Astrology
In a discourse on Harischandra, Rajaji was present. The Pauranika praised him and said, 'His horoscope indicated that he would become a great person.' He invited Rajaji to speak a few words. Rajaji said, 'What the Pauranika said about my horoscope is against the grain of the story. When I was to be admitted in school, my parents did not know my exact date of birth. The question of my horoscope or any prediction based on it does not arise.'
Rajaji was against astrology as useless any which way you look at it.
The acid test is whether there is a reasonable basis for astrology to be taken seriously and there is none. We may believe and follow our belief. That is our privilege. That cannot add to or detract from truth.
Astrology to be science must meet two criteria. One is that it should be possible to form a theory from fundamentals that will hold good reasonably. Why Rahu, Ketu etc. are malefic? How does a distant planet exert influence on an individual? No plausible answers are there for this and many other basic issues. (General justification like moon's influence in mind etc. has been overdone). Second is there should be replicability. Not only should the observations uphold the conclusions arrived at, but similar conditions should produce like results. It fails on this count also. The one common dig at astrology is about the divergent fortunes of two born at the same time. (Lack of accuracy is an issue in science also particularly in micro world. That does not hold water for astrology's poor performance). The only factor in its favour is that a number of observations as per the chart are borne out in actual life. But, that does not make it a science any more than a positive correlation between two unrelated variables make them related. It is interesting, just as mythology is. No harm if it is not a science. It should never come into reckoning in the affairs of the state or science by some popular demand.
Kv Chellappa No.
1 is explainable by gravitation. No. 2 is a myth. Even if true, it may
be due to some radiation, it has nothing to do with extra-scientific
factors. About operation on Pournami, I do not know. Several doctors in
India believe in astrology and have superstitions
(I too have loads of them). Someone should put up cogent arguments why
astrology is a science. If there is some material somewhere, tell me. I
will read and change my opinion (not that it matters to anyone or
astrology) if there is convincing argument.
My horoscope was cast in the village by an amateur astrologer (an absentee landlord who was working in Madras and was on a visit during harvest). He did a few hours of strenuous calculation (no calculators in the fifties) and finished the chart and handed over to my father with a fair comment that it was an average horoscope. I came to know later only that he has placed Sani in the eighth house in the horoscope. (In the actual world we had only one old village house). It was not clear how we offended him.
I was used to hearing people use ashtama sani in scolding also. So, that kept me in mental knots.
In Bombay, Raghurajan, a close friend from Madurai days, whom I consulted, said, ‘You won’t die even if you are thrown in the sea with a wheelbarrow tied to you’. Luckily no one did it. He however took pity on me, took the details of my birth, time and place, went to Asiatic (a store opposite Churchgate station) and got a new horoscope. He was so powerful he could shift Sani from the eighth to the seventh house. I felt triumphant.
But, it was short-lived. The next quack of an astrologer was not really pleased with Sani in the seventh house and predicted dire things. He was not a friend and was not well disposed to me and refused to shift Sani further. I changed houses many times since, but Sani has not. How cruel!
Horscopes and astrology are good fun like watching movies or comics.
My views are shaped in a way by Rajaji. Rajaji was dead against astrology.
In one upanyasam on Harischandra, Anantarama Dikshitar sighted Rajaji and praised him saying, ‘Rajaji’s horoscope is divine. A great life was predicted for him on seeing the horoscope.’ Little knowing what he was in for, he invited Rajaji to speak a few words. Rajaji said, ‘Dikshitar said about my horoscope. His father-in-law is a famous astrologer. So he goes gaga over astrology. But what he said about my horoscope runs counter to the spirit of the story he is discoursing on. Even my exact date of birth is not known so much so that when I had to be put in school they had to scratch their heads.’
In a discourse on Harischandra, Rajaji was present. The Pauranika praised him and said, 'His horoscope indicated that he would become a great person.' He invited Rajaji to speak a few words. Rajaji said, 'What the Pauranika said about my horoscope is against the grain of the story. When I was to be admitted in school, my parents did not know my exact date of birth. The question of my horoscope or any prediction based on it does not arise.'
Rajaji was against astrology as useless any which way you look at it.
The acid test is whether there is a reasonable basis for astrology to be taken seriously and there is none. We may believe and follow our belief. That is our privilege. That cannot add to or detract from truth.
Astrology to be science must meet two criteria. One is that it should be possible to form a theory from fundamentals that will hold good reasonably. Why Rahu, Ketu etc. are malefic? How does a distant planet exert influence on an individual? No plausible answers are there for this and many other basic issues. (General justification like moon's influence in mind etc. has been overdone). Second is there should be replicability. Not only should the observations uphold the conclusions arrived at, but similar conditions should produce like results. It fails on this count also. The one common dig at astrology is about the divergent fortunes of two born at the same time. (Lack of accuracy is an issue in science also particularly in micro world. That does not hold water for astrology's poor performance). The only factor in its favour is that a number of observations as per the chart are borne out in actual life. But, that does not make it a science any more than a positive correlation between two unrelated variables make them related. It is interesting, just as mythology is. No harm if it is not a science. It should never come into reckoning in the affairs of the state or science by some popular demand.
Mala Chandrashekhar Do
you believe that ebbs & tides are caused by the positions of Sun
& Moon? Is this fact Scientific or Unscientific in your view? Do you
believe that mothers on family way, if exposed to the rays of Sun &
Moon at the time of Solar & Lunar Eclipse, have
invariably deformed children born to them? My husband Shekhar, who is a
medical man and a man of very scientific thinking, says that most
operating surgeons in hospitals always avoid the day of POURNAMI ( Full
Moon Day ) for surgeries as there is tremendous bleeding on these days
and all sorts of complications arise. They perhaps want to be on the
safer side and don't want to risk their professional reputation.
Astrology and me
My horoscope was cast in the village by an amateur astrologer (an absentee landlord who was working in Madras and was on a visit during harvest). He did a few hours of strenuous calculation (no calculators in the fifties) and finished the chart and handed over to my father with a fair comment that it was an average horoscope. I came to know later only that he has placed Sani in the eighth house in the horoscope. (In the actual world we had only one old village house). It was not clear how we offended him.
I was used to hearing people use ashtama sani in scolding also. So, that kept me in mental knots.
In Bombay, Raghurajan, a close friend from Madurai days, whom I consulted, said, ‘You won’t die even if you are thrown in the sea with a wheelbarrow tied to you’. Luckily no one did it. He however took pity on me, took the details of my birth, time and place, went to Asiatic (a store opposite Churchgate station) and got a new horoscope. He was so powerful he could shift Sani from the eighth to the seventh house. I felt triumphant.
But, it was short-lived. The next quack of an astrologer was not really pleased with Sani in the seventh house and predicted dire things. He was not a friend and was not well disposed to me and refused to shift Sani further. I changed houses many times since, but Sani has not. How cruel!
Horscopes and astrology are good fun like watching movies or comics.
My views are shaped in a way by Rajaji. Rajaji was dead against astrology.
In one upanyasam on Harischandra, Anantarama Dikshitar sighted Rajaji and praised him saying, ‘Rajaji’s horoscope is divine. A great life was predicted for him on seeing the horoscope.’ Little knowing what he was in for, he invited Rajaji to speak a few words. Rajaji said, ‘Dikshitar said about my horoscope. His father-in-law is a famous astrologer. So he goes gaga over astrology. But what he said about my horoscope runs counter to the spirit of the story he is discoursing on. Even my exact date of birth is not known so much so that when I had to be put in school they had to scratch their heads.’
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