Is Your Whole Life Written Down When You're Born?

[jasminsandhu]

I apparently have a "jaram patha" not quite sure how you spell it, but basically my life is written down on paper and is in my home in India where my grandparents live. My whole family has one too, and it is written down by some special people when your born and use the date your born and time. I've been quite intrigued by this, i've never once seen it when i've been to India. I'm hoping to go this year and i'm told if I want to know what it says I will have to go to some special people as they can only read it. I would like to know what it says but i'm not sure if it would be genuine, I'm very wary and doubtful about this. I'm just wondering does anyone else have something like this? And whatever is written, can it be true at all? ikonkaar

 

[spnadmin]

jasminsandhu ji

From other posts by you I make the inference that you know and understand Sikhism in a sound way. What you are describing is the result of a horoscope cast at the time of your birth. Under the Indian system of sidereal astrology the horoscope gives the stars that sit at important points in your birth chart, the star positions that govern your life, and yogas or connections between planets, starts, and subdivisions in your chart called houses. From all of this comes a description of what the challenges will be that will face you and a sense of your character. I am keeping this short.

Only a practiced astrologer can interpret the meaning because an Indian horoscope is very long and very complicated. It is constructed using many different analyses.

For example, given STAR X at the beginning of the first subdivision in your chart the conclusion would be that you will argue with your in-laws, but can be trusted for the honesty of your words, even when they are difficult to hear.

Now this goes against the Sikh Rehat Maryada, but it may not be easy to avoid because culture often dominates religion. The casting of charts occupies the interest of many in India, and throughout the world, including the West, where a different system is used. Nonetheless that same purposes.

Do you really want to delve into what your chart says? Or not?

 

[jasminsandhu]

I know our Guru's dismissed these types of things, but wasn't it when Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born that an astrologer knew immediately how great he was to become and went to visit him straight away?

Putting this forward, does this mean they can be right sometimes? I'm also very suspicious and doubtful about this astrology stuff, but it seems my curiosity has gotten the better of me today as I ask this question.

If Sikhi dismisses these types of things, then why are they made and given to us when we're born?! And why are some of our families engulfed in this "tradition" and put it before there faith?

I suppose if didn't have it made when I was younger I wouldn't be as curious as I am now. I think I know the right answer to my questions already but find myself questioning it for some reason? ikonkaar

 

[spnadmin]

I know our Guru's dismissed these types of things, but wasn't it when Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born that an astrologer knew immediately how great he was to become and went to visit him straight away?

Putting this forward, does this mean they can be right sometimes?

Jasminsanduji

The information about Guru Nanak's janam kundli or horoscope comes from the oral tradition and from the Janamsakhis or stories that were written about the Gurus. These stories tend to be unreliable because they were in many cases written many years after the lives of the Gurus. In the case of stories about about Guru Nanak as a little boy we are relying on word or mouth or oral transmission. These tend to change as each teller tells the tale. When finally written down, there is no way to verify the information as fact.

It might be true that a horoscope was cast for Guru Nanak. In fact in India of old one may have well been done. However Guru Nanak himself was emphatic that this was not the way to go.

As I said earlier, the power of culture is so strong that it can stand in the way of understanding what is fundamental to religious belief. The need to distinguish Sikhism from Brahminism was very important from the days of Gurus through the 20th Century. The SRM is very clear.

It all ties in with the question What is Sikhi? Is Sikhi defined by Punjabi culture and its centuries old traditions? Or is it defined by something else?

Take a look at this link. And see if you can identify several things that the SRM prohibits but are still customary.

Indian Sikh Traditions, Sikh Marriage Ceremony, Sikh Wedding Conventions, Matrimonial Ceremony of Sikhs, India

 

[jasminsandhu]

Thank you Narayanjot Kaur Ji for clearing up some of the misunderstandings I had before with the stories of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. I definetely now understand where Sikhi lies with these sorts of things such as astrology. I'd understood our Guru's had dismissed it but my curiosity could have got the better of me, and led me into false belief like those devotees of Sai Baba which I just finished watching. Curiosity is not always a good thing! Just one last question though, what exactly is the SRM? I'd never heard of it before joining SPN. :thumbsuppp: ikonkaar

 

[Archived_Member16]

SRM = Sikh Reht Maryada (THE CODE OF SIKH CONDUCT AND CONVENTIONS )

Link: http://www.sgpc.net/sikhism/code_of_conduct.html

 

[jasminsandhu]

Thank you very much! :thx: ikonkaar