Yogis on Earth

By
Souvik Dutta
This work is dedicated to the blessed selfless souls on Earth called Yogis.
Introduction

Yoga is a Sanskrit term which means “union of Atman (individual Soul) with Brahman
(Universal Soul)”
The means of this yoga (connection) is called Yoga and one who practices it is called
a Yogi.

Yoga is a family of ancient spiritual practices that originated in India, where it

remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means to enlightenment. Karma
Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Raja Yoga are considered the four main yogas,
but there are many other types.

Types of Yoga

Karma Yoga:
Karma yoga or the "discipline of action" is based on the teachings of the Bhagavad
Gita. One of the four pillars of yoga, Karma yoga focuses on the adherence to duty
(dharma) while remaining detached from the reward. It states that one can attain
Moksha (salvation) by doing his duties in an unselfish manner.

Karma Yoga or Nishkam Karma translates as acting without desires or emotional

attachments to the fruits of one's deeds.

In the Gita, Lord Krishna preaches Arjuna to fight the battle of Dharma and remain
detached from the consequences. He tells Arjuna that his duty is to fight and he has
the right only to fight; he does not have any control on the outcome (2-47). The
duty of a person as a Karma Yogi is to do the rightful Dharma, as worship almost,
without expecting anything in return for the deeds thus performed. Selfless work
done with wholehearted effort and perfection is the Karma Yoga way for the worldly
person to realize his inner self.

Following the practice of Karma yoga, an individual can potentially become a true
spiritual seeker and realize his true nature as Atman. He can live in & work for this
world but still remain untouched by the grossness of mundane pleasures.

Bhakti Yoga:
Bhakti yoga is the spiritual practice of fostering of loving devotion to God, called
bhakti.

Bhakti signifies a blissful, selfless and overwhelming love of God as the beloved
Father, Mother, Child, or whatever relationship or aspect of God that finds appeal in
the devotee's heart.

Seen as a form of Yoga, or union, it seeks to dissolve the ego into God, since
consciousness of the body as self is seen to be a divisive factor in spiritual
realization. Essentially, it is God who effects all change, who is the source of all
works, who acts through the devotee as love and light. 'Sins' and evil-doings of the
devotee are said to fall away of their own accord, the devotee shriven, the sins even
transcended, through the love of God.

The Bhakti movements rejuvenate through their intense expression of faith and
responsiveness to the emotional and philosophical needs of human beings. Adoration
and loving devotional worship of a personal God (Bhakti) is an inherent part of most
religious traditions.

On Bhakti Yoga, the Gita states: "...those who, renouncing all actions in Me, and
regarding Me as the Supreme, worship me... of those whose thoughts have entered
into Me, I am soon the deliverer from the ocean of death and transmigration, Arjuna.
Keep your mind on Me alone, your intellect on Me. Thus you shall dwell in me
hereafter." -- (B.G., Chapter 12, Verses 6-8).

Raja Yoga:
Raja Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga is one of the four major Yogic paths of Hinduism, the
others being Karma yoga, Jnana yoga and Bhakti yoga.

Raja Yoga involves psycho-physical meditation techniques which attain experiences

of the truth and finally achieve liberation, described in Hindu thought as Moksha
(liberation from the cycle of rebirth). Raja yoga is also known as Ashtanga Yoga. The
term Ashtanga means eight limbs, thus Ashtanga Yoga refers to the eight limbs of
yoga. It is the classical Indian system of Hindu philosophy and practice (composed
by Patanjali perhaps ca. 200 BCE)

Sri Swami Sivananda said:

... The original profounder of classical Yoga was Hiranyagarbha Himself. It is
Patanjali Maharishi who formulated this science into a definite system under the
name of Ashtanga Yoga or Raja Yoga. This forms one of the Shad-Darsananas or
Classical Systems of Philosophy. Vyasa has explained the original aphorisms or Yoga
Sutras of Patanjali and this have been further elaborated through a gloss by a
learned author named Vachaspati Mishra, and through the celebrated writings of
Vijnana Bhikshu.

"Raja Yoga is a practical guide for gaining control over the mind. The second sutra
(of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras - Ed.) states, "Yogas chitta vritti nirodhah," or, "The
restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga." Every thought, feeling,
perception, or memory you may have causes a modification, or ripple, in the mind. It
distorts and colors the mental mirror. If you can restrain the mind from forming into
modifications, there will be no distortion, and you will experience your true Self." -
Sri Swami Satchidananda

Jnana Yoga:
Jnana in Sanskrit means "knowledge", and is often interpreted to mean "knowledge
of the true self". In the Vedanta school of the Hindu religion, to know Brahman as
one's own Self is jnana. To say, "I am Brahman, the pure, all-pervading
Consciousness, the non-enjoyer, non-doer and silent witness," is jnana. To behold
the one Self everywhere is jnana.
Jnana yoga is one of the four basic paths in yoga (jnana, bhakti, raja and karma.)

The Four Pillars of Life:

Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha are the four pillars of human life. Human life revolves
around these four areas. A person can be a Yogi (seeking union with the divine) in all
these four areas of life.
Dharma Kona (Jnana Yoga):
Here the Yogi focuses in his inward journey and seeks union with the creator through
self discovery. Knowledge becomes the medium through which this journey is
achieved.

In a Vedic Astrology chart, the First House is a Dharma Kona. The Karaka (the
signifactor) of the 1st. House is the Sun. The Sun is the Soul at a higher plane and
can also symbolize Human Ego at a lower plane.
Jupiter and Mercury get digbala (are in maximum strength) in this House. Jupiter
signifies knowledge and divinity in a horoscope and Mercury indicates the learning
ability of the soul.

Thus we may conclude that when the Soul immersed in ego (Sun) indulges in self
discovery with divine grace (Jupiter) and learns the lessons of life (Mercury) it
becomes dissociated with the individuality of the self and recognizes with the
vastness of the all-pervading Consciousness called God.

Artha Kona (Karma Yoga):

A Yogi in this area believes in attaining bliss through action. He is disciplined and the
least thing that bothers him/her is the result of his/her dedicated service. Action
becomes the medium through which this journey is achieved.

The Tenth House is the Artha Kona. The karaka for this house is the materialistic,
result-orientated and pragmatic Mercury.

However, Sun achieved digbala in this house. When the soul leaves the restricted
and discriminating domain of Mercury and moves to the righteous domain of the Sun
then only can a soul become truly a Karma Yogi.

Kama Kona (Bhakti Yoga):

A Bhakti Yogi is truly unique. This yogi aims to achieve the Lord by pure passion of
surrender. He/she is blind like a servant and his/her dedication and untainted
affection for the Lord is the medium for his/her attaining the goal.

The Seventh House is a Kama Kona. The karaka for this house is the sensual Venus.

Saturn gets digbala in this house. When the soul leaves the baser sensual needs of
union as signified by Venus and seeks union with the Lord as His servant (Saturn),
blind in faith and always ready to serve him then only can a soul become a Bhakti
Yogi.

Moksha Kona (Raja Yoga):

A Raja Yogi achieves his/her goal by control of the mind. It is this restraint of this
very mind that a Raja Yogi uses a medium to achieve the Supreme Power.

The Fourth House is a Moksha Kona. The karaka for this house is the emotional and
fickle Moon.

Venus gets digbala in this house. When the Asura Guru Shukra controls and
disciplines the mind signified by Moon then only can a true Yogi emerge in the House
of Moksha.

Refinement in Qualities of the Planets:

Something that is noteworthy is that for karakwatta (natural significator) I have
portrayed the lower and baser energy levels of a planet and while indicating digbala
condition I have denoted more refined qualities of the same planet.

This is interesting indeed. The “natural” significator denotes what a normal human
being would do in that area of life. This planet as the “natural” significator is the
expected to behave or create circumstances for the soul to behave in a particular
nature.
e.g. In the area of Kama, one’s normal behavior is to get sensual pleasures from the
union with the spouse. In Artha, one’s normal behavior is to gain wealth and be
result oriented.

As we know such natural behavior can never be indicative of a Yogi because a Yogi
breaks these boundaries and moves to the higher and more refined meanings of life
in these four areas.

This can be studied with the planets and their higher energies in the areas where
they achieve directional strength.

There can be many ways to view and explain this. One such way is that when the
self (Sun, 1st. House) is unattached in work (Sun, 10th. House), it expands to show
its refined qualities.

Some sample charts:

The function of Karakattwa is best understood in Navamsa chart.

Jnana Yogi
Ramana Maharshi
Date: December 30, 1879
Time: 1:00:00 am
Time Zone: 5:30:00 (East of GMT)
Place: 78 E 15' 00", 9 N 50' 00"
Pondicherry, India
Altitude: 0.00 meters
The Navamsa Lagna Lord Sun is aspected by Rasi Drishti by Mercury(learning of the
soul) and Graha Drishti by Jupiter (gain knowledge by will-power), both of which get
Digbala in Lagna. This makes this Sun which would otherwise have been very
outward and verbose in thoughts believe in the concept of “Mauna”. Raman Maharshi
believed that the soul knew all answers and it could only be revealed by self
discovery and knowledge.
We also see other Yogi yogas in D-9 like 4L Ketu aspected by Venus (Rasi Drishti)
yielding a secondary Raja Yogi as well.

Karma Yogi:
Lahiri Mahasya
Date: September 30, 1828
Time: 8:27:46
Time Zone: 5:30:00 (East of GMT)
Place: 87 E 05' 00", 26 N 28' 00"
We see a perfect Karma Yogi with 10L in 7H exalted and aspected by Sun. When
Lahiri Mahasaya wanted to renounce the world and join Babaji, Babaji told him that
he was required to stay in grihasta and set an example to the world of a perfect
Karma Yogi.
Kriya Yoga is known to the world today because of Lahiri Mahasaya.

Bhakti Yogi:
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Date: February 27, 1486
Time: 22:00:00
Time Zone: 5:56:00 (East of GMT)
Place: 88 E 56' 00", 23 N 24' 00"
Altitude: 0.00 meters
7L Mercury in 8th. House aspected by Saturn makes him a complete Bhakti Yogi.
Mercury, the 4L aspected by Venus makes him a Raja Yogi as well.

Raja Yogi:
Mahatma Gandhi
Date: October 2, 1869
Time: 7:20:00 am
Time Zone: 4:39:16 (East of GMT)
Place: 69 E 49' 00", 21 N 37' 00"
Altitude: 0.00 meters

A person perfectly in control of his mind and instincts, Gandhi had 4L Saturn and
Rahu aspected by a strong Venus making him a Raja Yogi. Sun as the 10L aspects
Moon (the mind), Jupiter (knowledge) and Rahu(desire) making him also a Karma
Yogi. Lagna Lord Mars in the 7H aspected by Mercury makes him a Jnana Yogi too.
Saturn aspects Venus (lord of 2nd. H) and makes him a Bhakti Yogi also.