Manava Dharmashastra 4.105

4.105

nirghāta āntarikṣa utpātadhvaniḥ | jyotiṣāṃ candrādityaguruprabhṛtīnāṃ upasarjanaṃ pariveṣaṣamitaretarapīḍanaṃ ca | ṛtāvapi | apigrahaṇaṃ varṣāsu kila notpātā gaṇyanta ityabhiprāyeṇa |

When there is preter-natural sound, when there is earthquake, and when there is an impact of planets,—these are to be regarded as time unfit for study, until the same hour next day,—even during the season.—(105).

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Preternatural sound’— an ominous sound emanating from the sky.

‘Of planets’—Moon, Sun, Jupiter, and the rest.

‘Impact’—i.e., a halo round them, or mutual contact.

‘Even during the season.’—‘Even’ has been added with a view to the fact that portents are not regarded as such, during the rains.—(105).

‘Jyotiṣāñcopasarjane’—‘When there is a halo round the planets, and when they strike each other’ (Medhātithi);—‘when there is an eclipse’ (Nārāyaṇa, Kullūka and Rāghavānanda).

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 188), which explains ‘ṛtau’ as ‘during the raniny season’, and ‘ākālikān’ as ‘during the time of the phenomenon’;—in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 530), which explains ‘Nirghāta’ as ‘sound in the sky’, and ‘Jyotiṣāmupasarjanam’ as ‘halo round the sun or the moon’, or ‘the falling of meteors’;—in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 151) which explains ‘Nirghāta’ as ‘a peculiar sound in the sky’, and ‘Jyotiṣāmupasarjanam’ as ‘the appearance of a halo round the Sun or the Moon’;—and in Gadādharapaddhati (Kāla, p. 194).

Comparative notes by various authors
Gautama (16.15, 16, 22).—‘When there is a halo round the teacher, or the sun or the moon; also when there is untimely atmospheric rumbling or earthquake or eclipse.’

Baudhāyana (1.11.22).—‘The full-moon day, the moonless day, the Aṣṭakā days, fire-portents, earthquake, the death of the lord of the country, of the Vedic Scholar, of one’s fellow-student;—on these occasions a day and night shall be unfit for study.’

Vaśiṣṭha (13.8).—‘When one is running, when there is rotting smell and other such phenomena, on barren ground, when one is on a tree, or on a boat or in an army, just after meals, during the performance of the Cāndrāyaṇa, when bamboo-flute is being played upon, on the fourteenth day of the month, on the moonless day, on the eighth day, or the Aṣṭakā days, while spreading his legs,... while wearing unwashed clothes, or vomiting or urinating or evacuating the bowels, when the sounds of Sāma-singing are heard, when there are ominous rumblings or earthquake or eclipse, solar or lunar, when there is rumbling in the quarters, rumbling in the mountains, or shaking of the mountains, or landslips on mountains, or when there is rain of hails, flesh, blood or dust,—it shall be unfit for study during the time that it lasts.’

Viṣṇu (30.9).—‘Nor during earthquake or meteor-fall or fiery quarters.’

Yājñavalkya (1.145)—[See above under 103-104.]

Parāśara (2.11.2).—[See above under 103-104.]

(Do.) (2.11.3).—‘If clouds are seen after the exqiry of the rains,—for three days or for three twilights.’

Gobhila (3.3.18.9).—[See above 103-104.]

Yama (Aparārka, p. 188).—‘By reason of Śakradhvaja, as also on the fall of meteors and earthquake, there shall be no study for three days.’