History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.305

v6.c82.305

Indian works also require the astrologer to consider the customs of the country and of the people. The Rājamārtaṇḍa825b says 'First the usages of people must be considered; whatever is firmly established in the several countries, that alone must be followed; the learned give up what is hateful to the people; therefore an astrologer should proceed along the people's way. A learned man should never go against the inclinations of the family (to which the person belongs) and of the country'; and then he gives examples of the astrological requirements as regards planets in the case of marriages in several countries. The general astrology about calamities or occurrences that affect all people spoken of by Ptolemy would fall under *Śākhā* or *Saṁhitā* in the narrower sense (vide notes 688 and 690). Some important and interesting conclusions of Ptolemy may be noted here.