Planet-Deity Mapping (D20 12th from AK): Sun=Shiva, Moon=Parvati/Gauri, Mars=Subrahmanya, Mercury=Vishnu, Jupiter=Shiva, Venus=Lakshmi, Saturn=Vishnu, Saturn(Malefic Sign)/Rahu=Durga/Kali, Ketu=Ganesha/Subrahmanya; Sign Refinement; CRITICAL: Personal Love Overrides Chart

Planet–Deity List and Extrapolation

A student asks for the planet-to-deity list. The teacher answers that Parāśara already gave it:

• For Jupiter the teacher first says "Śiva, Saraswati" and corrects himself: Parāśara did not say Saraswati, only Śiva.

Extrapolating

• These are the basics. Then see which sign the planet occupies and what influences fall on him, and extrapolate.
• The ṛṣi gave no clear guidance on how to extrapolate.
• The result varies with the strength of the aspects, with whether an influencing planet is also tied to the 12th lord and not only to the 12th house, and with whether it is tied to Ketu, the kāraka of the 12th.

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The Person's Inclination Comes First

This comes straight after the working rule of Part 7.

"The knowledge we have is like a small lamp, whereas astrology is supposed to be the light of sun, or the light of a thousand suns."

• So when advising somebody, take into account what the person is inclined towards.
• The astrologer may conclude the person should do Caṇḍī pāṭha. If the person has no such inclination — if imagining Durgā scares him — there is no point.
• Do not go by the surface either. A person may have no attachment now and get it after doing the practice a few times: he had it earlier and forgot. Sometimes you have to scratch the surface to reach the depth.
• If you scratch the surface and still do not find it, accept that. What we know is imperfect.
• In sādhana you must feel the deity, be able to visualise the deity as an energy or as a form. There must be inherent love.

"If you have that love for Hanuman, you should do Hanuman, whatever your horoscope shows. If you have love for Kali, you should do Kali, irrespective of what your horoscope shows."

• The hope is that astrology reaches the stage where what the person is attached to comes up from the chart without noise. For now there is some noise.

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Sādhana, Not Reading

Caṇḍī pāṭha in class?

• A student asks for one śloka of Caṇḍī pāṭha explained per class. The teacher declines: this is not the forum, and 700 ślokas would commit the class to 700 sessions. He will do it elsewhere.
• Every śloka has a gross meaning — the story — and a subtle one. Raktabīja: rakta is blood, but the root also means colouring and attraction; bīja is seed. Seed of blood in the story, seed of desire within us. Each rākṣasa stands for something in us.
• Caṇḍī pāṭha is about self-control: perfect mastery over oneself and killing one's weaknesses, the biggest included.

The closing word

"By reading a book you will get inspiration to do sādhana. But you don't become realized by reading. It never happens that way. The key is to do sādhana. There is no substitute for it."

• There is no shortcut. Whoever says that an hour at a magical place, or touching a siddha's feet, gives realization is fooling you.
• Ramakrishna Paramahamsa did sādhana for 15 years before he could see Kālī. Vivekananda, though given things directly by Ramakrishna, struggled for years before and after 1886. Ramana Maharshi had a glimpse of the Self without trying, and then did sādhana for another 15 years to make it permanent.
• Finding a $100 note on the ground is possible. To be able to take one out of your pocket whenever you want, you have to go to work.
• Learn, since you have the curiosity. Eventually cut down on intellectual curiosity, surrender and do sādhana.

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