Motley group of 70 takes to ‘star-gazing’
GORAKHPUR : Sporting vermilion on her forehead, 50-year-old Usha Devi (name changed), a housewife and mother of two married sons, doesn’t feel odd being back in the classroom after such a long time.
Usha is a resident of the city’s Gorakhnath locality and is among 70 odd students, who have joined the newly introduced three-month Jyotish Shastra and Vastu course in the department of Sanskrit, DDU Gorakhpur University.
Usha, whose husband is in government service and who used to remain busy in household chores, is now learning to predict the future by reading the kundli (horoscope) and planetary positions. “Once I get a certificate, I can start practising from my home. I have an interest in astrology and it will help me earn some money in my spare time,” Usha said.
The classes of ‘Trai-masik-parshikshan’ at the Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Academy began on Tuesday. Interestingly, people of all ages and walks of life, including retired government officials, housewives, professionals, civil service aspirants, as well as local astrologers who have not pursued any astrology degree have opted for the course.
Swayam Prabha, 18, a BA II student and a civil service aspirant, said, “The Jyotish Shashtra is helpful in understanding karma and predicting the future. I don’t want to make a career of it but I have joined the course because of my interest in Sanatan Dharma.”
Yogendranath Shukla, 62, a retired principal, who was spotted occupying the front bench with text books and a pen, said that he wanted to learn astrology to achieve gyan (knowledge) only. Muneesh Kumar Mishra, Vinay Kumar Shukla and Vinay are local astrologers but none of them hold any professional degree in astrology. “I have joined the course to obtain a certificate as I didn’t have any degree till now. An astrologer without a professional degree is treated like a quack with no credibility,” he said.
“In today’s time, people have lost interest in studying Sanskrit but there was a time when a large number of people would apply for it. Now, under the UP government’s policy to promote Sanskrit and ancient shashtras, we have launched the course in astrology. In this three-month course, basics of astrology like Kundli-reading, Panchang (Hindu calendar), details about all 27 Nakshatras (constellations), Patravali (descriptions) will be taught.
The students will be trained to give accurate predictions on the basis of planetary positions and guide those consulting them, the right way. Currently, two teachers, Vikram Jyotish Pandey and Acharya Sharat Chand Mishra have been appointed to teach students,” Sanskrit Department HoD Murli Manohar Pathak said.
“These 70 students have been selected on the basis of an interview from 200 applicants,” he added.