An Astrologer's Day

An Astrologer's Day is a thriller, suspense

short story by author R. K. Narayan. While
it had been published earlier, it was the
titular story of Narayan's fourth collection
of short stories[1] published in 1947 by
Indian Thought Publications.[2] It was the
first chapter of the world famous
collection of stories Malgudi Days which
was later telecasted on television in
2006.[3]
 "An Astrologer's Day"
Author R. K. Narayan

Country India

Language English

Genre(s) Thriller, short story,

suspense

Published in India

Publisher Indian Thought

Publications

Media type Print

Publication date 1947

Fallon and et al. said of the work, "The

story is a model of economy without
leaving out the relevant detail."[1] Themes
found in An Astrologer's Day recur
frequently throughout Narayan's work.

Summary
The author begins the story by telling the
reader the details of the simple life of an
astrologer. The street where he operates
has many vendors, such as medicine
sellers, magicians, etc. The astrologer
conducts his business by the "light of a
flare which is crackled and smoked up
above the groundnut heap nearby" once
darkness descends.

The man is not trained to become an

astrologer and has little knowledge of the
stars but he depends solely on his wits, his
power of observation and his insight into
the human mind. With experience, he has
learned the tricks of the trade. He talks
about safe topics like marriage, money,
and relationships and takes to speak only
after the client has revealed enough about
himself.

One day, after having finished his daily

business, he is about to leave for home
when he sees a man close by and hopes to
make him a client. The man demands the
astrologer tell him something worthwhile
about his future. The astrologer tries his
usual tricks about talking marriage or
money but the man wants to hear answers
of his specific questions. At this stage, the
man lights a cheroot and in the dim light of
the matchstick the astrologer looks at the
man's face and is unnerved. He tries to
withdraw from the challenge and asks him
to take his money back but the man holds
his wrist and tells him he can not get out
now.

The astrologer tells the client that he had

been stabbed and pushed into a well
presuming he was dead. The astrologer
addresses him by his name, Guru Nayak.
That impresses Guru Nayak and he tells
the astrologer that he is out to seek out
the man who stabbed him so that he can
take the revenge. The astrologer then
informs him that the man who stabbed
him had died having been crushed under a
lorry four months earlier and that Nayak's
life was not safe so he should return to his
village immediately and warns him not to
travel in that direction again. Satisfied with
the answer, Nayak gives him some coins
and leaves feeling happy at the thought
that the man he wanted to kill is already
dead. The astrologer comes home and
tells his wife that a big load was off his
mind that day because he had discovered
that the man he thought he had murdered
years back in his native village and
because of whom he had left home, was in
fact alive. He also realizes that Nayak had
given him less money than he had
promised.

The story is titled An Astrologer's Day and

not The Astrologer's Day and that is where
lies the aptness of the title. Though it is
the story of a particular incident in the life
of an astrologer, the major part of the story
describes a day in the life of an astrologer
in India who sits on the pavement to read
palms to tell the future of men. The man
has spread before him his Professional
equipment which consists of cowry shells,
Palmyra writing and mystic charts which
he can not read. To add to that is his
saffron-colored turban and his tilak which
are enough to invite the trust of a common
man who generally frequents this type of
narrow road described in the story. Till the
time the reader encounters Guru Nayak,
the description given of the astrologer is
that of any roadside astrologer in a town.
The man transacts his business purely on
his wits and the ignorance of his clients.
Moreover, what leads the reader to believe
that this is the story of an astrologer is the
fact that the author has not given him a
name- he is simply referred to as The
astrologer. The title suggests that the
reader is going to read about the life of an
astrologer and that is what he learns about
and in that respect, it is acclaimed as an
appropriate title to the story.

Publications
Indian Thought Publications (1947)
National Publishing House (2010)
Frank Bros. & Co. (2009)

Features of the story

1. The ironical fact about the protagonist
is that a gambler and a murderer, who is
ignorant of his own future has become an
astrologer.
2. The writer reveals how the only
qualification needed to be an astrologer in
India is saffron clothes, a few charts and
tilak and a keen observation of human
nature along with a presence of mind.
3. The astrologer should have been greatly
relieved that he is not a murderer after all
and he has managed to put Guru Nayak
off, and he should not have bothered about
how much money he had received. Yet,
when he realizes Nayak has cheated him
of some money he is angry.[4]

Themes
Irony of fate
Religion and blind faith
 Crime and Punishment
Human Greed

References
1. Fallon, Erin; Feddersen, R.C.; Kurtzleben,
James; Lee, Maurice A.; Rochette-Crawley,
Susan (31 October 2013). A Reader's
Companion to the Short Story in English .
New York, NY: Routledge. p. 304. ISBN 1-
57958-353-9.
2. A Treasure Trove of Short Stories, by
S.Chakravarthi, p-3
3. "Malgudi Days on DD1" . The Hindu.
May 12, 2006. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
4. Indispensable workbook, by Usha
Nagpal, National Publication House, p-8

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