THE DISCUSSION OF THE ECLIPSE - 1

I had decided more than two years ago not to make television appearances because it caused me strain in many ways. The demands from people all over the world to give them consultations apart, it was appalling to see that after winning the case against astrology in the Supreme Court single handed, I was witnessing unscrupulous astrologers taking advantage of the idiotic news channels concentrating on Moon sign predictions daily and worse, talking of the evil consequences of eclipses on their Moon signs!

But an occasion comes and the Divine Will works through you is what you must always keep in the mind. One very well educated person who knows some astrology and whose wife was pregnant came to ask me if delivery by her of her first child around the time of eclipse, a day or two before or after will produce a crippled child! I was shocked and asked him why he was asking the question. He said that is what most of the astrologers of television channels were saying. I explained to him astrologically the reason why these idiotic astrologers were preaching superstition. And capped it with a rhetorical question---if it was true would not the scientists of the world would have produced some big research on this and raised a big hue and cry?

NHK television channel of Japan
Then one Abhishek who represents a Japanese television channel NHK, in India approached me on instructions from Japan to get my astrological comments on the eclipse of 22 July 22 and asked for my consent for a television shoot when the Japanese crew would arrive. I agreed and on 12 July, a Sunday, it was shot in my class room. I learn that the entire episode was shown for one hour and forty five minutes including my comments when it was shown in Japan.

The Hindu tradition
Let me explain one piece in this episode which I keep repeating in my class room.
1. A scientific truth was discovered in ancient India and
2. It was expressed in the form of a story in the Puranic style which
3) when it got socially accepted and became a social belief, gathered in course of time their own beliefs and superstition and further
4) when it reached tribal areas it collected the tribal beliefs and superstitions like marrying a girl or boy whose horoscope showed some defect for marriage, to a tree first before actually performing the marriage.

What should I do ?

The damage being done by Hindi news channels and panic being spread in the name of eclipse had shocked me and many others. If it was the will of God that I should appear on some television channel it would happen but which one when all of them had become dangerously idiotic and superstitious ?

Star News
An intelligent young man from Star News approached me and told me that his television wanted to take a different line on eclipses--objective presentation of predictions of eclipses as part only of mundane astrology or samhita astrology and not a fraudulent use of this like Moon sign astrology. I agreed because a woman astrology student of ours assured me that the Star News was serious to become a trend setter forsaking the fraudulent line which other channels was not preparing to give up.

What happened after that is history now.

It became a sensation and as usual, I created more enemies among astrologers and blind defenders of Hinduism but won a very wide audience and appreciation form most of the educated classes and pregnant women and their husbands when these women delivered their babies safely and healthy and some beautiful ones as well. I won the gratitude of so many and that is the true reward for me.

I had to appear in Star TV thrice,once with Manoj Pathak and what was said and predicted is being summarised in a serial form here.