by Sai Sastri (Craig Edwards)

The Vedas are the ancient cognitions of seers about truth and reality that have been passed down for thousands of years to the present day. The Vedas are too difficult for most people to understand their meaning. So, the ancient seers and rishis produced many ancillary scriptures and practices that made the truths of the Vedas easier to understand. The Puranas were written, which tell stories about people. They are easy to understand illustrations about how nature works. The Upanishads, Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad – Gita were composed, which are eas(ier) to understand philosophical treatises about Vedanta and other areas of life. Hundreds of thousands of spiritual exercises, such as variations of meditation and yoga techniques are practiced in order for people to understand the truths of the Vedas. And practical sciences arose, such as Ayur-Veda, the science of maintaining good health, and Jyotish, or Vedic Astrology, through which people could better understand their purpose and destiny on earth.

Jyotish describes how past karmas (actions) return to a person in their present life. A good Jyotishee (Vedic astrologer) can plot a roadmap of a person’s life and give a fairly accurate description of a person and their tendencies, likes and dislikes, propensity for education, wealth, spousal happiness, and so forth. Jyotish alone is not enough to solve problems in these areas, however. The seers and saints devised another system to rid people of problems. This system is called yagnas. The best translation of yagna is “sacrifice”. What are sacrificed in the yagna are a person’s negative tendencies. Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple performs monthly yagnas to help remove problems from negative karmas. What follows are questions and answers on yagnas prepared for Vedic astrologers during the September, 2005 American College of Vedic Astrology conference in Kauai, Hawaii.

Questions and Answers Regarding Yagnas

What is the purpose of the planetary yagnas?

The purpose is to either strengthen positive planet(s) or to neutralize or appease a planet causing mischief in a person’s chart.

What happens during the yagna?

The yagna is a traditional Vedic ceremony. It’s most basic component on the visible level is the offering of ghee and other substances like herbs and grains into a fire while mantras are chanted.

How can yagnas help my clients?

It is often apparent to the astrologer that the source of a client’s problems comes from one or two planets. For instance, a poorly placed Venus may mean a lack of wealth. An afflicted Saturn may mean a tendency towards depression. Certain placements of Rahu can lead to a greater likelihood of drug addiction. A poorly placed Mercury may cause speech problems, and so forth. As an astrologer, we can often see clearly what the source of a particular problem is. The yagnas are designed to mitigate challenging energies radiating from the planets.

Can the karmas coming from the grahas (planets) be avoided?

Karmas are very difficult to avoid. However, their effects can be mitigated. If we introduce a strong positive force through the yagna then the negative force is lessened. Think of a big wave coming to the shore – if another wave is created going in the opposite direction, the wave coming to the shore is reduced, negated, or may even start traveling in an opposite direction.

How could I explain the yagnas to others?

We all have some good karma, and some bad karma. For instance, when the U.S. sends food to help hungry people in other countries — that is good karma. It has a positive effect. When the U.S. sells arms to other countries so that they can kill people, that creates negative karma, because it brings destruction. Just like that, we all have good and bad karma, because we perform some good and some bad actions in our life. Our actions ripple out through the universe towards infinity and eventually return to us in this or a future life. The horoscope is a static picture of the karmas we face in this lifetime. Although the karmas may be fixed by the chart, how we respond to the karmas is not so rigid. We can use our willpower and take remedial measures to overcome karmas. It is like the weather. It may be predetermined that it is going to rain today, but if we are wise, we can get out of the rain and stay dry.

Why are ghee and other substances offered into the fire?

One way to look at life is to say that it is all made up of vibrations. Saint Kaanada cognized some 20,000 years ago that the universe is made up of micro-atoms, which are like little solar systems spinning through the universe. In Sanskrit, these are called paramanu, or prakriti. When the micro-atoms are creative, they are called Brahma, when they are in maintenance phase they are called Vishnu, and when they are in a destructive phase they are called Shiva.

The Sun is the ruler of our world. From the Sun comes all the energy that sustains us. This energy grows plants. The plants are eaten by cows. The cows produce milk, further concentrating the solar energy which was absorbed in the plants. This milk is refined into cream for further concentration of the solar energy. From cream is made butter. Butter is refined and separated further into ghee. This ghee is used in the yagna and is a super-pure source of solar energy. When the ghee is offered into the fire along with the Vedic mantras, the solar energy is released into the atmosphere and influences the micro-atoms in a positive way. Depending on what mantras are used, we can affect any of the micro-atoms as we desire. In addition to ghee, other items such as roots, plants, grains, fruits, nuts, honey, herbs, and other items related to the specific planetary energy are offered into the fire. This is the outward process of yagna, and how it influences the world around us.

What is the inner process of yagna?

On the inner level, those involved in performing the yagna should be abandoning the three dimensional world and imbibing their hearts with love and respect for the deity being propitiated. Love is the unifying force of the universe. When love is present, then God and man can unite and become one. Miracles are possible.

What is the ultimate purpose of the yagnas? Can they bring enlightenment?

The yagnas help cleanse the awareness. They are like a vacuum machine for difficult karmas. The yagnas will not bring moksha (final enlightenment) but they start the process of cleansing that allows a person to move towards liberation. Yagnas bring benefits to all levels of life – physical health, mental and emotional well-being, physical comfort, and so forth. For many people, it is only after these goals are satiated that a thirst for spiritual development grows.

What is the significance of the mantras?

Like the fire, the mantras are central to the yagna. From a scientific standpoint, we might say that the mantras are the specific formula that invoke the energy or vibration one desires. It is very important that the mantra is pronounced correctly. If we consider the mantras as specific, scientific formulas, then we must use the right formula to get the right result. We don’t want to be like the dyslexic man who worships dog! Few of us are Vedic pundits, so it is best we use simple mantras so as not to butcher the language and end up with poor or even negative results.

There is another respected theory that if the mantra is chanted with love and devotion, God will make up for the mistakes. There is undoubtedly merit to this theory. Perhaps if there is enough love in one’s heart God will make up any deficiency.

Our considered opinion, however, is that it is important to use correct pronunciation for correct results. If you go to the post office, and put the wrong address and postage on the letter, chances are it won’t reach the correct recipient. It is the same with the yagnas.

To get miraculous results, one should have both correct pronunciation and a full heart.

What is the significance of the fire?

In the Vedas, the flames of the fire are sometimes called “the tongues of God.” Agni (the fire deity) is frequently referred to as “the Messenger of the Gods.” He accepts the oblation into the fire, and after taking his portion, conveys the rest to the deities in heaven. The deities, pleased with man’s offering, shower blessings on the world – timely rain, abundance of crops, wealth, and so forth. We might call this the “religious” explanation of the yagna. The more “scientific” explanation is that when ghee and other substances are offered into the fire then their solar energy, accompanied by the correct mantras, is released into the universe creating a powerful vibration that brings the desired result. Both explanations are correct, they are just looking at the same thing from different angles.

Does someone need to attend the yagna in person?

It is good if someone can attend in person. But we’ve also seen many miraculous results when the person is not attending.

How were you trained?

Panduranga Rao Malyala, President of the Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania trained me in India to perform simple yagnas. We have been working together since 1995.

What does yagna mean?

One translation of the word yagna (which is variously transliterated as yajna, yaga, yagya, and so forth) is sacrifice.

What is sacrificed?

What we sacrifice are negative thoughts and tendencies. In this sense, our whole life should be a yagna.

Can yagnas be done for children?

Most definitely. Any time after birth.

Can yagnas be done for people who don’t ask for them?

Most definitely. Our temple performs yagnas for the welfare of people all over the world every year, even though people aren’t aware of it! So if you have a sick relative, or a friend in need of help, or for instance, you are concerned about the mental state of a world leader, it is okay to do a yagna to help them with or without their knowledge.

Is there anything the client should or shouldn’t do during the yagna?

Yes. We suggest three things. 1) No sex for 24 hours before, during and after the yagna.
2) No non-prescribed drugs or alcohol during the same period. 3) No meat or eggs during the same period. This will improve the effects and make the yagna smoother for your client.

If they want to practice extra meditation or contemplation during the yagna day, that is fine.

Is there anything else one can do to make the yagna more successful?

We usually ask the client to do some charity during or after the yagna, such as giving 21 or more loaves of bread to a homeless shelter or food bank. Charity has a wonderful effect on the giver. It opens the heart and brings good karma. Yagna means sacrifice. Charity or service is the best sacrifice available.

If the client is amenable, we can suggest they do charity specifically related to the planet. For instance, if we are suggesting charity to appease Saturn, the charity should be done on a Saturday. Black beans might be given, since Saturn’s color is blackish. The beans might be given to a laborer, as Saturn’s nature favors laborers. We might also suggest a black or bluish dress be given to a young girl or lady. If we were propitiating Jupiter, we would suggest a different grain and a yellow dress, and so forth.

There are a number of websites that make suggestions on these practices, such as the “Remedies” section on Digital Jyotish’s website, which is at: www.astroiq.com/remedies/p1_sun_toptab.aspx

Even feeding the birds with seed or ants with a few grains of sugar will help carry a client’s worries away, with or without a yagna. Don’t underestimate the value of charity. It can produce miracles. Your client may not want a yagna, but if you can convince them to do a little charity (or better, regular charity) you will have helped them considerably.

If we want to do mantra recitation ourselves, how do we find the correct pronunciation for mantras?

Unless we are a masters of Sanskrit and Vedic recitation, we should stay with simple mantras so as to avoid mispronunciations. James Braha’s website shows how to pronounce some planetary mantras:http://www.jamesbraha.com/mantras.html

The Digital Jyotish website mentioned above also includes mantra pronunciation for the planets. Also, pronunciation can be found at:

www.hinduastrology.com/mantrasaudio/index.asp.

And you can purchase many CD’s with planetary mantras. My favorite is Sree Ma’s Mantras of the Nine Planets at:

http://www.shreemaa.org/.

My client sponsored a yagna and complained of no results. In my experience, if ten people begin any spiritual practice, be it yagna, yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, and so forth, one or two of them say that it “changed their lives”. Most of the others will note some benefit, and one or two complain of no results. So this is normal. Sometimes it only takes a little yagna to produce miraculous results. Sometimes the karma is so strong that it would take a tremendous amount of effort and yagna to resolve a problem. If the client is blessed with faith they may continue performing yagnas and other practices in order to remove their karmas. If they are not so blessed, they will become discouraged and stop.

What do people experience during and after the yagna?

While the yagna is being performed, some people feel a sort of catharsis going on, maybe some emotional roughness or physical discomfort. Some people feel very blissful or happy. Others feel nothing at all! It is the same with the results. A majority experience some immediate identifiable benefit. But some cannot identify any immediate benefit. And sometimes the yagna precipitates some crisis followed by a benefit. (For instance, one decides one hates one’s job, quits, then finds a better job.)

From our study of Jyotish, we know that some karmas are mild, and some are very deep. Someone who already has strong yogas for wealth may just need a little yagna to obtain great wealth. Someone who has great yogas for poverty may take a lot more work. In either case, we do experience that everyone benefits from the yagnas. As Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita “even a little of this knowledge relieves a man of great fears.”

Some examples of how people might benefit:

Some people participate in the yagnas for general upliftment. But others are looking for a resolution of a major life crisis, such as a troubled marriage, problems with debts, health problems, and so forth. For these people, we look for a resolution or improvement in the major life challenge the person is facing either immediately or in the weeks following the yagna. For instance, if a client is troubled by drug addiction caused by a poorly placed Rahu, we would a perform Rahu yagna to relieve that affliction, and look for some turning point in the addiction: the client returns to AA meetings, goes into rehab, realizes they have a problem, and so forth. If someone is having trouble at school due to a poorly placed Mercury, we might perform Budha and Gayatri yagna and expect to see improvement in their school grades. We recently performed a Saturn and nine planets yagna for a teenage girl who had attempted suicide and was confined in a mental hospital. Following the yagna, she told her father that “she no longer wanted to be a fashion model,” apparently a source of her anorexia that had led to a suicide attempt.

We believe that as a good astrologer, you need to use your intuition as well as your intellect. Usually one planet will “pop out” of a chart as needing attention in someone’s life. While this is usually correct, after we begin the yagna we sometimes find that another planet needs more attention. During a nine planet yagna, this sometimes becomes more clear.

As in any spiritual practice, a little faith is a valuable thing. When I was sixteen, I decided to start the practice of meditation, but promised myself that I would definitely quit unless I achieved cosmic consciousness within two years! More than thirty years later, I’m still working at it! This is because I believe in the process and have seen progress along the way.

One needs good karma to come into contact with these yagnas. One must have even better karma to have faith and perform them regularly.

What else should we know about the planets?

Each of the planets is an expansion of a particular aspect of God. During the yagna we also perform homam (make offerings) to these aspects of God, called deities. The offerings are made not only for the benefit of those sponsoring the yagna, but for the welfare of the entire universe.

The nine planets and their rulers:

Many astrologers will also be interested to know that there is a yagna for the nakshatras (either one day or 27 days for each of the 27 nakshatras). Please contact us if you are interested in having this yagna performed. It works on a more subtle and powerful level than the planetary mantras.

Does the Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple perform other yagnas?

Yes. There are generally six types of problems in human life, for which six different yagnas are done. These are:

From time to time, we will do extended yagnas for one of these areas. For example, in May and July this year we performed a nine and a seven day yagna to Mahalakshmi – Kubera. Those on our e-mail list are informed of these yagnas.

An expanded list of yagnas available through the Pittsburgh temple is available at

http://www.baba.org/

How is it best to refer a client to the Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple?

Many people are intimidated to call a Temple for a ceremony they know little about. If you as an astrologer are willing to arrange the yagna on behalf of your client, this is an additional service you can provide that will help them. We will also include your name at the beginning of the yagna (sankalpam) so you can benefit from the yagna.

If you contact us for a yagna, please provide us with the name and the moon’s nakshatra (birthstar) of the client and yourself. If you want to provide us any additional information about the nature of the client’s need, it sometimes helps us tune into what is needed for the client.

How are donations made?

Yagnas are paid for by donation, according to a person’s ability to pay. For those asking guidance on the amount of donation, a (tax-deductible) donation of $108 per yagna is standard, or $504 for all nine planets over seven days. Donations can be made by check or money order via the postal service, or credit card, using the postal service, the phone, or fax.

How does the moon calendar relate to yagnas?

In the Vedic way of thinking, certain days (generally calculated according to the lunar calendar, distinct from the solar calendar normally used) are most auspicious for performing certain types of worship. For instance, Saturn is best worshipped on “Sani Trayodasi.” Sani Trayodasi means a Saturday which falls on the thirteenth lunar day of the bright or dark half of the lunar month. Another example is that each planet rules three nakshatras. So, for instance, if we find that the Moon is in Rohini on a Monday (Rohini being one of the Moon’s three nakshatras), then this is an especially auspicious day on which to perform a Moon yagna.

Most of the Hindu holidays are based on the Moon calendar. As an example, Shiva is worshipped for good health, relief from mental illness, and so forth. It is most auspicious to worship Shiva on the fourteenth day of the dark half of each month. If Friday (Shukra) day falls on a full moon, it is most auspicious to worship Shukra and Mahalakshmi on this day. And so forth.

If you are on our e-mail list, we try and alert you when such special opportunities arise.

Where does the money go from these yagnas?

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple is a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation. The primary uses of money from these yagnas is to 1) fund large world peace yagnas in India each year, and 2) support two schools in India where Vedic pundits are trained.

Can you describe the results expected from specific yagnas?

The effect of any particular planetary yagna on a person is specific to that person’s particular chart. Mars and Saturn are generally considered as the two greatest “malefics”. But on the other hand, a well placed Mars provides one with great energy. A well placed Saturn allows one to be a steady, strong worker. But a poorly placed Mars can make one aggressive or even violent, and a poorly placed Saturn may mean a lot of difficulties and struggles. We don’t believe that the energy from the planets is ever malefic – it is just reflected on a particular person as being negative in the context of that person’s life.

Study of a person’s chart, as well as extensive knowledge of each of the nine planets is helpful in describing the benefits of a particular planetary yagna for a particular individual. Here are some broad descriptions:

Surya, the Sun: This yagna provides good health and illustrious intelligence.
Chandra, the Moon: This yagna provides peace of mind and stability of emotions.
Mangal, Mars: This yagna reduces aggressive tendencies, and makes one a capable leader.
Budha, Mercury: This yagna increases intelligence, helps learning, improves speech, and so forth.
Brihaspati, Jupiter: This yagna provides balance, stability, and restores order to a person’s life.
Shukra, Venus: This yagna provides material comforts, physical beauty, and so forth.
Sani, Saturn: This yagna reduces difficulties and makes life easier.
Rahu, North node of the Moon: This yagna smoothes out problems in one’s life.
Ketu, South Node of the Moon: This yagna helps spiritual development and removes shadows from one’s awareness.

Aum Sai Ram.

Universal Prayer

May the wicked turn good
May the good attain peace
May the peaceful be freed from all bondage; and
May the liberated redeem others
May all be happy
May all be healthy
May all see auspicious things
O God (O Sai Baba) – Lead us from:
Darkness to Light
Ignorance to Wisdom
Mortality to Immortality
Give us:
The courage & Strength
To live together
To love together
To work together
To prosper together
May everybody surmount difficulties
May everybody have good fortune
May everybody realize his or her ambitions
May everybody rejoice everywhere
Aum peace peace peace

For questions on planetary yagnas, he can be reached at:

www.saiaustin.com

His wife Sai Yogini (Jill Edwards) is a Vedic astrologer and will read charts to prescribe planetary yagnas. She can be reached at the above email as well.