Do's, don'ts

New Delhi: Chant the surya mantra, avoid eating out and postpone work and any major assignments, some astrologers warn about the impending eclipse on Wednesday. Others, however, dismiss these warnings as "eclipse hysteria".

Astro-pundits are predicting a mixed bag when it comes to the solar eclipse.

The solar eclipse hemmed in between two lunar eclipses - one on July 7 and another August 6 - will affect those with Cancer in their birth charts, according to some astrologers.

"As the eclipse is taking place in the cardinal sign of Cancer (Kark), those born under the sign of Cancer or with Cancer in ascendant in their birth charts might suffer losses in business," Ahmedabad-based astrologer Harish P Goswami, said.

His state, Gujarat, will fall directly under the arc of the eclipse at 5.28 a.m. Wednesday. He prescribed chanting the surya mantra - Om jaba kusuma sankasana - as a shield against the ill-effects of the eclipse.

The general list of do's and dont's include a brief fast during the actual eclipse period, bathing after the eclipse, avoiding eating out or food cooked before the eclipse and postponing major assignments and work.

The combined gravitational pull of the sun and the moon may also trigger water-related natural disasters - especially in cities located along the coast.

A tsunami? "Nothing as bad as that. But till December coastal towns need to watch out," Goswami warned.

However, Delhi-based astrologer K N Rao, along with yoga guru Ramdev allay such fears.

"Misinformation that eclipse brings bad luck has been around for a long time. They should be discouraged. It is a natural celestial event," Rao said, even as baba Ramdev sought legal action against the "eclipse hysteria".

Delhi-based energy master S K Goel, also a 'vaastu' expert, predicted loss of natural energy. "Everything revolves around the sun. Imagine being without the sun for four minutes. The impact is tremendous."

Goel said the "loss of sunlight" would strengthen the bio-magnetic fields of the human bodies and "physical vibrations" would govern actions. "It is best to keep the stomach empty to avoid chemical reactions in the body and purify personal vibrations by chanting mantras," he said.

According to an Internet post by astrologer Aadietya Pandey, the first triple eclipse was recorded around 3067 BCE coinciding with the date and time of the battle of Kurukshetra in Mahabharata.

It is usually associated with tumultuous events on earth.