Happy Pongal and Makara Saṁkrānti to all! Sun will be in Capricorn from 14th January (late in the evening GMT) until the 13th of February and the sign is blessed by Bhaga Aditya. Bhaga is a patron of good fortune, happiness, welfare and prosperity. Bhaga also means dignified or majestic or possessing excellence and it is from this the word Bhagavan – the adorable or divine one is derived. It denotes the one who has all the auspicious six attributes – jñāna (knowledge), shakti (energy), bala (strength), aishvarya (sovereignty or wealth), virya (vigour), and tejas (radiance or splendour).
The word Bhaga is also said to be derived from the root bhaj (भज्) which means devoted to work. He is a great karma yogi. Capricorn is the natural 10th house, therefore as the Sun moves to Capricorn, our attention and awareness should move towards our karma – actions and thoughts. The 10th house and is said to represent the sky (vyomasthāna) as our karma is supposed to lift us, metaphorically to the heavens upward or to a higher spiritual plane in this very life. Good planets in this house give positive attitude to karma and have a positive influence on the 9th house of dharma. The conjunction or association of the 9th and 10th lord gives rise to dharma karmādhipati yoga, indicating the one who works relentlessly towards goals.
The rishi travelling with Bhaga in the chariot this month is Kratu. Kratu is mentioned as the father of 60,000 Vālakhilyas (Visnu Purana, Amsa 1, Chapter 10) and represents the planet Mars. They are are thumb-sized, pious, chaste and shine like bright lights as they travel around the Sun in the chariot absorbing the excess heat, protecting us forming the ozone layer. The meaning of Kratu, comes from the root word Kṛ – meaning to do, purpose, desire, will, power or ability. In Bhagavad Gīta Sri Kṛṣṇa says , ‘I am Kratu – the ritual, the sacrifice’.
अहं क्रतुरहं यज्ञ: स्वधाहमहमौषधम् |
मन्त्रोऽहमहमेवाज्यमहमग्निरहं हुतम् ||
ahaṁ kratur ahaṁ yajñaḥ svadhāham aham auṣhadham
mantro ’ham aham evājyam aham agnir ahaṁ hutam
It is I who am the Vedic ritual, I am the sacrifice, and I am the oblation offered to the ancestors. I am the medicinal herb, and I am the Vedic mantra. I am the clarified butter; I am the fire and the act of offering.
In this verse, Sri Kṛṣṇa is addressing the devotees who understand the omnipresent form of the God principle – Viṣvarūpa Iṣvara and proclaims that he is the rituals prescribed by the Vedas and the secondary scriptures. This Viṣvarūpa Iṣvara is everywhere and in every action we take. It exemplifies a karma yogi who surrenders and dedicates all actions in a selfless manner (meaning no agenda whatsoever – personal or otherwise) and therefore does not accumulate any merit or de-merit thus does not accumulate any agami karma. A devoted Karma yogi (opposed to karmi whose actions have agenda) lightens his/her backpack in life, therefore can spiritually rise.
Transits
The Sun moves into Capricorn, the natural 10th house where it gets directional strength. The next couple of months is a time to plan for execution with thoroughness as Sun journeys through the houses of cautious Saturn – Capricorn and Aquarius. It will be a difficult transit as Sun in Capricorn will be hemmed initially by Mars in Sagittarius and Saturn in Aquarius (causing a destructive yama yoga) before it meets Saturn head on. Leaders can be challenged or will find themselves having to compromise. The exchange between Mars and Jupiter (until 6th February) should help the Sun.
There is also a graha mallika yoga (garland of planets) -i.e. planets occupying consecutive signs till mid-March. This formation starts with Venus in Scorpio, Mars in Sagittarius, Sun in Capricorn, Saturn in Aquarius, Rahu in Pisces and ending with Jupiter in Aries. The starting and ending planets hold the key to results, viz. Venus and Jupiter. As both the planets Venus and Jupiter are benefic, this should lead to auspicious results this solar month, though the circumstances may be extenuating, with sacrifices having to be made. This is the year of elections in the world. Though the graha mallika yoga ends when Mars moves out of Capricorn, we must look out for extreme competition and horse-trading in politics in organisations in the forthcoming months as the faster moving planets Venus and Mercury cross over the slower moving planets Mars, the conjunction of Sun and Saturn followed by a war of Mars with Saturn around the solar eclipse in April.
Jupiter is also challenged as it is aspected by Rahu in Pisces and Saturn in Aquarius, and later by Mars from Capricorn. The advice is to strengthen Jupiter by reciting the 1000 names of Shiva. Encourage activities that allow harmony.
Venus moves into Sagittarius on 18th of January to be with Mercury and Mars. Mercury gets into a war and wins again with Mars for a couple of days between 26 and 28th of January, some issues from the previous month’s face off (around 28th/29th December) might just resurface. Nevertheless, the aspect of auspicious Jupiter from Aries should help us to think of a positive resolution. Mercury leaves Sagittarius on the 1st of February to join Sun and will be in combustion from the 8th of February. Mars moves into Capricorn, it’s exaltation sign on the 6th of February eager for some action, which maybe too idealistic. Venus follows quickly on its heels on the 12th, adding passion to purpose.
The combustion of Saturn starts on the 12th of February, a day before the transit of the Sun into the next sign Aquarius. Combustion of a planet can make us feel angry and neglected, however this position is beneficial to see beyond our own significance. We need grace and humility for that. One can pray to Lord Shiva for these attributes and for the strength to persevere during the period of the combust planet. Saturn will be combust until the 16th of March (until about the time the graha mallika yoga ends in the sky), however it will also be stronger and beneficial as it will be vargottama during most of this period (from 10th of February to 8th of March). Combustion allows purification, this is a time to build awareness about the quality and agenda of our karma (both paid and un-paid).
Festivals
The three-day Tamil harvest festival of Pongal falls on this transit that marks the start of the journey of Sun northward (uttarayana) from the point of view of the sidereal calendar. The front porch of the house is decorated with kolam (rangoli) – elaborate drawing-art done with rice-powder to honour the Sun. Cows are decorated with elaborate art-work and bells and worshipped on this day. Birds and animals are fed. People in the community eat together with their families.
Let us pray to Bhaga for manifesting more devotion and excellence in the way we do our work.
ॐ घृणि: भगादित्य
om ghṛṇiḥ bhagāditya