Suman K Sharma
I claim no more than a nodding acquaintance with Dr Chander Mauli Raina, an acclaimed astrologer and scholar of Jammu. And yet I have a sound reason to acknowledge him and others of his calling. Some thirty years ago, his younger brother, Pandit Shiv Raina, predicted that on a certain date I was going to meet with a
near fatal accident.
Call it a coincidence or whatever you will, on that very date a fire broke out in my kitchen. All alone, I had a hard time putting it out. The burn marks on my hands continue to remind me of the junior Raina’s prediction. My acquaintance with Dr Raina is not that old. We met at a social function last year, when he gifted me a copy of his commentary on the VriddhaVashishtSamhita, a scholarly exposition of Rishi Vashishta’s contribution to Indian astrology.
The eldest of three brothers, Chander Mauli was born on 20 January, 1953, at village PauraKotla, near Shiv Khodi Dham, Riasi. His father, Pandit Rameshwar Dutt Raina, was a hereditary astrologer at the Dogra court. Heearned a doctorate in Astrology from the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, and has been teaching for the last thirty-six years, first at the Shri Ranbir Kendriya Sankrit Vidyapeeth, Jammu and then at the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, KotBhalawal, Jammu. He has to his credit twenty publications, including VriddhaVashisht Samhita(in two parts). Shri Raghavendra Panchagam- Jammu’s very own astrological almanac – has been coming out regularly under his chief editorship ever since 2001. Pandit Chander Mauli’s passions are KarmKand – the study and practice of Hindu rituals, Indian astrology and teaching of Sanskrit. He has mentored more than twenty pupils in these subjects and while doing so, he took care of their food and shelter as well. Veritably a Brahmin, he heads the Brahmin Sabha of the State.
Panditji took some time off his hectic routine for a chat. Here are excerpts from the conversation:
You are a Raina. Generally, Rainas hail from Kashmir. When did your ancestors migrate from the Valley?
My elders say that we migrated during the Mughal rule. I am the eighth generation of my family living in Jammu and we now identify ourselves as Dogras. My ancestors were affiliated to the King’s court as Raj Jyotishi during Dogra regime.
You were born in the house of PanditRameshwar Duttat Shiva Khodi Dham and namedChander Mauli. ‘Rameshwar’ and ‘Chandramauli’ are the names of Lord Shiva and Shivkhodi is His abode. One of your brothers is called ‘Shiv’. You must be a family of Shiva devotees.
Yes, we are Shiva devotees and also Vaishnavs. We have a long standing family tradition of regularly holding extensive prayers of Shaligram and Shivling. The deities were passed on to us from our ancestors and the tradition continues.
Dr Raina, you have been teaching for 36 years. You are a karmkandi Brahmin too. A teacher has to keep himself abreast with the latest trends in the society and developments in technology to be able to guide the young minds under his charge. Karmkand,on the other hand,takes one back to the rituals that were prescribed by the ancient sages thousands of years ago to suit the conditions then prevailing. How do you reconcile the two lines that are so disparate?
Even though technology has become an indispensible and inseparable part of our lives now, a large body of research points to its downside. The booming technology and its overuse have made the people stressful. They seek respite from this stress and it is here that the religious practices, events and faith come in. These are traditional ways of connecting oneself with the Supreme Being and realizing one’s highest potential. While the two ways (technology and religion/spirituality) may seem disparate, they need not necessarily have a fractured existence. The two can be used in tandem to realize the best of both worlds and lead a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
What in your view is the significance of the ancient Indian culture and traditions in the turbulent times of today?
Ancient Indian culture is a fountainhead of knowledge and bliss. It is a reservoir of wealth, open to one and all. In the turbulent times of today, it is even more relevant. If used in a positive way, the wisdom of the ancients can lead us to become more open, receptive to a contrary viewpoint and empathetic tothe fellow human beings. I give you an illustration. We have an old saying among us, “Brahmsatyamjagatmithya,” that is, there is only one absolute Truth, God; not the world. Charvak, an ancient philosopher, contradicted it thus:” Brahmmithya, jagatsatyam”- the world is the truth and not God. His argument was that no one has seen God, so how could He be a reality? The point I wish to make is that a voice of dissent had its space and acceptance in Hinduism. The ancient Indian knowledge, customs and practises were originally meant to foster acceptance, sharing and brotherhood. We need to go back and remind ourselves of these basic values especially in these volatile times.
You were born in a family of astrologers. Your father was a Raj-jyotishi – a court astrologer. Is it the only reason that you chose astrology as a profession?
Mostly yes. In addition to my formal education in Astrology, I was mentored by my grandfather and father, who were renowned jyotishis of their times. I had also the good fortune of being guided by some of the best minds in the field- Dr.BihariLalVashisht (Jammu), Prof. Ram ChanderPandey (BHU), Prof. ShukdevChaturvedi (LBS, Delhi). These luminaries had exceptional literary brilliance and acumen in jyotishvidya.
Both the Bhagvat Puran and the Gita say that a person’s birth is determined by the last thoughts he or she had while dying in the previous birth. There is also the belief that karma determines the gamut of our life. If man cannot alter what fate has ordained, what is the use of Jyotishvidya?
I concede. In the Bhagvad Gita, Lord Krishna says “I never interfere in two things of human life- prarabdh(destiny) and bhagya(luck)”. So, certainly, one reaps as one sows- that is the Karma philosophy. We cannot alter fate but Jyotish is a means to help a person tide through difficult times in life. It offers clarity, direction and remedies to pass over a difficult stretch of life.
Would you say that Astrology is a science? How far can its predictions be accurate?
I don’t see the point of comparing Astrology with Science. We must keep our minds open to explore the wealth of our ancient texts and use the knowledge for the benefit of society and not get into categorizing it into science and non-science. We do not need this branding. Astrology is an ancient system of knowledge that may not align with the methods adopted by mainstream science, yet it predicts various things with precision and accuracy. It has its own assumptions and methods and as a practising astrologer and researcher, I embrace those without a doubt. Take for example, weather forecasting. SamhitaShastrais a popular treatise on weather forecasting. We use the methods prescribed in this text to predict weather with great accuracy in our Panchang. The results are there for you to see.
Will you like to make a prediction as to when and how the Kashmir problem would be resolved?
I make annual political predictions for J&K in the Panchang,so you can watch that space for more. But to answer your question, the current times are not favourable for a resolution. We might see some resolution in the period when Saturn will enter Aquarius – which will happen in 2023.
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