An Astrologer’s Day
Author: R. K. Narayan
Class: XI – General English
Book: A Panorama of Life
Part C: Lessons for Extensive Study
Comprehension Questions
I. Answer the following questions briefly.
1. What was the astrologer’s professional equipment?
The astrologer’s professional equipment consisted of a dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts, a notebook and a bundle of palmyra writing.
2. How did he give his face the look of an astrologer?
He applied sacred ash and vermilion to his forehead, allowed his dark whiskers to grow down his cheeks and wore a saffron-coloured turban. This appearance made him look like a traditional astrologer.
3. Where did he sit every day?
He sat under the branches of a spreading tamarind tree beside a path running through the Town Hall Park.
4. Who were the other professionals on the road where the astrologer carried on his business?
The other professionals included medicine sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians, an auctioneer of cheap cloth and a vendor of fried groundnuts.
5. What were the different names given by the vendor of fried groundnuts to his groundnuts?
The vendor gave his groundnuts fancy names such as “Bombay Ice-Cream”, “Delhi Almond” and “Raja’s Delicacy”.
6. What was the source of light used by the astrologer during the evening hours?
The astrologer worked by the light of a flare that crackled and smoked above the nearby heap of groundnuts. He also benefited from the lights of the surrounding shops.
7. How does Narayan describe the astrologer’s knowledge of astronomy?
Narayan says that the astrologer was as much a stranger to the stars as his innocent customers. He had no real knowledge of astronomy; his success depended on study, practice, observation and shrewd guesswork.
8. What would the astrologer have done if he had continued to live in his old village?
If he had continued to live in his old village, he would have followed the occupation of his forefathers. He would have tilled the land, married and spent his life in his cornfield and ancestral home.
9. How could the astrologer guess his clients’ problems?
The astrologer had a practical understanding of common human troubles related to marriage, money and relationships. He listened to his clients for a long time and used his experience, observation and clever guesswork to understand their problems.
10. What was the challenge thrown by the client to the astrologer?
The client challenged the astrologer to prove his skill. He gave him an anna and said that if the astrologer’s claims proved false, he would have to return the money with interest. The astrologer demanded eight annas if his answers proved satisfactory, and the client agreed to the bargain.
11. How could the astrologer rightly guess the past of the client?
The astrologer recognised the client, Guru Nayak, as the man whom he had attacked and left for dead in his village years earlier. Since he himself had been involved in the incident, he knew the details of Guru Nayak’s past and could describe them accurately.
12. What did the astrologer tell his wife?
The astrologer told his wife that a great burden had been lifted from his mind. He had believed for years that he had killed a man, and this guilt had made him leave his village. He was relieved to discover that the man was still alive.
II. Answer the following questions in detail.
1. Write, in brief, a character sketch of the astrologer.
The astrologer is the central character of R. K. Narayan’s short story. He is clever, observant and resourceful. His character can be described through the following points:
- Clever and practical: The astrologer earns his living by understanding people’s problems rather than by possessing any real knowledge of the stars.
- Observant: He carefully studies his customers and listens to them before offering advice. This helps him make convincing guesses about their lives.
- Skilled at his profession: His traditional appearance, mystic charts, cowrie shells and dramatic manner attract customers and create an impression of supernatural knowledge.
- Troubled by his past: In his youth, he quarrelled with Guru Nayak and attacked him, believing that he had killed him. Frightened by the incident, he left his village and started a new life elsewhere.
- Quick-witted: When Guru Nayak unexpectedly comes to him, the astrologer recognises him and uses his knowledge of the past to answer his questions convincingly.
- Relieved at the end: He discovers that Guru Nayak survived the attack. This frees him from years of guilt and anxiety.
Thus, the astrologer is a practical and intelligent man whose cleverness helps him earn his living and whose unexpected encounter finally brings him peace of mind.
2. Explain briefly the ‘sting-in-the-tail’ contained in the story.
The expression ‘sting-in-the-tail’ refers to an unexpected or surprising ending that changes the reader’s understanding of a story.
- The astrologer appears to be an ordinary roadside fortune-teller who earns his living by making clever guesses about people’s problems.
- One evening, a stranger named Guru Nayak challenges him to reveal details about his past.
- The astrologer recognises Guru Nayak as the man whom he had attacked and left for dead years earlier.
- He tells Guru Nayak that his attacker is dead and advises him to return home and never travel southwards again.
- Guru Nayak leaves satisfied, unaware that the astrologer himself is the man he has been searching for.
- Later, the astrologer tells his wife that he had believed himself to be a murderer for years. He is relieved to learn that his victim survived.
The surprise is that the astrologer’s apparent supernatural knowledge comes from his own involvement in the incident. This unexpected revelation gives the story its sting-in-the-tail.
3. How did the astrologer finally have his day? Explain.
The astrologer finally has his day because he succeeds in dealing with a dangerous situation, earns money and becomes free from his long-standing guilt.
- An unexpected customer: One evening, Guru Nayak approaches the astrologer and challenges him to answer questions about his past and his present search.
- Recognition: The astrologer recognises Guru Nayak as the man whom he had attacked and left for dead years earlier.
- A clever response: Instead of revealing his identity, the astrologer describes the old incident accurately and convinces Guru Nayak that his attacker is dead.
- A warning: He advises Guru Nayak to return to his village and never travel southwards again, warning him of further danger to his life.
- Financial gain: Guru Nayak is impressed by the astrologer’s answers and leaves him a handful of coins.
- Relief from guilt: At home, the astrologer tells his wife that he had believed he had killed a man. Learning that Guru Nayak is alive removes this burden from his mind.
Thus, the astrologer has his day because he escapes recognition, earns money and finally finds relief from the guilt that had troubled him for years.
4. Summarise the relationship between the astrologer and his client.
The relationship between the astrologer and his client, Guru Nayak, is shaped by a violent incident from their past.
- The past incident: When they were young, the astrologer and Guru Nayak drank, gambled and quarrelled. During the quarrel, the astrologer attacked Guru Nayak with a knife and pushed him into a well, leaving him for dead.
- The astrologer’s escape: Believing that he had killed Guru Nayak, the astrologer left his village without informing anyone and settled in a distant town.
- The client’s search: Guru Nayak survived because a passer-by found him in the well. He later travelled in search of the man who had attacked him, hoping to take revenge.
- Their unexpected meeting: Years later, Guru Nayak unknowingly approached the astrologer for answers about his search. The astrologer recognised him immediately.
- The astrologer’s deception: To protect himself, the astrologer told Guru Nayak that his attacker had died after being crushed under a lorry. He advised him to return home and not travel southwards again.
- The final outcome: Guru Nayak left satisfied, unaware of the astrologer’s true identity. The astrologer returned home relieved that his old victim was alive and that he had not committed murder.
Their relationship illustrates how a hidden past can unexpectedly return to affect the present. The encounter also provides the story with its dramatic and ironic ending.
5. Write a few lines on: An Astrologer by the Roadside.
The roadside astrologer is presented as a clever and resourceful man who earns his living by reading people rather than the stars.
- Place of work: He sits beneath a spreading tamarind tree beside a busy path through the Town Hall Park.
- Appearance: Sacred ash, vermilion, dark whiskers and a saffron-coloured turban give him the appearance of a traditional astrologer.
- Professional equipment: He uses cowrie shells, mystic charts, a notebook and palmyra writing to create an atmosphere of mystery.
- Surroundings: His workplace is situated among various vendors and street professionals. The nearby lights and moving shadows make the setting especially suitable for his work.
- Method of earning: He listens to customers and makes clever guesses about their problems concerning marriage, money and relationships. His success comes from observation and experience rather than genuine astrological knowledge.
- Unexpected encounter: His ordinary routine changes when Guru Nayak approaches him. The astrologer recognises his former victim and uses his knowledge of the past to protect himself.
The roadside astrologer is therefore an observant and practical man whose cleverness helps him survive, but whose past continues to influence his life.