Death viewed from the perspective of Vedic Astrology

There is nothing so certain in this world like death.
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers come to dust, says Shakespeare.

All religions talk of death and life thereafter.  Vedic Astrology also devotes an important part to death and cause of death.  There are also Astrological principles relating to predicting life after death. 

Astrological theories relating to Karma and birth and death propounded by Maha Rishis of ancient India are similar in many ways to what the Buddha taught on these subjects.
India’s great astrologer B. Suryanarayan Rao in his celebrated work, ‘Karma and Astrology’ interprets what it conceives to be the future of man as moulded by his previous Karma indicated by the planetary positions formed at the time of one’s of birth. 

Karma and rebirth
The fact that the birth of a living being is determined by the force of Karma – the cumulative effect of good or bad he had done in his previous birth is in accord with Buddhism. 

Fatalism and Astrology
Buddhism does not subscribe to fatalism. However, some people seem to believe that Astrology upholds fatalism.

According to renowned Indian astrologer Dr. B. V. Raman, Astrology does not accept fatalism – the belief that what is destined to happen cannot be prevented. Dr. Raman says in his ‘Hindu predictive astrology’: “Astrology should not be confused with fatalism…”

He also says: “By ascertaining the length of life, the nature and the source of death beforehand carefully, it is possible to prevent many catastrophes and family strife in this life and it is also possible to prolong the life if so desired, by recourse to remedies prescribed by ancient Maharishis. Many times, a sudden death of a person leaves his widow, children and his dependents in abject poverty…”    

According to Dr. Raman a careful study of a horoscope would show the place and the source of death, the particular disease the native suffers at the time of death. Unnatural death from drownings, tortures, accidents, attacks by wild beasts, suicide, murder etc. can be prevented through a reading of the horoscope on time.

Planetary positions at birth would indicate, the nature of cremation, or burial of the dead body, the nature of the past and future births and the possibility of attaining Moksha or the final emancipation.
(To be continued)