Sunday, June 1, 2003		Books

Vedic Linda Goodman
Review by Peeyush Agnihotri

Vedic Love Signs
by Komilla Sutton. Rupa, Delhi. Rs 395. Pages 388.

Get aside, West! India, the land of Vedas and Upanishads, has found an answer to Linda Goodman in Komilla Sutton. If Linda had a book on love and sexual compatibility based on sun signs, Komilla has come up with nakshatras to deal with the subject.

Komilla Sutton nee Virk. Does the name ring a bell? Remember Bollywood movies The Burning Train and Ishq Ishq Ishq? This Chandigarh girl (her mother still lives there) created quite a flutter then as a starlet who played the vamp. This time, however, it’s her book on stargazing, Vedic Love Signs, that is having the same effect.

First, a bit of astrological explanation: Hindu astrology has 27 nakshatras and a person’s nakshatra is the one in which the moon is posited at the time of his birth. Komilla has sub-classified these according to sun signs. This makes the reading straight because while sun signs can be known from just the date of birth, moon signs are found out from complicated natal charts. A different planet rules each nakshatra. Since there are nine planets in all, each planet rules three houses. Thus, the Sun rules Krittika, Uttara Phaguni and Uttara Ashadha. The Moon’s kingdom spans over Rohini, Hasta and Shravana, the Mars governs Mrigshira, Chitra and Dhanishtha, the Mercury is the boss of Ashlesha, Jyeshtha and Revati, and the Venus heads Bharani, Purva Phaguni and Purva Ashada. The Jupiter’s fiefdom includes Punarvasu, Vishakha and Purva Bhadra and the Saturn rules Pushya, Anuradha and Uttara Bhadra.

Rahu and Ketu, the planetary shadows of utmost importance in Hindu astrology, govern Aridra, Swati, Shatabhishak and Ashwini, Magha, Mula, respectively. This sub-classifies the sun sign classification.

Komilla explains: "Nakshatra literally means ‘star’ in Sanskrit. A star is a point of cosmic light. ‘Naksha’ means ‘to get closer’ and ‘Tra’ is ‘to preserve’. And ‘nakshatra’ also means ‘one that never decays’: their cosmic remit is to be the guardians of the soul during its journey through many human lifetimes. Nakshatras are full of secret symbolic information we have to learn."

So if a person is a Virgo (born between August 24 and September 23), he is of either Magha (August 24 and 30), Purva Phaguni (August 30 and September 13) or Uttara Phaguni nakshatra (September 13 and 23) descent. Based on these sub-classifications, Komilla has worked out love relationships that focus on friendship, sustenance, sex, karmic connections and total compatibility. Take the case of those born under Hasta. They may gel well with a Mrigshira but may find coping up with an Ashwini difficult.

Each nakshatra is governed by an animal sign, either male or female. In Vedic astrology, the male animal is more active and dynamic while the female is passive. For example, the animal sign of Vishakha and Chitra is tiger. Vishakha being the male will be more dynamic as compared to Chitra. Except for Uttara Ashadha, represented by mongoose, that has no ideal sexual partner.

The book is divided into three parts. Part I deals in Vedic astrology and love, Part II in love signs and the last part is about compatibility grids and cusp charts. Every nakshatra has a chapter devoted to it. These chapters deal in personality traits, meaning and symbolism, sexuality, relationship issues and compatibility with others. The cusp chapter takes care of those born on cusp dates to enable them to know what nakshatra type they are.

Komilla, co-founder of the British Association of Vedic Astrology, is also on the board of the American Council of Vedic Astrology. An interesting anecdote from her Bollywood days has that a spot boy had once read her palm on the sets of Dil aur Deewar and predicted that she’ll be a famous personality after 42 years of age. Is that what we call star power`85 oops`85 nakshatra power?