Now this is very unusual behaviour, for slokas are usually recited in front of a holy idol only. Why should a person recite slokas in a train? I asked him whether he was a Brahmin. The world, as our great grandfathers knew it, was divided into four primary castes; the Kshatriyas (kings/warriors), Brahmins (priests/learned men), Vaishyas (traders/businessmen) and Shudras (peasants).
Naturally, I assumed that he was from the Brahmin caste. They are the most ardent worshippers of, and are devoted to, our gods and goddesses. But he said, no, he wasn't a Brahmin. He proceeded to tell me that, in fact, he wasn't even a Hindu. He was a Christian by birth, but had read all the religious texts of the three dominant religions. He was an astrologer. I said, great. An astrologer. Can he elaborate upon the faint ideas that I have of astrology having to do with a person's life being determined by the time and place of the person's birth? Why, yes, he told me, that is true. When a newborn baby has its first contact with Earth, the baby's destiny is planned. It has to do with latitudes, longitudes, and the positions of the various planets at the time of birth.
What is my nakshatram, he asked. I replied, Chodhi. Hm, hm, hm. You were influenced by bad planets my son, but don't worry, Jupiter will save you until you are about 34. You must have had an unpleasant childhood, yes? (I nodded slightly at this one, not wanting to disappoint him) And, oh yes, - people with Chodhi usually have problems with their studies, so take care.
Diplomatic though I usually strive to be, a look of skepticism must have flitted past my face, for he told me that I shouldn't consider what he says to be some fantastic ramblings of a deranged old man. All of this, he said, has a firm basis in science. You see, it's like this: The Sun emits energy. This energy (or some of it), when falling on the planets, if reflected back onto Earth. This is Good. When energy is not reflected, it is Bad. And because of <insert un-understandable physics-related thing here> you see that electrons are involved in the whole process. This combination of Good and Bad (put together by several complex astrological formulas) is what determines, at least in part, what a person is.
Sad is my knowledge of Physics, and our conversation was one-sided to so great an extent that I resigned myself to meekly listening to everything he said, and nodding wisely whenever he said anything about electrons and energy. Sigh.
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