The Song of the Avantī Brāhmaṇa
ग्रहानिमित्तं सुखदु:खयोश्चेत् किमात्मनोऽजस्य जनस्य ते वै । ग्रहैर्ग्रहस्यैववदन्तिपीडां क्रुध्येत कस्मैपुरुषस्ततोऽन्य: ॥ ५३ ॥
Transliteration
grahā nimittaṁ sukha-duḥkhayoś cet kim ātmano ’jasya janasya te vai grahair grahasyaiva vadanti pīḍāṁ krudhyeta kasmai puruṣas tato ’nyaḥ
Synonyms (Word-for-Word)
grahāḥ — the controlling planets; nimittam — the immediate cause; sukha-duḥkhayoḥ — of happiness and distress; cet — if; kim — what; ātmanaḥ — for the soul; ajasya — who is unborn; janasya — of that which is born; te — those planets; vai — indeed; grahaiḥ — by other planets; grahasya — of a planet; eva — only; vadanti — (expert astrologers) say; pīḍām — suffering; krudhyeta — should become angry; kasmai — at whom; puruṣaḥ — the living entity; tataḥ — from that material body; anyaḥ — distinct.
Translation
“And if we examine the hypothesis that the planets are the immediate cause of suffering and happiness, then also where is the relationship with the soul, who is eternal? After all, the effect of the planets applies only to things that have taken birth. Expert astrologers have moreover explained how the planets are only causing pain to each other. Therefore, since the living entity is distinct from these planets and from the material body, against whom should he vent his anger?”