Solar eclipse of May 20, 2012

The annular solar eclipse of May 20-21, 2012 over part of China, Japan, and United States and Canada. It is not visible in India. It will not have any adverse affects from an astrological point of view.

Normally during the regular eclipses the rays of the Sun and Moon are harmful, both according to the Hindu scriptures and the scientists; hence it is advisable not to look at them directly with naked eyes and exposing yourself to their light – especially the pregnant ladies.

The scriptures also advise not to eat or drink anything during the eclipse time

The eclipse period is an excellent time to worship God. Any recital, or any Mantra chanting or Pooja done during the eclipse time, will yield many times more results than the normal days.

The media and the astrologers make terrible predictions and terrify the common man. Nothing has happened to India or the world during many of the past eclipses. During a recent eclipse which took place in Karka/Cancer sign and Pushyami star, they said it is a terrible time for all people born in this sign and star. I am born in Karka/Cancer sign and my birth star is Pushyami and nothing happend to me. I have been studying and practicing astrology for more than 27 years. So if I am not worried, you too stop worrying about the eclipses and enjoy them.

The eclipses are a natural God given phenomena and rest assured that HE did not create them to torment the millions born in a Rasi or Nakshatra!!

The disasters do not happen BECAUSE of eclipses. SOMETIMES, the eclipses and falling of meteoroids etc are INDICATORS of bad things to come. HOWEVER the ancient Indian scriptures have given a lot of SPECIFIC CONDITIONS TO BE PRESENT for bad results to take place. Like for example if two eclipses take place WITHIN 13 DAYS (as happened before the Mahabharata war for example and as discussed in the Krishna Karna Samvada in Mahabharata. Even then some more SPECIFIC conditions should be present. Like in those 13 days there should be two Saturdays and there should not two Thursdays etc. etc.

If these conditions are not present no need to worry about.

The great Indian astrologer Varahamihira, one of the Navaratnas (Nine Jewels) of Emperor Vikramaditya’s court, in the 5th century AD, has given a lot of details about the effects of eclipses. He was also a great astronomer and the first one to mention in his work Pancha Siddhantika, based on our ancient Siddhantas, that the ayanamsa, or the shifting of the equinox is 50.32 seconds – something the western scientists “discovered” in the 17th century!!. His great work Brihat Samhita also gives many details about eclipses.

The legend of Rahu and Ketu: According to Hindu mythology as given in Shanda Purana, long ago the Devatas (Gods) and Rakshas (Demons) churned the ocean to get the Amrit, the divine nectar which makes one immortal. Finally Dhanvantri came out with a pot of Amrit and there was a mad rush for it and the Devas and the Rakshas started quarrelling. Hence, Lord Vishnu took the form of Mohini (a charming lady) and charmed them into sitting in two separate rows to distribute the Amrit. She started with the Devatas. Towards the end of the line as the Amrit was almost over, a Rakshasa called Rahu guessed what was happening and sat at the end of the devatas line. Mohini poured the last of the Amrit in Rahus hands and he drank it. Sun and Moon, who was sitting next to Rahu, informed Mohini that he is a rakshasa. Lord Vishnu cut off Rahu’s head with the Sudarshan Chakra and neck was separated from his body. However as he has already consumed Amrit he did not die and hence the bodiless head lives as Rahu and the headless torso lives as Ketu. The Rakshas protested and another quarrel started. Finally a compromise was agreed and Rahu and Ketu were given the status of planets and as the Sun and the Moon reported Rahu, on full moon and new moon days Rahu and Ketu were allowed to torment the Sun and Moon to have their revenge. This causes the eclipses during which time Sun and Moon lose their rays and become powerless