The Groom Who Lost His Bride to the
Stars
[Astrology]
Once upon a time, a rich family in Benares, in northern
India, had arranged for their son to marry a good honest girl from a nearby
village. As the bride was very pretty, they were sure they could not find a
better wife for their son. The groom’s family picked a date for the wedding,
and the bride’s family agreed to meet them in the village on the wedding day. Meanwhile,
when the astrological priest of the rich family found out they had selected the
wedding day, without paying him to consult the stars, he became angry. He
decided to get even with them.
When the wedding day arrived, the astrological priest dressed
up in his finest robes, and called the family together. He bowed to them all,
and then looked at his star charts very seriously. He told them that a star was
too close to the horizon, another planet was in the middle of an unlucky
constellation, and that the moon was in a very dangerous phase for having a
wedding. He told them that, by not seeking his advice, they had chosen the
worst day of the year for a wedding. This would only lead to a terrible
marriage. Frightened by what the priest had said, the rich family remained home
in Benares. They forgot all about the wonderful qualities of the intended
bride. Meanwhile, the bride’s family had prepared everything for the wedding
ceremony in the village. When the agreed upon hour arrived, they saw no sight
of the groom and his family.
They waited and waited, and finally realised they were not
coming. “This is so insulting! These city people picked the date and time, and
now they didn’t show up! Why should we wait any longer? We shall let our
daughter marry an honourable and hardworking man in the village,” they thought.
They quickly arranged a new marriage and celebrated the wedding.
The next day, the astrological priest suddenly told the rich
family that it was a perfect day to hold a wedding as the stars, planets and
moon were in perfect positions! The rich family hurriedly went to the village
and asked for the wedding to take place. “You picked the date and time. Then
you disgraced us by not showing up!” said the villagers. “Our family priest told us that yesterday was
a very unlucky day for a wedding as the stars, planets and moon were in
inauspicious positions. But he has assured us that today is a most lucky day.
So please send us the bride at once!” replied the family from Benares. “You
have no honour. You have decided that the selection of date is more important
than the choice of the bride. It’s too late now! Our daughter has married
another,” answered the village family. The two families began to quarrel
heatedly. Meanwhile, a wise man happened to walk past. Seeing the two families
bickering, he tried to settle the dispute.
The family from Benares told him that they had respected the
warnings of their astrological priest. It was because of the inauspicious
positions of the stars, planets and moon, that they failed to turn up for the
wedding. “The good fortune was in the bride, not in the stars. You fools have
followed the stars and lost the bride. Without your foolishness, stars from
afar can do nothing!” answered the wise man.
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