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Evidently there are influences of other galactic bodies on the life of earth, for instance sun causes seasons and moon causes tides - be whatever the names one refers to them like planets or stars. In scientific terms, the solar or lunar effects are same for all and unlike in astrology, they do not handpick certain people. Thrice in history, attempts were made to study the effects of Lunar phenomenon on lunatics. All the three studies have not yielded any conclusive result ending the controversy.

Cold wind effects everybody uniformly. But my friend does not take this argument. While I go for a morning stroll, he avoids cold days - he is asthmatic. Not all suffer sunstroke but only few. This means there are certain other factors involved and just because we all breathe oxygen, we cannot be termed as the `same'.

We can extend the argument to the other planets also. But, unfortunately, we do not have any precision instruments to measure effects on individual of influences like radiation, magnetism etc. that fall on earth. Earlier people did not believe in the existence of astral body (body light) until Kirilian photographs were taken! Perhaps, one - day science will advance much more than it is today.

All most all the cosmic rays from outside (including sun's) are filtered by the atmosphere. The photographs by whatever the way it is taken of black holes or planets show that some light or otherwise is coming out or going into. So, the earth can not be isolated by that phenomenon. As the present day science does not have resources to measure infinitesimally small individual effects, no such study has taken place.

It is said that gravitational attraction is the cause of the planetary influences. Every thing that has weight is subjected to this influence. The gravitational influence on the newborn from the nurse, the hospital building is much more than the gravitational force from the planets! Perhaps, though infinitesimally small they effect the individual behavior. When asked, "Do you believe in the existence of God?" Bhagwan Buddha said, "I do not know". This is also my answer. Until we know for sure, let's not talk about that method of influence putting a grab of scientific explanation. Let's behave like intellectuals who want impartial and well thought of viewpoint and not as rationalists of India, bent upon baiting every age-old belief.

Classical texts do not mention about the radiation (Vikirana) being the cause of planetary effect on individuals. If I talk about radiation effect / gravitational attraction, I do not have any sanction from the classical works. Yet, we can find mention of "dristi" (aspect) indicating the angle of incidence of the rays from the planet.

Pending investigations, for such ultra-minute forces of galactic influence we have to shelf these arguments. The positions of planets in the heaven are used like the pointers of clock dial. Mind you, Maharaj, astrologers do not use any measuring instruments to read a janmapatri. The no-living watch does not give out any force whatsoever on the body. Yet, we have scheduled ourselves by the clock without our knowledge. Every activity in the world is governed by the time. There could be few exceptions to the rule like a man not going to office on a certain day. This exception will also be subject to certain other rule like it was Sunday on that day!

The ancients correlated the planetary movements to the individual happenings on the earth. In scientific terms mere correlations between to configurations do not give validity, as they are not having a causative relationship. This means according to science, there could be some other event, which has caused both planetary movements and supposed changes in behavior of humans, by a force unknown to man so far. As such, astrology can not be termed as science not at all (in terms of what we call as science of the day).

For that matter, Ayurveda and Homeopathy are also not science as the correlation of disease and cure is not causative. As any scientist knows microbes cause most of the diseases. In Ayurveda, the causes of diseases are put forth as the imbalance of kapha, vata and pittabody fluids. The cause is wrongly postulated in this case.

As the potency of a homeodrug goes up, the particles of medicinal substance comes down and the process of cure can not be explained by the present day scientist and so both Ayurveda and Homeopathy do not deserve to be called science. Yet, we have subjects like Political Science. God only knows who coined the word, when we see how any politician behaves!

Just because we do not know how ayurveda, homeopathy or astrology work, calling these subjects as a mere humbug would be unwise and thereby the knowledge acquired by generations and generations would not come to use. In such subjects, individual studies, experiences, own analysis etc, would help to discover the new things in the world.

Yet, one thing is certain, until the end, the arguments whether astrology is a science, a mystic art or a mere humbug formed by the some Zionists to exploit the society, will go on and on. As the science does not take into account, the individual experiences, individuals also do not bother much about the scientists' views but do depend on their own individual experiences.

As per science, there is no difference between you, Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Ghodse or I. we all have same chemical and physical characteristics!

N. S. Manjunath,
302, Sairam Apartments,
Near Laxmikalamandir,
Lothukunta, Indiranagar,
Secunderabad