Faith and Fame of Planetary Posts in Myanmar

By White Wolf

Have you ever heard that Myanmar is Magical?

The beguiling diversity of unique cultures thrives in Myanmar – the Golden Land.

If you say about the invisible cultures of Myanmar, the planetary posts which can be seen at the stupa are the highlight of diversity.

Myanmar, a sovereign country in South East Asia, has different religions like Buddhism with 87.9%, Christian 6.2%, Muslim 4.3%, Animist 0.8%, Hindu 0.5%, other 0.2%, and none at 0.1% of the population. Moreover, there are many people who adopt and follow in astrology, traditional beliefs, rituals and superstitions. Asian people believe in the influence of sun and moon which are based on nine planets in the universe and indirectly connected with the human beings from the earth since the ancient time. The planetary posts which can be seen at almost stupa in Myanmar are parts of the Hindu’s Brahmanism.

Planetary Posts

The planetary posts represent eight planets or eight days of a week describing name, planetary age on the signboard of the posts with their respective mythical animals in respective directions at eight corners of the stupas. Actually, this belief derived from Hindu Brahmanism and made use and myanmarized by people. Myanmar astrology recognizes the seven planets namely as Sun, Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn. In addition, there are two planets Rahul and Kate. Kate is the most powerful and invisible planet. According to Myanmar astrology, the mid-day of a week is divided into two parts: from the morning to 6 pm is called Wednesday and from 6 pm to the next morning is called Rahul. Normally, there is a guardian spirit statute in front of the posts and with the marble sitting Buddha image. At the base, there is a respective mythical animal statute.

Locations, Planetary ages, Symbol animals of each planet

          The respective corners or directions, planetary ages and symbol animals of each planet can be known as follows:

1. Sunday planetary post is situated at the corner of north-east and Garuda (mythical bird) is the symbol of it’s with 6 years of planetary age. It represents the Sun or solar planet.
2. Monday planetary post is located at the corner of east with its ruling sign of the Moon and the Tiger of its symbol. The planetary age is 15 years.
3. Tuesday planetary post is at the south-east corner representing Mars planet with the symbol of Lion and the planetary age is 8 years.
4. Wednesday planetary post is located at the corner of south and its symbol is Elephant with tasks and the planetary age is 17 years. It represents Mercury planet.
5. Rahul (Wednesday evening) planetary post lies at the corner of north-west and Elephant without tasks is its representative animal with 12 years of planetary age. It represents the earth.
6. Thursday planetary post is situated at the corner of west and Rat is the symbol of its animal. The planetary age is 19 years and represents the Jupiter planet.
7. Friday planetary post is located at the corner of north and Guinea pig is its symbol and the planetary age is 21 years, representing Venus planet.
8. Saturday planetary post is situated at the corner of south-west and its symbol is Dragon representing Saturn planet with 10 years of planetary age.

Maharbote Pillar

Maharbote Pillar, the basic Myanmar astrology, which is mainly used when we wish to calculate one’s past, present, and the future based on his/her birthday. In this way, we can know one’s past and predict the advantages and disadvantages of one’s future fortune. The basic belief of Myanmar astrology is that the planets are moulding or influencing a person’s fate except Kate. According to the Maharbote Pillar, a person’s fate on baneful or beneficial is depending on the planet of the day which he/she was born and the influences of particular planet’s period through his/her life. The ebb and flow of a person’s fortune depends on the path in the sky of the planets. There are many different methods of calculating one’s fortune in Maharbote Pillar.

The Influences of Eight Planets

The influences of each planet on a person can be recognized generally in accordant of astrology as follows:

1. Influences of Sunday Planet: You will be cheated or will lose properties and unhealthy.
2. Influences of Monday Planet: You will get inheritance and win in legal matters and good condition in love affairs.
3. Influences of Tuesday Planet: You will be faced with legal matters and competition in love affairs. Things will be stolen and loss in business.
4. Influences of Wednesday (morning) Planet: You will get inheritance from the south place and receive things with the Wednesday names in Myanmar pronunciation such as cart, boat, gold, farm, etc.
5. Influences of Thursday Planet: You will have to travel a lot. You will receive prosperities and will be admired by people.
6. Influences of Friday Planet: You will be rich and get promotion under this planet. You will get new house and will be surrounded by admirers.
7. Influences of Saturday Planet: You should not go south-west and away from native land. You will be loss in business and in danger. You will face legal matters.
8. Influences of Wednesday (evening) / Rahul Planet: You will have to worry a lot and get misunderstanding by your superiors or parents. You will be disturbed and accused. You should avoid going to the west.

Yadayar 

Some people till use this kind of habit in Myanmar. It is making good deeds by offering flowers, candle light, incense sticks to the Buddha image. We believe that we can get good looking by donating flowers, and to get wisdom by offering candle light, and to get good reputation by offering incense sticks. Especially, we hope to get cleanliness and peace of mind by offering water. Yadayar is the plan to avert bad fortune and to obtain good fortune in life. People believe that Yadayar can prevent the dangers, difficulties, bad luck and hardships at the present and in the future. People are making their offerings at their respective planetary posts which are guiding and instructing by the professional astrologers. There are different offering things in different birthdays of people.

Even though believing in astrology, planets and planetary posts originated from Hindu Brahmanism diverts from Buddhism, we can see Myanmar people’s creativities in believing planets concerned with astrology, accepting and doing merits at planetary post together with the ways of Buddha teaching.

Don’t hesitate to enjoy this kind of interesting activities in Myanmar.

Make a wish for your well-being!