Astrology. That is not Shanker’s alibi to while away lazy
hours, it is his preferred passion - a passion that fell his way in childhood,
a zeal that he picked from his father. As a child Shanker often saw his father,
a bureaucrat-astrologer, scrambling with dates and numbers on a horoscope; he
often sat at his father's feet as he flipped through books to unravel the
mysteries of human lives and existence; while boys his age were fiddling with
cars and machines, Shanker sat hours to partake in intellectual debates about
the futility and paradoxes of life that his father had with his friends and
fellow astrologers.
The esoteric so fascinated Shanker that he studied astrology
to become a Jyotishacharya. As word spread, Shanker’s weekends started getting
crowded, friends sought solace and answers, strangers knocked his doors for
ways to mollify an irate planet. The more he delved, the more astrology
intrigued him. He perused his personal library of 3,000 books trying to cull
wisdom from ancient scriptures and musings of sages. And the more he studied
the more he felt the need to share his knowledge with others - a need that has
resulted in sixteen path-breaking books on astrology.
So, what is Destiny? Are human beings dictated by destiny?
Is everything preordained? Are we mere puppets playing our roles in this world
without any control over our lives? Do horoscopes hold the secret to our
future? Can astrologers unfold lives and reveal what waits at the next bend?
Shanker rebuffs common perceptions; he refuses to attribute
everything to destiny. No, not everything is destined. Our lives, to a great
extent, are shaped by our choices and our character, he affirms.
Do astrologers know all about future? No, not everything.
For Shanker astrology is not an absolute science, it is a predictive science.
It is based on assumptions, on the average of the larger numbers. Ask him about
the absurdity of human predicaments and he would tell you about the physics of
the metaphysical, about the journey of the primal energy, about the impact of
colours on our lives. Nothing is absurd, nothing is random, it is our karma.
Shanker promises no miracles with astrology. For him,
astrology is an alternative or supportive therapy, a handy tool to mitigate
problems and help people become better within their parameters, their context.
He says, “We are not here on earth to change our destiny, but to fulfill it.”
For Shanker, astrology is more than passion; it is a
responsibility. A responsibility that he fulfills ardently. Everyday.
