My Talk in the Second International Conference on "Igniting the Genius Within" at ISB, Hyderabad

I gave a talk in the Second International Conference on "Igniting the Genius Within" at ISB, Hyderabad on 23-10-2009. The subject of my Talk was "Tiding over Turbulence: Ancient Insights for Modern Leaders."

http://www.isb.edu/CLIC/SecondGeniusConferenceSpeakers.Shtml#SKannan

http://www.isb.edu/CLIC/SpeakerAbstract.Shtml#SKannan

http://www.isb.edu/clic/geniusconference-09/index.html

http://www.isb.edu/media/UsrSiteNewsMgmt.aspx?topicid=605

VEDIC PRAYERS FOR PLEASANT ENVIRONMENT

mahAnArAyaNa upanishad xxxix-3

madhu vAtA rutAyate
(Let the air be pleasant)
madhu ksharanti sindhavah
(Let the rivers be pleasant)
mAdhvIrnas santvoshadhIh
(Let the plants and creepers be pleasant)
Madhu naktamutoshasi
(Let the day and night be pleasant)
Madhumat pArthivam rajah
(Let the dust of the earth be pleasant)
Madhu dyaurastu nah pitA
(Let our father-like Sky be pleasant)
madhu mAnno vanaspatih
(Let the herbs be pleasant)
madhumAm astu sUryah
(Let the Sun be pleasant)
mAdhvIr gAvo bhavantu nah
(Let the cows be pleasant to us)

Whether a Brahmana is determined by birth?

Apastamba dharma sUtra clearly establishes that the VarNa is determined by birth. Accordingly a BrAhmaNa is also determined by birth.

catvAro varNo brAhmaNa kshatriya vaiSya SUdrAh ! i-3
tesham pUrvah pUrvo janmatah SreyAn ! i-4

BRAHMANA

Vipraha means BrAhmaNaha.
A person is born as a BrAhmaNa.
As the first born among the mortals, he is known as agrajanmA.
After Upanayana. he becomes a dvijaha.
As one learned in Vedas, he is known as a Srotriyaha.
As a deity upon earth, he is known as BhUdevaha.
As one who has emanated from the mukha of the Supreme, he is known as Mukhajaha.
A BrAhmaNa who is only by birth and not by performance of duties is known as BrAhmaNabruvaha.

NAVAGRAHA AND JYOTISHA

The Vedic Navagraha Mantras have been compiled mainly from Rig Veda , Atharva Veda and Sukla Yajur Veda .

Jyotisha , one of the six VedAngas, deals mainly with astronomical aspects and is known as the eye of the Vedas. Jyotisha SamhitAs have been composed by Garga, NArada and ParASara. Lord SUrya has composed "SUrya siddhAntam" and taught it to Maya. The works by others include VarAhamihira, Arya Bhatta and BhAskarAcArya. This Science is used to primarily determine the planetary position and fixing auspicious times for performance of Vedic Sacrifices.

In my limited understanding, astrological predictions based on horoscope could have started at a later period.