Ishta Devata by 12th from Atmakaraka (Jaimini Sutras 1.2.72–1.2.81), Palana Devata & Mantra/Tantra Indicators

Sutras 1.2.72–1.2.82 — Ishta Devata and Palana Devata

The sutras now give the Ishta Devata from the planet in the 12th from Karakāṁśa. This is about spirituality — one's own journey — not religiosity, which is going to the temple.

The planets in the 12th from Karakāṁśa

• Sun with Ketu is a Shiva yoga. Ketu alone is Ganesha; the Sun joining makes it Shiva.
• Venus gives the 1.2.81 result because Venus is the guru of the asuras.

Moon — which form of the Mother

From Sanjay Rath's teaching on this sutra: the form follows the Moon's phase.

• Śukla pakṣa — Gauri. Kṛṣṇa pakṣa — Kali.
• Or split the month in three: Lakshmi, Saraswati and Kali. The extreme, near Amāvāsyā, is Kali or Chandi.
• It is the same Mother in different forms.

"A tamasic devi is a devi who is tamasic, but Kali is somebody who removes tamas."

Ugra devatas remove tamas

• Each deity has a role. For tamas — oversleeping, grogginess after a heavy meal — pray to Kali or Durga. The ugra forms fight the Śumbha and Niśumbha inside every person. That is what the Chandi Pāṭh describes.
• Gauri and Lakshmi are saumya, sāttvic. They also help, but the ugra devatas suit this work better.
• Chanting Durga's Aṣṭottara Śatanāma loudly destroys tamas — the teacher's own experience is a full day without sleepiness.
• Japa on an eclipse day gives a hundredfold result: 1,000 repetitions count as 100,000 on a normal day. Some practices are best done on Amāvāsyā.
• Food carries the vibration of the cook. Food cooked with mantra and offered first is different. One doing serious sādhana should not eat at other people's houses — only what he or his wife cooks.
• Stale and frozen food is Saturn. Fresh food is Moon and Jupiter, sāttvic.

1.2.80 — dark paths are not automatically bad

• A heavily afflicted 12th — malefic signs, malefic planets, many malefic aspects — tends to lead a person to such a path.
• He may be initiated into Aghora or Tantra, where one is meant to go into that darkness. It depends on the final intention.
• Benefics aspecting show it is used for good purposes. Good purpose means self-cleansing and knowing the Self, not troubling others.

When the person worships someone else

A student: a native with Venus in the 12th from Karakāṁśa relates more to Shiva than to Lakshmi.

"This is what your atma wants, but the person may like something else."

• Look at the trines to the Navāṁśa Lagna for what is prevalent and strong.
• Look at the 5th house of the Rāśi chart for one's liking. A strong Sun there, or Sun as 5th lord, explains the pull to Shiva.
• Should he cultivate Lakshmi instead? No, it is fine. All of these are devatas, not kṣudra devatas. Praying to any of them leads to the right path; in time he will meet someone who turns him to the right form.
• The Karakāṁśa deity is the shortest and fastest path. Any other start is a longer route. In spiritual terms one lifetime is nothing.

1.2.82 — Palana Devata

• Text: these results are also examined from the 6th from the Amatyakaraka.
• The 6th from Amatyakaraka shows the Palana Devata — the deity at the level of sustenance in this material world.
• Prescribe by the same planet-to-deity scheme, read from the 6th from Amatyakaraka.

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Matching Deities to Planets

The commentary notes that Sutras 1.2.72–1.2.81 describe popular deities, and that BPHS and Saravali teach the deities of the seven planets. For any other deity, look at the deity's characteristics and match the planets. The class works some examples.

• Use the signs as well. Sabarimala is on top of a mountain: mountains are Leo or Aries. Aquarius is only hills.
• The temple stands by the Pampa river; the deity is shown single, with no consort. Take all such details into account.
• In the homes of followers of the Sikh faith, a picture of Shiva is usually kept beside Guru Nanak Dev. Shiva is the Ādi Guru.

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Sutras 1.2.83–1.2.84 — Mantra, Tantra, Yantra from the Karakāṁśa Trines

1.2.83 — malefics in trines

• Text: if two malefics are in trines (1, 5, 9), the native gains expertise in mantra, spells and occult knowledge.
• Which lagna? Mantra śāstra is deep knowledge, not a subject like mathematics. Following Sanjay Rath, read it from the Karakāṁśa rather than the Navāṁśa Lagna.

1.2.84 — who aspects them

• Take this with a pinch of salt. Other factors in the chart must show the person is interested in such things at all.

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