Book Title: Some Aspects of Indian Culture
Author(s): A S Gopani, Nagin J Shah, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 192
________________ Satyasamhita and... 183 some semblance of government behind this strange drama, though every time he really did nothing more than look at the infinite through a minute hole in the wall. It is a paradox that sciences must make mistakes, must have pitfalls. must grope in the darkness and still must persistently go on. Discoveries and speculations; errors and corrections; formulations and revisions-these must eternally go on. No one is wise enough to criticise or comment. Time is not still ripe to compare that results of various sciences and if astrology has anything to say on the point, let us not discard it. Law of Causation is the Law of laws. There is cosmos, order. Our knowledge of the universe bears testimony to the facts that it is a whole and that there is an amazing co-ordination between its various parts, The Solår system also is no exception to this and the Earth we live on is controlled and conditioned by the actions and interactions. Thus there is complete rhythm between our affairs on this earth and the movements of the planets in the Solar system. These coincidences were fully investigated and the rules were deduced. They enable us to forecast events and occurrences. Inasmuch as we are parts and parcels of the Earth, these laws apply to us also. This establishes the only conclusion that our life can pass without any hitch so long as it moves in unison with the universe. It is the claim of Astrology to find out rules and laws that can help us in achieviog this uniformity, call it coordination, rhythm or harmony. Astrology is a science and not an art. This is my main deduction in this article as opposed to one assayed in the former part ol this article. I am sure this will not find ready acceptance from some who still maintain, as I formerly did, that the practice of Astrology depends upon the possession of supernatural powers and that only on this account it should better remain a sealed book to those not privileged. Satyācārya himself ha's stated that he has based his prediction partly on Yoga. I deny this claim and try to pursue the subject with a more scientific precision and thoroughness. It is now my conviction-and all will agree that it is a right one--that any subject which does not stand scientific scrutiny should not be deemed worthy of even a moment's thought at least in this age. The talk about the origin and development of this science is bound to be idle and uninteresting. We should be modest to admit that such a fullfledged science has its roots in pre-historic times. It is not out of place to quote here the opinion of Dr. Richard Garnett, the famous director of the British Museum, who once declared regarding the precision of Astrology that “Astrology, with the single exception of Astronomy, as regards the certainty of its data, is the most exact science.” At the same time it also must be cleared that Astrology is not a cent per cent correct science. Like other sister sciences it has also a leeway of error. Astrologers have a great distance still to cover. Test of actual experience weighs in favour of Astrology the claim of which is more than answered by a demand, increasing day by day that it should, because it can, make forecasts and estimates. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211