----- Original Message -----

From: Goloka Chandra dasa

To: Planets9Today@... ; transitTracker@yahoogroups.com

Cc: imnc@yahoogroups.com ; imnews@yahoogroups.com ; SJMKL

Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 3:43 PM

Subject: [Planets9Today] Eclipse alert: Universal terrorist Rahu to attack the Sun god tomorrow 04DEC2002

Tomorrow, 04DEC2002 UT, the terrorist demon called Rahu will launch an attack on the Sun god and the conflict will black out the Sun for several minutes on 0.14% of the Earth's surface in a phenomenon described as a total solar eclipse.

 

As during the last total solar eclipse of 21JUN2001, the blackout will again occur in the Southern Hemisphere sweeping through a 12,000km arc from southern Africa to southern Australia over a duration of 3 hours and 21 minutes - from 05:50 to 09:11 UT (Universal Time).

 

Rahu's attack may seem astounding to those who have assumed a solar eclipse to be merely the Moon blocking the Sun and a lunar eclipse to be Earth's shadow falling on the Moon. The Vedic texts, which include some the oldest astronomical treatises, do not contradict with the above understanding. However they also reveal a lesser-known behind-the-scene dimension to the phenomenon - that of Rahu or Ketu creeping up on the Sun or the Moon.

 

It can be shown by astronomical calculations that Rahu or his accomplice Ketu will be in close proximity longitudinally to the Sun or the Moon at every eclipse. Modern astronomers have no idea of of the existence of these two planets, described in Vedic Astrology texts as "invisible", but they do recognise mathematical points which correspond to their positions - the ascending and descending nodes of the Moon. About two or three times a year, the Sun and Moon each travel near the danger zone of Rahu or Ketu. The universal terrorists, true to their demoniac nature, seize the opportunity to attack.

 

The enmity between these demons and the Sun and the Moon stretches back into Puranic history, interwoven into a wonderful pastime of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Although we have narrated this episode a few times before, Lord Krishna's pastimes can be relished again and again. So here it is, straight from the topmost Vedic scripture - the Srimad Bhagavatam:

 

In days of yore, the demigods headed by Indra, the king of heaven (upper planetary systems), made a pact with the demons of the lower planetary systems headed by Bali Maharaja to achieve a goal that could only be realised by their combined strengths. The objective - to churn the celestial Ocean of Milk for amrita or nectar of immortality.

 

They worked together in mutual co-operation to bring out the nectar. When the nectar finally came out, a fight broke out between the demigods and demons over the rights to it. The demons grabbed the container of nectar and fought among themselves over who gets to drink it first. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, immediately appeared on the scene in the guise of a seductive temptress called Mohini to beguile the senses of the demons and trick them out of the nectar.

 

Enchanted by the beauty of Mohini, the lusty demons handed over the nectar to Her, hoping to enjoy it with Her after She had dispensed with the demigods quickly. Mohini seated everyone in two lines - one comprising the demigods and the other the demons. She talked sweetly to the demons, that She would come to them after distributing some of the nectar to the demigods. Then She walked down the other line and started giving it all away to the demigods.

 

While the demons waited in anticipation for Her return, Rahu alone among them caught on to what was really going on. Quickly he disquised himself as a demigod and joined their ranks, seating himself between the Sun god (Lord Surya) and the Moon god (Lord Chandra), and received a share of the nectar.

 

While Rahu was about to drink the nectar, the Sun god and the Moon god realised that an imposter was in their midst and alerted Mohini. She instantly summoned the weapon of Vishnu, the Sudarshana chakra (disc) and released it to severe Rahu's head from his body - just as the nectar entered his mouth. While the body fell off (and later transformed into Ketu), Rahu's head became immortal, having been touched by nectar.

 

The demons have still not forgiven the celestial luminaries for exposing them. Tomorrow they will be out to wreak vengeance again.

 

No doubt the Sun god will survive this attack, as he has the previous ones. He is protected by the Supreme Lord. This is nicely explained by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.24.3. "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu, is always the protector of His devotees, who are also known as demigods. The controlling demigods are most obedient to Lord Vishnu, although they also want material sense enjoyment, and that is why they are called demigods, or almost godly. Although Rahu attempts to attack both the Sun and the Moon, they are protected by Lord Vishnu. Being very afraid of Lord Vishnu's chakra, Rahu cannot stay in front of the Sun or Moon for more than a muhurta (about forty-eight minutes). The phenomenon that occurs when Rahu blocks the light of the Sun or Moon is called an eclipse."

 

Total eclipses are almost always harbingers of war and disaster, especially for the areas afflicted by the blackout. In muhurtha (science of timing), an eclipse is considered inauspicious for most events. For marriage timings, the constellation where an eclipse occurs (in this case, Jyeshta nakshatra) is to be avoided for six months.

 

The fallout of Rahu's  or Ketu's attack on the Sun or the Moon will immediately contaminate the atmosphere. Avoid cooking, drinking, eating, evacuating, sleeping or mating for the duration of the eclipse. Determine it by converting the given universal time to your local time zone. For example, 05:50 - 09:11 UT will correspond to 13:50 - 17:11 local time for Malaysia, Singapore, Perth, Hong Kong and China (who are all on the same timezone 8 hours East of Greenwich).

 

You may eat or evacuate before or after the given time period. Pregnant women should stay indoors. They should not handle the knife, scissors, needle or sharp metallic instruments during this time, otherwise the foetus they are carrying may be afflicted with hare-lips or other defects.

Certainly, nobody should look at the Sun directly, lest they go blind.

 

The best thing to do during this period is to purify oneself by bathing in a holy river (if you are fortunate enough to have access to one) and/or chanting the Holy Names of God. This is also an excellent time to give charity to worthy causes. The best of causes is of course a God-conscious one.

 

 

Regards,

Goloka Candra dasa

http://PLANETS9.com

 

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