Shantikamalakara 6

English (machine translation) 6

Language: English

6.p1

Now, the propitiatory rite for eclipses.
In the Matsya Purāṇa:
"When the moon is eclipsed in someone's rising sign or in his lunar mansion,
he faces risk to his life or meets with death.

In whichever person's natal lunar mansion the sun or the moon is eclipsed,
affliction befalls those born in it who are devoid of a propitiatory rite.
When an eclipse occurs after reaching someone's natal sign,
I shall explain his bath accompanied by mantras and medicinal herbs.

6.p3

When a lunar eclipse arrives, having performed the Brahmin's recitation
and honoured four Brahmins with white garlands and unguents,

6.p4

and having brought the herbs and other items even before the eclipse,
one should set down four pitchers before him, representing the oceans and so forth.

6.p5

Having brought earth from the path of an elephant, a horse, a chariot, an anthill, a confluence, a lake, a cowpen,
and from the threshold of a king's gate, one should throw it [into them].

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The five bovine products, the five gems, the five barks and five sprouts,
yellow pigment, padmaka wood, conch shell, saffron, and red sandalwood,

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pearls, crystal, sacred water, white mustard, bdellium,
liquorice, deodar cedar, viṣṇukrāntā, śatāvarī,

6.p8

balā, sahadevī, and both varieties of turmeric—
having placed all this into the pitchers, he should invoke the gods:

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"May all the oceans, rivers, sacred pilgrimage waters, clouds, and streams
come to destroy the sins of the sacrificer!

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With 'O Gaṅgā…', [and so forth, make them present].

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May that god who wields the thunderbolt, regarded as the lord of the Ādityas,
he of a thousand eyes, remove the affliction caused by the lunar eclipse!

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May Agni, who is the mouth of all the gods, having seven flames and boundless splendor,
remove the affliction produced by the lunar eclipse!

6.p13

May Dharma, who is the witness to the actions of the worlds and rides a buffalo,
remove my planetary affliction arising from the lunar eclipse!
May the god who bears the serpent noose, always mounted on a makara,

6.p14

Varuṇa, remove my defilement from the lunar eclipse!
May Vāyu, who is the life-breath of the worlds, who always loves the black antelope,

6.p15

remove the planetary affliction arising from the lunar eclipse!
May he who is the lord of treasures, wielding a sword, spear, discus, and mace,
Dhanada, remove my misfortune from the lunar eclipse!
May the god who bears the moon, holder of the Pināka bow, riding a bull,

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Śaṃkara, avert the evils of the lunar eclipse!
Whatever beings there are in the three worlds, stationary and moving,

6.p17

and Brahmā, Viṣṇu, the Sun, and the Rudras—may they burn away my sin!"
Thus he should invoke the gods with these mantras and with those sacred to Varuṇa.

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Likewise, one should write these very mantras on a gold plate,
or having written them on a copper plate, and likewise on a new cloth,

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those excellent Brahmins should place it upon the head of the sacrificer.
Taking the sacred pots, which contain the ritual substances and are filled with water from various pilgrimage places,

6.p20

one should place him secretly seated upon an auspicious stool.
With the very mantras mentioned before, he should offer the gold plate.
He should give a sacrificial fee to the ācārya, and the gift of a cow according to his ability.

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For the satisfaction of the deities, he should worship with fragrances, garlands, incense, and lamps.
A fire oblation should also be performed with sesame seeds and with the vyāhṛtis.

6.p22

Having concluded the fire oblation according to rule, if he desires his own welfare,
he should give gifts to the Brahmins in particular, according to his ability.
During a solar eclipse, one should recite the mantras joined with the sun's names.

6.p23

He who performs the bath during an eclipse according to this rule—
no blemish of an eclipse ever affects him.

6.p24

Thus concludes the propitiatory rite for an eclipse as taught in the Matsyapurāṇa.

6.p25

In the Madanaratna, from another text:

6.p26

“One should perform a bath during an eclipse of the sun or moon with sprouts of dūrvā grass, uśīra, śamī, śilājatu, gems, sarvārtha, all-herbs, and the five earths; then the affliction and fault arising [therefrom] will be pacified.”
In an astrological text:
“For men, an eclipse of the sun or moon occurring in the third, sixth, tenth, or eleventh [house] brings good fortune. 1.
[Here] āyus means the eleventh, nanda means the ninth, and iṣaṇa means the fifth.”

6.p27

In the Madanaratna, Garga says:
“When the moon is situated in the natal [house], seventh, sixth, twelfth, ninth, or tenth [house], Rāhu, when seen, brings calamity; likewise, when it is in the natal lunar mansion or in the [inauspicious asterism called] nidhana.” Rippha means the twelfth. Aṅka means the ninth. Nidhana means the seventh asterism.
In the Pṛthvīcandrodaya, quoting the Viṣṇudharmottara:
“Whatever lunar mansion Rāhu enters to eclipse the moon or sun, affliction will befall those born thereunder who are destitute of a propitiatory rite.”
Likewise in another Purāṇa:
“At the solar transit, or during an eclipse of the moon or sun, whoever has it fall in their threefold natal lunar mansion incurs disease or death. / One should perform for him gifts, fire oblations, worship of deities, and recitation, / as well as a consecratory sprinkling on account of an eclipse; then peace will prevail. / Having made an image of a serpent out of gold or flour, / one should give it to a brāhmaṇa; then no disease or the like caused by it will affect him.” The natal, tenth, and nineteenth asterisms are the ‘threefold natal asterisms’. All [this applies] to Rāhu, whose form is of that shape.
Bhārgava in the Adbhutasāgara:
“In whichever king's asterism Rāhu appears, / there one should predict the destruction of the kingdom, the loss of friends, and death.”
‘Of the kingdom’ means of the asterism of royal consecration, as stated in the Bhārgavārcanadīpikā.
In the Jyotiḥsāgara:
“One should have a golden serpent made weighing one pala, half a pala, or half of that, / or half of that, or half of that, or half of that; in its hood one should place a pearl. / Placing it in a copper vessel, especially one filled with ghee, / or in a bell-metal vessel or a vessel of magnetic iron, one should give it with a dakṣiṇā. / In a lunar eclipse, one should give a silver disc with a dakṣiṇā; / a golden serpent and a golden disc in a solar eclipse; [along with] a horse, chariot, cow, land, sesame seeds, ghee, and gold.”
In the Kālaviveka:
“A golden serpent, a bell-metal vessel filled with sesame seeds, / accompanied by a dakṣiṇā and new garments, one should present to a brāhmaṇa. / Having made a disc of gold or silver according to one's means, / one should dedicate it to a brāhmaṇa to destroy the suffering born of the eclipse.”

6.p28

The mantra is:
“Homage to you, very terrifying, crusher of the moon and sun; by this offering of fire oblation and asterism, become bestower of peace to me. / Homage to you, O Vidhuṃtuda, unfallen delight of Siṃhikā; by this gift of a serpent, protect me from the fear of [celestial] penetration.”
Further details should be known from my Nirṇayasindhu.
In an astrological treatise:
“If the planet Rāhu, by the power of its transit, moves through the natal, twelfth, fifth, fourth, eighth, ninth, second, or seventh [house], / it causes agitation, fear from the king, dread, loss of wealth, disease, exile, death, and fear of fire.”
On an eclipse occurring outside the normal moon-phase, Mayūracitra in the Adbhutasāgara says:
“Outside the normal moon-phase, the great planet named Tviṣṭa, dark as darkness, / covers the moon and sun, to the peril of the whole world. / A wise man should offer eight thousand pieces of udumbara wood, / smeared with honey, with the verse ‘jātavedase…’; / one should give a dakṣiṇā to a brāhmaṇa, along with a cow and a bull.”
Thus concludes the propitiatory rite for Rāhu.

6.p29

Now begins the propitiatory rite for Ketu.

6.p30

He states the fruit thereof in the Jyotirviśiṣṭasaṃhitā:
“Because the rising and setting of a comet cannot be known through mathematical calculation,”

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“those comets are of three kinds in the world: celestial, atmospheric, and terrestrial. 1.

6.p32

They are seen to have one hundred and one varieties, or a thousand varieties; / because of their portended nature, they may appear as many or as just one. 2.

6.p33

Those that arise in the sky from constellations and planets are called celestial comets; they bestow effects upon the earth. / They are famous as halo-circles, Indra’s supreme bow (rainbows), meteors, and cities of the Gandharvas (mirages). 3.

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Those born from atmospheric anomalies produce middling results and are atmospheric. / Those born on the earth are terrestrial, arising from moving and stationary things. 4.

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They bestow low results. I shall describe their forms and fruits; / they reach maturity sequentially in a year, a month, or a fortnight. 5.

6.p36

Smooth and bright in form, whitish in appearance, pleasing, shaped like an upright staff: / such a comet at rising and setting brings abundance of food and happiness. 6.

6.p37

Resembling smoke, the comet called Dhūma is productive of evil; / shaped like Indra's bow (a rainbow) or like a stūpa, it properly brings dread regarding rain. 7.

6.p38

Incomparable, with many tails, resembling lightning, a necklace of pearls, or gold: / seen in the western direction, they cause great warfare among the rulers of that direction. 8.

6.p39

Resembling a parrot's beak or the bandhūka flower, born of Agni, resembling blood, and rough: / if such comets are seen in the southeastern direction, they bring fear. 9.

6.p40

The sons of Mṛtyu, with crooked tails, black and rough, causing excitement: / those seen in the southern direction bring fear of a plague to men. 10.

6.p41

Thirty-two, resembling the earth's eye, mirrors, possessing rays and tails, / they bring the fear of hunger; those with heads, born of Yama, and resembling mountains bring death. 11.

6.p42

The sons of the Moon, flower-like, resembling the kunda flower, the moon, milk, or silver, / with tails in the northern region, cause abundance of food for living beings. 12.

6.p43

Three-tailed, endowed with three colors, born of Brahmā, resembling Brahmā’s staff, / shining in no fixed direction, this one called Brahmadanda brings peace. 13.

6.p44

The sons of Saturn are called Tārās, white, straight, and six in number; / seen for two or three days, they are auspicious, [but] if seen for months, they cause great terror. 14.

6.p45

The sons of Jupiter are called Vikacas, white, clinging to stars, and glossy; / situated in the southern quarter, they are numerous and constantly cause distress. 15.

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The sons of Mercury are called Coras, white, subtle, appearing in any direction at will; / they are fifty-five in number, and constantly bring fear of sickness to creatures. 16.

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The sons of Mars resemble blood and fire, bearing tridents; / situated in the southern quarter, sixty in number, they bring fear of famine. 17.”

6.p48

The sons of Rāhu, known as Tāmasakīlakas, are seen in the disc of the sun; / all their results are fully described under Sunday as well. // 18

6.p49

The sons of Agni, numbering one hundred and twenty, are in the south-east; / resembling the fire of cosmic dissolution, they are eclipse-demons (Svarbhānus) that cause fear of fire. // 19

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The sons of Śukra, called Aruṇas, are darkish and of varied, blended forms; / seventy-seven in number, they bring danger from weapons and famine. // 20

6.p51

Eight are named Daṇḍakas, resembling stars, born of Prajāpati; / the sons of Vidhātṛ, numbering one hundred and forty-two, bring misfortune. // 21

6.p52

Thirty-two born of Varuṇa, named Karkas, resemble a thicket or clump of bamboo stalks; / having a luster like the moon, they bring about battle between kings. // 22

6.p53

Ninety-six comets born of Kāla, resembling headless trunks / and bearing that same name, bring fear of Pauṇḍra diseases to the world. // 23

6.p54

Spotless comets resembling stars arise in the ten directions; / thus there are a thousand varieties with their evil effects, whose particulars I shall declare. // 24

6.p55

Arising in the western quarter and bending towards the north, accompanied by a gentle comet, / white in color and very glossy, it produces peerless abundance of food. // 25

6.p56

Bending southward in the eastern quarter, likewise being a fierce comet, / rough, it produces danger of famine or fear of hell. // 26

6.p57

Resembling smoke in the southern quarter, the Kapālaketu is exceedingly large and glossy; / arising in the cardinal and intermediate directions, it brings fear of famine and causes eye disease. // 27

6.p58

Arising in the eastern quarter, rough, it wanders clockwise like a wheel; / that Cakraketu continually has results equal to the Kapālaketu. // 28

6.p59

Arising from the west, the comet resembling smoke, named Viṣama, / wanders clockwise towards the southern quarter and removes the burden of the earth. // 29

6.p60

Moving for a few days, the smoke-like comet ceases its course; / named Cakra, it brings destruction to the world through conflict among kings. // 30

6.p61

Extending over a third of the sky, darkish and terrifying, / it moves straight and crooked alternately, destroying a third of the world. // 31

6.p62

In the royal accoutrements of kings, in temples, trees, mountains, and dwellings, / it comes into view fallen, invariably causing the destruction of those [rulers]. // 33

6.p63

Resembling a white lotus, the comet named Kumuda is seen in the west for six days; / when [turning] toward the north-east, like a stream of milk, it brings good fortune. // 34

6.p64

The Maṇiketu is seen once above the stars in the southern quarter / at the time of rising or setting; like a stream of milk, it brings good fortune. // 35

6.p65

With its crest straight or bent like a stream of water, seen in the west, / the Jalaketu resembles water and brings abundance of food to all creatures. // 36

6.p66

A comet resembling a lion's tail, or resembling a saw, / causes fear of many diseases; and it is always shaped like a serpent. // 37

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Another is Padmaketu, resembling a lotus, like the calyx of a lotus; / it brings security to kings and abundance of food to all living beings. // 21

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Another is Āvartaketu, bright and white in a clockwise direction, / bringing good fortune; but Vyatyayaketu brings fear of peerless illness and pestilence. // 39

6.p69

Pervading the entire sky, the one named Saṃvarta resembles smoke; / or the comet shaped like a trident repeatedly brings terror to the world. // 40

6.p70

Those resembling white bring good fortune, while the black ones bring misfortune to the world. / Having stated the result of the comets, I shall explain the result of those born in the respective lunar mansions: // 1

6.p71

If a comet is born in Aśvinī, it slays those living by horses; / in the southern mansion [Bharaṇī], the lord of the Mlecchas; in the comet-star [Kṛttikā], the lord of Kaliṅga. // 2

6.p72

In Rohiṇī, a comet of peerless strength slays the ruler of Śūrasena; / in Saumya [Mṛgaśīrṣa], the chief lord of Uśīnara; and in Raudra [Ārdrā], aquatic creatures. // 3

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In the mansion of Āditya [Punarvasu], the ruler of the Aśmaka country; in Puṣya, the lord of Magadha; / in the serpent mansion [Āśleṣā], the king of the Āryas; and in the ancestral mansion [Maghā], the ruler of Pāṇḍya. // 4

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In the mansion of Bhaga [Pūrvaphalgunī], [it slays] the sages; in the latter mansion [Uttarāphalgunī], all commanders of the army; / in the mansion of Hasta, the foremost rich man; in Citrā, all those born in Kuru. // 5

6.p75

A comet born in the wind mansion [Svātī] slays the chief king of Kāmboja; / in the two-deity mansion [Viśākhā], it destroys the Ikṣvāku lineage; and in the mansion of Mitra [Anurādhā], the ruler of Gauḍa. // 6

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If born in Jyeṣṭhā, it is reckoned to destroy the lord of all auspiciousness; / in Mūla, the ruler of Bhadrā; and in the mansion sacred to the lord of waters [Pūrvāṣāḍhā], the lord of the Kaliṅga country. // 7

6.p77

Born in the mansion of the Viśvedevas [Uttarāṣāḍhā], it slays the gods' people at Ghūrgharikā; / in the mansion of Śravaṇa, it slays the lord of Kekaya; born in the Vasu mansion [Dhaniṣṭhā], all the Draviḍas. // 8

6.p78

Born in Śatabhiṣaj, it slays the ruler of the Naumiḻas; born in the goat-foot mansion [Pūrvabhādrapadā], the Pāñcālas; / born in the mansion of Ahirbudhnya [Uttarabhādrapadā], those of mixed origin and those born in the corner of the Kirātas. // 9

6.p79

A comet born in the mansion of Pūṣan [Revatī] slays the twice-born and virtuous people who keep to the path of dharma; / born in the mansion of Abhijit, it slays night-roamers in the Koṅkaṇa country as well. // 10

6.p80

The comets that arise in the mansions beginning with Aśvinī, and those arising in conjunction with stars, planets, and quarters, / produce severe results; in various other cases they yield common results. // 11

6.p81

By the word 'etcetera' is meant Dhruva, the Seven Sages, and the like. / Other comets, such as Calaketu and Gadāketu, are described in the Adbhutasāgara.

6.p82

At the time of the query:

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When an earthquake, thunderbolt, fall of dust, eclipse of the sun and moon within seven nights, / falls of meteors, halos, and rainbows occur, there the king of that land is destroyed. // 12

6.p84

In whichever country the crest of that comet goes towards the south, or where the comet rises / fierce along with its remaining parts, in that country it slays the king. // 13

6.p85

When the sun stands in Jyeṣṭhā joined with Mars, and Rāhu and a comet rise after setting, / then at that time the universal emperor on earth meets destruction from disease or war. // 14

6.p86

Here, either the ten-million fire oblation mentioned earlier is to be performed.

6.p87

Thus ends the propitiatory rite for comets.

6.p88

Now the characteristics of meteors and the like. / Nārada: / The forms of those who have fallen from heaven are indeed what meteors are on earth. / Meteors are remembered as fivefold: mansions, meteors, lightning, thunderbolts, and stars. // 1

6.p89

Shaped variously like a camel, snake, jackal, donkey, cow, tusker, / monkey, monitor lizard, or smoke, they bring torment and evil to human beings. // 2

6.p90

A meteor that falls at the rising or setting of the sun and moon brings good fortune. / A meteor that is white, red, yellow, or black destroys the twice-born classes.

6.p91

On palaces and statues it leads to the destruction of the king and realm; / in houses it causes distress to masters, and on mountains to kings.

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In the quarters [it harms] the regents of those respective quarters; in threshing floors, farmers; / in cowsheds it harms owners of cattle, and in waters, craftsmen.

6.p93

A round meteor destroys the city; one shaped like a parasol, the royal priest; / one shaped like bamboo, a clump of shrubs, or a creeper puts the kingdom to flight.

6.p94

In this case, the propitiatory rite for anomalies of heavenly bodies previously stated by Garga must be performed.

6.p95

Now the parhelion (mock sun). In the Mayūracitra it is said:

6.p96

“If a reflection is seen beside the rising sun, / there will be destruction within three years, or danger within half a month.” / Now the halo (pariveṣa): / “When rays are struck by the wind, raised up, and formed into a circle, / assuming various colors and shapes, that is the halo around the sun and moon. / Those that dissolve repeatedly yield full results. / A halo having many rings and colors brings death to the king. / A halo of two rings destroys the army commander; one of three rings slays the king. / Two planets standing within a halo cause conflict among rulers of the earth. / Three situated in a halo cause conflict and calamity. / Four standing within a halo cause the death of the king. / Five planets situated within a halo cause the dissolution of the world. / There are halos of Mars and the other [planets], appearing separately. / A halo in the rainy season and autumn brings rain; / in the other seasons, it generally yields the results stated for it.” / Also elsewhere: “When a halo encircles the sun or moon in the first watch [of the night], there is affliction; in the middle watch, excessive rain; in the third, loss of grain; and in the fourth, loss of the realm.”

6.p97

Now the planetary war. Garga in the Adbhutasāgara: / “Occultation (chādana), obstruction (rodhana), blocking of rays (raśmirodhana), / and passing to the left (apasavya)—the war of planets is said to be fourfold. / This does not apply to the moon and the sun, / but to the others, / because it is stated: ‘Wars among the five star-planets are described due to conjunction.’ / Likewise: / ‘A planet that, on encountering another planet, becomes very dark, / clearly suffers defeat, and trembles repeatedly.’ / Its results are not described here for fear of prolixity.”

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Now the rainbow.

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Nārada: / “When multicolored radiant beams are stirred by cloud-bearing winds / and positioned in the sky, that is seen as Indra's bow; / or it is produced from the deep exhalation of the serpent king Śeṣa. / Arising in intermediate directions, it brings rain in the cardinal directions; [otherwise] it withholds rain. / A double bow that is unbroken, intense, and inverted / brings death to kings; but if it is favorable, it is auspicious. / Here, since no specific propitiatory rite is stated, the rite prescribed by Garga will be explained.”

6.p100

Now the propitiatory rite for the results of a conjunction of six planets and the like. / In the Madanaratna, from the Brahmayāmala: / “Now I will fully explain the propitiatory rite for a planetary conjunction. / If a conjunction of planets takes place on the new-moon day or other lunar days, / in a single asterism, or in distinct signs, or across a single sign and asterism:”

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“When accompanied by the moon and sun, if joined by three planets, / there is famine and fear; if joined by four planets,”

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“there is danger of severe disease, ruin of the realm, and loss of rain. / In a conjunction of five planets, there is famine, confusion of castes, and so forth,”

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“enmity among kings, loss of pregnancy, and destruction of the people. / In a conjunction of six planets, there will be the death of ministers,”

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“total fear for cattle, horses, and the like, confusion of classes, destruction of the people, / or loss of the consecrated queen, or great terror.”

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“In a conjunction of seven planets, the death of kings is certain, / or even the dissolution of the world; then the world becomes depopulated.”

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“Beyond this, there is a great portent, producing unceasing sorrow of various kinds. / If the sun is separate from them, then the conjunction is a great wonder;”

6.p107

“even without the moon, such a conjunction is a cause of world-dissolution. / For creatures born under that asterism, there is severe disease, great terror, / loss of wealth, loss of status, loss of honor, and intense affliction, / as well as great distress and terror born from wind, bile, and phlegm.”

6.p108

“Planetary conjunctions always produce misfortunes for men.”

6.p109

“Within six months, [they cause loss of] life, sacrificial offerings, and fortune, / [especially when occurring] in the birth-sign, eighth, twelfth, fourth, or fifth sign.”

6.p110

“Here the result is indeed as stated previously. One should diligently perform / its propitiatory rite according to the affliction, without being stingy with wealth.”

6.p111

“Having diligently fashioned the forms of those respective planets out of gold, / using one pala, half of that, or even a quarter as the smallest amount,”

6.p112

“men should not be stingy with wealth, according to their capacity. / One should fashion the image of the planet according to the previously stated characteristics. / According to the number of planets in conjunction, one should set up one sacred pot for each planet, / or a single pitcher that is flawless, very sturdy, and new.”

6.p113

“In the northeast part of the planets' location, in a clean place on level ground, / in a fire-pit or on a consecrated mound of earth, one should properly perform the fire oblation.”

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“To the northeast of that, one should prepare the place for the assembly.”

6.p115

“[One should prepare] a square consecrated mound measuring one cubit, made of rice.”

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“One should draw the forms of the planets there, and then set up the images. / One should place their presiding and secondary presiding deities to the south and north.”

6.p117

“One should arrange them with the prescribed perfumes, flowers, and their respective mantras. / One should worship them with the mantras prescribed for the respective planets as stated before.”

6.p118

“Having performed the svastivācana first, the preceptor together with the officiating priests / should worship the planets and then offer food oblations.”

6.p119

“Then he should perform the fire oblation according to the ritual manual of his own Gṛhyasūtra. / He should conclude with the fourth-case offerings, and then set up the sacred pots.”

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“According to the previously stated rule, he should fill [each pot] with pure water, / the five nectars, the five bovine products, the five barks, and the five shoots.”

6.p121

“Having assigned them with the respective mantras, he should cast in medicinal herbs. / According to the rules prescribed for each planet, he should take roots and cast them in.”

6.p122

“The guru should fill the sacred pot with the mantras containing water-markers or with qualities. / Then, according to the rule prescribed for the respective planet, he should make oblations with their respective mantras.”

6.p123

“Afterwards, he should offer oblations of ghee, and then offer sesame oblations as prescribed. / Then, having offered the sviṣṭakṛt oblation, he should conclude the remainder of the fire ritual.”

6.p124

“For the sacrificer seated upon an auspicious seat, the officiating priests / should perform the consecratory sprinkling with the water from that sacred pot.”

6.p125

with the mantras prescribed for the conjunction of the planets, with the mantras for their presiding and counter-presiding deities, / with the mantras prescribed for the nine planets, and with the five [mantras] beginning with Jātavedas;

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with the mantra beginning "Tryambaka," likewise [the mantra] "Of the Lord of the Field," / with "Whence [you fear], Indra," and with [the mantras of] the eight world-guardians;

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with the mantra "May the gods [sprinkle] you," [the mantras] beginning with "Whereby the gods," in order, / and with other holy mantras, he should perform the consecratory sprinkling.

6.p128

He should offer the garment soaked by the consecratory sprinkling to the preceptor. / Then, clad in white garments, he should look into ghee. / He should give a sacrificial fee to the priests, including a cow, conch, and so forth; / in their absence, according to his ability, he should also have gold given.

6.p129

Afterwards he should feed brahmins, according to the measure of his wealth. / Whoever performs [this] thus with devotion, freed from planetary afflictions / and liberated from all previously mentioned evils, becomes possessed of sons and happy. / Endowed with long life and sovereignty, the best of men shall live a hundred years; / having been happy in this world, he shall afterwards go to Śiva's city.

6.p130

Thus, in the Madanaratna, ends the propitiatory rite for the conjunction of six planets.

6.p131

Now, the consequence of earthquakes and their propitiatory rite.
Earthquakes arise from the resting of the serpent-king Śeṣa, weary from the earth's weight; and that [earthquake] is always for the ill fortune of the world.
Nārada:
In the succession of the watches [of the day], an earthquake brings misfortune to the twice-born; / at night, to the merchants and kings; and during the two twilights, to the Śūdras.
The four [lunar mansions] beginning with Aryaman, and the four lunar mansions belonging to Indra and Aditi: / this is the circle of Vāyu; if an earthquake occurs in this [circle], / it causes destruction to kings, merchants, artisans, and rain.
Puṣya, the two-deity [lunar mansion Viśākhā], Bharaṇī, the lunar mansion of the fathers [Maghā], of fortune [Pūrvaphalgunī], and of Aja Ekapāt [Pūrvabhādrapadā], and of Agni [Kṛttikā]: / this is the circle of Agni; if an earthquake occurs in this [circle], / it leads to the destruction of kings, to disease, and kills cats and mice.
Mūla, Ahirbudhnya, Varuṇa [Śatabhiṣaj], Pauṣṇa [Revatī], and the lunar mansions of Indra [Jyeṣṭhā] and the serpent [Āśleṣā]: / this is the circle of Varuṇa; if an earthquake occurs in this [circle], / it destroys kings, and kills the Pauṇḍras, Chinese, and Pulindas; / it brings destruction to kings, rain, and wealth, and kills disciples and mixed castes.
Abhijit, the lunar mansion of the creator [Rohiṇī], of the Viśvedevas [Uttarāṣāḍhā], of Indra, of the Vasus [Dhaniṣṭhā], of Viṣṇu [Śravaṇa], and of Mitra [Anurādhā]: / this is the circle of Indra; if an earthquake occurs in this [circle], / generally, because of an all-encompassing portent, it brings misfortune to kings.
An earthquake gives results after six months; a conflagration of the quarters [digdāha] after two [months]; / portents not specifically mentioned give results after five months; and dust [rain] gives results at that very time.

6.p132

The etiology, in my own verse:
Some say an earthquake arises from the wind-impact produced by [striking against] the pots [of space] and the quarters; / others [say it is] produced by the rocking of the ocean waves, arising from the great fish therein; / we say it arises from the series of heads trembling of the serpent-king, / whose year-long [ecstasy] surges forth from his attraction to the series of Hari's virtues.
The root source, however, should be known as the Vārāhī [Saṃhitā].
In that very text:
There is the death of a renowned king and distresses in the circles of Agni and Vāyu; / people are also tormented by rains causing the dread of famine.
In the [circles] of Varuṇa and Indra, there is abundance of food, auspicious rain, and joy in the world; / cows have abundant milk, and kings cease their enmities.
In two fortnights, Vāyu [gives its result]; in three [fortnights], Agni; and Indra, the king of the gods, in seven days; / and Varuṇa bears fruit immediately; this is stated for those [earthquakes] that do not occur at their [prescribed] time.
If an earthquake occurs on the third or fourth day, month, fortnight, or in three fortnights, / it destroys the paramount king.
Here, the previously mentioned lakṣahoma or the koṭihoma should be performed.
Thus concludes [the section on] earthquakes.

6.p133

Now, [the portent of] dust.
Nārada:
When the quarters, villages, forests, and mountains are covered with white dust, / then these [portents] occur, and kings go to their death.
Or, from whichever direction it arises from the earth, there is destruction in that quarter; / except in the cold season, dust bears its full fruit here.
Thus concludes [the section on] dust.

6.p134

Now, the conflagration of the quarters [digdāha].
Bṛhaspati:
When the sun has set and a flame of fire is seen, / one should know that as a conflagration of the quarters; so said Bhārgava.

6.p135

In the Adbhutasāgara, Nārada:
If a conflagration of the quarters is yellow-coloured, it produces fear for kings.
In the Adbhutasāgara, Mayūrajit says:
With sesame seeds, dūrvā grass and so forth, as well as udumbara [twigs] and barley, / with grains, udumbara [sticks], and bel fruits, the oblation ritual [is performed].
Upon completion, having provided food, he should direct the gazing at a man.
If a man sees danger to the sun situated in the middle of the sky, / he should, purified, offer ten thousand [oblations] smeared with curd, saline [water], and ghee.
Having fasted, offering oblations of arka firewood sticks, he should give a cow to a twice-born.

6.p136

Now, the time of results of portents.
In the Adbhutasāgara, Parāśara:
There, a celestial portent ripens when a full year is completed; / likewise an atmospheric [portent ripens] in six months, and a terrestrial one in three [months] for men.
A lightning-stroke [ripens] in three months, and cities of Gandharvas [mirages likewise]; / fire [ripens] in seven nights, and a meteor ripens in a month.
In the breaking of city sanctuaries and the like, and in the entering of a city, / and in the breaking of city banners and the like, the fruit ripens after a month.
An evil omen ripens in six months among the causes of results; / excessive joy and excessive grief ripen immediately.
Whatever result [arises] in the case of insects, mice, snakes, bees, and so forth, / that ripens in two months; [wild] honey ripens in seven [months].
[Portents] of horses, elephants, birds, and dogs, / and likewise of an owl, [ripen] immediately or within three days, as a rule.
The hearing of a bodiless voice, the sight of Yakṣas and Rākṣasas, / and whatever unnatural event [occurs] among animals, ripens in the sixth month.
In the unnatural alterations of meat and oil, and in the trembling of limbs of the body, / and in the unnatural alterations of varieties of cloth, the fruit occurs on the seventh day.
In painted images, [the result ripens] in two months; in the [unnatural movement of a] bed, [it is] of six months; / on an anthill, in six months; in wasting, likewise in three; in growth, [in three]; / when victory banners are broken, when there is unnatural deformation in a sacrificial rite, / and in the unnatural alteration of a Soma banner, the unnatural alteration is of seven months.
In unnatural alterations of threads and seeds, and in the yawning [or snapping] of the king's weapons, / [and in the unnatural behaviour] of lotuses, water-lilies, fruits, and so forth, the fruit is of six months.
Upon their destruction, they are ineffective; it ceases at the time of ripening.

6.p137

Garga: / The fruition of [an omen of] the Sun occurs after a fortnight, while the fruition of the Moon takes a month. / The fruition of Rāhu is remembered to be in two months, but that of Ketu takes three months. / Mercury and Jupiter are to be known as taking a year to bear fruit. / That of Venus takes six months, but that of Saturn takes five months. / The fruition of Mars takes three months, whereas a meteor strike takes a month. / An earthquake takes eight months, while a thunderclap comes to fruition in three months. / Unseasonal flower or fruit comes to fruition in six months. / One should predict the fruition regarding birds, insects, and moths after ten days. / When there is a rain of ghee, oil, or marrow, the fruit is said to be immediate. / Seeing a rainbow at night leads to the ruin of the king's character. / The fruit regarding monkeys and men, and likewise elephants and horses, / [and regarding] the sounds of diverse musical instruments, comes to fruition after a month. / The fruit regarding vultures, jackals, and lions comes to fruition after a month. / Likewise, regarding cats and mongooses, and boars and tigers, / and hearing a sound in the atmosphere, the fruit comes to fruition after a month. / Parāśara in the Adbhutasāgara: / [The omen] ripens in the king's body, in the realm, in the city, wife, and priest, / and among those [omened signs], likewise in the treasury and mounts.

6.p138

In the Matsya Purāṇa: / If an evil portent should arise and auspicious rain should occur / within seven days, that evil portent should be known to be fruitless. / In accordance with that, the propitiatory rite is stated in the Vasiṣṭhasaṃhitā: / An earthly portent is pacified by a propitiatory rite, while an atmospheric one is softened; / a celestial one is pacified by homa, gifts of mountain, cattle, and land, or through a koṭihoma / along with great offerings to Rudra preceded by the gift of cattle. / When the surface of the earth is adorned so that it floats to its shore, / even a celestial [portent] is pacified, so what to say of the other two?

6.p139

In the same work: / A square pavilion of sixteen cubits on each side is to be constructed / with sacrificially fit trees or the wood of [chariot] vehicles. / In its center, a uniform fire pit of four cubits is to be made, / dug four cubits deep, furnished with tiers; / the first [tier] is six fingers high and twelve fingers broad.

6.p140

Now the first tier: / [...] a finger in accordance with the standard rule, but not the fire pit; / ten fingers in the middle, and eight fingers broad.

6.p141

Fourteen fingers high and four fingers broad.

6.p142

A third tier should be made, curving to the west.

6.p143

Fourteen fingers in length and sixteen fingers high, / it should not be made less or more; the width is six fingers.

6.p144

Such is the characteristic of the fire pit in a koṭihoma at all times. / In the northeast, a small altar measuring one and a half cubits is to be constructed. / Preceded by the worship of Śiva, because it contains all deities, / one should then worship those planets there according to the aforementioned rite. / At the end of the principal offering, one hundred and eight [oblations] separately with palāśa firewood, ghee, and boiled food...

6.p145

One should offer oblations with the Aghora mantra. / One should also have the homa to the planets performed. / Then one should offer oblations of sesame seeds mixed with ghee using the vyāhṛtis.

6.p146

At the doors, reciters should perform the complete reading of their respective Vedas in order; / reciters of the subsidiary texts should recite the Camaka, Namaka, and Puruṣasūkta.

6.p147

The homa is to be performed by nine Ācāryas together with Brahmins. / Then after that, a food offering preceded by a recitation of benedictions [is made].

6.p148

Afterward, one should feed Brahmins, and then eat oneself along with relatives.

6.p149

One should then spend the remainder of the day in discourses and stories of Śiva and Viṣṇu.

6.p150

In this way, as long as the koṭihoma lasts, it is to be performed without indolence, / or half of that, or even a lakṣahoma.

6.p151

It should be performed according to the gravity of the defect, free from monetary stinginess. / At the conclusion of the homa, he should give a sacrificial fee to the twenty-four officiating priests.

6.p152

For each Brahmin, an ornament along with two hundred niṣkas, / or half of that, or half of that, according to the defect and one's wealth. / The general propitiatory rite for portents has been declared; hereafter, / the portents and their pacification will be spoken of here individually.

6.p153

Garga in the Adbhutasāgara: / The expert in propitiatory rites should perform a lakṣahoma with the Sāvitrī mantra. / A cow, land, gold, grain, and likewise clothing, / and he should give a village, a cow, and a pair of garments to the preceptor. / By this rite, the wise person pacifies an earthly portent. / Thus ends the propitiatory rite for an earthly portent.

6.p154

Now the propitiatory rite for an atmospheric [portent].

6.p155

This very same rite is to be understood in the case of atmospheric evil portents. As a distinction here, he should offer ten hundred thousand [oblations] with the Sāvitrī mantra. With an attentive mind, he should perform the homa and the ghṛtakambala ceremony. / The ghṛtakambala will be explained later. / Twelve cows along with a hundred niṣkas are to be given. When [this is] given to the preceptor, he pacifies the atmospheric evil portent. Thus ends the propitiatory rite for an atmospheric [portent].

6.p156

Now the propitiatory rite for a celestial evil portent.

6.p157

Verse: In celestial evil portents, a koṭihoma should be performed by assembled [priests], / and a thousand cows must be given to the preceptor in the rule of the sacrificial fee. / This rite has been properly declared for the cessation of celestial misfortune. / Thus ends the propitiatory rite for a celestial evil portent.

6.p158

In case of inability, the same authority [says]: / Verse: The wise person should diligently perform the Mahāśānti named Amṛtā, which is a universal medicine, in all those celestial evil portents as well. / Verse: The Amṛtā is renowned in the Atharvavedas. / But some speak of the Mahāśānti proclaimed in the Bhaviṣya [Purāṇa]. / It will be spoken of: / Verse: In the Atharvan form and in the Viṣṇudharma, / the Amṛtā is remembered by the wise in all evil portents as well.

6.p159

In the Viṣṇudharma:
“For the pacification of all portents, [the rite] known as Amṛtā is taught [to grant] freedom from fear.”
In the Nāradasaṃhitā:
“In a temple or in one’s own house, in the north-east or in the east,
one should construct an altar possessing the [proper] characteristics and encircled by tiers.
There one should install the fire according to the rule declared in the secret [scriptures],
and after the portions of ghee, one should offer separately one hundred and eight [oblations],
with the verses ‘yata indra bhayāmahe,’ ‘svastidā,’ and the fearful mantras,
offering firewood sticks, ghee, caru, rice, and sesame with the vyāhṛtis.
Then a koṭihoma, or half of that, or a lakṣahoma, or else,
according to one’s wealth, a lesser or greater [measure].
For twenty-one nights, or a fortnight, or half a fortnight,
five nights, or three nights, one should perform the rite of fire oblation.
And then one should give a sacrificial fee to the preceptor who has a family.
The deities are Gaṇeśa, the guardian of the field, the Sun, Durgā, and the Earth;
for their pleasure, recitation of mantras should be done; the rest one should perform as previously.
One should give a sacrificial fee to the sixteen officiating priests according to one’s capacity.”
Thus ends the general propitiatory rite in the Prayogaratna composed by Kamalākarabhaṭṭa.

6.1

Now, the propitiatory rites for diverse portents.
Varāhamihira [says]: “The portents that Garga proclaimed to Atri, those I shall state:
This is their summary: a portent is an alteration of nature.
Due to the transgression of men, a calamity arises from the accumulation of sin. (1)

6.2

Portents indicate that, being celestial, atmospheric, and terrestrial. (2)

6.3

The gods, displeased because of the transgressions of men, create these.
For their counteraction, the king should employ a propitiatory rite in his realm. (3)

6.4

Celestial [portents are] anomalies of the planets and lunar mansions; meteors, thunder-strikes, [unnatural] winds, halos,
cities of the Gandharvas, Indra’s bow, and the like: that is atmospheric. (4)

6.5

Terrestrial [portents], arising from moving and stationary things, come to pacification when struck down by propitiatory rites.
Atmospheric [portents] attain mildness, [while] celestial [portents] are not pacified—so say some. (5)

6.6

Even a celestial [portent] attains pacification through abundant gifts of gold, food, cattle, and land,
through the milking of cows on the ground in a sanctuary of Rudra, and through a koṭihoma. (6)

6.7

In the self, sons, treasury, vehicles, city, wives, domestic priests, and subjects,
the fate ordained by others reaches fruition for a king in eight ways. (7)

6.8

The causeless breaking, shaking, sweating, weeping, speaking, and so forth,
of liṅgas, images, and shrines, lead to the destruction of kings and countries. (8)

6.9

The breaking or falling of a chariot, axle, wheel, yoke, or banner during a festival of a deity,
or their overturning, entanglement, or collision, do not bring good to the country and the king. (9)

6.10

An anomaly arising with respect to the sages, Dharma, the ancestors, or Brahmā [is harmful] to the twice-born;
that which arises with respect to Rudra’s world and the guardians of the world brings misfortune to cattle. (10)

6.11

That arising from Bṛhaspati, Śukra, or Śani [harms] the domestic priests, and that from Viṣṇu [harms] the people;
that arising from Skanda and Viśākha [harms] feudatory rulers and great kings. (11)

6.12

An anomaly regarding Vedavyāsa [portends harm] to the minister; regarding Vināyaka, to the army commander;
regarding the Creator or Viśvakarman, it is designated as causing the ruin of the worlds. (12)

6.13

Whatever anomaly may occur in images of divine boys, maidens, or women,
that [portends harm] to the prince, princess, wives, and attendants of the king. (13)

6.14

This very [result] is to be declared for demons, piśācas, guhyakas, and nāgas;
and the ripening of the fruit for all of them occurs in eight months. (14)

6.15

Having observed an unnatural change in a deity, the pure domestic priest, having fasted for three days and bathed,
should worship the image with bathing, flowers, ointments, and garments. (15)

6.16

The domestic priest should wait upon [it] according to rule with madhuparka, foods, and propitiatory offerings,
and offer pot-cooked grain offering according to rule with the mantras characteristic of that [deity]. (16)

6.17

Thus, when an unnatural change in a deity occurs, propitiatory rites [are performed] for seven nights,
with worship of the twice-born and assemblies of the gods, and with festivals of song and dance.
For those rulers of the earth by whom [these rites] are performed according to rule,
the ripening of misfortune is averted along with sacrificial fees. (17)

6.18

Thus ends [the pacification of] anomalies of liṅgas and the like.
In whose realm a fireless [place] blazes, or [fire] blazes without fuel,
affliction of the king and his realm is to be known. (18)

6.19

If water, meat, or moist matter burns, the slaying of the king [is portended]; if weapons [burn], a fierce battle;
in villages, armies, or cities, destruction by fire causes terror. (19)

6.20

When temples, palaces, archways, banners, and the like are burned without fire
or by lightning, the arrival of an enemy army definitely occurs within six months. (20)

6.21

Smoke and fire-arisen dust and darkness occurring during the day cause great terror;
the disappearance of stars in a cloudless night, or their appearance by day, produces evil. (21)

6.22

They say that an untimely burning brings terror to the city, quadrupeds, birds, and men;
death [is portended] by smoke, fire, and sparks falling on beds, garments, and treasuries. (22)

6.23

Blazing, moving, making sounds, emerging from the scabbard, or trembling of weapons—
if other anomalies occur regarding weapons, one should swiftly predict a fierce and chaotic battle. (23)

6.24

Fire should be offered with fire mantras, with firewood sticks from milky trees, with mustard seeds, and with ghee.
Such is the propitiatory rite for anomalies of fire and the like, and gold should be given to Brahmins in this [rite]. (24)

6.25

Thus ends [the pacification of] anomalies of fire.
From a sudden branch-motion of trees one should predict preparations for battle;
from their laughing, the ruin of the country; and from their weeping, an abundance of disease. (25)

6.26

An unseasonal blossoming portends internal division of the realm; when a sapling blossoms profusely, the death of children;
when milk oozes from a tree, there is loss of all wealth. (26)

6.27

If wine [oozes], the destruction of mounts; if blood, battle; if honey, disease;
if an oily substance, fear of famine; if water flows out, great fear. (27)

6.28

If dry [trees] sprout, loss of vital energy and grain occurs; and if healthy [trees] wither;
if fallen [trees] rise by themselves, fear produced by fate [arises]. (28)

6.29

Unseasonal flowers and fruit on sacred trees are declared to portend the slaying of the king;
smoke or flames on them likewise portend the slaying of the king. (29)

6.29_160

If trees move about or speak, the destruction of the people is declared;
in the case of an anomaly of trees, the fruition of the result occurs in ten months. (29)

6.30

If trees move about or speak, the destruction of the people is declared;
in the case of an anomaly of trees, the fruition of the result occurs in ten months. (30)

6.31

Having worshipped the tree with garlands, scents, incense, and garments, and having placed a parasol over it,
and having made an auspicious [offering], recitation of the Rudra mantras is to be performed here, with sixfold-offering oblations using the hymn to the Rudras. (31)

6.32

The king should feed the brahmins with milk porridge and honey accompanied by ten thousand [measures of] ghee. / Land is declared as the sacrificial fee on that occasion by those seeking welfare, when an unnatural portent concerning a tree occurs. // 32

Linked texts (1)

Śāntikamalākara — Kamalākarabhaṭṭa 1587, Sanskrit