How do the modes and the astrological planets inter-relate?
From Praveen S
Transcript
Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.
Question from Praveen Prabhu, what is the relationship between the three modes of material nature and arrangement of the planets which according to astrology manifest our karmic reactions? Answer, they are both apart parts of a higher system which administers cosmic justice. Now if we consider this multi-level, we human beings are at one level. So we are the creators of karma and we are the receivers of karma.
Now when we create karma then karma basically is like a set of dominoes falling. Sometimes you see in a college series of hundred cars or hundred cycles are passed. So one cycle falls, second cycle falls, third cycle falls.
Like that maybe hundred cycles will fall one by one by one. So like that when we do any action it sets of a chain of events and the terminus of that chain of event is the reaction comes to us. But if you want to understand properly say we are going in the time dimension like this.
So when I am here I do some karma. When I do that karma and here I do the karma then it sets of chain of events and the chain of events goes upward upward upward and when I come here right time has come. So at that time that chain of events comes in gives me a reaction.
So that's how things work. Now what all happens when this chain of events goes up and then comes down as the reaction? So first of all the Supreme Lord is the topmost controller. He is Ishwara Sarvabhutanam Videshyatanam Upadrashta Anumantacha.
He is right in our heart. These two verses talk about Krishna's position from two different perspectives. Ishwara Sarvabhutanam talks about his indwelling position.
So in a sense it talks about his position right within us. Upadrashta Anumantacha over here. Of course Supersoul is over here.
But that is talking about him from a position above looking down. So both from overseeing position as well as an indwelling position. The Supersoul is the ultimate control.
So overseeing is not necessarily physically he has to get a higher height. But it just means that he is overseeing everything. So he is overseeing as well as indwelling and through both he is bringing about the reactions ultimately.
He is the final in charge of the whole system of action-reaction. Karmana daiva netrena jantor deho pavad daye. That as per daiva the karma gives reactions.
So now within this there are multiple agents who act as representatives of the Supreme Lord. So directly above Krishna or directly below Krishna with respect to interaction of this world is maya. And maya acts through the three modes.
So maya is made of the three modes of material nature. Now these within the network of the three modes even the devatas come. So in the Nahi Deha Bratamsakhyam in the 18th chapter there is a verse I think 40th or 41st verse which says that even among the gods or the human beings there's not a single living being who is free from the influence of the three modes.
That means Krishna, maya and the three modes. Now within the hierarchy of the three modes are all the devatas and the planets and their planetary in-charges. They are also devatas only.
So now these planetary in-charges they are like the intermediate factors through whom the reactions are coming specifically to us. Just like if a person is a say a criminal and that person is supposed to as a part of the punishment for the crime get a series of different punishments. So one punishment is that say that person has to break stones in a quarry for three months.
Another is that person has to go in some remote area, some mountainous area and there he has to do some manual labor. And then some other third sentence is there where a person has to go underground in an injurious mine and work over there. Now if you see all these sub sentences within the broad sentence they are coming under the head of the government but the government is the king, king will allow that the jailer is there.
Below the jailer there are specific department heads who are going to administer the things. So now in this case we are talking about things happening discreetly. So when that jail then that prisoner is in one jail, say in the quarry there is one authority.
When he is in a mine is another authority. Is a forest a third authority. But suppose that all these are coming as a network.
There are multiple authorities. So he is in the jail that means the jailer is the primarily jail warden, the biggest jail authority as the main person. So like that Durga is in charge of Durga.
But within that hierarchy there are various devatas and they all help, they all coordinate under the guidance of Durga Devi to give the reactions to whatever they are. Now they may not always even be conscious that we are acting under Durga. It's not that when I am in passion I think I am in passion.
I just act according to my impulses and if I am in passion, I act passionately. Same applies to the devatas also. So when we have Shani, we have Mangal, we have Guru.
So all these are in charge of a specific planets. Now the connection between our psychological states and the cosmological position of the planets that is subtle. But it is related in the sense that the same modes that are influencing our mind, the mind, the forces the mind is influenced by subtle forces of the modes and the same modes are also making the devatas work in a particular way.
So the planetary position is related with our psychological disposition. The exact correlation is difficult to make out but there is definitely a correlation. Now what does this correlation imply? It doesn't imply that everything that is going to happen to us is destined.
If I like a particular product, say I like a car, then my mind is like an internal advertising agent. Purchase this car, purchase this car, purchase this car and there may be outside on the road hoardings also. Purchase this car, purchase this car, purchase this car.
Now actually both could very well be the expression of the same one emotion that is greed. Greed is speaking from inside, greed is speaking from outside. Just as there can be internal expressions, there can be external expressions.
So in a similar sense the devatas are the external expressions of the influence of three modes and the mind psychological states are the internal influences of three modes. So now devatas have their own minds and they are also influenced by the modes. But it is not necessary that the devatas are acting entirely according to the, they are not consciously acting on dictatorial maya.
They are simply acting according to their own individual nature and disposition and through that our reactions come about. So when we understand say by studying astrology that this phase is inauspicious for me, what does that actually mean? That means that this is the time by when by my karma certain complications are going to happen in my life. Now when the complications happen, the way I react also influences how complicated the complications become.
That means if I know that on this road I am going on a bike and in this patch the road is slippery, there is some oil spilled over there. So now if I am going at a super high speed then I will slip off and the accident can be fatal. If I know that and I am going slowly at that time then there might just be a slip and I support myself with my legs and I am okay.
There is practically no damage at all. So when we say that the demigods are going to give us certain suffering that means by the past karma certain situations are going to come which are going to create some troubles but the extent of the trouble is not necessarily fixed. So just as I can slow down my car by a vehicle and thereby I can ensure that I don't suffer so much.
Similarly, we can be more cautious during those periods or as the specific rituals tell, we can also be more focused on maybe worshipping those particular devatas because then what happens is that is also one way of expressing our atonement. So that way the reactions can be minimized. Now when I practice devotional service I am ultimately going not just to the devatas not just to the three modes, not just to Maya Devi but beyond them to Krishna and he is the controller.
So Krishna can protect us from all sinful reactions, all complications that are there or Krishna can allow some complications to come in our life and also enable us to go spiritually through those complications. So for us as devotees understanding the specifics of the correlations between these is a hair-splitting business. It is something which is not very easy to do.
So if I just take a small hair and try to split apart that is like classifying things to an extent that it becomes itself an obsession. So that may not be specifically desirable. When Srila Prabhupada was generally talked or asked about astrology, Srila Prabhupada did not disregard astrology but he also did not make it his soul guide.
So that means he would talk about things from astrological perspective, maybe take some opinion and then ultimately decide things based on how he could best serve Krishna. So that is the attitude that is best recommended for devotees and by that if we know that we are influenced by certain modes and we are inclined to behave in certain ways so we don't have to bother whether this particular psychological disposition is created by a particular devata, is it because of my past karma. We have to see how can I best serve Krishna when I have this disposition also.
So our goal is not in general our goal should be more focused on how can I serve Krishna. Now as I said in one of my early articles, not why this but how now. So start thinking about why this has happened, why this has happened, why this has happened.
Things can become endlessly complicated but I focus on how now. I will be much more much more positively centered in my thinking and then I will productively engage also. So to summarize, the modes and the devatas are connected in the sense that the devatas are under the modes and the modes are influencing them and through them they are influencing us and the modes are directly also influencing us but because Krishna is beyond both the devatas and the modes, a devotee can be protected from both their influences by taking shelter of Krishna.
Thank you.