1. In the birth, Prashna or Muhurata horoscope, the Moon placed in the various houses with respect to the ascendant or the sign arising in the East- makes various steps or padas which are also known as Payas.

2. Moon in the first, sixth or the eleventh makes: golden step. It’s severe and normal. Uranus. Gold: AU: 121:4.

3. Moon in the second, fifth or the ninth houses is silver step. It’s ruled by the Saturn- excellent among steps. Silver:AG:17:8.

4. Moon in the third, seventh or the tenth house is copper step: it’s good. Copper: CU: 321: 6. Venus.

5. Moon in the fourth, eighth or the twelfth houses is iron Paya: Iron: fe:65: 11:2. Moon.

6. In my Science viva voce for the high school examination, I was asked the formulae of Gold and Silver and I replied instantaneously as my class teacher told the examiner who was sent by the high school board of education that I was the most brilliant student of my class. We were two students for the viva and the other one got the first rank in the finale. I got the fifth rank in class while I was expecting, like my friends, teachers and relatives the first rank in my state. I could never comprehend my failure but I had to digest it and move ahead. My tensile strength wasn’t much in those days. Resilience was tending to zero until I started learning the integral Calculus in the higher secondary.

7. My friend who appeared in the viva with me had his house very near to school. His mother asked me to comb my hair when I was waiting for him to join me on my way to school. I politely refused telling them that I wanted to leave an impression of a nerd who had no time to comb hair. Which was hypocrisy because I was too well prepared in advance for all examinations. In fact, my speed of working out remained superb even an year after the high school and yet the God of mysterious things punished me for not having put enough work in previous years and getting good ranks only based on calligraphy. Karma Cagey.

8. As I told before: in the farewell juniors gave me a tag of “study is diamond, nature is gold,” and I was so full of myself, I never recalled what were the tags given to other students. The gold did match with my step as Moon was in the guest house of horoscope but the diamond is meaningless. Why did public opinion matters so much to those who are actually not more than public servants at best and public enemies at worst?

9. I used to run after the prayer in the school to home. I used to measure the time taken to reach home. I was a storm some days and kids watching me used to mock. I was merely experimental and collecting data. It wasn’t out of spite or desire to look down upon those who were in the game mode enjoying their lives. By the end of the standard eighth board examinations the recognition entered my head and I became an earnest student who experimented with whatever he got from books like those of Benjamin Franklin and Shriram Sharma: i.e. statesmen and scientists.

10. It continued in college and it wasn’t sudden. I tried people around me for enough long. And they were human beings. Not angels or demons. I wanted to dance with gods and learn from demons the tricks of the trade and tradecraft and I paid heavily by hurting my knees by walking on a treadmill for three days in a row for more than an hour everyday at a high speed while tendons were crying. I was under the influence of Bhaang and I didn’t listen to the body which needed rest. I learnt things hard ways by being a seeker of excess and risk in words of Barbara Pijjan Lama, the Jyotish.

Moderation is difficult. I ran and fell or veered away. Slow and steady all won the race. My high school friends earned doctorates and post doctorates. My colleagues are rich and perhaps famous I have not been in touch. I am a humble man as you can see. Therefore: as I advised my cousins {who once named me their role model, which was a decade ago when I was a black horse,} to follow celebrities like Da Vinci, Shakyamuni, Donald Bradman and Gandhi if you want to reach the very top. Or Ramalinga, Kabir, Nanak or Meera if you want to attain perfect immortality. It’s Koorma Jayanti as per Hindu puranas. Kurma is a mythical giant turtle incarnation of the dancing light of grace who holds the entire cosmos on its back carapace.

I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Reference: Paya

Time taken: 67 minutes.