Sun will be transiting the sign of Taurus from May 15th until the June 15th and the Aditya for the sign is Aryaman. Aryaman is a noble man and he stands for the honour and dignity that protects one’s integrity and family. Aryama is the deity of the 12th nakṣatra Uttara phālguni that is considered most auspicious for a marriage, commitment and for the upholding of the sacred marriage vows. Taurus, the natural 2nd house of the horoscope represents kula, the family and the lineage one belongs to and Aryama maintains our kula – family by giving us nourishment, spouse and children. Sri Kriśna in Bhagavad gīta (10.29) says he is Aryama who, the chief of Pitris, our ancestors (पितृणामर्यमा). Aryama’s blessings are sought equally during marriage and in ancestral rites.
The sage travelling with Aryama Aditya in his chariot is Pulaha who is one of the manas putra and associated with the planet Venus. According to Srimad Bhagavatam (SB) 3.1.24 he was born from the navel of Brahma. His wife was Gati (some other pūrāṇas also name Kshama has his wife) who gave birth to three sons, named Karmaśreṣṭha, Varīyān and Sahiṣṇu, and all of them were great sages. From Ādi Parva, Chapter 66, the winged insects, the lions, the Kimpur ushas (half-lions and half-men), the tigers, bears, and wolves are all descendants of sage Pulaha. From Śiva mahā pūrāṇa, sage Pulaha was created by Brahma from his vital breath Vyāna which is responsible for the circulatory system.
The Pulaha āśrama is called Hari- kṣetra and considered very auspicious to visit. Sage Pulaha himself had done great penance in Alaknandā (one of the sources of the River Ganges) before being invited to court of Indra. The Pulaha Āśramaa is located near the Gaṇḍakī River (Nepal) near the village of Muktināth which is renowned for śālagrāma – fossils of ammonite shells and worshipped as non-anthropomorphic representation of Vishnu. These stones are described as marked with up and down circles seemingly like navels.
Pulaha āśramaa is famous for the story of King Bharata (SB 5.7.11) who was living alone in the gardens of the āśrama in vānaprastha (retirement) and in contemplation. Bereft of his material riches, he collected a variety of flowers, twigs and tulasī leaves, roots, fruits and bulbs and the water of the Gaṇḍakī River as offering for the daily worship of Lord Vāsudeva. Having renounced his material pursuits, his mind steady on Lord Vāsudeva, he achieved much spiritual progress. Here, I am reminded of the verse in Bhagavad Gīta where it is stated that Sri Kriśna can be satisfied with any simple offering of a devotee who is sincere. The same verse appears in SB when Kriśna accepted puffed rice from his friend Sudama.
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति |
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मन: ||9. 26||
patraṁ puṣhpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayachchhati
tadahaṁ bhaktyupahṛitam aśhnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
If one offers to me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even water, I delightfully partake of that item offered with love by my devotee in pure consciousness.
The story of King Bharata however ends quite differently as he got distracted from his daily penance by his attachment to the fawn he had rescued. One day while he was desperately looking for it in the deep forest, he slipped and lost his life in a fall. He then attained the body of a deer in his next life. “Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail (BG 8.6).
When the 2nd and 7th houses are strong (both lorded by Venus in the natural zodiac) in a horoscope, then it is said that Parvarajya or renunciation is difficult. Aryama is invoked along with Mitra, Varuna, Indra, Brihaspati and Vishnu in the special peace prayer for the first chapter in Taittirīya Upaniśad (belonging to the Kriśna Yajur Veda). In this prayer to Aryaman “शं नो भवत्वर्यमा – śaṁ no bhavatvaryamā “ – May he be auspicious to us” proper vision or discernment is being asked for, as he is the solar deity that that presides over the function of eyes. From the earlier example of King Bharata, it follows that we can choose to ask Aryama for attachment or discernment equally depending on the stage of evolution we are in.
Transits
Sun moves into Taurus and is alone in the sign for three weeks until Mercury joins it on the 7th of June. The entry of Sun into Taurus is beneficial for merchants and trade and more so since Mercury has become direct just before the solar month began.
Jupiter then, will be alone with Rahu in the sign of Aries in a pure guru cāṇḍāla yoga until October 30th. Jupiter is aspected by Saturn from Aquarius which is in turn aspected by a debilitated Mars from Cancer. The movable signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn will suffer from a sarpa yoga ( binding events) with three malefics in quadrants until July 1st. If your ascendant is in a movable sign then, the only help we get is from an afflicted Jupiter unless one is fortunate enough to have a benefic in the quadrant in the natal chart. The guru cāṇḍāla yoga more so in Aries (as Sun is the kārakā for the natural first house of the Zodiac), weakens the Sun and the leaders. Jupiter and Rahu are in 8° Aries in Ashwini from the 26th to 29th May. The dispositor Mars of this Yoga is debilitated and will be moving towards its deep debilitation point on the 27th June, thereby creating circumstances for stress and frustration. However, the debilitation of Mars is cancelled by Jupiter in Aries, which can offer some reprieve in the form guidance or alliances. In behaviour psychology, it is said that under stressful circumstances, personalities exhibit characteristics (usually unknown to them) which are of the nature of fight, flight, or fawn (alliances) depending on their core nature. The debilitation period of Mars gives a perfect opportunity and timing for us to watch the drama with the leaders of the world. It may well prove to useful to observe ourselves in our immediate surroundings to see how we react or respond in stress.
Mars in Cancer is joined by Venus on 31st May and it takes two long weeks to get into the orb of influence (the orb of influence of Venus is 7 °) as the velocity of Venus starts reducing from May 31st in lieu of its retrogradation from July. As I had written last month, the two planets do not actually meet until February next year. The association of Mars and Venus creates a lot of steam (mixing of fire with water). This steam may be just hot air until next year.
ॐ घृणिः आर्यमादित्य
om ghṛṇiḥ āryamādityasolar-monthly-news