An Astrologer’s Day Urdu Meaning and Hindi Meaning
Table of Contents
An Astrologer’s Day
R.K. NARAYAN
Punctually at midday he opened his bag and spread out his professional equipment, which consisted of a dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts on it, a notebook and a bundle of palmyra writing. His forehead was resplendent with sacred ash and vermilion, and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted.
Bilkul dopahar ko usne apna bag khola aur apna kaam ka samaan phaila diya. Is saman mein darjan bhar kauri ki sippi, ek chauras kapde ka tukda jis par rahasyamay chart/ajeeb naqshay bane the, ek notebook aur tadpatri/palmyra likhaiyon ka guchha shamil tha. Uski peshani/maathe par chandan aur sindoor laga tha, aur uski aankhein tez chamak rahi thi. Ye chamak asal mein grahakon ki talash ki wajah se thi, lekin uske saadhe/sharif grahak ise bhavishyavakta/ bhavishyavaanee ki roshni samajh kar tasalli mehsoos krte ya santusht hote the.
The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced by their position-placed as they were between the painted forehead and the dark whiskers which streamed down his cheeks: even a half-wit’s eyes would sparkle in such a setting. To crown the effect he wound a saffron-colored turban around his head. This colour scheme never failed.
Uski aankhon ki taakat uske chehre ki sajawat se aur badh jati thi—peshani/maathe par lagi chitrakari/naqsho aur gaalon par latakti kaali moochen. Is banawat mein ya aise nazar aane se to kisi bhi aadmi ki aankhein chamak uthen. Is prabhav/aasar ko aur badhane ke liye usne kesariya rang ki pagdi pehni thi. Ye rangon ka milap kabhi fail nahi hota tha.
People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia stalks. He sat under the boughs of a spreading tamarind tree which flanked a path running through the Town Hall Park. It was a remarkable place in many ways: a surging crowd was always moving up and down this narrow road morning till night. A variety of trades and occupations was represented all along its way: medicine- sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians and, above all, an auctioneer of cheap cloth, who created enough din all day to attract the whole town. Next to him in vociferousness came a vendor of fried groundnuts, who gave his ware a fancy name each day, calling it Bombay Ice-Cream one day, and on the next Delhi Almond, and on the third Raja’s Delicacy, and so on and so forth, and people flocked to him. A considerable portion of this crowd dallied before the astrologer too. The astrologer transacted his business by the light of a flare which crackled and smoked up above the groundnut heap nearby.
Log uski taraf aise kheenchte chale aate jaise shahed ki taraf makhiyan. Woh ek pehlay hue imli ke darakht/ped ke neeche baithta tha, jo ek raste ke kinare tha jo Town Hall Park ke raste se guzar raha tha. Yeh jagah har tareeqe se ek ajeeb-o-ghareeb thi: ek behte hue logon ka hujoom/group hamesha is choti si gali mein subah se raat tak chalta rehta tha. Har tarah ke dhanday aur kaam yahaan ke raste par dekhe ja sakte the: dawa bechne wale, chori ki hui ironware aur raddi ka samaan bechne wale, jadugar aur sab se zyada, ek saste kapde ka auction karne wala, jo poore din itna shore machata tha ke poore shehar ka dhyan apni taraf kheench leta tha. Uske baad shor machane mein doosre number par ek fried badam bechne wala aata tha, jo apne maal ka naya naam roz rakhta tha, ek din usay “Bombay Ice-Cream”, doosre din “Delhi Badam”, teesre din “Raja ka Nazrana”, aur aise hi aur naam diya karta tha, aur log uski taraf umad kar aate the.
Half the enchantment of the place was due to the fact that it did not have the benefit of municipal lighting. The place was lit up by shop lights. One or two had hissing gaslights, some had naked flares stuck on poles, some were lit up by old cycle lamps and one or two, like the astrologer’s, managed without lights of their own. It was a bewildering criss-cross of light rays and moving shadows. This suited the astrologer very well, for the simple reason that he had not in the least intended to be an astrologer when he began life; and he knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself next minute. He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customers. Yet he said things which pleased and astonished everyone: that was more a matter of study, practice and shrewd guesswork. All the same, it was as much an honest man’s labour as any other, and he deserved the wages he carried home at the end of a day.
Is bheed ka ek acha hissa jyotishi ke paas bhi rukta tha. Jyotishi apna kaam ek jalti hui mashaal ke roshni mein karta tha jo pass hi badam ke dher ke upar jalti thi. Is jagah ke jadoo ka ek acha hissa is wajah se tha ke yeh sheher ke roshni ke faayde se mehroom tha. Yeh jagah dukanon ke roshni se roshan hoti thi. Ek ya do gaslights se jal rahi thi, kuch ne khuli mashaalein poles par laga rakhi thi, kuch purani cycle lamps se roshan thi aur ek ya do jyotishi jaise log apni roshni ke bina manage kar rahe the. Yeh ek pareshan kar dene wala roshni ke rehnema aur hote hue saaye ka mix tha. Yeh jyotishi ke liye bohot accha tha, iski simple wajah yeh thi ke jab usne apni zindagi shuru ki thi to uska zara sa bhi irada jyotishi banne ka nahi tha; aur wo dusron ke baare mein utna hi jaanta tha jitna wo apne baare mein agle pal jaanta tha. Wo sitaron se utna hi anjan tha jitna uske seedhe saadhe graahak. Lekin wo aise baatein keh deta jo sab ko khush aur hairan kar deti: yeh zyada tar uske taleem/shiksha, practice aur aqalmandi par mabni/aadhaarit tha. Phir bhi, yeh ek imandaar aadmi ka mehnat tha aur wo apni mehnat ka haq daar tha jo wo din ke aakhir mein saari kamai ghar le jata tha.
He had left his village without any previous thought or plan. If he had continued there he would have carried on the work of his forefathers-namely, tilling the land, living, marrying and ripening in his cornfield and ancestral home. But that was not to be. He had to leave home without telling anyone, and he could not rest till he left it behind a couple of hundred miles. To a villager it is a great deal, as if an ocean flowed between.
Usne apne gaon ko bina kisi pehle ke soch ya plan ke chhoda tha. Agar wo wahan rehta, to wo apne purkhon ka kaam karta – yaani zameen jhotna, jeena, shaadi karna aur apne kheton aur pushtaini ghar mein budha hona. Lekin aisa nahi hona tha. Usay apne ghar ko chhodna para tha bina kisi ko bataye hue, aur wo tab tak aram nahi kar saka jab tak usne wahan se 200 miles door nahi chal liya. Ek gaon ke aadmi ke liye yeh bohot bada tha, jaise ek samundar uske beech bah raha ho.
He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles: marriage, money and the tangles of human ties. Long practice had sharpened his perception. Within five minutes he understood what was wrong. He charged three pice per question and never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten minutes, which provided him enough stuff for a dozen answers and advices. When he told the person before him, gazing at his palm, “In many ways you are not getting the fullest results for your efforts,” nine out of ten were disposed to agree with him. Or he questioned: “Is there any woman in your family, maybe even a distant relative, who is not well disposed towards you?” Or he gave an analysis of character: “Most of your troubles are due to your nature. How can you be otherwise with Saturn where he is? You have an impetuous nature and a rough exterior.” This endeared him to their hearts immediately, for even the mildest of us loves to think that he has a forbidding exterior.
Uske paas insano ke masail/samasyaen ka kaam chalne wala tazarba/vishleshan tha: shaadi, paise aur insani rishte ki uljhan. Lambi practice ne uski nazar ko tez kar diya tha. Paanch minute mein usay samajh aa jata tha ke kya galat hai. Wo ek sawal ke teen paise leta tha aur tab tak mooh nahi kholta tha jab tak saamne wala kam se kam das minute tak baat na kar le, jo usay dus jawab aur mashwaron/sujhaav ke liye kaafi samaan faraham/faraham kar deti thi. Jab wo samne wale ko dekhta, uske hath ki lakeer par nazar daalte hue, “Kai tareeqon se tum apni mehnat ka poora natija nahi paa rahe ho,” kehta, to das mein se nau log is baat se sahmat ho jaate. Ya phir wo poochhta: “Kya tumhare ghar mein koi aurat hai, ho sakta hai ke door ki rishtedaar ho, jo tumhare baare mein accha nahi sochti?” Ya wo kirdar/charitr ka analysis deta: “Tumhare zyada tar masail/samasyaen tumhari aadat ki wajah se hain. Saturn jis jaga par hai, tum usse alag nahi ho sakte. Tumhari fitrat/charitr jazbati hai aur baahir se tum thode sakht ho.” Yeh sab uske dil mein apni jagah bana leta, kyunki hum mein se sabse naram bhi ye sochna pasand karta hai ke uska baahir se shakal auron par zabardasti ka asar dalta hai.
The nuts-vendor blew out his flare and rose to go home. This was a signal for the astrologer to bundle up too, since it left him in darkness except for a little shaft of green light which strayed in from somewhere and touched the ground before him. He picked up his cowrie shells and paraphernalia and was putting them back into his bag when the green shaft of light was blotted out; he looked up and saw a man standing before him. He sensed a possible client and said: “You look so careworn. It will do you good to sit down for a while and chat with me.” The other grumbled some vague reply. The astrologer pressed his invitation; whereupon the other thrust his palm under his nose, saying: “You call yourself an astrologer?” The astrologer felt challenged and said, tilting the other’s palm towards the green shaft of light: “Yours is a nature…” “Oh, stop that,” the other said. “Tell me something worthwhile….”
Nuts bechne wala apni mashaal bujha kar ghar jane ke liye uth khada hua. Yeh jyotishi ke liye bhi apna samaan bandhne ka signal tha, kyunki ab usay andhera chhod gaya tha, sirf ek hari roshni ki lehar jo kahin se aa rahi thi aur uske saamne zameen par pad rahi thi. Usne apni cowrie shell aur samaan uthaya aur unhe apne basta mein rakh raha tha jab wo hari roshni ki lehar gayab ho gayi; usne upar dekha aur ek aadmi ko apne saamne khade dekha. Usne ek mumkin client mehsoos kiya aur kaha: “Tum bohot fikramand lag rahe ho. Tumhare liye accha hoga ke tum thodi dair baitho aur mujhse baat karo.” Doosre aadmi ne kuch mubligh/upadeshak jawab diya. Jyotishi ne apni dawat mein zor diya; jispar doosre ne apni hatheli uske naak ke neeche karte hue kaha: “Tum apne aap ko jyotishi kehte ho?” Jyotishi ne chonki hui awaz mein kaha, doosre ke hath ko hari roshni ke lehar ki taraf jhuka kar: “Tumhari fitrat/charitr to…” “Aray bas karo,” doosre ne kaha. “Kuch kaam ki baat batao….”
Our friend felt piqued. “I charge only three pice per question, and what you get ought to be good enough for your money…” At this the other withdrew his arm, took out an anna and flung it out to him, saying, “I have some questions to ask. If I prove you are bluffing, you must return that anna to me with interest.”
Hamare dost ne pareshaani mehsoos ki. “Main sirf ek sawal ke teen paise leta hoon, aur tumhe jo milta hai wo tumhare paise ke laayak hona chahiye…” Is par doosre ne apna hath peeche khincha, ek anna (6.25 paise) nikaal kar uspar phenk diya, aur kaha, “Mujhe kuch sawal poochhne hain. Agar maine sabit kiya ke tum jhoot bol rahe ho, to tumhe wo anna mujhe wapas karna hoga saath hi munafa/sood ke sath.”
“If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees?”
“Agar aap mere jawaabon se santusht hue, to kya aap mujhe paanch rupaye denge?”
“No.”
“Nahi.”
“Or will you give me eight annas?”
“Ya 8 anna doge?”
“All right, provided you give me twice as much if you are wrong,” said the stranger. This pact was accepted after a little further argument. The astrologer sent up a prayer to heaven as the other lit a cheroot. The astrologer caught a glimpse of his face by the matchlight. There was a pause as cars hooted on the road, jutka drivers swore at their horses and the babble of the crowd agitated the semi-darkness of the park. The other sat down, sucking his cheroot, puffing out, sat there ruthlessly. The astrologer felt very uncomfortable. “Here, take your anna back. I am not used to such challenges. It is late for me today….”
“Thik hai, agar tum galat hue to tum mujhe dugna dena hoga,” ajnabi ne kaha. Is mohayde/sandhi ko thodi aur bahas ke baad manzoor kiya gaya. Jyotishi ne upar aasman ki taraf dua/prarthana ki jab doosre ne ek chiroot jalaya. Match-stick ki roshni mein jyotishi ne uske chehre ki jhalak dekhi. Kuchh der ka sannata raha jab sadak par gaadiyan horn baja rahi thi, jhutka driver apne ghodon ko gaali de rahe the aur park ki aadhi andheri mein bheed ki bak-bak ho rahi thi. Doosra aadmi chiroot ka dhuaan nikalta hua shakth ban kr/kathorata se baitha raha. Jyotishi bahut bechain mehsoos kar raha tha. “Yeh lo, apna anna wapas le lo. Mhuje aisi chunautiyon ka aadat nahi. Aaj mere liye der ho rahi hai….”
He made preparations to bundle up. The other held his wrist and said, “You can’t get out of it now. You dragged me in while I was passing.” The astrologer shivered in his grip; and his voice shook and became faint. “Leave me today. I will speak to you tomorrow.” The other thrust his palm in his face and said, “Challenge is challenge. Go on.” The astrologer proceeded with his throat drying up. “There is a woman…”
Usne saman baandhne ki tayari ki. Doosre ne uski kalai pakad kar kaha, “Ab tum bach nahi sakte. Tumne hi mujhe bulaya jab main guzar raha tha.” Jyotishi uski pakad mein kaanp gaya; uski awaaz kaanpne lagi aur kamzor ho gayi. “Aaj mujhe chhod do. Main kal tumse baat karunga.” Doosre ne apni haath ki lakeer uske chehre ke saamne karte hue kaha, “Chunauti to chunauti hai. Chalo, shuru karo.” Jyotishi ne sukhte hue gala se bola. “Ek aurat/mahila hai…”
“Stop,” said the other. “I don’t want all that. Shall I succeed in my present search or not? Answer this and go. Otherwise I will not let you go till you disgorge all your coins.” The astrologer muttered a few incantations and replied, “All right. I will speak. But will you give me a rupee if what I say is convincing? Otherwise I will not open my mouth, and you may do what you like.” After a good deal of haggling the other agreed. The astrologer said, “You were left for dead. Am I right?”
“Bas karo,” doosre ne kaha. “Mujhe ye sab nahi chahiye. Kya main apni mojooda/vartamaan talaash mein qamiyab/safal hunga ya nahi? Iska jawab do aur jao. Warna main tumhe jaane nahi dunga jab tak tum apne saare sikke ugal nahi dete.” Jyotishi ne kuchh mantro ka jaap kiye aur jawab diya, “Achha. Main bolunga. Lekin agar maine kuchh aisa kaha jo tumhe mutasir/prabhavit kare, to kya tum mujhe ek rupaya doge? Warna main apna muh nahi kholunga, aur tum jo karna chaho karo.” Kaafi saudebaajee ke baad doosra maan gaya. Jyotishi ne kaha, “Tumhe mar jane k liye chor diya gaya tha. Kya main sahi hoon?”
“Ah, tell me more.”
“Ah, aur batao.”
“A knife has passed through you once?” said the astrologer.
“Ek chaku tumhare andar se guzra tha?” Jyotishi ne kaha.
“Good fellow!” He bared his chest to show the scar. “What else?”
“Accha aadmi!” Usne apna seena khol kar nishan dikhaya. “Aur kya?”
“And then you were pushed into a well nearby in the field. You were left for dead.”
“Phir tumhe khet ke paas ek kuen mein dhakka de diya gaya. Woha tumhe mar jane k liye chor diya gaya tha.”
“I should have been dead if some passerby had not chanced to peep into the well,” exclaimed the other, overwhelmed by enthusiasm. “When shall I get at him?” he asked, clenching his fist.
“Agar ek yatrik/mosafir ne kuen mein jhank kar nahi dekha hota to main mar chuka hota,” doosre ne utsah se kaha. “Main us aadmi ko kab pakadunga?” usne hatheli ko mukka banate hue poocha.
“In the next world,” answered the astrologer. “He died four months ago in a far-off town. You will never see any more of him.” The other groaned on hearing it. The astrologer proceeded:
“Agle duniya mein,” jyotishi ne jawab diya. “Woh chaar mahine pehle ek door ke shehar mein mar chuka hai. Tum usse aur nahi dekh paoge.” Doosre ne ye sun kar karaahe bhari. Jyotishi aage bola:
“Guru Nayak-“
“Guru Nayak-“
“You know my name!” the other said, taken aback.
“Tum mera naam jaante ho!” doosre ne heran/chakit hote hue kaha.
“As I know all other things. Guru Nayak, listen carefully to what I have to say. Your village is two days’ journey due north of this town. Take the next train and be gone. I see once again great danger to your life if you go from home.” He took out a pinch of sacred ash and held it out to him. “Rub it on your forehead and go home. Never travel southward again, and you will live to be a hundred.”
“Jaise main sab kuchh jaanta hoon. Guru Nayak, dhyan se suno jo main kehne ja raha hoon. Tumhara gaon is shehar se do din ki yatra par shumali/uttari disha mein hai. Agli train pakdo aur chale jao. Main fir dekh raha hoon ki ghar se door jaane par tumhari jaan ko khatra hai.” Usne thoda sa muqaddas raakh/pavitra bhasma nikal kar uski taraf badhaya. “Isse apni peshani/mathe par lagao aur ghar jao. Phir kabhi janoobi/dakshin ki taraf yatra mat karna, aur tum sau saal jeeyoge.”
“Why should I leave home again?” the other said reflectively. “I was only going away now and then to look for him and to choke out his life if I met him.” He shook his head regretfully “He has escaped my hands. I hope at least he died as he deserved.” “Yes,” said the astrologer. “He was crushed under a lorry.” The other looked gratified to hear it.
“Main phir ghar se kyun niklun?” doosre ne soch mein kaha. “Main to sirf kabhi-kabhi use dhoondhne jaata tha aur milta to uski jaan le leta.” Usne sir hila kar afsos se kaha, “Woh mere haathon se bach gaya. Ummeed hai ki kam se kam uski maut uske kaabil thi.” “Haan,” jyotishi ne kaha. “Woh ek lorry ke neeche kuchal gaya.” Doosre ne ye sunkar sukoon mehsoos kiya.
The place was deserted by the time the astrologer picked up his articles and put them into his bag. The green shaft was also gone, leaving the place in darkness and silence. The stranger had gone off into the night, after giving the astrologer a handful of coins.
Jab tak jyotishi ne apne saaman uthaye aur bag mein rakhe, jagah sooni ho chuki thi. Hari roshni ki kiran bhi ja chuki thi, jagah andhere aur sannate mein doob gayi thi. Ajnabi raat mein ja chuka tha, jyotishi ko ek mutthi sikke de kar.
It was nearly midnight when the astrologer reached home. His wife was waiting for him at the door and demanded an explanation. He flung the coins at her and said, “Count them. One man gave all that.”
Raat lagbhag aadhi beet chuki thi jab jyotishi ghar pahuncha. Uski patni darwaze par uska intezar kar rahi thi aur jawaab maanga. Usne sikke uski taraf uchhalte hue kaha, “Gin lo. Ek aadmi ne ye sab diya.”
“Twelve and a half annas,” she said, counting. She was overjoyed. “I can buy some jaggery and coconut tomorrow. The child has been asking for sweets for so many days now. I will prepare some nice stuff for her.”
“Barah aur aadha anna,” usne gin kar kaha. Woh bahut khush hui. “Main kal gur aur nariyal kharid sakti hoon. Bachchi kitne dinon se meetha maang rahi hai. Main uske liye kuchh achha banaungi.”
“The swine has cheated me! He promised me a rupee,” said the astrologer. She looked up at him. “You look worried. What is wrong?”
“Woh suar ne mujhe dhokha diya! Usne mujhe ek rupaya dene ka vaada kiya tha,” jyotishi ne kaha. Patni ne uski taraf dekha. “Tum pareshan/chintit lag rahe ho. Kya baat hai?”
“Nothing.”
“Kuchh nahi.”
After dinner, sitting on the pyol, he told her, “Do you know a great load is gone from me today? I thought I had the blood of a man on my hands all these years. That was the reason why I ran away from home, settled here and married you. He is alive.”
Raat ke khane ke baad, khatiye/chaar-paayi par baithe hue, usne kaha, “Kya tum jaanti ho, aaj mujhse ek bada bojh utar gaya hai? Main kitne saalo se sochta tha ki mere haathon ek aadmi ka khoon hua hai. Isi wajah se main ghar se bhaag aaya, yahan basa aur tumse shaadi ki. Woh zinda hai.”
She gasped, “You tried to kill!”
Patni hansi, “Tumne kisi ko maarne ki koshish ki thi!”
“Yes, in our village, when I was a silly youngster. We drank, gambled and quarrelled badly one day-why think of it now? Time to sleep,” he said, yawning, and stretched himself on the pyol.
“Haan, hamare gaon mein, jab main ek nadaan jawan tha. Humne sharab pi, jua khela aur ek din buri tarah jhagad pade—ab iske baare mein kyun sochna? Sone ka waqt ho gaya,” usne jamai lete hue kaha, aur pyol par let gaya.
An Astrologer’s Day: Moral of the story
Truth Will Eventually Come Out.
Sach hamesha saamne aa he jata hai.
