Q. What is Astrology? I have heard it said that when one is born in this world his horoscope is fixed depending on the time and place of birth. People born at auspicious time will have all the good of nine Grahas, which determines ones life, i.e., what he will become, how long he will survive, rich/poor etc.

Was Duryodhana born as wicked man and Yudhisthira born as good man? Is this all based on their past karma?

Ans: The material circumstances of a person, their future, their general disposition etc., are all predestined according to one’s guna and karma. When the soul takes birth in this world, the event takes place according to their karma, during a corresponding arrangement of constellations. Astrology is a branch of Vedic science that, among other things, gives detailed techniques of how to use this information (stellar arrangement at the time of birth) to predict one’s future.

While one may have particular tendencies or conditioning of modes of nature from birth, it is also to be understood that the association one is in, has a great influence on their character traits.