'No doubt ,man is a creature of destiny but he is not entirely its slave. He possesses freedom to overcome his karma. There are some planetary afflictions that are amenable to remedial measures (Shanti Pariharas) Remedial measures are an integral part of Astrology. Those who suggest and perform the remedies should be really competent to bring relief to the natives. One such competent astrologer of India is Dr. S. S. Gola who has guided many people to tide over the turbulent times. He affirms that remedies help to overcome or at least ninimise the expected evil effects.

Here we present Dr S S Gola to guide EST readers with his suggestions of various remedial measures.

EST : Please tell us about your career as Astrologer.

I am one of the founder members of Astrological Teaching Academy. I started lecturing on Astrology at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan since 1987. I became the Director of Courses in 1989 and conducted classes, in association with the Astro-Science-Research Oraganization. At present I am the President of the same. I have contributed articles to leading astrological magazines of India. Besides English publications, I have brought out two Hindi books also. One of them deals with the Medical Aspects of Astrology and the other is the translation of "Experiments in Remedial Measures." I was honoured on two occasions by former President Giani Zail Singh besides many titles and felicitations by different associations of India. I have specialized in the initiation of Mantras, having cured many people through mantras during 1971 to 1977. My disciples have conducted experiments under my guidance e.g. stopping the rain in case of exigencies and also to cause a rainfall through performance of rituals. My expertise in remedial measures brought into my fold many people facing disturbing problems in business and personal life.  I am a reincarnated Sadhu in this life. At 3 years of age, I described the house and important events in the life of a neighbour. At 15, I used to go into Samadhi for 9 to 10 hours at a stretch. I could delve into the life of people and tell events from their past or predict their future.

EST : How did you learn astrology?

I did not have formal exposure to books on astrology but my treatment of the subject of astrology is acceptably different I do not make use of my supernatural power while predicting national events. Innumerable sadhus have visited me for enhancing their knowledge. I believe in the Gita and have experimented with the miracles of Lord Krishna. Nostradamus has referred to my horoscope in one of his predictions on war. My observations and failures in life taught me a lot.

EST : Why do we see inequalities in life? Why do some people suffer a lot more than others do?

The inequalities in life is eternal. There used to be kings, commanders and servants. The karma theory indicates that any mental or physical action is called karma and it will bear its fruits. Newton has laid down that every action has a reaction. The law of karma also states that nothing happens by chance. The person gets the fruits of his karma according to his good and bad deeds performed in his previous birth or in this birth. A person, who is himself harvesting rice, may not be able to eat a bowl of rice because he may suffer from health problems. A lady, without any grace, gets married easily and a lady with all grace, remains unmarried inspite of best efforts of parents. Guru Nanak said that there is not even a single person who is not suffering from one or the other problem. In our lives we see that some are enjoying heavenly bliss without much effort on their part. For some others, life is full of only thorn. We can divide people into different categories. The first category consists of those persons who do not involve themselves in remedial measures and inspite of that they are getting everything in their lives. In this case Jupiter is posited in the ascendant or there is influence of Jupiter on the ascendant. Such persons must have donated generously in their earlier births and they are reaping the benefits in this birth. The second category consists of those persons who make marathon efforts and have undertaken remedial measures also. They obtain the desired results. In this case there is the influence of a weak Jupiter on the ascendant. Such persons had performed good deeds in their previous birth and are also sustaining them during this life also. The third category is of those persons who have performed all types of astral remedies. Inspite of that, they do not get any benefit on account of the bad deeds performed in their past births. In this case the ascendant or the Moon is devoid of the aspect of Jupiter or the lord of the ninth house. Such persons will have to suffer, inspite of their best efforts and also remedial measures. The fourth category includes those persons who suffer but they do not believe in any type of remedial measures. In that case, there is influence of Saturn on the ascendant and on Jupiter. Saturn is miserly by nature and as such they do not want to spend on charity. The influence of Saturn does not allow them to come into contact with pious souls. Karma theory says that the soul enters life not as a fresh creations but after a long spell of previous existence on earth and elsewhere.

EST : Many people doubt the efficacy of various remedial measures. Where does the problem lie?

A person may do charity, consult astrologers, meet the pious souls and ask for their blessing. His progeny get influenced by all these actions. In fact those persons whose Jupiter is well placed or strong will come into contact with such persons who show the right path without materialistic ends. There are many types of remedies which can be easily performed by anybody. The simplest and the most effective remedy is to donate a few products either to the birds or the animals. Adversity does not walk into the life of those who donate liberally. One should be fortunate enough to get advised about suitable remedies. Of course quacks exploit the desperate natives.

EST : How do the remedial measures act?

As there is a continuous flow of Sun's rays into our body, it is also necessary to maintain an equilibrium of these rays. Any imbalance not only causes ill health but affects our other spheres of life also. Excess rays are repelled by meditation and charity. Gems increase the wavelength in the body but they do not neutralize. Yantra neutralizes the imbalance of these rays. Any deficiency or excess is to be brought back to normal. This is maintained through Yantra. Gems remove the deficiency. If it is in excess, they do not help. If the violet rays are made stronger, there will be a strong grip on Saturn.

EST : Please explain in detail some of the remedial measures.

There are different types of remedial measures like Mantra, Fasting, Charity, Yantra Gems Therapy,Colour Therapy, roots and herbs.

Mantra : The most powerful and accurate remedial measure is chanting a select mantra for a specific
purpose. Regular chanting of a Mantra, called the Japa system in religious terms, is also a way to ward off evil. Our seers had realized that the world is nothing but the materialization of various vibrations which affect material as well as spiritual planes. These effects may, if properly directed, result in successfully removing the evil and producing favourable effects. The energy can be converted into any form and with the help of sound, it can even enter the womb of a lady to bear a child. Our seers allocated deities to the celestial planets. They have also ascribed Mantra to each of the planets in addition to the Mantra for their commanding deities. They actually realized their effect. Mantra is either composed of syllables, words, sentences, or a couple of sentences. Sometimes a selected hymn or passage is also called Mantra. These Mantra are a mass of radiant energy. Various techniques of Mantra Japa have also been developed by our seers. There are four ways of Japa. In the order of ascending potency they are (1) Vaikhari (2) Upanasu (3)Mansik and (4) Ajapa. When the mantra is recited audible, it is called Vaikhari. When the recitation is not audibly, it is called Vaikhari. When the recitation is not audible but only the lip movement can be seen, it is called Upanasu. When neither the repetition is audible nor is there any lip movement seen, it is called Mansik or mental repetition. When the Japa continues automatically with the hearing of Prana  through breath it is called Ajapa. We should adopt the type of Japa suitable to our capacity and potentiality. To be very effective, the Japa should be like the Ajapa mantra. This is true of all the mantras.

Fasting : Propitiation of the planets can be done by fasting of the day ruled by the planet. This can be
performed by any one as it does not involve much time. I generally suggest a person to fast on Tuesdays. Tuesday is an auspicious day for fasting. Mars is a planet which can mar any sphere of life and has to be generally kept calm. During fasting, I recommend the following :

To take a glass of milk in the morning ; To drink as much water as possible; To take different types of fruits and vegetables; say two bananas, an orange and an apple or vegetable like carrots and tomatoes in the evening. To chant the Hanuman Chalisa either in the morning or evening, at least twice daily. Fasting has a dual effect. It gives rest to the stomach, besides adding to our store of Bhakti. We normally give rest to all parts of our body except the stomach, which is almost always overburdened. Thus rest will subsequently help us in digestion over the next six days. Hence fasting is a very favourable tool which nature has given to fulfil one's desires. Another notable factor about fasting is that even those people who are not passing through any adverse period (in their lives) can also fast.

Charity : Amongst all remedial measures prescribed, charity reigns supreme. Men can achieve their desired results through donation. Even those who do not have any specific desire can also donate according to their capacity to receive God's grace. All religions advocate for charity. The "daan" or offering of possessions in charity is a type of bhakti which is relatively easier to practise. If done with ego, its effects would get reduced. I have visited various temples in India. In Kali Maa temples in Dakineswar in Howrah (where Shri Ramakrishana and Vivekananda  worshipped) tons of Radish are offered and then thrown into the river. Radish is represented by Rahu. Similarly in many temples in Delhi, alcohol and meat were being offered to Lord Bharion and Maha kali. With the change of culture, meat is not offered but alcohol is still offered .Coconut is being offered in plenty for Rahu in the South and the West. In Rajasthan, in the temples of Lord Hanuman, cooked rice, black-coloured pulses and laddus are being offered whenever the case is of a serious nature. Here those who suffer from black magic or from evil spirits propitiate and get rid of their problems. As Rahu is fond of meat and drinks, these are being offered in various temples. Halwa is distributed in Gurudwara and the same product is given in round shape in South-Indian temples.

Yantra : Yantra are "Divya astras" or the divine arms which should be used sparingly. For example,
Arjuna was advised not to use the "Gandiva" unless all his other arms were rendered useless. Likewise for ordinary evils, we should try to fight our own battles with the arms prepared from worldly material.
The encyclopedia Britannica defines yantra as "a linear diagram used as a support for meditation". In
Sanskrit it means 'an instrument'. Yantras, in its elaborate and pictorial form(s) is called "a mandala" Yantras are sacred and magical diagrams (two or three dimensional apparatus, often geometrical or
anthropomorphic in form), derived from Mantras and from geometric designs endowed with mystical and cosmological symbolism. They are either executed on sand, or on the ground with coloured powders and on other durable materials. Yantras may be made on stones, engraved on metals like copper and silver or drawn and painted on skins, silk or hampen cloth. Like statues, they are consecrated by the rite of "initiation of breath". Yantra are not only limited to Hinduism, Jainism or Buddism. The Muslims also use Yantras as talismans and the Christian Cross is also a type of Yantra. It is said that God's grace is unavailable unless we worship the Yantra. As we construct houses to live in, so do we construct yantras where the Devas dwell. It is believed that all that happens in this material world is the effect of the planetary influences on us. That is, planets in different positions, reflect their rays at us differently. We make use of the Yantra(s) to regulate these rays to shine on us favourably. Apart from the metals, the sages found that the vibrations of particular compound figures are favourable to particular planets. It is to be inscribed in a particular form on the metal. It may be a little difficult to understand how the vibrations are created in the absence of sound. For this purpose, we can refer to the scientific studies carried out in the West on Pyramids. We are well aware of Vastu Sastra and how the inanimate objects (like stones) arranged in geometrical shapes have their own effects on both the animate and inanimate object since time immemorial. The similar and something identical designs of our own temples in India unmistakably point to the effect that geometrical shapes have on us. The power of the planet is to be increased if it is weak and the yantra regulates it by propitiating that planet. Once a world-famous Palmist was wearing talisman supplied by an Indian astrologer. He lost his predictive power when he lost his talisman. The yantras consist of some geometrical figures, small squares, rectangles or triangles and then subdivided into smaller compartments. Each of them is then filled with a particular letter of the alphabet called a "Beeja" meaning a "potential letter".

EST : Everybody cannot afford expensive remedial measures. Please guide our readers as to what a
common man can do to get rid off the problems.

The remedies prescribed by an astrologer should always depend upon the capacity of a person. The
remedies we suggest are generally in proportion to the person's income. It should be 5% of the salary.
A common man must give one salted roti and one sweet roti to the animal / birds etc daily. One roti means one roti for a person. If there are five members in a family, 5 salted rotis are to be offered to the birds or animals. One dough made of flour may also be given daily. This system should be followed throughout the life. We get the Sun's rays daily and different colours are absorbed in our different glands or chakras. Any imbalance of the colour causes diseases. It equally affects our other avenues like business, social status etc. Those who follow this simple rule of remedy as routine do not encounter any severe problem in life.

EST : Please suggest some remedies to get wealth, health, (different diseases), progeny, spiritual
strength, etc.

Those who are interested in more and more of wealth should step into the shoes of Karna of Mahabharat, Rahim of Akbar's court and Gulshan Kumar of "T-Series". They believed in Charity Karna was such a small person and was elevated to such a high position. Charity is to be performed on daily or weekly basis. A fixed-proportion of the salary should be earmarked for charity every month. Different cereals may be donated to the charitable institutions where cooked food is distributed. Any person who follows this simple rule, will never look back .

Wealth : will be in abundance with him.

Health : The first comfort of life is good health. The Sun's rays falling on us are absorbed by different
glands. We have to repel the excess rays so that they do not create imbalance in our body. The
charity neutralizes these rays and we keep fit. The "overdraft" from the previous birth can be repaid
either in the shape of doctor's bill or charity. Let us repay our old debts through charity and maintain
good health.

Progeny : In 95% cases, the couple are fit and they do not need medical help. For a male we have to
lay stress on Venus. A deep combust Venus becomes very weak that it becomes responsible for infertility. Moon closely influenced by Saturn delays the period and the egg formed in the body will be of sub-standard. Mars prepares the periods and the egg formed will break. There will be of pain during menstruation if afflicted by Rahu or Ketu. As such, propitiation of the particular planet should be performed. Infertility can be removed by reciting the beej mantra of Lord Hanuman which is "Om Hrim Shrim Klim Shri Mahaviray Namoh" daily for two hours for a period of 40 days. The food taken today will be converted into sperm after 40 days. He has to remain a celibate during that period. The Mantra of Hanuman is recommended because it rules the red rays and the person required strength. Red colour has maximum wavelength and it does not bend also. Thus infertility can be cured. It has been experimented in thousands of cases.

About one percent of people suffer on account of the curse of father, mother or Guru. It is very easy to remove the first two curses by chanting Hanuman Ashtak or Sankat Mochan. But, we require a powerful Guru to repel the effect of the curse of a Guru. I have been successful in all such cases.

Spiritual Strength : It is advocated all along that one should worship his God daily. One cannot be successful in meditation unless he donates the product ruled by Moon and Saturn. Concentration is the soul of the meditation. He should also come into contact with a competent Guru. During meditation, we have to face east direction and should always keep a cloth beneath us to provide insulation to the body. If a person follows these principles, he can achieve a lot and he will come across many spiritual experiences. In that case the Guru who has experienced these can only guide him.

EST : How can one overcome the unfavourable transits of Saturn like sade-sati. Kartaka sani and
Ashtama Sani?

To deal with the effects of sade sati (7.5 years), Kartaka Sani (2.5 years) Astama sani (2.5 years), it is recommended that 6 months before the date of the commencement, one must give in charity daily the items of Saturn which are plain roti on which mustard oil is coated. Periodically other items like woolen blanket, black pulses, potatoes, all variety of edible oils and black-coloured items can be distributed in charity.

EST : Please share with EST readers some of your interesting case studies.

I teach Mundane astrology. My article that BJP will come to power on 23-7-93 was published in the EST. One of my students asked me that you have predicted the fall of Shri Rao Government on 23-7-93 and would you use your supernatural power to see that your prediction does not fail? I told him, "I am not attached to any party. I do not waste my energy on trivial matters? He then asked for remedy to be performed by Shri Rao? I told him that I am reminded of Arjun in the Mahabharat asking Pitamah Bhishma the way to conquor him. Pitamah told him, "If you attack me standing behind Sikhindhi, your purpose will be achieved because I will not attack an eunuch". Similarly I myself gave the remedy knowing fully well that my prediction would go wrong because the remedial measures suggested by me would surely nullify the maleficence. I told him that if Sri Rao could formulate a policy to run a lepers home, he could save himself from the no-confidence motion. He should bear the cost. After two days, the news regarding "Lepers Home" appeared in the newspapers. I was surprised to note that how this news has reached Mr. Rao. In the next lecture. I enquired the same student, "Where is your Mars?" He said, "it is exalted in the 10th house". I found that he is Senior Police Officer. Inspite of this, I continued to deliver my lectures fearlessly. It was around 23-7-93 that a no-confidence motion was defeated by Mr. Rao with help of JMM's MP's.

EST : Nowadays, many people are cheated off their money by the so-called astrologers who pretend to do elaborate remedies for their clients. In many cases, the results are not positive. What do you think about these situations?

Quacks are in every field. We find more quacks in the spiritual field. Very few know the system of awakening of Kundalini. People get cheated because of fate. It is their own deeds performed in their previous births which become instrumental for deception, theft, etc. Rahu sub-period is in operation, the person comes across fraudulent people. If he falls sick, no medicine works on him. The astrologers he meets will not be able to give the correct judgement of the horoscope. Next follows Jupiter's sub-period. The Divine grace becomes available in Jupiter period. He will meet the pious souls. The period of Rahu is Prarabdh. He has to bear it. As such, in spite of the genuine efforts of the astrologer or the doctor, the almost stationary ultra violet rays keeps the trend of the events stationary. The Rahu period of Shri P V N Rao commenced and the rituals performed by him did not bring any fruits. He had to resign from AICC Presidentship and was involved in JMM case. This was indicated by me in advance in my article published in EST.  I get utmost satisfaction when I hear from my clients that the remedial measures have really done wonders. I am a also a practicing Naturopath lending credence to specialization in Remedial Measures in medical cases. I served with credit in State Trading Corporation of India as its Chief Marketing Manager.