Transcript of Conversation with Pradyumna on September 27th, 1995

[Comment: This conversation suggests that Srila Prabhupada and other Gaudiya Matha members were familiar with the basic components of astrology as a regular daily function. It explains how a mistake was made in Prabhupada’s Moon sign. It also describes how it was Pradyumna who suggested that Ojha be consulted.]

SD: I was wondering if you have any recollection of when Prabhupada said his time of birth was or if you had ever did Prabhupada’s horoscope?

Pradyumna Dasa: I used to know what it was.

SD: What was that?

PD: I used to know but I’ve forgotten.

SD: Did you ever calculate Prabhupada’s horoscope?

PD: I think I might have once.

SD: You learned how to calculate charts right?

PD: Yeah. I calculated a lot of charts. I had note books full of charts. But he [SP] didn’t know the exact time of birth. But he knew his Lagna [Rising Sign based on birth time].

SD: What did he say his Lagna was?

PD: I forgot.

SD: O yeah.

PD: But, you know, he knew that. He knew where his Moon was, he knew the Sun, he knew Lagna.

SD: Because of course...

PD: My suggestion is to ask his son or something. But Prabhupada just, at the tip of a hat [could say his chart]. You know in Gaudiya Matha they all knew each other’s.

SD: Aha.

PD: Like Sridhar Maharaja would know Prabhupada’s. Prabhupada would know Sridhar Maharaja’s. One time I was talking with Keshava Maharaja’s disciples you know. And I ask what’s Keshava Maharaja’s [chart]. Oh, and you know they knew it right away. His Lagna’s this, that’s his Star. What about Sridhar Maharaja? That’s him. What about Bhaktisiddhanta? Oh that’s him. They knew everyone! They knew Prabhupada. You know. These were just Brahmacaris talking.

SD: They knew Prabhupada’s also. I wonder if any of them would be alive now? May be the disciples of Sridhar Maharaja like Govinda Maharaja would know? Govinda Maharaja actually lived with Prabhupada.

PD: Govinda Maharaja would probably know Srila Prabhupada’s sign. Not where the planets are, but the Lagna and Candra.

SD: There is one letter where Prabhupada says “I was born about 4:00 PM and my Rasi is Mithuna.” But of course if you calculate that Rasi is not Mithuna but the very last degrees of Taurus, 28 degrees and some minutes. But if you consider that in the old days they used to use Panjikas that didn’t

have bija corrections. Then...

PD: Yeah, he would probably have used Directory Panjika from Calcutta.

SD: Which would give the wrong position of the Moon because...

PD: Yeah, that would be different from Lahiri.

SD: Yes.

PD: That’s what Prabhupada followed, the Directory, he used to have one of those.

SD: So Prabhupada would calculate his own horoscope?

PD: No. But I suppose his family. The Directory Panjika was always that one that was used in Calcutta.

SD: Aha.

PD: Or something similar to that. I don’t know how far...

* * * * *

PD: Because I was the first one to meet him, the father, you know.

SD: O yeah, Gopesh Kumar [Ojha].

PD: I bought his book at Motilal’s and his number was in it so I called him up and he said come on over. I was the first devotee he had ever met. And I used to go over there all the time. You know I lived in Delhi for a while so I go over there all the time. We spend hours together and just talk.

SD: I heard that he was very learned.

PD: He was very learned, he was old, but he was still ok. And then at the end he was just lying down [from a stroke]. The last time I came he said he was just praying that he could die. It was very sad.

SD: Was he in pain?

PD: Yes. He was still alive when Prabhupada was ill. And Prabhupada said who to [unclear] and I recommended Ojha. So Yashodananda Maharaja went.

SD: You and Yashodananda Maharaja?

PD: Huh?

SD: You and Yashodananda?

PD: No. I just gave them the address and the phone number. I was busy because at that time, I was translating the Bhagavatam. Prabhupada did the last part. [Prabhupada said], “do the synonyms and the translations, read it to me and I’ll dictate the purport.” So I was really busy translating because every day I had to go down and hold the microphone and get the purport. And I had to do; have the verses finished.

SD: Yes.

PD: It was really hard to do. So I didn’t have any time to go to Delhi so Yashodananda Maharaja went. You have all the information there.

SD: Yes. It’s a Capricorn rising. Ojha’s going to do another chart based on that.

PD: Because we had two charts done. One by Gandhi, one by M.K. Gandhi [of London], and one by Ojha.

SD: Oh yeah! Where’s the M.K. Gandhi chart?

PD: Well, I guess we called him up. We either, we had it done right be... I think I called him right before we left for India, right before we left England. My wife and I were in England. Prabhupada left, we didn’t go back with him right away. He said “there is no need to go now.” And then we got a telegram saying

“come immediately to Vrndavan.” So I think just before we went, like half and hour or an hour, I called Gandhi and I said “Prabhupada is very very ill, can you do something to see what is happening?” He said

“sure, no problem.” Then I think he wrote it and he sent it or something like that. He said “there’s no problem, this crisis will pass, Prabhupada will not die.”

SD: He was wrong.

PD: He was wrong. And then we got that and then they came back with Ojha’s thing. This happened within the space of a couple of days I guess. And Ojha thing had said...

SD: That it was very serious. . . Probably because M.K. Gandhi may have chosen Sagittarius rising, because they had this other one by Arkasomayaji, a South Indian, who had also gotten Sagittarius rising.

He said that Prabhupada would live till 1984. Because for Sagittarius there is nothing to make one think of death. It would be Ketu Mahadasha and Ketu in the 9th house and Saturn transitting through the 9th house.

But if you have Capricorn rising it is all in the 8th house. And that is why Prabhupada passed away then.

PD: [Unclear] He used to know it. They would ask him what his Star is and Nakshatra?

SD: Who Prabhupada? I guess it [Prabhupada’s Lunar Nakshatra] would be Mrgasirsha I suppose.

PD: I think I was there a couple of times people would ask him [unclear].

SD: Mrgasirsha? Half of that is in Taurus and half in Gemini. That’s another point. That’s very clear why somebody would say it was in Gemini if half the Nakshatra is in one of two signs [Taurus and Gemini].

PD: See, whenever you do those ceremonies too.

SD: They want to know what your gotra is and what your Nakshatra is.

PD: So, Prabhupada was the Yajnamana for establishing the Vrndavana Temple. And the priest was the Puruhit so he would announce “dara-dara-dara-dara-da” [nonsense sounds] so we always had to have [Prabhupada’s Gotra and Nakshatra]. I was there a couple of times. [The point being that in a Vedic ceremony, part of the identification of the aspirant was the gotra he belonged to as well as the lunar Nakshatra he was born under. These items would be announced along with his name and other identifying items.]

SD: So you haven’t got any records anywhere with Prabhupada’s charts? Nothing?

PD: Do I?

SD: Yes.

PD: I had a lot of note books of charts but I don’t have them with me. I don’t even know where they are.

SD: They got lost in the shuffle?

PD: I collected. I had pages and pages of information of different peoples charts.

SD: Yeah. I have about 1000 devotee charts, or something like that.

Chapter 7

Opions of Persons Conversant With