Identifying bad astrologers and Ayurvedic doctors

Many try to use Vedic astrology for important decisions in their lives, but we can practically see that the results are not always good. How can a Vedic science be plagued with so many problems?

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Many try to use Vedic astrology for important decisions in their lives. Many even take astrology as a guide for choosing a spouse. However, we can practically see that it does not always help. Astrology is a Vedic art, and thus it is supposed to be scientific and effective, but that’s not what we frequently observe in practice.

If you look at many temple libraries nowadays, you may see a book called “How to Mess Up Your Life with Astrology”, which was written by a devotee who has great experience working as an astrologer. Being experienced in the field, she can naturally write about its shortcomings, and that’s what the book is about: a candid picture of many of the problems that plague the astrological field nowadays.

How can a Vedic science such as astrology be plagued with so many problems, to the point of seriously messing up people’s lives? The problem is not astrology per se, but certain practitioners.

The smṛti-śāstra very clearly prohibits unqualified persons from studying the Vedas and performing Vedic sacrifices, with verses such as tasmāc chūdro bahu-paśur ayajñīyaḥ, “A śūdra is unfit to perform sacrifices, being unqualified”. Because of these prohibitions, a śūdra is not allowed to hear the Vedas, because it is not possible for him to understand their meaning or perform the rituals and penances prescribed in them.

We are also cautioned that vedākṣara-vicāraṇe śūdro patati tat-kṣaṇāt, “A śūdra who studies the Vedas falls into degraded life”. As the saying goes, “Little knowledge is dangerous”. If a person is not capable of properly understanding the Vedas, it’s better not to study at all, since misunderstanding and misusing the knowledge will do more harm than good.

It is important to understand that these prohibitions apply to the technical parts of the Vedas, which describe ceremonies and technical sciences, as well as deep philosophical parts like the Upaniṣads. It doesn’t apply to the Puranas, Mahābhārata, the Bhagavad-gītā, etc., as well as different Vaiṣnava scriptures, which can be studied by anyone.

Of the four Vedas, the Ṛg, Sāma, and Yajur Vedas deal with mantras and ceremonies, as well as intricate spiritual topics, and thus are not fit to be studied by unqualified persons. Apart from the deep philosophical and ritual sections, the Atharva Veda deals with material sciences such as health, architecture, astrology, and so on. These are also unfit to be studied by unqualified persons (just like a person who doesn’t fulfill the necessary academic requirements will not be accepted into a university). There is no gain for the individual or society if an unqualified person starts working as a physician or engineer. Even in fields such as astrology, an unqualified professional can create havoc in the lives of people who trust his advice, as it’s common nowadays. In this way, unqualified persons are barred from studying all four Vedas.

Of course, nowadays everyone is a śūdra, and thus such a distinction can’t be applied blindly or on the basis of birth. The idea is that anyone can be reformed by the appropriate spiritual process and thus become qualified to study the technical sections of the Vedas and even perform Vedic sacrifices. The process of purification starts by accepting a self-realized spiritual master, following the process of rules and regulations under him, etc. Once one is elevated to the mode of goodness and gains spiritual insight, he or she may study the Vedas.

This is why, although a person who lacks the proper qualification is barred from studying the four Vedas, there is no such restriction for studying books such as the Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. These books actually contain a higher grade of knowledge than what is offered in the four Vedas, dealing directly with devotional service to the Lord, which is the only effective process in the age we live in. By studying these books and following the spiritual process left by our previous ācāryas, we can purify ourselves. However, again, there is no point in studying the technical portions of the scriptures and material sciences without being qualified.

Modern universities are usually organized as places where people can acquire professional skills. People are trained to follow certain guidelines and thus perform their functions according to the book, even without really understanding what they are doing. People are thus trained to be good workers, and not necessarily to fully understand their fields. The Vedic sciences, however, don’t work like that. Astrology, just like Ayurvedic medicine and other fields, requires one to have deep insight into the subjects to be able to properly apply the science. One who tries to just apply closed formulas will make serious mistakes.

To properly understand these sciences, one needs to have not only higher intelligence but spiritual insight, and that’s precisely why the smṛti-śāstra prohibits unqualified persons from even studying it, since anything they may try to apply will be misguided. As we can see, that’s precisely the problem nowadays, especially in India. It is common that people who lack the qualification to enter a good university and become a qualified doctor or another type of professional often turn to Ayurveda or astrology to try to make a living, and thus create havoc in others’ lives.

Therefore, when deciding to accept the services of a Vedic astrologer or an Ayurvedic doctor, it’s very important to first understand the personal qualifications of the professional. The preliminary qualification is that one should be qualified as brāhmana, living a sāttvic life and showing the capacity to understand and apply the sastra. This is usually not difficult to ascertain if we put the sentimentality aside and just judge impartially.

If, however, one has the qualities of a śūdra, an ordinary person, he or she should be rejected. This simple rule can save us from lots of problems and frustration.

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