When stars blinded the astrologer

Emperor Krishnadeva Raya once decided to invade Bijapur. The sultan of Bijapur, knowing he couldn't fight the Vijayanagara army, sent a smart and young astrologer to the Raya's court. The soothsayer impressed the king and courtiers with his glib talk, and drew the king into asking him how the planned war would fare. The fellow then pretended to read the royal horoscope, drew a grim face, and said the stars weren't favourable.

- R. PRASANNAN

The Raya was dismayed, as were his courtiers who were preparing for war. Then walked in the fabled jester Tenali Rama, actually a wise man like all jesters in the courts of the orient and the plays of Shakespeare. Rama suspected the astrologer to be an enemy agent, and began quizzing him. “Can you predict your own death?” Rama suddenly asked. The astrologer replied: “As per my calculations, I shall live up to 90.” The next moment, Rama drew his sword and cut the fellow's head. Horrific, but everyone took it as the price for violating the shastras.

Astrologers say they can't predict their own futures, though M.J. Akbar tells us in After Me, Chaos that emperor Humayun did. He foresaw his own death. Be that as it may, satvic jyotishis warn that if anyone can read one's own future, one shouldn't speak it out or seek to alter it through parihara kriyas. Humayun did neither.