A History of Sanskrit Literature c35.s6.1

c35.s6.1

That the celestial bodies exercise influence on the fate of men, and that the future can be foretold from their aspect, is a very early belief in India, whether we believe it appeared there independently or was borrowed from Babylon. In the Brāhmaṇas and the Sūtras we find recognition of the idea of a lucky star, and the Dharmasūtras demand that the king shall have an astrologer just as he has a house chaplain, while the *Arthaçāstra* ranks court bards, the servants of the chaplain, and astrologers among the lower court functionaries. In war an astrologer is essential to foretell the result from the signs, and to encourage the army and terrify the foe. On the other side, we have the fact that, like a magician, an astrologer may be ritually impure, and the Buddhists denounce the occupation as they do many others.