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Telling the Future by Shells - Keral's unique form of astrological prediction
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Jun 25, 2013, 2:44:54 PM6/25/13
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Telling the Future by Shells
Kerala's unique form of astrological prediction
By Vrindavanam S. Gopalakrishnan
Hinduism Today Magazine
hinduismtoday.com
August 1998
Kerala - Jyotish Surendran is in the 19th generation of a
family of astrologers who trace their origins to 1237 CE
and the arrival of Guru Bhattathiri in the small town of
Pazhoor Padipura, Kerala. Surendran is a practitioner of
a specialized form of astrology, apparently founded by
Bhattathiri and unique to this area of Kerala, which uses
108 shells to give advice and predict the future. Each
morning Surendran does three hours of pooja worship to
Lord Ganesha nd to Guru Bhattathiri, whose samadhi shrine
(burial tomb) is within the compound. "Only after
invoking his blessings will I begin my practice,"
Surendran explained to Hinduism Today. "There are over
4,000 books on astrology," he said, "but one may not
become a complete astrologer without support from the
divine power."
He follows the divination system called Ashtamangalay
Prashnam, which uses 108 small conch shells specially
selected, cleaned and sanctified. After reciting mantras,
the shells are mixed and the first part, gan(n)it, or
calculations, begins. Some are picked up and kept
separately. They are divided into different parts of four
each, and the balance determines the zodiacal position of
the visitor. According to P. R. Krishnakumar of
Coimbatore, a prominent businessman and ardent follower
of the system, the selection of the shells is used in
conjunction with the position of the planets at the
moment the person arrives (which, used alone, is the
system of divination called hora). Other supplementary
methods, he says, include reading of betel leaves,
observation of an oil lamp and the drawing of the
astrological chart's outline (rashichakr) by the client.
The birth chart of the person is not required.
The astrologer begins his reading. As the person confirms
the information divined, the phalabagra, predictions and
remedies, are recommended. A group of astrologers
consulting together can unravel complex problems. In the
past, says Surendran, all the problems of a family, such
as illness, wealth, and life expectancy, were revealed by
this method in sessions that could last for days.
However, with the advent of modernism, such a thorough
guidance from the shells is today almost nonexistent, he
said.
"At least 70 percent of my visitors, numbering around 15
daily except on Saturday, are Christians," Surendran
said. Even parish priests come with problems faced by the
churches - following the example of Hindu temple managers
who consult Surendran and fellow astrologers for advice.
Ten percent of his clients are Muslims. Hindus, who are
supposed to be the believers in this Vedic system, are by
and large moving away from it. The Christians, who do not
openly admit its accuracy and brand it as superstition,
privately embrace it. One famous astrologer in
Chengannur, Mohanan Namboothiri, said, "As the Christians
become rich, they are more and more becoming the ardent
believers of astrology. It has been proved that when they
commenced their ventures at the time as suggested by me,
their business flourished." O. A. Thomas, a Christian now
working in the Gulf States said, "My marriage, securing
an overseas job and other important events were predicted
by Surendran with 99 percent accuracy."
Remedies to overcome bad times usually require worship of
Lord Shiv. Thomas explained that since it would be
difficult for the Christians to do so, they were advised
to worship St. George (patron saint of England, slayer of
the dragon), keeping in mind Lord Shiv. Alternatively,
reports Surendran, the Christians will have a Hindu
friend do the offerings on their behalf in a Hindu
temple.
Even a little-known astrologer can earn an income of
several thousand rupees a month, while those of some
renown can earn that in a day. The new residential house
of Mr. Surendran which I toured is certainly a clear
indication of his earnings. His old house, which has been
the center of astrology for several centuries, is going
to be transformed into a museum.
Among the various methods of astrological analysis,
Surendran believes the conch shell divination to be the
best, be it to ascertain a family problem, a temple
problem or even that of a church.
More at:
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=4658
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
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o Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used
for the educational purposes of research and open
discussion. The contents of this post may not have been
authored by, and do not necessarily represent the opinion
of the poster. The contents are protected by copyright
law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
o If you send private e-mail to me, it will likely
not be read, considered or answered if it does not
contain your full legal name, current e-mail and postal
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o Posted for information and discussion. Views
expressed by others are not necessarily those of the
poster who may or may not have read the article.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This article may contain copyrighted
material the use of which may or may not have been
specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This
material is being made available in efforts to advance
the understanding of environmental, political, human
rights, economic, democratic, scientific, social, and
cultural, etc., issues. It is believed that this
constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material
as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the
material on this site is distributed without profit to
those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving
the included information for research, comment,
discussion and educational purposes by subscribing to
USENET newsgroups or visiting web sites. For more
information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this article
for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you
must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Since newsgroup posts are being removed by forgery by one
or more net terrorists, this post may be reposted several
times.
Kerala's unique form of astrological prediction
By Vrindavanam S. Gopalakrishnan
Hinduism Today Magazine
hinduismtoday.com
August 1998
Kerala - Jyotish Surendran is in the 19th generation of a
family of astrologers who trace their origins to 1237 CE
and the arrival of Guru Bhattathiri in the small town of
Pazhoor Padipura, Kerala. Surendran is a practitioner of
a specialized form of astrology, apparently founded by
Bhattathiri and unique to this area of Kerala, which uses
108 shells to give advice and predict the future. Each
morning Surendran does three hours of pooja worship to
Lord Ganesha nd to Guru Bhattathiri, whose samadhi shrine
(burial tomb) is within the compound. "Only after
invoking his blessings will I begin my practice,"
Surendran explained to Hinduism Today. "There are over
4,000 books on astrology," he said, "but one may not
become a complete astrologer without support from the
divine power."
He follows the divination system called Ashtamangalay
Prashnam, which uses 108 small conch shells specially
selected, cleaned and sanctified. After reciting mantras,
the shells are mixed and the first part, gan(n)it, or
calculations, begins. Some are picked up and kept
separately. They are divided into different parts of four
each, and the balance determines the zodiacal position of
the visitor. According to P. R. Krishnakumar of
Coimbatore, a prominent businessman and ardent follower
of the system, the selection of the shells is used in
conjunction with the position of the planets at the
moment the person arrives (which, used alone, is the
system of divination called hora). Other supplementary
methods, he says, include reading of betel leaves,
observation of an oil lamp and the drawing of the
astrological chart's outline (rashichakr) by the client.
The birth chart of the person is not required.
The astrologer begins his reading. As the person confirms
the information divined, the phalabagra, predictions and
remedies, are recommended. A group of astrologers
consulting together can unravel complex problems. In the
past, says Surendran, all the problems of a family, such
as illness, wealth, and life expectancy, were revealed by
this method in sessions that could last for days.
However, with the advent of modernism, such a thorough
guidance from the shells is today almost nonexistent, he
said.
"At least 70 percent of my visitors, numbering around 15
daily except on Saturday, are Christians," Surendran
said. Even parish priests come with problems faced by the
churches - following the example of Hindu temple managers
who consult Surendran and fellow astrologers for advice.
Ten percent of his clients are Muslims. Hindus, who are
supposed to be the believers in this Vedic system, are by
and large moving away from it. The Christians, who do not
openly admit its accuracy and brand it as superstition,
privately embrace it. One famous astrologer in
Chengannur, Mohanan Namboothiri, said, "As the Christians
become rich, they are more and more becoming the ardent
believers of astrology. It has been proved that when they
commenced their ventures at the time as suggested by me,
their business flourished." O. A. Thomas, a Christian now
working in the Gulf States said, "My marriage, securing
an overseas job and other important events were predicted
by Surendran with 99 percent accuracy."
Remedies to overcome bad times usually require worship of
Lord Shiv. Thomas explained that since it would be
difficult for the Christians to do so, they were advised
to worship St. George (patron saint of England, slayer of
the dragon), keeping in mind Lord Shiv. Alternatively,
reports Surendran, the Christians will have a Hindu
friend do the offerings on their behalf in a Hindu
temple.
Even a little-known astrologer can earn an income of
several thousand rupees a month, while those of some
renown can earn that in a day. The new residential house
of Mr. Surendran which I toured is certainly a clear
indication of his earnings. His old house, which has been
the center of astrology for several centuries, is going
to be transformed into a museum.
Among the various methods of astrological analysis,
Surendran believes the conch shell divination to be the
best, be it to ascertain a family problem, a temple
problem or even that of a church.
More at:
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=4658
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
o o o
o Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used
for the educational purposes of research and open
discussion. The contents of this post may not have been
authored by, and do not necessarily represent the opinion
of the poster. The contents are protected by copyright
law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
o If you send private e-mail to me, it will likely
not be read, considered or answered if it does not
contain your full legal name, current e-mail and postal
addresses, and live-voice telephone number.
o Posted for information and discussion. Views
expressed by others are not necessarily those of the
poster who may or may not have read the article.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This article may contain copyrighted
material the use of which may or may not have been
specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This
material is being made available in efforts to advance
the understanding of environmental, political, human
rights, economic, democratic, scientific, social, and
cultural, etc., issues. It is believed that this
constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material
as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the
material on this site is distributed without profit to
those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving
the included information for research, comment,
discussion and educational purposes by subscribing to
USENET newsgroups or visiting web sites. For more
information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this article
for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you
must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Since newsgroup posts are being removed by forgery by one
or more net terrorists, this post may be reposted several
times.
chickenfarmer
Jun 25, 2013, 7:51:24 PM6/25/13
to
It works better with chicken entrails. It will be correct 50 percent of
the time, just as a broken clock is right twice a day. It is no better
then just guessing.
When the core truth claim that sky patterns have a profound effect on human
affairs is tested; it fails, every one is a failure.
With such an absolute failure of the core truth claim, any house of cards
built upon it comes tumbling down every time too.
Hari kumar
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