1.1 An Astrologer's Day.

1.1 An Astrologer’s Day

1.1 An Astrologer’s Day

The title of the text:

1) 'An astrologer's Day' arouses curiosity as something might have taken place on a particular day. It attracts the readers to go through the text.

2) 'An astrologer's Day' - Here ‘a day’ is a specific day in life that can be a turning point of somebody's life. The title is very interesting and creates curiosity in the mind of the readers. The writer extended the word with a particular purpose as it was used by Churchill... 'Everyone has his day'.

3)  The title creates curiosity in the mind of the reader about astrology and astrologer’s life. It also creates interest in reading to find out what is that particular day of the astrologer in the story.

Audio Version of the story in Marathi: 
Click on the following link to download or hear the audio clip.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uDThYi4jRWznKBJH4h1-ZgtkzFMELZ-2/view?usp=sharing

Created by-

Prof. Dhakane Z.N.

Junior College, Wada

Dist. Palghar

Ice Breakers:

1) Complete the activity.  What are your strengths?

Strengths	Why do you feel so?	Dream career
painting and drawing	can visualise, express	commercial artist, cartoonist
dancing	passion, expression	choreographer, artist
singing	voice modulation	Singer
music	passion for musical instruments or  to get peace and relaxation	music composer / Musician
acting	enacting as per situations	actor
making various kinds of dishes	love to make food	chef
ask questions	can raise critical issues	News anchor, Journalist
write stories	can arrange different ideas and events	Writer
persuade	can convince anyone	salesman/ businessman
weaving and sewing	can design clothes	dress designer

2) The scene in a local market of a village/town/city is very attractive. People with different occupations sell their wares. Give the variety of activities at the local market.

1. selling flowers, selling grocery.      

2. selling sweets, namkeens, bangles, artificial jewelries, homemade medicines, fruits, vegetables, home utensils, beauty products, clothes etc.

3. bantering, bargaining, discussing, joking, shouting  etc.  

4. transport of goods and other products.

5. movement of persons and hand carts,

6. use of different dialects or languages. 

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

Give a list the requirements for his trade.

1) parrot, cards etc.

2) cowrie shell, obscure things, clothes ,mala, beads, flowers etc

3) lemon, green chillies, sindoor, books, photos of deity, wand, etc.

4) Panchang, mystic charts, palmyra writing, stick, mat, etc.

         

4) 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) To cut the nails at night.

3) To see the women carrying empty pitchers.

4) To scratch the left hand.

5) To kill the cat.

6) To take salt on the palm.

7) To sit on the threshold.

8) To blow the burning diya.(oil lamp)

9) To touch the trees at night.

10) To remove the foot wears in front of the door.

11) To hear the caws of crow.

12) To blink the left eye.

13) Howling of dog.

14) Boiled milk overflowing from vessel.

15) Belief in supernatural powers.

16) Sacrifice of animals toward of evil.

17) Marriage of animals to ward off drought and bring rain.

18) Hang lemon and chillies.

19) Hang black doll on the door.

20) Seeing owl on the way.

21) Donating amount in figure of 11, 21, 51 and so on.

22) Breaking of mirror brings bad luck.

23) Sweeping of home at night.

24) Painting black spot to the infant.

Means to eradicate the superstitions:

1. By keeping scientific attitude.

2. Finding rationale behind them.

3. By exposing their falsehood.

4. By creating social awareness drive.

5. Through literacy campaigns

6. Through stage shows, films, songs, plays and TV programmes.

7. Taking help of local NGOs.

8. Organising Workshops, seminars and scientific forums at school and 

colleges.

9. By Scientific thinking

10. By doing practical analysis

11. By doing tie up with organisation that exposes the truth through analytical thinking. 

Guess the meaning:

1) pies - a former monetary unit of India and Pakistan equal to 1/12 of an anna

2) tilting - move or causing to move in sloping position

3) bluffing - trying to deceive someone as to someone's abilities or intentions

4) glimpse - a momentary or partial view

5) passer-by - a person who happens to be going past something, especially on foot

6) peep - look quickly and furtively at something especially through a narrow opening

7) overwhelmed - overpowered or have strong emotional effect on

8) groaned- made a deep, inarticulate sound conveying despair or pain

9) surging – (crowd) moving suddenly and powerfully forward

10) cosmos - coloured flowers and pinnate leaves (Mexican herb)

11) dahlia - name of a flower plant (a tuberous-rooted Mexican plant of the daisy family, which is cultivated for its brightly coloured single or double flowers.)

12) din - a loud,  unpleasant and prolonged noise

13) transacted - carried out  or conducted (business dealings)

14) careworn - tired or unhappy because of prolonged worry

15) gasped - panted, catch one's breath with an open mouth, owing to pain or astonishment.

Brainstorming activities:

(A1)

(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

(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 or (Cosmology or Astrophysics)

(c) A prediction of what will happen in the future.

- Prophecy

(d) Scientific discipline that studies mental states and processes and behaviour in humans and other animals.

- Psychology

(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. List the exceptional qualities of the place.

a) A surging crowd      

b) A variety of trades and occupations.

c) An auctioneer of cheap cloth creating enough din to attract the whole town.

d) Shouting vendor of fried groundnut.

e) Shops did not have the benefit of municipal lighting.

f) The place was lit up by shop lights.

g) Bewildering crisscross of light rays and moving shadows.

(iii) The astrologer never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten minutes. Discuss the reasons behind his act.

(a) He is good at reading the people.

b) The information given by people provided him enough stuff for a dozen answers and advices        

c) He got a chance to analyze the troubles of his customer.             

d) He worked on the policy those who hear a lot learn a lot.

e) He got a way to win the confidence of the customer.

f) He got enough time for searching answers and giving advice.

(A2)

(i) The tactics used by the astrologer to earn his wages are...

a) Analysis of human troubles

b) A good presence of mind, experience and perception

c) Use of equipment and shrewdness. 

\

d) Comment on the customer's nature, affairs, efforts and fate.

e) Creation of fear in the mind of the customer.

f) Use of general statements to endear the customers and win their hearts.

(ii) An astrologer's appearance helps to create an impression on his clients.Complete the following:

a) The turban on his head b) Sacred ash and vermilion on forehead c) Dark mustachecovering his voice  d) Sparkling eyes having gleam

(iii) Read the following sentences and choose the correct one.

(a) The astrologer says that if Nayak leaves his village again, he would -

(1) return the money

(2) face danger

(3) go back home and stop looking for the man who tried to kill him

(4) not find the killer.

Answer: face danger

(b) According to the narrator the astrologer's success in his profession is primarily due to -

(1) luck

(2) the bargains he drives

(3) his appearance

(4) his understanding of people.

Answer: his understanding of people.

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

(1) promising them success and good fortune

(2) proving, as time passes, to have been true

(3) flattering them or supporting their own views

(4) helping them to learn to solve their own problems.   

Answer: flattering them or supporting their own views  

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

(1) understand the past

(2) find out who the astrologer is

(3) make some money through a bet

(4) get the answer to a specific question

Answer: get the answer to a specific question

(e) Guru Nayak is looking for the man who tried to kill him -

(1) to take revenge

(2) to get an apology

(3) to demand an explanation

(4) to prove that the man was unsuccessful.

Answer: to take revenge

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

(1) relieved

(2) suspicious

(3) impressed

(4) disappointed.

Answer: suspicious

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

(1) was unaware of his past

(2) has been worried about his safety

(3) has known him since he was young

(4) is concerned about her future with him.

Answer: was unaware of his past

(iv) In the story, many Indian words are used.

'Cowrie shells'. This is an example of code-mixing.

Find out other such words from the story and write them down.

Examples of code – mixing:-

Raja's Delicacy, Bombay ice cream, Delhi Almond, three pies, eight annas, half annas, jutka drivers, lit a cheeroot etc.

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

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

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

(c) The astrologer tried to back out of the deal and talked about the client's past. – False (The astrologer demanded more money to tell about the client’s past)

(d) The astrologer rescued himself from Guru Nayak's revenge. - True

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

(v) The astrologer has changed his appearance and his persona when he arrived in the city. Give specific reasons.

Answer: When astrologer was a silly youngster, he quarreled with Guru Nayak and tried to kill him in wrath. He thought that he had murdered Guru Nayak. So he left the village and settled in the distant city where no one was familiar with him. He changed his attire and also changed the complete appearance and persona so that no one could recognise him and his offence of killing Guru Nayak would not be revealed.

(vi)'The darkness load that was inside the astrologer has disappeared'. Through this sentence, explain the significance of the title 'An Astrologer's Day'.

Answer: An astrologer was living under the burden of thought that he had the blood of man on his hands all those days. But one day he saw a stranger before him. He identified Guru Nayak. When he saw Guru Nayak was alive, he became tension free. The day on which he was relieved from that load, was a special day for him. So that day is called An Astrologer's Day.

(vii)   The astrologer feels relieved that Guru is not dead as it relieves a great burden from him. Critically justify the statement and explain it.

Answer: An astrologer was living under the load of thought that he had murdered Guru Nayak. So he felt himself guilty. But one day when he saw Guru Nayak before him alive, he felt relieved from the burden of that thought means he was not dead.

(viii) The astrologer wins/gets the sympathy of criticism of the reader in the end. Express your opinion with the support of the main story.

Answer: The Astrologer gets the sympathy of the readers because he was guilty of his deed and wanted to get away from it. His smartness and the tricks of his trade had saved him from his past crime. He had accepted his mistake and already started living a new life. Acceptance of mistake is a great quality which is difficult to find. His perception, presence of mind, self-confidence and shrewdness helped him to overcome the problem. He had learnt a lesson hence the astrologer got sympathy from the readers.

(ix) If we have to eradicate the superstitions and other ill practices from our society, what steps would you like to suggest?

Answer: I would like to suggest the following steps for eradicating the superstitions and other ill practices from our society.

a) To make the people aware of the things which are good and which are bad for our development and also for the development of our society.

b)To tell them about the ill effects of superstitions on our health.

c)To try to develop the scientific views in the people.

d)To make aware them how common persons are deceived under the names of blind beliefs by some so called Sadhus.

e) To tell the people not to believe in unknown persons who come 

to your doorstep and ask you to make double the money or ornaments.

f)To take the help of the organizations who are working in the field of eradication of superstitions. These organizations will arrange programmes to show the ill impacts of superstitions.

g)To try develop scientific thinking within common people through practical experiences.

etc.

(x) In the story, astrologer has a great listening power. Listening helps in developing good relations with people. Express your opinion.

Answer: Yes, listening helps in developing good relations with people. 

a) If we listen carefully what the person before us telling, he / she will respect us.

b) If we listen someone's agony, we can console him / her. It helps us to build good relationship.

c) Listening also helps us to sort out the misunderstanding.

d) Listening is skill which helps one to communicate successfully.

e) If we don't listen others and speak to the people all the time, they get bored and try to avoid us which affects the relations.

f) A good listener is always alert and can judge things in correct perspective. Such person takes proper steps to maintain the relationship.

A3)

(i) In the story, the following characters reveal their qualities through words and actions. Pick out the words that describe them and write before the characters.

Astrologer	Guru Nayak	Astrologer's wife
(1) shrewd	manipulative	caring
(2)
(3)
(4)

Answer

(ii) Match the suffixes with the words and make nouns. One is done for you.

Word	suffix		noun
auction	able		auctioneer
enchant	ure
know	ment
prepare	eer
proceed	ance
appear	ledge
remark	tion
Answer:-
Word	suffix	noun
auction	able	auctioneer
enchant	ure	enchantment
know	ment	knowledge
prepare	eer	preparation
proceed	ance	procedure
appear	ledge	appearance
remark	tion	remarkable

iii) Astrologer's Day' has ironic elements where the astrologer pretends to have 'supernatural knowledge' that coincidently turns out to be the truth.

Irony means a situation or statement characterized by a significant difference between what is expected and what actually happens, or between what is understood and what is meant.

Find out the examples of irony from the story and write them down. One has been done for you.

a)He knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself the next minute.

b)He had a working analysis of mankind's troubles.

c)Within five minutes he understood what was wrong.

d)Guru Nayak came to the astrologer for help in finding the man who nearly killed him--and the astrologer himself was the very man he was looking for but he couldn’t recognize him.

e)His forehead was resplendent with sacred ash and vermilion, and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted.

f)Nayak learnt that his attacker was dead. The astrologer learnt that he did not commit murder.

g)The very fact that such pious and sanctimoniously sacrosanct activities are carried out in busy market lanes where day to day businesses are carried out makes quite a few eyebrows to get raised and worry about the real underpinnings of these businesses.

(iv) In the story, many Indian words are used.

'Cowrie shells'. This is an example of code-mixing.

Find out other such words from the story and write them down.

Examples of code – mixing:-

Raja's Delicacy, Bombay ice cream, Delhi Almond, three pies, eight annas, half annas, jutka drivers, lit a cheeroot etc.

(v) There are some phrases where the word crown is used with different shades of meaning. Use the following phrases to complete the sentences meaningfully. One is done for you.

crowning achievement, To crown the effect, crown of thorns, crowning glory, to crown it all

e.g. To crown the effect, he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head.

(a) The works of Shakespeare are the ------------- of English drama.

(b) Amitabh has given us awesome movies throughout five decades. But his --------------------- is his performance in the movie 'Black'.

(c) In her pursuit of success, Radha has distanced herself from her family. Her fame has become a real ------------------------------.

(d) They threw a wonderful party for me with costumes, games and ------------------------ my favourite kind of ice cream.

(e) Medical science has great inventions, but organ transplantation is definitely a ------------------- for human beings.

Answer:-

(a) The works of Shakespeare are thecrowning glory of English drama.

(b) Amitabh has given us awesome movies throughout five decades. But his crowning achievement is his performance in the movie 'Black'.

(c) In her pursuit of success, Radha has distanced herself from her family. Her fame has become a real crown of thorns.

(d) They threw a wonderful party for me with costumes, games and to crown it all my favourite kind of ice cream.

(e) Medical science has great inventions, but organ transplantation is definitely a crowning achievement for human beings.

(A4)

(i) Word Usage

Use the words given in the brackets and rewrite the sentences.

(a)The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced. (enhancement)

(b)He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles. (worked)

(c)He knew what was going to happen to himself next minute.(happening)

(d)If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees? (satisfaction)

(e)He shook his head regretfully. (regret)

(f) It was a bewildering crisscross of light rays. (bewildered)

(g)“I should have been dead if some passer-by had not chanced to peep into the well,” exclaimed the other, overwhelmed by enthusiasm. (enthusiastically)

(h)You tried to kill him. (killing)

(i)I will prepare some nice stuff for her. (preparation)

(j)The other groaned on hearing it. (heard)

Answer:-

(a)There was a considerable enhancement in the power of his eyes.

(b)He had worked out an analysis of mankind’s troubles.

(c)He knew what would be happening to himself next minute.

(d)If my answers give you satisfaction, will you give me five rupees?

(e)He shook his head with regret.

(f) The crisscross of light rays bewildered.

(g)“I should have been dead if some passer-by had not chanced to peep into the well,” exclaimed the other, as he wasenthusiastically overwhelmed.

(h)You tried killing him.

(i)I will make a preparation of some nice stuff for her.

(j)The other groaned when he had heard it.

Textual Activities given in the margin:

By Prof. Sanjay D. Patil, Dnyandeep Vidya Mandir, Khed Dist. Ratnagiri 

1) If the astrologer had stayed in the village then he would have carried on

Ans- tilling the land, living, marrying and ripening in his cornfield and ancestral home.

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

Ans – The astrologer had a working analysis of mankind's troubles like marriage, money, and the tangles. Long practice of astrology had sharpened his perception. He was good at reading people. He won the confidence of the people after a talk with them. It is therefore within five minutes he could understand what was wrong with his customers.

3) How could the astrologer tell the person about his life?

Ans - The astrologer had a working analysis of mankind's troubles. Long practice of astrology had sharpened his perception. He had his own way to deal with his customers. He allowed his customers to talk first. He gave them ten minutes to speak which provided enough time for searching answers and giving advices to them. Even he could tell them about their nature, family tangles just by looking at their palms.

4) The man was left for dead because….

Ans - When the astrologer was young, he had a quarrel with Guru Nayak. He stabbed him with a Knife. He thought that he had killed him. He was afraid of it. As he didn’t want anyone to know it, he pushed him in the well and left him for dead.

5) What was the load on the astrologer’s mind?

Ans- When astrologer was a silly youngster, he quarreled with Guru Nayak and tried to kill him in wrath. He thought this act of killing or murdering Guru Nayak as the load on his mind.


Model Activity Sheet No.1

Q1. Read the following extract and complete the activities given below.  (12)

          Punctually (promptly) at midday, he opened his bag and spread out his professional equipment,(tools) which consisted of a dozen cowrie shells,(conch of small snell) a square piece of cloth with obscure(unclear) mystic(supernatural) charts on it, a notebook and a bundle of palmyra (tree) writing. His forehead was resplendent(splendid/Shinning) with sacred ash (residue) and vermilion (red colour/Sindur), and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic (foresighted) light and felt comforted.(pleased)      

          The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced (improved) by their position—placed as they were between the painted forehead and the dark whiskers (mustache hairs) which streamed down (coursed down) his cheeks: even a half-wit's eyes would sparkle in such a setting. To crown (culminate/coronate/heighten/exalt) the effect he wound a saffron-colored; (orange-yellow colored) turban (cap/hat/Pagadi) around his head. This color scheme never failed. People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia (flowers) stalk. (axis/shaft/shoot) He sat under the boughs (branch) of a spreading tamarind tree which flanked(boarder/side/line) a path running through the Town Hall Park.

          It was a remarkable place in many ways: a surging (rising/increasing) crowd was always moving up and down this narrow road morning till night. A variety of trades and occupations was represented all along its way: medicine-sellers, sellers of stolen hard ware and junk, magicians and, above all, an auctioneer of cheap cloth, who created enough din all day to attract the whole town.

A1. Web (2)

                                                                                     

 

   

A2.  Describe (2)

Describe the market place as a centre of attraction for the sellers and the whole town.        

A3. Find out (2)
                                                                                                           

Find out any two instances of the appearance of the prophet mostly suitable to his
profession.

A4. Personal Response (2)

Write in 50 words about the career you like to choose in your life.                                          

A5. Language study – (Do as directed) (2)

       

i) Punctually at midday, he opened his bag. 

                 (Make it compound)                                             

      

ii) The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced by their position.                               (Change the voice)                                                                                   

A6. Vocabulary (2)

Find from the passage the adjectives used to describe the following words. (2)   

i) turban- ………

ii) equipment - ………

iii) forehead - ……..

iv) place - ………

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Activity Set By: Prof. R.D.Dhumal,

Jaysingpur Jr. College,

Kolhapur