History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.207

v6.c82.207

The result of the dependence on ideas of lucky and unlucky days and nakṣatras was that some people began to make observations and deduce conclusions and a lore called 'nakṣatra-vidyā' arose When Nārada approached the great teacher Sanatkumāra for knowledge, the latter questioned him as to what he already knew and then Nārada enumerated a long list of lores (including ⁷⁵⁶ the four Vedas, Itihāsa-purāṇa), one of which is 'nakṣatravidyā' ('the science of nakṣatras' i. e. astronomy and astrology). It can be easily imagined how credulous people in ancient times as even in these days consulted those who professed to know what the stars foretold and were often deceived or felt frustrated. Hence arose even in early times a prejudice against star-gazers, astrologers and the like. One of the earliest references to this prejudice against star-gazers in Sanskrit literature is found in the Tai Br. III. 4 4 and Vāj. S. 30. 10 and 20, where the⁷⁵⁷ 'nakṣatradarśa' (star-gazer) is made over as a victim to *prajñāna* and the 'gaṇaka' (calculator of the movements of stars and planets) is consigned to aquatic animals along with the headman of the village Among the long list of brāhmaṇas that should not be invited for religious rites in honour of gods or in *śrāddhas*, Manu (III 162) includes one who maintains himself by the practice of astrology (nakṣatrair-yaśca jīvati) and in (VI. 50) Manu prohibits ascetics from desiring to secure alms by foretelling the results of portents (like earth-quakes) or of bodily⁷⁵⁸ movements (such as the throbbing of the eye or arm) or by nakṣatravidyā (astrology) or *aṅgavidyā* (palmistry) or by casuistry or by telling what the śāstra ordains on a (disputed) point. The ancient sūtras of Hārīta and of Śaṅkhalikhita declare that a nakṣatrajīvin (one who lives by practising astrology) and a 'nakṣatrādeśavṛtti' (who makes his livelihood by conveying the message of nakṣa-tras) respectively are unfit to sit in a row with other brāhmaṇas (q by Kṛtyakalpataru on śrāddha p. 88) Similarly, Sumantu (in a prose passage q on śrāddha by Kṛtyakalpataru p. 91) states the same about a 'mūlyasāṁvatsarika' (who practises astrology for money) The Viṣṇudharma-sūtra (chap. 82. 7) includes those who maintain themselves by astrology (nakṣatra-jīvinaḥ) among those who are not to be invited for śrāddha rites. Similarly, the Tevijjasutta (S. B. E vol. XI pp 196-197) and Mahāśīla in Dīghanikāya (I. p. 68) condemn for Buddhist monks maintenance by such low arts as guessing at the length of a man's life or by foretelling future events (such as eclipses, falling meteors, victory and defeat &c.) But the mere study of constellations is allowed by Buddha (in S. B E vol. XX pp. 292-294). Among obstacles to gain⁷⁵⁹ Kauṭilya enumerates many such matters as passion of love, anger, timidity and desire to find out an auspicious tithi and nakṣatra' and winds up with two fine verses characteristic of the great genius that placed Candragupta Maurya on the throne of Magadha. 'The desired object (or wealth) eludes that childish man that is excessively in search of what the stars portend: for the desired object is (itself) the star that governs (success) in securing it; what will stars do? Men striving (to attain their ends) will secure their objects after hundreds of efforts; wealth is caught by wealth just as elephants are bound by other elephants (opposed to them)'. From the above it is quite clear that several centuries before Christ an astrologer (who maintained himself on money acquired by the practice of astrology) was very much condemned.