Last night I had one of those rare urges to watch news on TV. I surfed and got to Aaj Tak. A woman was talking very gravely about the approaching solar eclipse. On 22nd July we’re going to experience the most significant solar eclipse of the century. It will occur between 5:30 am and 9 pm and total darkness may last for up to 6 minutes. The news reader then turned to a jyotish sitting right next to her with his graying beard, his big red kumkum smear on his forehead and his saffron coloured kurta. She asked him what the effects of this eclipse might be. He grinned happily and said the effects and going to be pretty bad. Because the moon and the sun will be on so and so rashi – the effects in fact could be devastating – he added with even greater glee. So how can we be prepared? What must we do to prevent the harmful effects of this eclipse? Ah yes, said the man. You can prevent its ill effects if you start now. He went on to give details about what each person in so and so rashi should do. Those in so and so rashi must chant names of Lord Shiva. Some others in some other rashi must pay extra attention to Krishna. Yet another rashi must feed birds and some others need to feed animals…and on and on he went.

Correct me if I’m wrong here – but how does suddenly increasing my prayers to so and so God help change my destiny? How does chanting – let’s say Krishna’s name a million times shield me from ill effects? And if HE can protect me now, why does HE not do so at all times – when I anyways chant HIS name? The advocate of – do your duty and don’t expect any results HIMSELF expects me to pray to get results? And my greatest doubt – what happens if you are not a Hindu? The eclipse will not harm you? Or do the non-Hindus also have some other form of salvation in sight?

I’m not against prayers – but I still believe that self help is the best help. Me and only me can shape my fortune. How do stars aligned in a certain way change my fortune? Haven’t we always been taught to work hard and the results will be taken care of. So what’s this bearded guy trying to tell me? Does he mean that I can simply sit and pray all day and my future will get brilliantly transformed? Great! Let me resign my job and start right away!

Ok cynicism apart, why are they trying to scare people like this? And people are so insecure today they will spend millions to try and prevent what can may probably happen in future. This fear psychology is the new marketing tool of media and gyan gurus. How do we make people understand that all this is nonsense? Do they even stop to think how feeding birds or breaking coconuts or watering a plant can change their destiny in any way? How can it protect them in anyway? Changing our destiny is in our hands. Let’s just have faith in ourselves. Let’s keep doing our work with the same dedication and let’s face whatever comes in future with an open mind. Is that so difficult? Haven’t we always done it? I mean all of us have problems at our levels and we battle them every day. So why must we listen to a grinning, paan chewing swamy?

Is it me or my lucky stars that govern my destiny? I believe it’s me. What about you?