24 Jan 2016
Shri Anil asked: As per Your preaching, sharp logical analysis shall be used for finding out the truth of any sentence in any scripture. However, especially in astrological scriptures, this logic seems to fail in certain places. For instance, donating certain specific food items, doing certain activities in certain time (muhurta) and constructing houses at certain specific recommended time periods are prescribed. In such situations logical analysis found to fail. Kindly enlightens on this.
Shri Swami replied: The donation of food materials to the poor is the basic concept in the theistic astrology. The colours of food grains resembling the colours of deities of planets is the reason for such selection of specific foods. This is only to satisfy the psychology of the devotees to increase their attention to a more sophisticated technology-show. A doctor can easily recognize the decease by seeing the reports. The patient is not so much impressed with the doctor. The doctor performs some more tests exhibiting a show of equipments etc. The patient gets more satisfied with such specific tests through equipments done by the doctor spending some time for his case. This show is necessary not only to collect considerable fees from the patient, but, also to increase the faith and attention by presenting certain technological plans of show to impress on the mind of patient. This increases faith on the doctor and such faith helps the patient to get early cure. It is not wrong from this type of angle. Using such angle, collection of more fees through exploitation is wrong. Donation of food to poor and hungry people is the total concept. These specific food grains are mostly pulses and such show encourages giving more protein-food to poor people and this is the indirect idea. If mere food is recommended, one may not donate the food involving costly pulse grains, which are rich in proteins. The beggars can easily get the cheap food of rice and wheat. Exploitation of the weakness of selfish attachment exists as basis in these remedies, but, it is not wrong in the beginning level. Even the highest selfish person is forced to do sacrifice in view of pacification of planets to achieve personal benefits and escape personal losses. But, whatever may be the case, practice of sacrifice is introduced. In the beginning, some defects are inevitable when a good deed is done, whatever may be the motive, certain good fruits are awarded by God. This basic concept is quite logical. Minute defects may be overlooked especially in view of the psychology. Certain hidden good aims also exist. With the help of the same logic, you will understand the hidden motives in such practices. The theistic astrology is not wrong. Only the devilish astrology is wrong that contradicts God. Jesus criticized astrology since it was devilish at that time. Even the Hindu scripture says that astrologer (devilish) should be boycotted while taking food in the ritual. However, this does not apply to the theistic astrology, who believes God as the highest administrator assisted by deities of the planets as the divine office bearers functioning under the full control of God only. The spiritual knowledge is not at all affected by such astrology.