Text 53
grahā nimittaṁ sukha-duḥkhayoś cet
kim ātmano ’jasya janasya te vai
grahair grahasyaiva vadanti pīḍāṁ
krudhyeta kasmai puruṣas tato ’nyaḥ
grahāḥ — the controlling planets; nimittam — the immediate cause; sukha-duḥkhayoḥ — of happiness and distress; cet — if; kim — what; ātmanaḥ — for the soul; ajasya — who is unborn; janasya — of that which is born; te — those planets; vai — indeed; grahaiḥ — by other planets; grahasya — of a planet; eva — only; vadanti — (expert astrologers) say; pīḍām — suffering; krudhyeta — should become angry; kasmai — at whom; puruṣaḥ — the living entity; tataḥ — from that material body; anyaḥ — distinct.
And if we examine the hypothesis that the planets are the immediate cause of suffering and happiness, then also where is the relationship with the soul, who is eternal? After all, the effect of the planets applies only to things that have taken birth. Expert astrologers have moreover explained how the planets are only causing pain to each other. Therefore, since the living entity is distinct from these planets and from the material body, against whom should he vent his anger?