Matsya Purana 229: adhyāyaḥ 229

229.1

śāntivighānavarṇanam .

Manu said:—"Lord! be gracious enough to tell me about the chief and peculiar ominous signs, the consequences thereof and the ways of averting them, for you are the knower of all things"—1

229.2

manuruvāca.
adbhutānāṃ phalaṃ deva! śamanañca tathā vada.
tvaṃ hi vetsi viśālākṣa! jñeyaṃ sarvamaśeṣataḥ .. 229.1 ..

229.3

matsya uvāca.
atra te varṇayiṣyāmi yaduvāca mahātapāḥ.
atra ye vṛddhagarbhastu sarvadharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ .. 229.2 ..

Matsya said:—O King! I shall relate to you what the hoary sage Garga told to Atri once upon a time sitting on the banks of the river Sarasvatī when the fiery sage Atri asked the most illustrious Garga—2-3

229.4

sarasvatyāḥ sukhāsīnaṃ gargaṃ śrotasi pārthiva!.
papracchāsau mahātejā atrirmunijanapriyam .. 229.3 ..

229.5

atriruvāca.
naśyatāṃ pūrvarūpāṇi janānāṃ kathayasva me.
nagarāṇāṃ tathā rājñā tvaṃ hi sarvaṃ vadasva mām .. 229.4 ..

Atri asked—'Sage! pray tell me how men, cities and kings look before their destruction'—4

229.6

garga uvāca.
puruṣāpacārānniyatamaparajyanti devatāḥ.
tato'parāgāddevānāmupasargaḥ pravartate .. 229.5 ..

Garga said:—'The gods become angry at the incessant evil doings of men and then untoward things crop up. They are of three kinds, viz: ills pertaining to (1) Celestial, (2) Intermediate and (3) Terrestrial regions When stars and planets are malefic celestial and intermediate portents become visible, e.g., the shooting of stars, the preternatural redness of the sky, modifications in the halo of the Sun and Moon the sight of the city of the Gandharvas in the sky, the unnatural rains, etc., are the portents in the intermediate regions. Disturbances among the movable and the immovable, earthquakes, changes in the waters of the rivers, etc., are the portents of the terrestrial region The terrestrial portents show a little result and get fructified within a short time—5 9

229.7

divyāntarikṣabhaumañca trividhaṃ saṃprakīrtitam.
graharkṣavaikṛtaṃ divyamāntarikṣaṃ nibodha me .. 229.6 ..

229.8

ulkāpāto diśāndāhaḥ pariveṣastathaiva ca.
gandharvanagarañcaiva vṛṣṭiśca vikṛtā tu yā .. 229.7 ..

229.9

evamādīni loke'sminnāntarikṣaṃ vinirdiśet.
carasthira-bhavabhaumo bhūkampaścāpi bhūmijaḥ .. 229.8 ..

229.10

jalāśayānāṃ vaikṛtyaṃ bhaumaṃ tadapi kīrtitam.
bhaume tvalpaphalaṃ jñeyaṃ cireṇa ca vipacyate .. 229.9 ..

229.11

abhrajaṃ madhyaphaladaṃ madhyakālaphalapradam.
adbhute tu samutpanne yadi vṛṣṭiḥ śivā bhavet .. 229.10 ..

The celestial portents produce middling effects, and get fructified within a comparatively longer time If there is a good rain within seven days of the happening of any kind of portent the latter becomes void of all effects All the ills should be averted by the performance of the propitiatory rites, otherwise they are bound to produce their effect, the very The Lord Fish replied:—"King! I shall now mention to you the ceremonies that one ought to perform to appease the three classes of evils. Out of them those relating to the terrestrial region should be attended to without delay."—2

Pārthivī-Śānti should be performed when the trees and their fruits begin to decline, when riches begin to decline and when prosperity is desired.—20 terrible ones last for three years by endangering the king his preceptor and city—10 12

229.12

saptāhābhyantare jñeyamadbhutaṃ niṣphalaṃ bhavet.
adbhutasya vipākaśca vinā śāntyā na dṛśyate .. 229.11 ..

229.13

tribhirvarṣaistathā jñeyaṃ sumahad bhayakārakam.
rājñaḥ śarīre loke ca purudvāre purohite .. 229.12 ..

Their fructification takes place on the body of the kings, ordinary men, in the entrance of the city, in the sons or in the treasury—13

229.14

pākamāyāti putreṣu tathā vai kośavāhane.
ṛtusvabhāvādrājendra! bhavantyadbhutasaṃjñitāḥ .. 229.13 ..

I shall also explain to you the influence of the various seasons of the year on the various portents, that really turn their ills into good luck, as for instance, the falling of a thunder bolt, earthquake, the thunder in the evening, loss of agricultural prospects, the Sun and Moon being circled by a halo, the sky being covered with dust, or smoke the directions assuming a red hue at the time of sunrise or sunset, the gush of myrrh from a large number of trees, the increase of cattle, birds, and honey are all very lucky signs during the vernal season the months of Chaitra, Vaiśâkha The appearance of a comet or a malignant star, the falling of meteorites, the Sun and sky in the evening turning tawny, the sky getting dark, tawny, red, or oceanlike, the loss of water in rivers, during the summer months are very lucky The appearance of a rainbow, the falling of a thunder bolt, lightning and meteors, the peal of laughter, the crackings in the earth, the shaking of bridges, earthquake, the overflow of rivers and tanks the excitement among the horned animals and boars during the rainy season are very lucky Cold winds, frost, the loud speaking of deer and birds, the sight of apparitions and spirits and voice speaking in the Heavens the pervasion of smoky darkness in the directions, the blowing of high wind, the sunrise and sunset at great altitudes are very good signs during the Hemanta season The sight of Divine ladies, Gandharvas, extraordinary things seen in the Vimânas stars planets, the Daivavânî (celestial voice) the sound of music coming from the hills and wood, the increase in agricultural produce, the production of juices, in crops are very lucky signs during the autumnal season Frost, wind, the production of young ones by the she-goats, birds and mares, the sprouting of leaves in the trees, the shooting of meteors, the sight of extraordinary forms the sky looking black the falling of stars are good signs during Siśira, the cold season—14 25

229.15

śubhāvahāste vijñeyāstāṃśca me gadataḥ śrṛṇu.
vajrāśanimahīkampasasyānirghātaniḥsvanā .. 229.14 ..

229.16

pariveṣarajodhūma raktārkāstamayodayāḥ.
drumodbhedakarasneho bahuśaḥ saphaladrumaḥ .. 229.15 ..

229.17

gopakṣimadhuvṛddhiśca śubhāni madhu mādhave.
ṛkṣolkāpātakaluṣe kapilārkendumaṇḍalam .. 229.16 ..

229.18

kṛṣṇaśvetaṃ tathā pītaṃ dhūsara dhvānta lohitam.
raktapuṣpāruṇaṃ sādhyaṃ nabhaḥ kṣubdhārṇavopamam .. 229.17 ..

229.19

saritāñcāmbu saṃśoṣaṃ dṛṣṭvā grīṣme śubhaṃ vadet.
śakrāyudhaparīveṣaṃ vidyudalkādhirohaṇam .. 229.18 ..

229.20

kampodvartana vaikṛtyaṃ hasanaṃ dāraṇaṃ kṣite.
nadyodapānaṃ sarasāṃ vidhūnataraṇaplavāḥ .. 229.19 ..

229.21

śrṛṅgiṇāñca varāhāṇāṃ varṣāsu śubhamiṣyate.
śītānilatuṣāratvaṃ narddanaṃ mṛgapakṣiṇām .. 229.20 ..

229.22

rakṣobhūtapiśācānāṃ darśanaṃ vāgamānuṣī.
diśo dhūmāndhakārāśca sa nabho-vana-parvatāḥ .. 229.21 ..

229.23

uccaiḥ sūryādayāstau ca hemante śobhanāḥ smṛtāḥ .
divyastrīrūpagandharva vimānādbhutadarśanam .. 229.22 ..

229.24

grahanakṣatratārāṇāṃ darśanaṃ vāgamānuṣī.
gītavāditranirghoṣo vanaparvatasānuṣu .. 229.23 ..

229.25

sasyavṛddhī rasotpattiḥ śaratkāle śubhāḥ smṛtāḥ.
himapātānilotpāta virūpādbhutadarśanam .. 229.24 ..

229.26

kṛṣṇāñjanābhamākāśaṃ tārolkāpātapiñjaram.
citragarbhodbhavaḥ strīṣu go'jāśvamṛgapakṣiṣu
patrāṅkura-latānāñca vikārā śiśire śubhāḥ .. 229.25 ..

229.27

ṛtusvabhāvena vinādbhutasya jātasya dṛṣṭasya tu śīghrameva ..
yatāgamaṃ śāntiranantarantu kāryā yathoktā vasudhādhipena .. 229.26 ..

These are the lucky signs if they occur during the periods mentioned above, if anything otherwise happens, a king should at once take measures to avert those ills—26