Vedic Gemology

Vedic Gemology

I don't have the present focus to write on Vedic Gemology in depth, but this is some correspondance that went into many Vedic Gem concepts. The original mail was a person asking for advise on Vedic Gem wearing, and the reply was another's opinion. The present text is my additions to the reply. 

 

From: Freedom
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 10:37 PM
To: srijagannath@yahoogroups.com
Subject: FW: [SJC: Achyuta Gurukul] Re: Pls help - reg Gems

Hare Rama Krsna

 Definitely a good start, I wouldn't have tried. I have added my comments, not to be critical, but for clarification of using gemstones as a remedy.

-----Original Message-----
From: message
Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2004 1:11 PM
To: srijagannath@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [SJC: Achyuta Gurukul] Re: Pls help - reg Gems

Dear member,
I have encountered several different recommendations regarding the
wearing of gems. There seem to be different concepts about how the
gems work also. The first is that the gems strengthen the power of the graha that they represent. The second, different idea, is that they act to absorb negative rays of the graha that they represent (like a lightening rod).

Freedom: Yes, there are varying opinions and stories to back up both sides.

Message : The basic rules seem to be:
1) Wear the gem for the graha that is the current dasha lord, regardless of temporal malefic or benefic status. or

Freedom: No. This is very commonly done, but it is not the best way to go. The dasa is not causing the problems or blessings. The yogas exist within the chart already and are just activated by the dasa. Look for what is causing the blessings you are trying to strengthen or what is causing the problems you are trying to fix, work more deeply at that level. Don't just blindly go for the dasa lord, as some do. Look at what the dasa is activating and work with that to get best results.

Message: 2) Wear only the gem for the graha that is both a natural and temporal benefic, when weak, or when desired to strengthen the house, significations, or associated or aspected planets. In this method Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus are considered natural benefics.

Freedom: If we were only to use natural benefics then why did the rishis give us neelam, coral, cat's eye and gomed? Sometimes Saturn is waiting to give raj yoga, all you have to do is wear his gem. Look at what the graha is functionally doing in the chart.

Message: The there are additional rules followed by some regarding the finger to wear the gem on.
1) Wear on own or a friends finger.
Thumb - angustha - Kuja (Mars) or friend
Index - tarjani - Guru (Jupiter) or friend
Middle - madhyama - Sani (Saturn) or friend
Ring - anamika - Surya (Sun) or friend
Little - kanisthika - Buddha (Mercury) or friend

Fire-Water friends are: Sun, Moon, Mars, Jupiter
Earth-Air friends are: Saturn, Venus, Mercury

or

2) Wear on finger but not on first finger (tarjani) and use left to absorb (reduce) and right to project (increase). This is described by Sanjay Rath . (And aditionally you wear the gem on the finger matchingthe quality of the bhava it occupies: artha (middle), dharma (ring), kama (little), moksha (first).
Index - tarjani - none
Middle - madhyama - Rahu Buddha Ketu Sani Kuja
Ring - anamika - Surya Chandra Guru Shukra Ketu Kuja
Little - kanisthika - Chandra Rahu Buddha Sani

Freedom: Its best to stay safe unless you know what you are doing. To be 100 percent safe you can wear according to this, and never have a problem:
Index - tarjani - none
Middle - madhyama – Shukra Sani Rahu Ketu (as it is lorded by Sani)
Ring - anamika - Surya Chandra Guru Kuja (as it is lorded by Surya)
Little - kanisthika – Buddha (as it is lorded by Buddha)
Emerald can be worn on the middle finger or neelam on the kanithika when Sani and Buddha have a beneficial parivartana. Emerald can also be worn on the middle finger by yogis who wish to give flexibility to Saturn and have a well placed Mercury or Mercury in a Saturnian sign. Pearl can be worn on the kanithika when Moon is in Mercurial signs. In this way, switching fingers is to be done with clear intent regarding the individuals chart.

If the person is wearing 7 different stones, then you haven't helped them find what in their chart will uplift them yet.

The use of pokaraj (yellow sapphire) on the ring finger has a deep and fundamental meaning, much deeper than just the ego of the tarjani. It relates to how the Gyatri works. It is said that when the Sun is in trouble, Jupiter will help it out and when there are troubles with Jupiter the Sun will help him out. There is a working relationship between these two enlighteners. I would prefer not to enter into discussion on Gyatri as I am not qualfied, but will explain briefly, please look deeper into this your self. The basic Gyatri (Tat Savitor…) is related to the Sun but we add ‘Aum Bhur Bhuva Swaha' to the beginning. This is ‘Aum' (Jupiter) taking the three steps (like Vamanadev) to conquer the three worlds with AUM. AUM is established in our three lokas by Jupiter. Then the Sun can truly shine forth. In this way we wear the yellow sapphire on the ring finger.

Message: Also some astrologers recommend only natural unheated gems whereas others maintain that heated ruby is ok, and others that synthetic is ok, but not as strong.

Freedom: The Rishis give no opinion on this topic as humans weren't making synthetic stones back then. My belief is that a natural gem was created when it was the proper time. What if you have a synthetic or heated ruby that was made by greedy chemists with negative thoughts on their minds when the Sun was in Libra. Will that really be the same as nature: ) I would hope that one day such heating and synthesizing will be done by spiritual people chanting the correct mantras on an auspicious muhurta. Then we can truly test whether a synthetic or heated stone will compare to the Earth Mother's creation.

Message: In addition some recommend wearing any gem generally to increase the power of any bhava, but recommend wearing the lagna lord gem with it to counter bad effects. The dasha lord that you were born in is considered more favorable for you also.

Freedom: let people say what they want. Be a good astrologer and beware of overly simple rules. If you were born in the dasa of the worst malefic in your chart would you want to put on that gemstone to wear to your marriage, because someone said it is more favorable. Will the lagna always counter bad effects, wouldn't benefic aspects help more. For example, if the Moon is weak and in the 8 th house, you may not be able to wear a pearl but you can wear the stone of Jupiter if it is aspecting the Moon, this would uplift it. Look what is countering the bad effects in the chart. I wouldn't advise a stone if you need to worry about countering its bad effects. Gems are just one of many remedial measures that must be used at the appropriate time and according to each chart's own story. People shouldn't jump to a gemstone unless the chart is really calling out for it. There are mantras, pujas, donations, etc. that may be more appropriate and more powerful and more beneficial in the long term.

Message: There are a few books on the subject that I have read from which this material is collected, plus my own experience:
Vedic Remedies in Astrology by Sanjay Rath
The Astrology of the Seers by David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri)
(also his AVIS corespondence course)
The Healing Power of Gemstones by Harish Johari
Mantra, Yantra, and Fabulous Gems by Howard Beckman
and there is another that I've forgotten the name of (by Kapoor?).

The various opinions raises some interesting questions such as why is a navratna ok since it combines all gems breaking many combining rules. Also in ayurveda diamonds are considered the best for healing, according to Disease is increased by weak grahas and strengthening them should help, however it may additionally increase the power of the bhava to cause difficulties in the life.

Freedom: again, I will slightly repeat my gemstone theme, as I have written before. Really learn medical astrology well. See what is causing the illness and what in the chart will remove it; is the 4th house of cure weak, is it a strong malefic or a weak benefic creating havoc, is there karma to have mis-diagnosis that needs to be removed for the cure to come, will a benefic soon be transiting the cause of illness that will remove it if strengthened. Maybe the problem is based on the naksatra lord and that deity just needs propitiation.

Message: So although there are exceptions to every rule, the easiest rule I know is to use the gems for grahas that are both natural and temporal benefics that are also weak.

Freedom: I think there are too many exceptions to state this. Natural and Temporal benefics can still cause disease, badhak, ghataka, etc. And sometimes malefics are good and very important to strengthen.

Message: An example is for a Aries lagna: debilitated lagna lord Mars in Cancer (4th house) with Saturn aspect. Wear gem (red coral) for Mars. (Since this is a moksha house, some would not recommend this.)

Freedom: I'll say ok to that, red coral will strengthen the lagna and protect the health, but that depends on the Moon and other 4th house karakas. You could afflict the 4th house and the Moon. The person's mother could fall sick, or get really angry, or land disputes may arise, or education could have some new problems, etc. Maybe if the Moon was well placed it would be better to wear a pearl to uplift Mars in a more harmonious manner. Again if Jupiter was aspecting, this could also be a beneficial way to uplift Mars.

Message: Pisces lagna lord Jupiter in 8th house. Wear a gem for Jupiter (Y. Sapphire).

Freedom: Jupiter is the auspicious lagna lord. From the 8th house he has drishti on the 12th, 3rd and 6th. Would increasing him this way be giving much, (depends on the situation of the chart). Jupiter's exaltation is cancer in the 5th house of mantra. That means he'll be very pleased to be uplifted with mantra, with the right Guru mantra the person will feel exalted.

Message: For Gemini, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Pisces, the lagna lord is neutral, and for Taurus negative. But when weak it may give health and general prosperity problems anyway. Also a weak Sun and Moon cause general problems so it may be better to strengthen them even when malific. Mantras are considered safe in all cases.

Freedom: Yes, someone once told me mantras were the safe way to go. I think they forgot to mention, safe mantras are the safe way to go. Once I wanted to get rid of the negative effects of a Rahu dasa and so I did a simple Chinnamasta mantra. In my chart, Rahu is matrikaraka and when I began the mantra my relation to my Mother went from good to terrible overnight. I stopped the mantra and went to a Durga mantra instead, that proved much better. I saw an SJC student, with an ill placed Sun, get Agni Gyatri and start having one accident after the other, till he was told to stop. Safe mantras are safe in all cases.  

Namah Sivaya