I recently heard a famous Swami whom I respect, Swami Satyananda
Saraswati, give a response to a question by someone asking about
how to put our planets at peace (graha shanti), particularly
Saturn, so Saturn doesn't cause us any problems. His response
was very similar to what I've heard my Jyotish guru, K.N.
Rao, say. Here's the transcription:
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Question:
Swamiji, what is the attitude that one should have when facing
adversity? In India the priests and everyone is suggesting pujas
(worship) to Shani (Saturn) to make things normal again. What
do you think?
Answer:
I think that we should make puja (worship) everyday, and not
just for Shani but for everybody, everyone that's Divine, and
all the Divine influences in our lives. Now what happens in
India, generally priests know that householder people are so
busy with their worldly tasks that they're not making puja,
and their neglect of the pujas is what is causing them confusion.
So most of the priests in India who suggest that you worship
Shani are really saying, "Get on a spiritual path."
For anyone who's really on a spiritual path, you have no need
of a priest who says to do a puja for Shani. You're doing puja
everyday yourself. What need have you of a pujari who says,
"It's Shani dosha (affliction) that's causing your problem"?
It's not just Shani. Shani has many benevolent effects in our
astrological ecology. Shani is the lord of discipline. Shani
is a very great benefactor to anyone who creates a discipline.
He is the strength of that discipline, and the focus of that
discipline, and the commitment to that discipline. And now we
are seeking freedom through action - not freedom from action.
The moksha that we are seeking is freedom in action, not being
inactive. The verses in the Bhagavad Gita say, "No
one can be free from action. Even I who am the Lord of the three
worlds, I must continue to act." Therefore, do your
action with the spirit of the rishis (sages). Do your action
as the servant of Ram, do your action as an instrument in the
hands of God.
So I appreciate the priests of India who recommend that we do
Shani puja or the like, because they're really saying, "Do
something spiritual." But I appreciate even more those
great sadhus who are doing it themselves, not because some priests
in India told them to, but because they are really in love with
God. And they are following this path just as an inspiration
so that they lead a pure life, and they lead a focused life,
and a disciplined life which brings them to their ultimate objectives.
Graha shanti (planetary peace) is to put to all your planets
in harmony. Now look, the Sun is the light of wisdom, the Moon
is the warmth of devotion, Mars has strength and fortitude and
focus, Mercury is the communicator, Jupiter is the great guru
and teacher, Venus fills us with love and pure attachment, Saturn
will take us to discipline, Rahu and Ketu polarize obstacles
and help us to reconcile the opposites. Look at the beneficent
aspect of the planets and then they'll all be in shanti. That's
the puja.
