāma & Rati

6

6

बभमयरल

parts Pŕthvi tatva

Śabda (sound) sparśa (touch) rūpa (sight) rasa (taste)

ba bha ma ya ra la

gandha (smell) - 5 tanmātrā 7

Mūladhāra

Base of

Bhu

Mars

the spine

Ganeśa &

4

4

वशषस

Siddi

* 12 external but 8 internal petals for the carakäraka

va śa śa sa

Notes o The table of planetary lordship given in Vedic Remedies in Astrology had been borrowed from another source and its authenticity is doubted. The planetary lordship for the seven loka is based on the order of the Hora starting with Mars for Bhū loka and progressing in the reverse. We are unaware of planetary lordship for the cakra and perhaps the lordship of the loka can be extended to the cakra as well. o The Anāhata cakra has an external 12 petal lotus for which the deity is Sūrya (& Sanjna). The twelve Āditya sit in the 12 petals with the Jivātma. The internal eight petal lotus has the Iśťa devatā (paramātma). ं ः) is the movement of the kundalini from the topmost manifested o The mantra “hamsaħ” (हस petal (ha) of the Ājnā cakra to the lowest petal (sa) of the Mūladhāra cakra. Such a movement causes creation (through procreation). The reversed mantra “so'ham” (सोहं)causes the kundalini to rise from the lowest petal (s) of the Mūladhāra cakra to the topmost petal (h) of the Ājnā ं ः) so cakra. It is said Ganeśa woships the Sun god (ātma) with the mantra “so'hamsaħ” (सोहस that the kundalini moves upwards and then downwards.

Punya Cakra principles (discussed at conference) 1. Initial refuge of the departed soul o 6th house drekkana (16th drekkana) – Śadripu (punishment due to weaknesses) o 7th house (rebirth occurs soon) o 8th house drekkana (Khāra or 22nd drekkana – punishment due to sins) o Jupiter’s power to veto negative indications and bless 2. Intermediate movement of the ātma after death o Planets in Lagna o Three fold division – Bhu, Bhūva & Svarga loka 3. Final abode o Twelfth house & importance of Jupiter o śaśťiāmśa – dharma & mokśa o Brahma loka & mokśa o Param padam of Viśnu

Case studies (to be discussed) Politicians Chart 1: Mahatma Gandhi Punya (death) chart Date: January 30, 1948 Time: 17:00:00 Time Zone: 5:30:00 (East of GMT) Place: 77 E 12' 00", 28 N 36' 00" Chart 2: Indira Gandhi Punya (death) chart Date: October 31, 1984 Time: 11:00:00 Time Zone: 5:30:00 (East of GMT) Place: 77 E 13' 00", 28 N 40' 00" Delhi, India Chart 3: Rajiv Gandhi Punya Date: May 21, 1991 Time: 20:00:00 Time Zone: 5:30:00 (East of GMT) Place: 79 E 58' 00", 12 N 58' 00" Sriperumbudur, India Spiritualists Chart 4: Suicide case –Punya (death) chart Date: June 29, 2002 Time: 19:50:00 Time Zone: 4:00:00 (West of GMT) Place: 77 W 12' 32", 39 N 01' 05" Potomac, Maryland, USA Chart 5: Sridhar Goswami Maharaj Punya Date: August 12, 1988 Time: 18:45:39 Time Zone: 5:30:00 (East of GMT) Place: 88 E 22' 00", 23 N 25' 00" Navadwip, India Filmstars Chart 6: Gregory Peck Punya (death) Date: June 12, 2003 Time: 9:00:00 Time Zone: 7:00:00 (West of GMT) Place: 118 W 14' 34", 34 N 03' 08" Los Angeles, California, USA

General Chart 7: C.B. Willis Mother Punya Date: May 9, 1998 Time: 7:34:00 pm Time Zone: 7:00:00 (West of GMT) Place: 121 W 53' 38", 37 N 20' 22" San Jose, California, USA Chart 8: Quinn, Bill Punya Date: August 20, 1997 Time: 8:00:00 am Time Zone: 4:00:00 (West of GMT) Place: 73 W 18' 24", 40 N 42' 22" West Islip, New York, USA Mass deaths Chart 9: World Trade Center bombing Date: September 11, 2001 Time: 8:25:00 am Time Zone: 4:00:00 (West of GMT) Place: 74 W 00' 23", 40 N 42' 51" New York, New York, USA Chart 10: Columbia Shuttle Date: February 1, 2003 Time: 9:00:00 am Time Zone: 5:00:00 (West of GMT) Place: 80 W 36' 18", 28 N 24' 20" Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA Died and returned! Chart 11: Hansadutta death experience Date: June 25, 2003 Time: 7:20:00 am Time Zone: 7:00:00 (West of GMT) Place: 123 W 12' 24", 39 N 09' 01" Ukiah, California, USA [1] BG. Chapter-11: The universal form [2] Although various literature have expressly confirmed that the seven lower planes (tala) are Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talätala, Mahätala, Rasätala and Pätala, as is also confirmed by the commentary of Sri Prabhupäda under SB 2.1.26, yet we find that the name Mahitala has been used to describe the first lower plane (Hip region/upper thigh) and Atala and Vitala are then combined into one plane. [3] Paräsara uses the name Gabhastiman for this lower plane in the Viñëu puräëa

[4] Paräsara uses the name Nitala in the Viñëu puräëa [5] Prasna Märga