“A physician without a knowledge of astrology has no right to call
himself a physician.”
– Hippocrates (Greek physician, referred to as the ‘Father
of Medicine’)
How time humbles all of us. There was a time when I ridiculed
astrologers and the science of astrology.
One of my dear friends, Veda Murti Prabhu is an accomplished
astrologer; yet I ignored his explanations. I thought I am a devotee
of Krishna and claimed I don’t need to know anything from any
astrologer.
Over two decades of Krishna consciousness passed like this and
recently my opinions began to change. My astrologer friend saw my
chart and said I’d likely have back ache often and I have a history of
imbalance of air in the body that could possibly cause back and
shoulder pain. I was shocked. My friend wasn’t a doctor; he hadn’t
even checked my pulse. How could he know my history and present health
challenges simply by making some mathematical calculations?
I then decided to test my friend and gave him the birth details of a
friend who is a wealthy industrialist. But I changed the name. And
again I was shocked when he said the person seems to be from a
financially endowed family. I asked him how he guessed it. The
astrologer said he hadn’t guessed; rather the chart is simple and the
way certain planets are placed in different houses, it becomes easy to
explain the phenomenon.
Then slowly as he explained my own inner state, my initial amusement
and curiosity turned to respect for the science. American financer and
banker, J.P.Morgan, considered by many as America’s greatest banker,
said, “Anyone can be a millionaire, but to become a billionaire, you
need an astrologer.”
But I am a devotee of Krishna and I don’t need to worry about all of
these? True!
“Astrology is a science…it is the general custom that as soon as a
child is born, the astrologers come. That is the Indian system, Vedic
system.”
– Srila Prabhupada (24th March’ 1974, Bombay)
If astrology can help me improve my services to Krishna, why not
accept it? If medical tests and electronic gadgets can help us serve
Krishna better, then what’s the harm in using the science of
astrology? If your smart phone helps you preach Krishna consciousness
it makes sense to continue using the phone. But if the phone uses you
instead, and you are totally enamoured by its glamour, then there is
something wrong happening. Similarly, if you can use astrology for
serving better, it’s welcome. But if you get so focussed on its charm
that you forget the goal of life, then it’s the astrology that’s using
you.
To be continued…
