An Astrologer's Day by R.K.Narayan

mr.blogger December 26, 2022

Introduction: An Astrologer's Day was written by R.K. Narayana in 1947


  🔍 Table of Content (अनुक्रमणिका)

Theme: An Astrologer's Day 

The theme of the story is of a disguised person as an Astrologer, who has committed a crime to attempt  murder. Further, When he encounters the person to whom he has tried to kill him in the past, and shrewdly he gets rid of him.

कथेची थीम एका ज्योतिषाच्या वेशात आलेल्या एका व्यक्तीची आहे, ज्याने खुनाचा प्रयत्न करण्याचा गुन्हा केला आहे. पुढे, ज्या व्यक्तीला त्याने भूतकाळात  मारण्याचा प्रयत्न केला आहे, आणि  जेव्हा त्याची गाठ पडते तेव्हा तो चतुराईने  त्याच्यापासून सुटका करून घेतो.

 ICE BREAKERS 

Discuss with your partner and complete the activity. 

What are your strengths? 

Strengths :painting and drawing

Why do you feel so?: Can visualize, express

 Dream career:  commercial artist, cartoonist 

The scene in a local market of a village, town/city is very attractive. People with different occupations sell their wares.

 Discuss with your partner the variety of activities at the local market.

 1. Selling flowers, selling grocery.

2. Selling garments and clothes.

3. Selling imitation jewellery 

4. Selling snacks and fast food.

  In a village /town /city, it is quite a common sight to see an astrologer sitting by the roadside with his professional equipment.


 Discuss with your partner and list the requirements for his trade.

 1. Parrot, cards etc. 

3. dried leaves with writing on them 

2. turban, beard, dhoti 

4. cloth with mystic signs to spread this card 

5. Bead necklace, coins, shells, punching. Etc. 

There are certain unreasonable beliefs among people living in our society.

 Certain common events are linked with superstitions. 

List such events, discuss the superstitions linked with them, and the means of their eradication.

 1. A cat crossing your path. 

2. Walking under a ladder.

3. wearing black clothes for an auspicious function,

4. Spilling salt.

5. A black crow cawing outside your window.

Margin Activity:

If the astrologer had stayed in the village, then he would have carried on….

The work of his forefathers-namely, tilling the land, living, marrying, and ripening in his cornfield and ancestral home.

ज्योतिषी गावातच राहिला असता तर पुढे उदर्निर्वाह कसा  चालला असता….

त्याच्या पूर्वजांचे काम – म्हणजे, जमीन मशागत करणे, राहणे, लग्न करणे आणि त्याच्या मक्याच्या शेतात आणि वडिलोपार्जित घरामध्ये पिकवणे.

The astrologer could understand the problem in five minutes. How?

He  had been practising of analysing mankind's trouble for a long time. Moreover, He would never open his mouth until others spoke.

Guess the meaning: 

Pies- an Indian currency known as paisa.

How could the astrologer tell the person about his life?

First, he would observe what the other person had to say, second, he would never open his mouth for at least ten minutes so that he could get enough information about  the other person.

Guess the meaning: 

  • tilting—to move in sloping position
  • bluffing—making someone believe that you will do something when you do not intend to do it.
  • Glimpse—a brief view
The man was left for dead because…
Somebody had  passed through a knife once and pushed the man to a well nearby in the field.

Guess the meaning: 

  • passer-by – a person walking past
  • peep- to look into
  • overwhelmed—feelings affecting very strongly or overexcited
  • groaned-  a long low sound as someone is upset
What was the  load on the astrologer's mind?

That he had killed a person a few tears ago. Therefore, he had to leave his home town. During this period he had to carry the burden in his mind of killing the person.

BRAINSTORMING

A 1) (i) Given below are some descriptions. Discuss them with your partner and find out one word for each of them. An example is given for you.

 (a) The scientific study of the universe and the objects in it, including stars, planets, nebulae, and galaxies Astronomy (खगोलशास्त्र)
 (b) The study of the movements of the planets, Sun, Moon, and Stars in the belief that these movements can have an influence on people's lives Astrology (ज्योतिष)
(c) A prediction of what will happen in the future Prophecy (भविष्यवाणी)
(d) Scientific discipline that studies mental states and processes and behaviour in humans and other animals Psychology (मानसशास्त्र)

(ii) In the story, we are told that the Town Hall Park was a remarkable place in many ways for an astrologer to build his business. Discuss it in a group and list the exceptional qualities of the place. 
  •  A surging crowd
  • A variety of trades & occupations. Medicine sellers, sellers of stolen hardware.
  • The auctioneers of cheap clothes.
  • Vendors of  fried ground nuts.

(iii) The astrologer never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten minutes. Discuss the reasons behind his act.
  1. He is good at reading people.
  2. He never opens his mouth until the other person will talk at least for ten minutes.
  3. The other person's talk will provide him enough information so that he can get ready to answer the number of questions.
(A2) (i) The tactics used by the astrologer to earn his wages are…
  • Analysis of human troubles.
  • Analysis of human nature.
  • Identifying his customer's worries, concern, troubles and so on.
  • Asking casual questions about common troubles to seek specific concern of the person.

(ii) An astrologer's appearance helps to create an impression on clients.
complete the following.
  1. The turban on his head.
  2. The sacred ash and vermilion on his forehead.
  3. Dark whiskers covering the face.
  4. A sparkle in his eyes, accompanied by an abnormal gleam.
(iii) Read the following sentences and choose the correct one.


1➤ (a) The astrologer says that if Nayak does not leave his village again, he would-





2➤ (b) According to the narrator, the astrologer's success in his profession primarily due to –





3➤ (c) The story suggests that the astrologer's comments and observations please people by –





4➤ (d) Guru Nayak consults the astrologer because he wants to -





5➤ (e) Guru Nayak is looking for the man who tried to kill him –





6➤ (f) The astrologer's remark makes Guru Nayak feel all the following, except-





7➤ (g) Reactions of the astrologer's wife to his news suggest that she –





 (iv) Read the following sentences and find out True and False sentences. Correct the False sentences. 



Q ➤ (a) The astrologer gave a correct prediction to the client about his past that he was stabbed,thrown in to a well and left for dead.

Q ➤ (b)When the astrologer came to know that the man whom he killed is alive, he felt that he was relieved of his guilt.

Q ➤ (c) The astrologer tried to back out of the deal and talked about the client's past

Q ➤ (d) The astrologer rescued himself from Guru Nayak's revenge.

Q ➤ (e)The moral of the story is that we must be responsible about what we have done and should not run away from our mistake.

(V) The astrologer has changed his appearance and his I arrived in the city. Give specific reasons.
Ans. He wanted to hide himself from the law because he was scared of being arrested and jailed, as he believed that he had killed a person after a fight.

(vi) 'The darkness load that was inside the astrologer has disappeared'. Through this sentence, explain the significance of the title 'an astrologer's Day'.
Ans. The  darkness load inside astrologer here implies the guilt of killing  Guru Nayak in the past. With this burden of guilt in every moment, the astrologer  repented. Now ,as he came to know that Guru Nayak is alive and not dead, the astrologer feels relieved and whatever the darkness load that was inside him has disappeared.
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