Mars and Self-Reliance

Human Values and Astrology
Value: Dharma Sub-value: Self-reliance
Planet (graha) Mars (Kuja, Mangal, Angarakaya)

Deity Mars - Kuja

Angaraka stotram
(Prayer to planet Mars)

Angaraka shakthidaro lohithango darasutha,
Kumaro mangalo bhoumo maha kayo dana pradha.

He who is like an ember, who holds a shakthi,
He who has red limbs, He who is the son of earth,
He who is young, he who does good,
He who has a gross body, He who gives wealth,

Runahartha drushti kartha roga kruth roga nasana,
Vidhyuth prabho vrunakara kamadho dana hruth kuja.

He who removes debts, he who looks at you,
He who causes disease, He who destroys diseases,
He who is as powerful as current, He who causes wounds,
He who fulfills desires, He who gives money and is Kuja,

Samagana priyo raktha vasthrorakthayathekshana,
Lohitho raktha varnamcha sarva karmava bodhaka.

He who likes to hear Sama, he who wears red cloths,
He who has blood red eyes, he who is reddish,
He who is of the colour of blood,
He who teaches us all duties,

Rakthamalyadaro hemakundali gruha nayaka,
Namanyethani bhoumasya ya padeth sathatham nara.

He who wears a red garland, he who wears golden ear studs,
He who is the lord of the planets,
For him who reads all these names of the son of earth,

Runam thasya cha dourbhagyam daridryam cha vinasyathi,
Danam prapnothi vipulam sthriyam chaiva manoramam.

Would get rid of all his debts, bad luck, poverty,
Would get wealth, get many wives who are pretty,

Vamsodhyothakaram puthram labhathe nathra samsaya,

And without any doubt beget sons,
Who would improve the stature of the family.

Yea archyedahni bhoumasya Mangalam bahu pushpakai,
Sarva nasyathi peeda cha thasya gruhakrutha druvam.

To those who worship with great many flowers,
Mars the do-gooder and the son of Goddess Earth,
All problems created by that planet will surely vanish.


 

The planet Mars in Hindu mythology is the son of the goddess earth. He was born of the three drops of sweat of Lord Shiva which fell on the earth. The earth goddess was requested to bring him up and thus became his mother. Hence, he is called bhumi putra, Son of the Earth-Mother.

Planet Mars

An accomplished speaker, Mars is a warrior, of the Kshatriya caste; as a warrior he sometimes causes conflagration and injury. He has a pita constitution (fire); blood-red is his colour, overflowing with power and strength, he wears red clothes. He rules muscles and bone marrow, his day is Tuesday, and of the signs he is ruler of Aries and Scorpio. His metal is copper and his gem is coral. He is called Disease-Eater, Wound-Causer, the Twisted, the Auspicious, Born-from-Earth, Cruel-eyed and Red-limbed One.

Mars is the planet of energy; Mars rules our capacity to project emotion; Mars is emotional excitability which may turn to violence on occasion. Mars is the planet of power, strength, courage and aggression. A strong Mars provides us with the energy, independence, will and self-confidence to carry out our endeavours.

Mars is the secret flame hidden in matter. This secret energy demands manifestation in material form. Mars can also bring out negativity and the dark side of Earth’s energy, the primordial powers, the abyss of tsunami, earthquake, typhoon; the return of prakriti (nature) to raw chaos.

 

 Mars has polar caps like the Earth, although they contain mostly frozen carbon dioxide, also known as ‘dry ice.’ The atmosphere on Mars is 95.3% carbon dioxide, and is so thin that water can only exist as vapour or ice.

Human Values

Our values are our principles, our guides to action. Values are our internal codes of conduct, the principles upon which we run our lives and make our decisions. Our values are first given to us by our parents. These values develop, expand and are tested in experience. Other people impress their values upon us. We may take on the values of people we admire, such as our peers, our teachers, or elders in the community. Our moral values are often gleaned from our faith system that we follow. The practice of human values also includes self-knowledge. This points to an important principle – that of self-inquiry. Up to 70% of our time should be spent in self-inquiry. Without knowing the self, one cannot reach the goal of life.

Our values often include universal principles such as truthfulness, peace, love, right conduct and non-violence. These principles are often essential for our personal and social survival. In our observation, when we reverse the order of perception, we can often work out what values are active and guiding a situation or an event or a reaction (our own – or – someone else’s) when we analyse the motives of either ourselves or others. We keep in mind that behaviour reveals choices – choices are based on our values. Our values guide our actions.

Dharma is the eternal order, the basis of the Universe, for everything in the universe follows its proper dharma, its order, its righteousness, its right action. Dharma can be spotted in a single act; it is based on truth and cannot be proven to exist externally. Dharma is known by its consequences, the state of life it creates, the feelings and inner quality of life experienced when one is following dharma. Dharma subdues egoism, conquers desire and does not regard the body as the true self. Dharma – right conduct – righteousness – right behaviour – follows the canons of good nature, does not offend propriety. It respects the dictates of conscience.

When we follow dharma we act in congruity with the innate nature of humanity. Humans are hard-wired to seek the truth, to act in their own best interests which exhibits right mindfulness, aptness, consonance and fitness of action as human endeavour. There is an inherent pertinence, relevance and suitability of action, behaviour, words that expresses true humanness: dharma, right conduct. Dharma never offends the canons of propriety – that is – propriety as rightness, propriety as suitableness, propriety as towardliness, propriety as consistent with human nature.

In nature, it is the dharma of rain to fall on everything alike and to provide moisture and water for growth. It is the dharma or right conduct of birds to fly, nest and feed their young. It is the dharma of fish to live in water and to spawn its eggs into water; few (if any) fish can survive on land. An individual’s dharma must be fulfilled by adherence to the duties and obligations relating to each person’s inherent nature, profession, status and stage of life as laid down by the ancient lawgivers. Dharma sustains the world. It is not only divinely ordained but part of divinity itself: ‘Dharayati iti dharma‘ – that which sustains is dharma.

Mars and Self-reliance

Mars expresses the capacity for inner righteousness – dharma – as self-reliance, as an expression of inner righteousness. We need to distinguish self reliance as an action founded on dharma – right conduct, and not an attitude, which can lead to any kind of result – a result that may or may not express true humanness. So we need to clarify self-reliance as a sub-value of dharma.

Self-reliance is an indication of inner volition or will. Self reliance expresses firmness, stability, stability and mastery over the ego or lesser self. In this wise, self-reliance is expressed by self-control, self-command, self-possession and self-reliance. These are shown as delay of gratification, self-denial in the light of moral courage and moral strength.

Self-reliance (as value, not attitude) is an expression of the inner self, and embodies elements of courage, stability, determination and firmness of purpose. However, self reliance is not,

  • not desperation;
  • not heroic measures
  • not attention seeking behaviour
  • not extremes of physical effort
  • not taking up activity under any kind of pressure – including pressure from peers
  • not rushing into things
  • not taking of risks

By way of expressing what something is not, we can know the thoughts, words and actions proper to self-reliance. Self reliance expresses itself as steadiness, confidence, stability and a self-mastery proper to the situation and the needs of the time and place. It is never supremely confident of its skill and ability, but rather, has an element of humility in action which expresses that true humanness found in all actions which express the eternal order of the universe we live in.

 

 

 

Loading

CC BY-NC 4.0