It was a short journey and my first to Ujjain in Central India. The city of time itself. I was almost strolling when on the ghats of Shipra river I met a sage sitting alone but not alone. He looked strangely wild and attractive, focused. He was arranging his stones, picking them carefully as if they were beings and putting them in an unusual order, only after looking for many a seconds towards the sky. Curious, i had many questions to ask. And i did. This conversation was recorded thus and is presented like every story must.
Also read: Turiya and Ramakrishna: Who are you?
Q. What is your name?
A. Narayan.
Waah, Narayan! okay Narayan, Listen carefully. I will start from the start.
Vedas, India’s four ancient sacred book-length accumulations of living wisdom. The oldest literature in the history of mankind. Since the last standardisation of the vedas, dozens of centuries ago, these hymns have been flawlessly preserved, syllable for syllable and word for word, by their priestly keepers.
The hymns of the vedas were not composed by humans; they were perceived, or ‘seen,’ as embodiments of reality by inspired seers known as rishis. India has taught from time immemorial that the only true thing that exists in the universe, the ‘thing’ which is present before creation, animates all created beings so long as the cosmos exists, and remains after the end of the manifested universe, is that homogenous spirit which is beyond time, space and causation.
Also read: A Brief History of Ancient Temples in India: The Secrets are in the conversation- ३
The Vedic hymns are inspired expressions of this absolute reality as ‘seen’ by the rishis, and from these vedas all of India’s Vidyas(forms of living wisdom, Including Ayurveda and Jyotish) have sprung. Each Vidya is a goddess, a muse who must be patiently and tirelessly worshipped until a personal relationship between the student and the Vidya develops, a mutual relationship in which the one possesses the other. Then slowly the veil lifts and the understanding becomes clear. Only when you are possessed by the muse can you possess the wisdom.
Most of us know that the nine planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto – circle our sun. Though it is true that from the sun’s point of view that the earth is moving around the sun; but it is also true from the Earth’s point of view, from what we see in the sky, that the sun moves around the earth.
each of these planets rules one of the days of the week:
Sunday = ruled by the sun
Monday = ruled by the moon
Tuesday = rules by Mars
Wednesday = ruled by Mercury
Thursday = ruled by Jupiter
Friday = ruled by Venus
Saturday = ruled by Saturn
Also read: Why Delhi is the capital of India?
Though the seven day week may or may not have been used in Vedic times in India, at some point it was cordially welcomed into Jyotish. Seven being numerologically important(seven notes of musical scale, seven colors in a rainbow, and Revelation’s seven Seals. Among other significations), seven planets suffice astrologers for centuries. Then at least 1500 years ago, two new heavenly bodies were palletised in India, one after another. These were Rahu and Ketu, the two lunar nodes, which are the points in the sky where the plane of the moon’s orbit around earth and the plane of the ecliptic (the plane of the earth’s orbit around sun) intersect.
Though they are neither visible nor corporeal, these nodes, which are the points where eclipses occur, influence us on earth nonetheless. The addition of Rahu and Ketu raised the number of planets to nine: the seven colours of the rainbow, sandwiched between the invisible-to-the-human-eye infrared and ultra violet. Nine being also the number of single digit integers in our base 10 calculating system, the nine planets represent, in numerological terms, the totality of possibilities in our universe.
Also read: What are the Five Ancients Secrets of Yogic Wellness?
Over the course of centuries Indian astrologers have learned that, mythologically, the greatest, the most powerful, and the most dangerous of all the nine planets is Saturn.
It was at this point the battery of my voice recorder discharges, but he kept on speaking without any knowledge of it and he entered into a space where it took the form of a story. Because Saturn is most happy when there is a story to be passed on. Why then for a healthy life stories must be told, I learnt that day and we shall soon talk about it in another post.
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Thank you.
If today is the first time you have arrived on The Road to Nara, you are heartily welcome ~ Namaste
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I will take this opportunity to introduce you to About me and importantly;
As a co-traveller, my Ten Learnings from several years on the road, before you coarse on your own Road to Nara.
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Also, You will be happy to know about My Little School Project. If you wish to come over for a visit someday that you must, you will be heartily welcomed here
If you would like to contribute to my travels, you can please do so here
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If you have anything to share, or feel like saying a hello, feel free to write to me at nara@road-to-nara.com
To visit other long-term photographic works, please visit here.
To follow my walks through the rural Indian Subcontinent, find me at
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ROAD TO NARA 
I find this fascinating. If we could take the time to observe our universe without the constant need to change, to conquer, how much better things could be. We need this wisdom. Thank you, Nara, once again.
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Thank you dearest Caro. Somehow ancient wisdom gives ample reason for to surrender and learn from it. It is true though if we do surrender, there are ways where we can somehow alter the results in our favor, to a point.
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Thank you so much again for writing, kindly.
Narayan x
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I wrote large, comprehensive comments but all is lost! Can you find it? If not I will write again, but please let me know.
Joanna
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Thank you Joanna. Its a joy for writers when someone like you express freely, Its a blessing.
Narayan x
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Today’s essay is the amalgamation of a few of Narayan’s works, and it is for these and other reasons (more about later), essential reading. Sometimes ago, Narayan wrote predicting that there will be wars and unrest in many parts of the world; and he was right. That is why we should read his words with attention. When he advises how to achieve our wellbeing, it is pure common sense and logical thinking – practicing yoga, eating plant-based food, eating only when hungry, observing a short period of fasting, being active/walking, being observant, respectful of others, showing gratitude, banishing negative thoughts, mastering the right breathing, banishing negative thoughts as they affect our actions and wellbeing. This kind of teaching should be included in all schools in the world.
I have to add here that over the millennia some faiths discovered fasting as beneficial, for example, Muslims and Christians.
The treaty “Lore of the Light; A Brief History of Nine Planets in India” is fascinating and interesting reading on many counts and our desire to say forever young and even avoiding dying reminds me of one famous witty remarque: ” I have nothing against death, just as long I am not there when it comes.”
Thank you, Narayan, for this wonderful post that makes us, your readers, dwell on things that expand our minds.
Joanna x
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The sad part about your well meaning critique dear Joanna is that i still stand by with my assessment of wars looming all the more again. Even though i had no idea that it will be Ukraine which will be in the firing line, but the snow ball effect has literally started to take place.
Joanna, we look forward to your words as much as we do to anyone else’s. Thank you for that.
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Moreover the best part which i love about your writing or reviewing is your humour which pokes us in a way that it comes even as a lesson. like a teacher telling a student how to learn. Thank you for your precious words and all the lessons in simple, well-meaning etiquettes. Thank you again.
Narayan x
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I did say that we should be paying attention to your words as you predict things in the way a guru does. I would not even try to teach you, a hugely gifted writer, destined to high achievements in Literary word, but just to encourage you to write, and write as your destiny awaits you. My job is to get you recognized as the next Tagore.
Joanna x
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‘The Vedic hymns are inspired expressions of this absolute reality as ‘seen’ by the rishis, and from these vedas all of India’s Vidyas(forms of living wisdom, Including Ayurveda and Jyotish) have sprung. Each Vidya is a goddess, a muse who must be patiently and tirelessly worshipped until a personal relationship between the student and the Vidya develops, a mutual relationship in which the one possesses the other. Then slowly the veil lifts and the understanding becomes clear. Only when you are possessed by the muse can you possess the wisdom.’
The inspired hymns as an expression of absolute reality reminds me of Jung’s archetypes which only inspire images (or songs, or art, or whatever) but are not the images themselves, but simply pre-existing potentialities that are shared by all sentient beings. And the being “possessed by the muse” reminds me of what he went through in the Red Book, which, in his case, nearly drove him to madness (and me as well, OY! ha ha). Even though Jung studied the Vedas, it seems he didn’t have the benefit of proper instruction as typical of those who are reared in the tradition of disciplic succession.
Anyway, not exactly relevant, just what came to mind while I was reading this. Thank you!
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Delighted to have you here. More so when we are talking about planets and Karmas. My family i.e my parents and my sisters family are practising Vaishnavas. Have you travelled around India?
Yes, Jung was very inspired by the Indians whom he met in the US like freud. I think they were if not the disciples of Sri Aurobindo, were in constant touch with Indian philosophy.
Yes, anyways, thank you for writing for the love of it. I got to know you little better. Thank you again.
Narayan x
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My brother is a practising Vaishnava – just doesn’t doesn’t spend much time at the temple (I think they’d consider him a Karmi now, ha.). I spent some time at a temple in Detroit as a teen. It was an mind-opening experience. Unfortunately, no, I haven’t been to India.
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Hopefully you wish deeply and it happens. Thank you so much for writing.
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I read this post with interest. I will return to read the links when I have a little time to do them justice. Thank you for always having interesting and informative content. Have a good week, Naryan! ❤
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Thank you dearest Cheryl. Your words and presence are always a pleasure, uplifts the spirits..
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And yes, take all the time, because reading this series atleast is not travel writing, but something far more important that if one carries and even applies. It will carry that one better in one’s life.
Thank you again Cheryl. Do let me know when you do.
Narayan x
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lovely and beautiful dear
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Lovely and beautiful to hear you too dear.
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Mine pleasure dear
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As much mine Yam. Thanks.
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🙂🙂
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An interesting post, Narayan ji. Ujjain is like Kashi, where we may find a number of such knowledgeable rishis and sanyasins, who remain into oblivion. You have talked of planets. Incidentally, there is also an observatory in Ujjain, but not big one like Jaipur or Delhi.
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Thank you for writing so eloquently Kaushal Ji. You know it yourself, and yes i was well aware of the depth of the city of Ujjain, and where does stand, its origin and its history. As much that i was accompanying someone who was esteemed and knew Ujjain by its time.
Thank you for your always experienced and important thoughts.
Narayan x
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Nice story, but the shaman is mistaken. India’s books are not the oldest. That belongs to the Epic of Gilgamesh which was a perversion of the creation story as revealed in Scripture that Moses wrote.
The seven-day week was established by the Uncreated One when He formed the universe in six days and “rested” on the seventh (not that He was tired, but simply that He ceased from His activity in creation).
The rest of the Vedic literature is mostly a record of demon ‘revelations’ to mystics who refused to follow The God Who Is, and promoted themselves as proud ‘seers’ of ‘mysteries’ they claimed no one else understood.
So sad, that India has followed such silly ideas of Hinduism and other ‘faiths’ in what the Bible says are not gods.
“But YHWH is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King…
Thus shall you say to them: ‘The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.'” Jeremiah 10:10-11
I and many friends love India and its culture and pray for the good of the Indian peoples all across the subcontinent. And we combine our prayers with action to help with orphanages, education, and human rights, especially for women and the marginalized like ‘lower castes.’
c.a.
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Thank you for writing dear C.a. I hope you have been safe and healthy. I would say Its a shame how many lies you were given to remember. When you have the universe to love, you still in today’s world belittle other creatures of nature. Please love all. India is older than faith itself. It has seen the cycle of destruction, of rebuilding. May be some day you realise the truth, not of any god. But of the one which is within. With love.
Narayan x
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You’ve been able to connect to places that few people are ever able to ~ what a gift for you to have, and also a treat for us to read about these experiences and also gain wisdom from your words. Wonderful post, Narayan. The magic you share with us on your first visit to Ujjain ~ is inspirational.
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So long Dalo, how happy to have you and your words here. Thank you for writing. And writing like gifting me a smile to sleep with. Its a pleasure and an honor.
Thank you for this.
Narayan x
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You’ve got a great way, great gift with words. Thank you, Narayan ~ keep the words flowing.
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I really like your run down of the vedas. Always a pleasure!
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Hi thanks for writing. I wasn’t running down on the Vedas dear Jim.
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The run-down here means a summary. Not sure if it works that way where you are from.
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aa aa alright, I was only thinking. My bad Jim. It’s alright. Thank you so much nonetheless.
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No worries. Idioms can make it all the more fun.
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Had been travelling hence took so long to write. Hope you are well. Thank you again.
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What an auspicious meeting this was. Full of truth and meaning for us all.
Alison
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Alison, yes it was. More so it was me inviting myself. Thank you for reading. I hope you both are planning some big plans as the pandemic is subsiding.
Narayan x
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So much fantastic description of our Ancient Values of Nine planets.Eager to know ahead,my dear🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
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Aruna, lovely to have you, your words here. Yes it’s an ongoing work. I am happy to know someone who is curious about it.
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Yeah.my dear!! I have most intrested about our culture and too other cultures.you have written that post most scientifically.I am more impressed about know all those.very most welcome,dear Tushar!!🙏🌺🙏
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Thank you again.
Narayan x
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Most welcome,dear!!💐
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Fascinating stories, Narayan. How curious that the sage stopped sharing his wisdom and left without a word!
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Rosa, thank you for writing. Yes, absolutely curious also mystics tend to have some major mood swings. I had hoped him getting angry as I had invited myself but it was something else happening. Something beautiful did happen
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Thank you so much again
Narayan x
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The olden days were all Parmapara…knowledge shared from Guru, Acharya or Updhaya to their Sishya – some retained some lost. Thank God it’s coming back again after findings.
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Yes, but I feel it was always there even though because of negligence and not giving proper respect, even the masters, atleast few themselves left for deeper abodes. Cities may not find them but trees, rivers, shores are still filled with their fragrance.
Thank you for writing
Narayan x
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Very inteesting story. Thank you for sharing. May God bless your travels.
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May your blessings come true and I travel like many river do. Thank you so much Shaun. Thank you.
Narayan x
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Thanks for sharing this informative content.
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Thank you for writing Maggie. Hope you been well.
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Thank you again.
Narayan x
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Pingback: Lore of the Light: A Brief History of Nine Planets in India- ४ | Blogger's World!
Thanks for sharing.
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It’s a long time ago. Hello again!
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Hello. Yes Some time that left. I hope you are still bowling!
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An interesting post Naryan! It seems every culture has its explanation of how the universal cosmos and life on earth in particular began. It is also interesting how numerology often plays a significant role in these stories.
Dwight
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You are right Dwight, it does. Thank you.
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