Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he was not very old, but he understood that, "I will have to die by snake bite, so let me get free from this royal responsibilities." He at once handed over his kingdom to his son and went to the bank of the Ganges and sat down there tight, without taking any food and drink, for seven days, and he heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the authoritative source of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and he died at the end of seven days; a snake came and bit him.
So this astrological calculation were then; still there are. Just see. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, when Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written, it was five thousand years before. It is stated there that in the beginning of Kali-yuga, there will be buddha-avatāra, incarnation. Bhavishyak. Bhavishyak means "there will appear." These are śāstra, these are astrological calculation, everything perfect. The other day, when I was discussed about Sanātana Goswami, how even an ordinary hotel keeper, he kept an astrologer who told the hotel keeper that "This man has got eight golden dollars." Just see. This is astrology. Even a thief could be conducted, guided by astrologer, and what to speak of others.
So that was their system in India. So that example is being placed here by Lord Caitanya that the Veda, Veda, that is astrology for your guidance. For your guidance, the scripture is your astrologer. He knows your future, he knows your past. So therefore you should consult. You should consult, for our guidance. Now, the astrologer is supposed to give some instruction to the poor man.
- 'ei sthāne āche dhana'-yadi dakṣiṇe khudibe
- 'bhīmarula-barulī' uṭhibe, dhana nā pāibe
- (CC Madhya 20.132)
Now, the astrologer says, is giving him—it is figurative—that "If you want to search out the Absolute Truth by ritualistic method . . ." mostly people are attached to the particular faith and its ritualistic method. They consider this is, oh, everything. Veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ (BG 2.42). They think that performing these rituals of a particular religion and faith, that is all; no more.
So Lord Caitanya says . . . Lord Caitanya in the shape of that astrologer says that if you follow—the figurative; it is given figurative—that he is searching after the wealth left by his father. Similarly, we have got our father, the Supreme, and He is the supreme proprietor of everything. Now if we try to find out our father and father's property by the ritualistic process—there are ritualistic process in every religion and in every scripture—but if we stick to that, then the result will be they will be entrapped by such fanaticism, and it will be not possible to make progress.
This is called dakṣiṇa system. Dakṣiṇa, dakṣiṇa means if you . . . he is giving him instruction that, "Your house is bounded by east side, west side, north side and south side. So if you go to the south . . ." south is translated into Sanskrit, dakṣiṇa. And dakṣiṇa also means giving something to the priest in respect of his service for performing rituals.