Dedicated to
My father and Guru
Shri Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi (1913 – 1986)
“O Agni! Thou who art the embodiment of knowledge, Purify us through the various purifying lights (or rays) which are of Brahman that art within Thee.”
Rig Veda 9.67.23
Foreword
Jyotisa is a divine science. It is divine because this science was revealed to those very few ancient seers who impelled by their urge to be face to face with the Unknown had freely and fearlessly ventured forth determined to cross all boundaries and limitations of the known worlds. They had by the mere exercise of their own free-will succeeded in totally suspending their mental functions in preparedness of that sublime experience they could not openly talk about but having gained it had attained super-consciousness. Therefore, their words of wisdom still continue to live and resound within us.
Jyotisa or Astrology is a science because it has a set format and follows a well-defined methodology. Therefore, with regard to its study and application there are the prescribed rules that cannot be violated and there are the instructions that are meant to be followed meticulously. Of course, it is not an empirical science because it deals with Time and Space in the context of Cause and Effect which are part-less and formless non-material entities, and because basically it is meant to tell us as to how our actions shape our life, what we actually are and what we can be. This science has been used to enable the mind to penetrate the darkest and the densest recesses of the known and the unknown dimensions that have for long puzzled mankind. It has been used to enable the mind to look far deep into
Time, Space and Causality and to go in search of the First Cause far beyond the already known three states of Consciousness. This science has also been used by the wise ones to hone their intellect. In fact, Jyotisa is an Upasana; it is a form of pure and sincere intellectual devotion.
My father, Mehr Lal Soni, who is also known by his nom de plume, Zia Fatehabadi, introduced me to Jyotisa and made it a compulsory part of my study and understanding of ancient Hindu scriptures that I did under his guidance.
I am grateful to my wife, Shakuntla and my younger brother, Udesh; both made my task of writing this book easy. I also thank my son, CA. Aditya Soni, my daughter-in-law, Ruchi and CA. Vijay Kumar Gupta for their support and appreciate my little grandson, Aniruddha, who patiently watched me pen the following chapters. I am also thankful to my very old and dear friends, Satya Narain Rao, Ram Dhall, Ashok Gupta, Vinod Bhatnagar and Ram Niwas Rahgar who made my life interesting and enjoyable
Ravinder Kumar Soni
C-38, Parwana Apartments,
Mayur Vihar Phase – 1, Delhi –110091.
“Vaishvanara is the Universal form (of the Eternal Reality or Truth); it is the Prana, the Agni that is rising as the Sun.”
Prasna Upanishad 1.7
The Svetasvatra Upanishad begins with a set of four very relevant questions. They are relevant because from the time of the dawn of introspective reasoning our quest to know more and more about ourselves and our surroundings has remained continuous, intense and deliberate. Those four oft-repeated questions are - “What is the nature of Brahman, the Source?”, “From what have we been born?”, “By what do we live?” and “Where do we exist?” This set of questions that form the basis of all kinds of investigations has unfailingly impelled us to find their answers. And, once having finally realised that there certainly exists such a Source which is the omniscient and omnipotent source from which occur the birth, continuance and dissolution of our Universe we have also found the answers to these questions to have primarily helped us in knowing and understanding that which meets our senses as a prelude to knowing and realising the true nature of our own existence; the answers thus far found have given to us a sharper and a much clearer view of Reality that is one and without a second. Though Reality is not graded, its apparent gradation is in the nature of our experience which is in the form of works and knowledge, because of which experience we are actually what we will ourselves to be but without realising our true identity. The apparent gradation is owing to our mind that though illumined by the light of consciousness is nevertheless guided mainly by our ordinary desires constantly
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