Lal Kitab : an introduction Pt Bhooshan Priya

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Question 1. What is the basis of the Lal Kitab?

There are quite a few astrology paddhatis prevalent in India today, they are all either elaborations or modifications upon the traditionally accepted Vedic astrology. Across all these paddhatis the basic parameters are the same. They differ either in approach or emphasis , the aim being the same in all cases.

Lal Kitab also draws its basics from the Vedic astrology , but it differs in approach or what the book calls grammar ; and the emphasis is not so much on predicting the future as on solving the problem of today , hence the importance of Upaya. The very first page of the book states the two purposes the Lal Kitab is meant for : (a ) to help remove the blockage in the flow of fortune's water and ( b ) to help erect an obstacle in the path of adversity thus saving the native from misery .

Therefore I believe that the Lal Kitab is as much a part of tradition as any other paddhati .

Q.2 When and how it came into existance ?

There are FIVE separate publications with varying length : 1939 ed of 383 pages, 1940ed of 284 pages;1941 ed of 428 pages, 1942ed of 384 pages and finally the1952ed of 1173 pages.

Surprisingly the name of the author has not been mentioned in any of these editions , instead they carry the name of the publisher , shri Girdhari Lal Sharma and his photograph. If it were an original work by any author, he definitely would have got his name on it.

There are so many myths and legends about this book that it is really very difficult to sieve out the facts. These myths seem to have been woven around the book to make it look divine or some thing out of this world. Let me take them up one by one.

{ a ) that the book was written by Pt. Roop Chand Joshi. Some people , specially from Punjab , believe that the Lal Kitab was written , as an original work, by Pt. Roop Chand Joshi and he did not put his name as an author because he was in Government service under the British. I do not understand why Joshi ji could not have put his name as an author. The British might have been against writing seditious material but not a book on astrology . Even if that being true he could have used his name in the 1952 edition , there were no British then nor he was in service any longer. Pt. Roop Chand Joshi was a very honest and a saintly person, he couldnt have claimed something that was never his.

{ b }that the book was revealed in a dream . Never heard of dreams in installments and that too spreading over a period of twelve years. Because that is what alone could justify five publications spread over a period of 12 or 13 years. Not many takers for this fiction.

{ c } that the book was received as an ilham , kind of through a revelation, thus adding mystical sanctity to the book. If that were true the Lal Kitab would be the second book in human history to be revealed to the mankind , the first being the Quran. This was an effort to make it appear as sacrosanct so that there could be no criticism or scientific evaluation of the book. This belief has done more harm than good to the book. Well no body with a scientific frame of mind is going to believe that story either.

{ d } that this book was written by Arun the charioteer of Sun god. Later Ravan took it away to Lanka and from there it reached the middle east. It traveled back to India. This was an effort to get the book into the Samhita ranks , like other astrological samhitas in the name of rishis ,while at the same time trying to justify the use of urdu and persian words. Not many people believe that either.

The fact is very simple : this is a book of astrology and that it was first published in 1939 by shri Girdhari Lal Sharma All subsequent publications are elaborations / explanations of the original. Every thing else about the book is irrelevant. All these books are available with some individuals or in the libraries.

Summarizing, all these stories about the book have been woven around by Lal Kitab semi-literates to hide their incompetence and instill in the minds of their clients an awe and reverence for the book. Reverence or faith in any system is built on its efficiency rather than through such non-scientific humbug of trying to make the book appear as divine. Therefore I believe that this book is a documentation of the then prevalent thoughts and beliefs in the Northern Hills of India.

Q.3 Which Vedic parampara it comes from ?

Of course from the same parampara { tradition } as many other classics of Indian astrology have come from. You have to bear in mind that this book is a result of collective wisdom of a society which had lived in isolation of the northern hills for centuries . This tradition is still in use all the way from Kashmir to the Garhwal hills of Uttaranchal. In the Punjab it came to be known as Lal kitab , because of its first documentation appeared in the red binding, As the societies living in isolation grow their own idiom , culture and points of references , similarly this tradition of astrology had also developed its own idiom and grammar. But the difference of idiom or the grammar does not make it come from any other parampara { tradition } . You know the growth of IndoEuropean languages.

Q 4 . Lal Kitab in the context of traditional Vedic Parampara?

Whether a text is in the Vedic tradition or not will largely depend on how we interpret the word Vedic and what all is included in the word vedic. Generally people think that vedic means ancient or of vedic kal times of the veda. That is not true. Even some thing contemporary, of today, can be Vedic in its spirit. Therefore the word vedic represents far more and far beyond than the word is taken to mean. Those who think that vedic means of veda or some thing that had been written in sanskrit are taking a very myopic view of the word.

The word vedic is to be understood in the Indian context. Therefore any thing dealing with India, and Indian values, ethos, psyche, traditions, belief systems, and the entire gambit of indian-ness would be included in the word Vedic. Evaluating the Lal Kitab on these premises it would be evident that the Lal Kitab is very Indian and very often

insists and instructs people to follow a very pious traditional way of life. No other book on astrology lays such a great emphasis on the piety of life as does the Lal Kitab. Very often the book instructs not to drink, eat meat, tell lies, give false evidence etc and emphasizes on caring for the parents, elderly, young girls, loving ones brothers and sisters. Even goes on to insist on having good relationship with sasural [ in-laws ]. Not only human being, the Lal Kitab is filled with compassion for nature be it trees [ peepal, neem etc] , animals [ cow, serpent etc ] or insects [ bhuri chinti, ants ]

If all that above is not Indian or part of the centuries old Indian way of life, then what else it is. Therefore I consider that the Lal Kitab is very much a part of the Vedic tradition and values followed in India for centuries. I have not been able to find even a single instance in the Lal Kitab, that could suggest that the book is not Indian in terms of its content or form.

If some one thinks that a few urdu words here and there might mean foreign influence he is grossly mistaken. Urdu was a language of the literate in Punjab. Knowledge of this language never meant a foreign influence.

In his life time Pt Roopchand ji never claimed that Lal Kitab is a different system of astrology. He never claimed to have invented a new system. He never claimed that Lal Kitab is not a part of traditional Vedic astrology. He never intended the Lal Kitab to be treated as different from Vedic astrology. After all, the book was meant for the astrologers of the day and common men alike. In the early 40s every astrologer who might have read these books would have belonged to the traditional Vedic astrology.

Therefore the Lal Kitab is downright Indian, upholding age old Indian values and traditions and therefore VEDIC.