Malgudi Days
An Astrologer's Day
Characters
The Astrologer
He is a con man who poses as an astrologer to earn a living. He uses cold reads to get his answers.
Guru Nayak
He is the victim of an attempted murder in another village. He goes to the astrologer to try to find out where and who his attacker is.
The Astrologer's Wife
She is very focused on helping her family, but she is also money-oriented.
Plot Summary
An Astrologer’s Day is about a con man posing as an astrologer. He works in the Town Hall Park along with other sellers. The astrologer always tells his customers the same couple of lines: ‘In many ways you are not getting the fullest results of your efforts,’ or ‘Is there any women in your family, maybe even a distant relative, who is not well disposed in your family?’ and other lines as well. At the end of a long day a man traveling from a distant town comes across the astrologer asking for help on figuring out who had tried to kill him. As the man was walking towards the astrologer a mysterious green light shines down on the two men. The man questioned the astrologer differently than all his other customers, and paid him less than he promised to. After the astrologer finished talking with the man, he gathers his goods and money and heads home to his greedy wife. The astrologer sits on his pyol and thinks about his time as a youngster in his town, when he realizes that he and his friends were the ones responsible for the man's near death experience.
Cultural Background
Jyotisha
Life After Death
Meaning of the Work
Quotes and Analysis
"In many ways you are not getting the fullest results of your efforts,’ or ‘Is there any women in your family, maybe even a distant relative, who is not well disposed in your family?" (10)
"Take the train and be gone. I see once again great danger to your life if you go from home." (12)
"We drank, gambled and quarreled badly one day-- why think of it now? Time to sleep." (13)
Bibliography
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"Famous Women within Hinduism." Heart of Hinduism:. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013."MyArticle." Indian Astrology and Its Importance in India. N.p., 27 Sept. 2010. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.
"Picasa Web Albums - Jorge Royan." Picasa Web Albums - Jorge Royan. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.
Pillai, Rajesh. "Only Hinduism." Life After Death Explained ~. N.p., 25 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.