Post No. 13,753
Date uploaded in London – 6 October 2024
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Hindus have two different views on astrology and astrologers. Though Sanskrit language has Brihat Jataka and Brihat Samhita of Varaha Mihira, Manu Smriti has no favourable view on astrologers, fortune tellers and Palmists. He bans those people from many places. Of late Bharatiyar, the greatest of the Tamil poets also advised Tamils to shun astrology. But like western countries most of the newspapers in India publish weekly or monthly astrological forecasts and predictions.
As far Tamils, they have lot of astrological references in 2000-year-old Sangam Tamil literature. Later books have more references. One remarkable thing about Tamils is they have more synonyms for each of the 27 stars than in Sanskrit. They have all sorts of prediction methods.
Stars, the sun, the moon, planets, eclipses, and astronomy in general are mentioned more than four hundred times in the plays of Shakespeare and sixty times in his poems. A Midsummer Night’s Dream contains thirty references to celestial objects, whereas most of the plays average from twelve to twenty each
Shakespeare used stars instead of planets in his plays. He believed in the power of fate. Commentators think that he used stars for fate. But I think he projected the views of 16th century Britain who believed in fate and astrology.
Let us look at Manu’s views on astrologers first :
Manu warns kings about fortune tellers and he warns the people of three castes not to call them for certain ceremonies.
न चोत्पातनिमित्ताभ्यां न नक्षत्राङ्गविद्यया ।
नानुशासनवादाभ्यां भिक्षां लिप्सेत कर्हि चित् ॥ ५० ॥
na cotpātanimittābhyāṃ na nakṣatrāṅgavidyayā |
nānuśāsanavādābhyāṃ bhikṣāṃ lipseta karhi cit || 50 ||
He shall never obtain alms either by means of prodigies and portents, or by means of the science of astrology and palmistry, or by means of counsel and discussion.—(50)
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उत्कोचकाश्चोपधिका वञ्चकाः कितवास्तथा ।
मङ्गलादेशवृत्ताश्च भद्राश्चैक्षणिकैः सह ॥ २५८ ॥
utkocakāścopadhikā vañcakāḥ kitavāstathā |
maṅgalādeśavṛttāśca bhadrāścaikṣaṇikaiḥ saha || 258 ||
Those who take bribes, dissemblers, cheats and gamblers, fortune-tellers and palmists.—(258)
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हस्तिगोऽश्वौष्ट्रदमको नक्षत्रैर्यश्च जीवति ।
पक्षिणां पोषको यश्च युद्धाचार्यस्तथैव च ॥ १६२ ॥
hastigo’śvauṣṭradamako nakṣatrairyaśca jīvati |
pakṣiṇāṃ poṣako yaśca yuddhācāryastathaiva ca || 162 ||
The tamer of elephants, bulls, horses or camels, one who subsists on stars, bird-keeper and the teacher of warfare.—(162)
All these slokas show Manu’s caution against astrologers.
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हस्तिगोऽश्वौष्ट्रदमको नक्षत्रैर्यश्च जीवति ।
पक्षिणां पोषको यश्च युद्धाचार्यस्तथैव च ॥ 3-१६२ ॥
hastigo’śvauṣṭradamako nakṣatrairyaśca jīvati |
pakṣiṇāṃ poṣako yaśca yuddhācāryastathaiva ca || 3-162 ||
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Now to Shakespeare
Comets blazes through sky if Kings die
CALPURNIA
When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.
CAESAR
Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
—Juius Caesar
This warning against comets in Sangam Tamil literature
Pura Nanuru is one of the important books in 2000 year old Sangam literature .
Hindu Beliefs
Kudalur Kizar, a poet, sings an elegy to the Chera king (Yanaikat Chey) Mantaram Cheral Irumporai, in which he says that the sighting of a comet seven days earlier portended his death. What he feared seven days ago came true today. In short, the king died after the appearance of a comet. It may be Halley’s comet ( Purananauru verse 229)
In another verse Kapilan, the most famous Brahmin poet, who composed the highest number of poems in Sangam period, says that even if a comet appeared Pari’s land will get good rains and good harvest because he was such a just and generous king (Puram verse 117). He used the Sanskrit word Dhumam for a comet.
Brhat Samhita has a full chapter on comets.
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KING LEAR PLAY
It is the stars,
The stars above us, govern our conditions.
Else one self mate and mate could not beget
Such different issues. You spoke not with her since?
(It’s the stars, the stars above us, who decide our fate. Otherwise one couple couldn’t have children so different from each other as Cordelia and her sisters are. )
Here Shakespeare says that our fate is already decided by our (birth) stars and so we see difference even among close relatives.
This is found throughout Hindu literature
To be continued………………………..
–subham–=
Tags- comets, stars, fate, astrology, Shakespeare, Sangam Tamil literature, Manu smriti, belief, astrologer
Tamil and Vedas 