Brihadyatra 24: adhyāyaḥ 24

Chapter 24: The Howling of Jackals

A tranquil female jackal, devoid of flesh and bones [in her mouth], is auspicious from the rear;

And one with a harsh sound and greatly blazing is auspicious in a cruel undertaking.

A female jackal is praised in the east and the north; a tranquil one is praised everywhere.

Facing a smoky quarter, blazing in her voice, she slays the regents of the quarters:

[The king, the prince, the commander, the envoy, the merchant, the spy, the twice-born,

And the superintendent of elephants, beginning from the east; and the kṣatriyas and others in the four directions.]

In all directions a blazing [jackal] is inauspicious, especially unfavorable by day.

In a town or an army, moving leftward, facing eastward, a female jackal brings misery.

[Howling] 'yāhi' ('go!'), she indicates danger from fire; [howling] 'ṭāṭā', she foretells death.

[Howling] 'dhik dhik', she reports evil deeds; blazing with flame, she brings destruction to the country.

Some do not declare cruelty from her natural flaming;

Like fire from the sun and the like, flame comes from her mouth by nature.

Answered by another, [a howl] from the south indicates imprisonment and slaughter;

That very same [howl], answered from the west, foretells death in water.

Hearing it without agitation is desirable, bringing acquisition of wealth and the arrival of beloved ones;

From agitation arises division among leaders and misfortune for the vehicles.

This fruit [applies] up to the seventh howl; beyond that, it is not to be accepted.

In the south, the opposite fruit [holds], except for the sixth and fifth howls.

One that produces horripilation in men, dung and urine in horses,

And terror by her howling—that female jackal does not bestow auspiciousness.

One that falls silent when answered by men, elephants, or horses—

That female jackal bestows auspiciousness in the army or in the town.