Human Values and Astrology
Value: Dharma Sub-value: Modesty
Planet (graha) Venus (Shukra)
Mrunala kundendu payoja suprabham,
Peethambaram, prasrutha maksha malinam,
Samastha sasthrartha vidhim mahantham,
Dhyayeth kavim vanchitha maartha sidhaye.
All desires would get fulfilled by meditating on that poet,
Who shines like the white lotus born out of the sea,
Who wears yellow silks, who is known to wear garland of beads,
And who is a very great individual knowing the meaning of all sasthras.
Om Siro may Bhargava pathu, Baalam pathu grahadhipa,
Nethre daithya guru pathu, srothre may chandana dyuthi.
Let the son of Brugu protect my head,
Let the lord of planets protect my hair,
Let the teacher of asuras protect my eyes,
And let my ears be protected by
He who is lustrous like sandal wood.
Pathu may nasikaam kavyo, vadanam daithya vanditha,
Vachanam chosna pathu , kandam sri kanda bhakthiman.
Let the writer of epics protect my nose,
Let my face be protected by he who is worshipped by asuras,
Let my words be protected by the hungry one,
And let my neck be protected by the great devotee of Vishnu.
Bhujou thejo nidhi pathu, kukshim pathu mano vraja,
Nabhim braghu sutha pathu, madhyam pathu mahee priya.
Let my hand be protected by the treasure of light,
Let my belly be protected by him who is the choice of my mind,
Let my stomach be protected by son of Brughu,
And let my middle be protected by the darling of earth.
Katim may pathu viswathma, ooru may sura poojitha,
Janum jadya hara pathu, jange jnana vatham vara.
Let my hip be protected by soul of the universe,
Let my thigh be protected by him who is worshipped by devas,
Let my knees be protected by enemy of sluggishness,
And let my calf be protected by he who is great among knowledgeable.
Gulphou guna nidhi pathu, pathu padhou varam bhara,
Sarvanyangani may pathu,swarna mala parishkrutha.
Let my ankle be protected by treasure of goodness,
Let my feet be protected by he who grants boons,
And let all my limbs be protected by he who wears golden garland.
Ya idham kavacham patathi sradhyanwitha,
Na thasya jayathe peeda, bhargavasya prasadatha.
He who reads this armour with devotion,
Will never get any problems by the grace of son of Brugu.
Idhi Brahmanda purane Shukra kavacham sampoornam.
(Thus ends the armour of Venus occurring in Brahmanda Purana)
Planet Venus
Some folks like to say that Venus is the sex drive, the motivating influence that makes us desire sexual satisfaction, nay, satiation. Some say Venus simply represents sex, sex, sex. Venus is a planet, and the planets can raise us up, and pull us down. It is up to the human to decide how to take up the powers within. There are many powers within the human granted by the planets that humans are ignorant of – but this is a discussion for another day. Venus is the power of charm and grace, charisma and energy. How do we take these energies up in a balanced manner an fashion instead of having sex in the rubbish tips like animals? Venus is much more than passion, the pleasures of the bedroom, the harem and so forth. Venus is that Planet which helps us to maintain balance and seek divinity in the ordinary, everyday life of immersion in maya and materialism.
Venus has an important role in materialising the spiritual essence of the human being as well as in spiritualising and giving eternal life to the spiritually-infused essence of matter. So the influence of Venus is great on both types of the human being; it is important for the men of the world still involved in matter for giving them the worldly pleasures and personal psychological satisfaction while for the men aspiring after spiritual immortality it imparts the secret of immortality. Venus shows us how to find the Divine while we are immersed in the world. Venus is also important in our decision making processes.
When people engage in a decision making process, there is the gathering of data, the logical analysis of that data, the application of values and feelings to the data and the consideration of the impact outreach of that decision on others. Venus uses values, what is called the “feeling function” in analysis and making of decisions. This is often overlooked in the evaluation of the role and function of Venus in the life of those who have a prominent Venus in their charts.
exploration has revealed much more about the physical planet we call Venus
Human Values
The values we possess are guides to action we undertake. Values are our internal codes of conduct, the principles upon which we base 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. Values are tested in action and obtain greater dimensionality and effect when we interact with other people. These people can be role models, or they may be people we clash with. We are continually tested with our choices for action and inner reaction. Human values leave us with inner peace, not inner disturbance.
Human values give us a bedrock against which we may evaluate situations, propositions, events and experience. We have something to fall back on when we engage in the practice of living with human values.
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 sourced from our faith. We also obtain moral values from the society and culture we engage with. 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. If we do not know our inner self, then our lives will be spent in reaction to outer phenomena; we will be trapped in maya, illusion, and reacting to what the world presents to us.
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 progress. In our observation, when we reverse the order of perception, we can often work out what values are active and driving a situation or an event or a reaction (our own)(someone else’s) when we analyse the motives of either ourselves or others. We keep in mind that behaviour reveals choices – and that 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. It is the dharma of an orange to taste as an orange and give Vitamin C; it is not the dharma of oranges to taste like watermelons and give so many seeds. 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 fire to radiate heat; it is not the dharma of fire to radiate moisture on its own account. 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. Dharma protects those who uphold dharma. ‘dharmo rakshati rakshitaah‘ – Dharma protects those who protect it.
Venus and Human Values
In planetary lore, Venus is a guru along with planet Jupiter. Venus disposes intelligence, for he is astute Brahmin, expert in the sastras and associated learning and is teacher of the asuras (lower demonic forces). To be teacher of the lower demonic forces places a seed within which enables aspiration and the seeking of divinity in all things. All men and women ever seek peace and a resting place from the trials of the world, and Venus can provide this. He also provides the means for such repose with sacred teachings about the body, and grounded spiritual experiences of the body. There are multiple intelligences—kinaesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence, interpersonal intelligence which we apply to the domains of our life, the intellectual, personal, emotional, social and spiritual domains. Venus is the source of these multiple intelligences which reside within us as energy expressed as learning, skills, musical appreciation and poetic expressions of Truth, Goodness and Beauty. As a guide to action, Venus can lead one on to much graciousness and beauty in life.
Venus and Modesty
Within the ambit of modesty we find decorum, decency, chastity and purity of thoughts, words and actions. Modesty also scopes to include self-management. The essence of modesty is freedom from excess or exaggeration; it is unpretentious, unobtrusive, exercises constraint in behaviour, representation and retinue; retinue as in the energy left in its wake. Such energy expresses both nobility and refined good taste and manners.
Modesty has the overtones of chastity; traditionally a womanly propriety of behaviour; with scrupulous chastity of thought, speech and action. In this day and age, this applies to people of all gender and is not only the burden of womanly propriety only, hence, in men or women. Unity of thought, speech or action is the triple purity that renders a state of integrity in the person.
When we look to integrity, we find propriety in manners and conduct. Decorum has in its train orderly behaviour and circumstances, moderation, a lack of excess indicating self-respect, self-restraint and self-control. Decorum is free from presumption, ostentation, and arrogance. Decorum is never demanding, never expecting, always reticent. Decorum in attitude and behaviour is proper modesty that elicits honour and respect.
There is an energy and dynamism in modesty which brings one to the present moment. Modesty is not harking back to the past, nor is it a future state; when one engages with modesty one is in the present. This is a strength of modesty, a form of protection afforded by dharma that elicits self-awareness in the present moment. Not past, not future but present, in the moment of now.
In this wise, modesty as a human value – sub value of dharma – is an energy that grants protection from the demands of ego. It inhibits selfish behaviour and frees up energy to manage the senses, manage the mind, and engage in being present to the moment of now with a humility and moderate estimate of one’s own abilities and merits. Venus as karaka of modesty rules inspiration, refined emotions, imagination, and renewal of life and spirit. Venus and modesty are about inner and outer balance and the balanced life.
View of Venus from the South Pole of this planet.
