The Best Bet (Forming The Right Relationships and Making The Most of Your Relationship)

This book blazes a new trail in presenting Vedic Astrology to the twenty-first century reader. There is an organized, systematic approach making the ancient system most relevant to modern life. The logic and rationale behind the apparently mystical and arbitrary rules given by the sage is convincingly presented.

The book is based on independent research and forty years of astrological practice of the author.

“…..This book is meant for people who consider marriage a social commitment, who take relationship is seriously and for whom companionship is not just fun but is something that inspires, transforms and satisfies the deep urge to love and be loved and has a deeper divine meaning and purpose”

Born in a family of traditional astrologers, K. JAYA SHKHAR was initiated into Vedic Astrology, as well as other psychic subject at a very early age by his father. Immediately after graduating from Madras University in Mathematics, Physics and chemistry he became a professional Astrologer. He has been the President of the Institute of Astrological studies, Chennai, the vice-president of the Institute of India Astrology, Kolkata and Research Director of the Astrological section of Bharat Nirman, New Delhi. He has participated in conferences and conducted workshops. Besides he has presented papers in conferences on varied subjects such as Palmistry, Vasthu, Hindu Philosophy and yoga, in various cultural and professional associations including the British Associations and American council of Vedic astrologers. He has also contributed articles on Astrology and related subjects to magazines in India and abroad such as the Journal of the Astrological Association of Great Britain and Terre Du Ciel of France. He has visited United States, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Poland, Sri Lanka and Singapore.

Almost immediately after completing my college education I declared myself a professional astrologer. The choice of the profession was made more of reason of birth to a famous and successful astrologer than by virtue of any serious conviction in astrology or attraction to the subject. At heart I longed to be an artist. In fact I should confess that I was more skeptical about the subject than some of my friends.

However, I honestly applied the rules I had learnt and gave my readings. As the years rolled by I found the rules worked. When the predictions came true I was more surprised than my unbelieving clients. Today I carry on my profession with real conviction. But, to be honest, somewhere in the recesses of my mind there lies an element of skepticism. That is way in spite of my great reverence and admiration for the work of ancient Hindu sages, it is hard for me to unquestioningly accept any rules, as thought they were religious doctrines. I try to analyze, find the truth, the logic, and the rationale behind them and reject those that are apparently irrelevant in the modern context.

It is well-known that the ancient Hindu sages never divulged the logic or the process by which they evolved the rules. But if we knew their reasoning and methodology, it could help us to apply the rules in the proper spirit in which they were meant to be used. We would also succeed in dismantling several subsequent fanciful interpolations thrust into the system by unscrupulous or superstitions people of later time. We would also be in a position to modify them properly to suit modern conditions.

Sometime in the Autumn 1985, Mr. Charles Harvey, whom I met in London, the then President of the Astrological Association of Great Britain suggested that I should give a lecture for an hour during the Annual Function of the Association at Loughborough. I suggested there topics of which, Hindu Synastry was the one selected for my lecture. After the lecture I found that many were interested to know the actual details of the techniques of Hindu Synastry which I naturally could not cover in a brief lecture. It was then that the idea to write a book on Hindu Synastry was born. However, the work of writing the book had to wait for several years as I was always travelling giving seminars and had no time to sit down for the job. Around 1990 a rough version was got read and translated into French by HIMABINDU, my disciple, to be given as notes to some of my students in France who were interested in the subject.

In writing this book on an astrological subject, I humbly submit I have tried to blaze a new trail. The practice hitherto appears to have been, with a few apologetic exceptions, to quote the Sanskrit verses from the classics, give the translation verbatim and then the explanation with absolutely no independent personal thought contribution or analysis or logical reasoning to support or repudiate what has been said. At best sometimes in the name of critical analysis or comment an attempt is made to pit the dictum of one sage against another and make confusion worse confounded.

I have tried to present the subject in a systematic from with well-defined rules, clear and unambiguous with completed explanations and an analytical commentary. The approach is modern and the style lucid for anyone to learn the technique.

It is my intention to present all aspects of the subject in a proper systematic way with a critical approach. I have often stated my own opinions in the course of the discussions. This does not represent unbridled arrogance or an unabashed attempt to elevate myself in the process of commenting upon the dictums of the sage. Some of my contemporaries or compatriots, in their extreme reverence for the sages may feel so. Far from it, in all humility I submit that it is my own approach and in depth study of the theories given by the sages is a great disservice to these intuitive and intellectual giants. It is also my strong conviction that the sages never intended blind faith and acceptance of whatever they said. No true scientist would ever demand such a following and the sages who evolved astrological rules were the greatest scientific thinkers.

My close friend Madame Brigitte FRACHEBOUD, a successful professional astrologer in Geneva, organized a seminar on ‘The Philosophy of love and marriage’ in the summer of 1994. It was an unusual subject for a Vedic Astrologer to give to Swiss students. As always, my seminar was give extempore. But she was careful and took notes. When this book, which was originally meant to be a guide-book for my students of astrology in Europe, had to be got ready for regular publication, she obliged me with those notes. I am thankful to her. I have included some of that material in the researched article ‘The Philosophy of love and marriage.’

I realize that many readers may not be professional astrologers and may not even know the basics of astrology. For those readers I have prepared a brief mechanical procedure that can be followed with a minimum of understanding of planets and signs to arrive at the right conclusions. Obviously they will have to skip over most of the chapters meant for those initiated in the subject of astrology.

The technique evolved can also be used to study the level of harmony between friends, business associates or teacher and disciple, employer and employee. I have included the necessary modification to the basic technique to make it applicable for this study.

Vedic astrology is a universal system. It is not related to any religion or faith. It is applicable to all people of all nations. Though India is the land of the Vedas, Vedic wisdom is human heritage.