The Vedas are the guides for the civilized man in every respect. Since human life is the opportunity to get free from all material miseries, it is properly guided by the knowledge of the Vedas, in the matters of both material needs and spiritual salvation. The specific intelligent class of men who were devoted particularly to the knowledge of the Vedas were called the vipras, or the graduates of the Vedic knowledge. There are different branches of knowledge in the Vedas, of which astrology and pathology are two important branches necessary for the common man. So the intelligent men, generally known as the brähmaëas, took up all the different branches of Vedic knowledge to guide society. Even the department of military education (Dhanur-veda) was also taken up by such intelligent men, and the vipras were also teachers of this section of knowledge, as were Droëäcärya, Kåpäcärya, etc.
Therefore the custom in Vedic society is to examine the horoscopes of a girl and boy being considered for marriage to see whether their combination is suitable. Vedic astrology reveals whether one has been born in the vipra-varëa, kñatriya-varëa, vaiçya-varëa or çüdra-varëa, according to the three qualities of material nature. This must be examined because a marriage between a boy of the vipra-varëa and a girl of the çüdra-varëa is incompatible; married life would be miserable for both husband and wife. Consequently a boy should marry a girl of the same category.
Translation:
O great saintly person, you have compiled the astrological knowledge by which one can understand past and present unseen things. By the strength of this knowledge, any human being can understand what he has done in his past life and how it affects his present life. This is known to you.
CC Adi 17.103:
Brähmaëas generally used to become astrologers, Äyur-vedic physicians, teachers and priests. Although highly learned and respectable, such brähmaëas went from door to door to distribute their knowledge. A brähmaëa would first go to a householder’s home to give information about the functions to be performed on a particular tithi, or date, but if there were sickness in the family, the family members would consult the brähmaëa as a physician, and the brähmaëa would give instruction and some medicine. Often, since the brähmaëas were expert in astrology, people would also be greatly inquisitive about their past, present and future.
CC Madya 20.330-335 NY Dec 23 1966
So when Kåñëa was born... Of course, He is pure. He is God. But the social and the scriptural rules and regulations were followed. So when a child is born the astrologer is called. Still that system is followed. But due to this Kali-yuga the astrologer has also become a false, and this has become a formality. Somebody is following; somebody is not following. So as soon as a child is born... You will find Mahäräja Parékñit, as soon as he was born, his grandfather, Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira, called for astrologer. This is called jäta-karma. Just after the child is born, this astrologer will come and he will see the moment, the astronomical situation, and make a horoscope, and then immediately his future activities and everything will be clearly made, that "This child is born at such and such moment. He will be like this and this." And that will be... You will be surprised... Not surprised. This is calculation. In my horoscope it is written there, "At the age of seventy years he will go across the sea." It is written there. Yes. And there are so many things still. So this astrologer was so accurate. I have got that horoscope. Not here. If some day I shall, then will show. It is clearly written there that "This time he will go across the sea." Just see. The circumstances became so that I have come. So astrology is so nice.
Lecture Boston , May 3, 1969
Woman: Is Astrology of any importance to a way of life, I mean...
Prabhupäda: Yes. This is a science. Yes. This is a science. It is a science. That science is acceptable by the human society. Medical science, legal science, engineering science. Similarly, Astrology also, another science. But the astrology is simply useful so long you have got this body. But as soon as your body is finished, there is no more use of astrology.
Morning walk Dec 29, 1973, LA
Jayahari: Prabhupäda, this morning you talked about astrology in your lecture. Is this accepted in the Vedic scripture and by the gurus?
Prabhupäda: Oh yes. Astrology means... That is also Vedic. Jyotir-veda. Jyotir-veda. That is also part of the Vedas. The brähmaëas, they learn these three things: astrology and medicine. These two things. A brähmaëa is supposed to go to every householder's place, and he will inform, "Today is such and such tithi. The such and such thing should be done." And if required, if somebody inquires about, "Now I am going to that place. What will happen? Just find out the auspicious moment," so they will give him. Still it is current. It may be wrongly done or rightly, but the system is still there. Astrologer. The king should be always accompanied by a first-class astrologer. [break] ...there is a whole street, both sides simply astrology. [break] ...good astrologers.
Jayahari: Astrology is very popular in the western world. [break]
Prabhupäda: Where is our scientist?
Svarüpa Dämodara: Here, Çréla Prabhupäda.
Prabhupäda: Oh, how are you? Thank you very much. Come on. How are you? Feeling all right? Dr. Wolfe: Fine, thank you.
Prabhupäda: Hare Kåñëa.
Svarüpa Dämodara: I brought a friend, Çréla Prabhupäda, from Calcutta. He was my class friend in Calcutta. He is from St. Xavier's College. He graduated.
Prabhupäda: Oh. Bengali?
Sujit: Bengali. (Bengali conversation)
Prabhupäda: (Bengali) ...Mahatma Gandhi Road.
Svarüpa Dämodara:Daniel, come here. Daniel Sardar.
Sujit: Bengali. (Bengali conversation)
Sujit: Sujit.
Prabhupäda: Sujit.
Sujit: Sujit, oh. (Bengali conversation regarding his being a student of science, chemistry and plastics engineering, and Çréla Prabhupäda tells him that he attended Scottish Churches' College) [break] ...astrology?
Sujit: What is my opinion?
Prabhupäda: No. I am asking scientist.
Svarüpa Dämodara: First of all I did not believe astrology in the beginning. I thought it was a pseudo science.
Prabhupäda: No, you may think, but what is the opinion of the scientist?
Svarüpa Dämodara: Oh, scientists would say that there is no background.
Prabhupäda: So how it so happens?
Svarüpa Dämodara: Because they say something which cannot be proved by experimental science, that does not work, calling science.
Prabhupäda: So then how do you say that life is from matter? That cannot be proved by experiment.
Svarüpa Dämodara: That is why they are going to prove it. They are trying to prove it.
Prabhupäda: Then again, "going to prove." They cannot prove, they'll not not admit it.
Sujit: See, astrology, I think, what he said is half true. Astrology is a science but it is not an exact science like mathematics and chemistry.
Prabhupäda: No, No, it is mathematics. Astrology is simply based on mathematics. Exactly.
Svarüpa Dämodara: To calculate the planetary...
Prabhupäda: Just see. The comet...
Sujit: It is from astronomy.
Prabhupäda: Astronomy, yes. Astrology is part of astronomy. Yes.
Sujit: It's part of the science. It has been accepted as part of the science.
Prabhupäda: No, it is...
Svarüpa Dämodara: Astrological science is mostly speculative theory.
Prabhupäda: Astronomy also.
Sujit: They are proving a lot of things. They are calculating when a certain star can be in certain positions.
Svarüpa Dämodara: No, that can be done.
Prabhupäda: So our astrology is calculated by the position of the stars. By astronomy you calculate the position of the star, and they know, "If the star is in such and such position, the result will be like this." That is astrology.
Svarüpa Dämodara: This looks like collecting some facts from some experience.
Prabhupäda: No, no. It is calculated by the astral movement. It is a great science. People do not know it now.
Svarüpa Dämodara: So Wolfe Prabhu was telling me that "So we don't believe in astrology, but when Çréla Prabhupäda says, then you believe."
Prabhupäda: Huh?
Svarüpa Dämodara: Wolfe, he was telling me that, because I was telling him that I did not believe in astrology. Then one day Çréla Prabhupäda was talking on astrology. Then Wolfe said, "If Çréla Prabhupäda said, then you believe. And if it is not said by Çréla Prabhupäda, you don't believe."
Prabhupäda: No. We believe in astrology. But because it is a difficult science, people do not understand it properly. That is another thing. In my practical life I see. In my horoscope, everything is written, what I am doing. Everything is written. So...
Svarüpa Dämodara: That would be called like genius. Sometimes. If somebody can predict what is going to happen in the future, can be, just like, taken...
Prabhupäda: No, these astrologers can give everyone exact, the history of life, what is going to happen, what happened.
Svarüpa Dämodara: But it is true, though Çréla Prabhupäda, in our family life, when we want to do something, they always go to a...
Prabhupäda: Astrologer. Yes.
Svarüpa Dämodara: And then they... [break] (end)
The Vedic understanding is that every aspect of life is sacred. That is why each significant stage.
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