Matsya Purana 237: adhyāyaḥ 237

237.1

śāntividhānavarṇanam.

Garga said :—The emigration of wild deer and jackals from the jungles into the town is a bad omen, so is the emigration of village birds and deer from village into the jungles. The inauspicious howling of jackals fearlessly in front of a royal mansion and the entrance gate of the city is most unlucky. When the land animals go to water and when the aquatic animals come over to land, the time is very inauspicious.—1-2.

237.2

garga uvāca.
praviśanti yadā grāmamāraṇyā mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ.
araṇyaṃ yānti vā grāmyāḥ sthalaṃ yānti jalodbhavāḥ .. 237.1 ..

237.3

sthalajāśca jalaṃ yānti ghoraṃ vāśanti nirbhayāḥ.
rājadvāre puradvāre śivā cāpyaśivapradā .. 237.2 ..

237.4

divārātriñcarāvāpi rātrāvapi divācarāḥ.
grāmyāstyajanti grāmañca śūnyatāṃ tasya nirdiśet .. 237.3 ..

The roaming about freely of the animals in course of the night, that usually prowl in the day and vice versa as well as the desertion of their usual habitation by the village animals forebode the desolation of the place where such things occur.—3. The sauntering about of the dogs and other animals of habitation in a circle in the evening, and their waiting in an unpleasant chorus, also forebode the desolation of the place where they do so—4

237.5

dīptāvāśanti sandhyāsu maṇḍalāni ca kurvate.
vāśanti visvaraṃ yatra tadāpyetat phalaṃ labhet .. 237.4 ..

237.6

pradoṣe kukkuṭo vāśed dhemante vāpi kokilaḥ.
arkodaye tvabhimukhī śivā rauti bhayaṃ vadet .. 237.5 ..

The crowing of the cock in the evening hoarsely, the laughing of the cuckoos and the howling of the she-jackal facing the rising sun are also most inauspicious signs—5

237.7

gṛhaṃ kapotaḥ praviśet kravyādo mūrdhni līyate.
madhuvā makṣikāḥ kuryurmṛtyurgṛhapaterbhavet .. 237.6 ..

The swarming of pigeons in a dwelling house, the coming down of fire on a man's head, the laying of the honeycomb by the bees within the house, foretell the death of the owner—6

237.8

prākāradvārageheṣu toraṇāpaṇavīthiṣu.
ketucchatrāyudhādyeṣu kravyādaṃ prapatedyadi .. 237.7 ..

If fire occurs on an enclosure entrance gate or within a house or on any entrance, or on a shop, mart, banner or weapon and if any such place or things be covered with an anthill or if the honey flows out of a honeycomb in their places, the desolation of the country and the death of its ruler are certain—7-8

237.9

jāyante vātha valmīkā madhu vā syandate yadi.
sadeśo nāśamāyāti rājā ca mriyate tathā .. 237.8 ..

237.10

mūṣakān śalabhān dṛṣṭvā prabhūtaṃ kṣud bhayaṃ bhavet.
kāṣṭholmukāsthiśrṛṅgāḍhyāḥ śvāno markaṭavedanāḥ .. 237.9 ..

If a place be infested with too many rats and locusts, disease arises out of hunger or when there are seen charred pieces of wood bones, and dogs with horns, the diseases of the monkeys occur, where crows are seen with grains in their mouths and those who are skilled in the arts of warfare fearlessly subdue all people then a dire famine is sure to occur, and the people are doomed to bear the sufferings of a great war If a monarch chances upon a white crow in course of his amorous pastimes he is either destined to die or his country and wealth are on the verge of ruin—9 11

237.11

durbhikṣavedanā jñeyā kākādhānyamukhā yadi.
janānabhibhavantīha nirbhayā raṇavedinaḥ .. 237.10 ..

237.12

kāko maithunasaktaśca śvetastu yadi dṛśyate.
rājā vā mriyate tatra sa ca deśo vinaśyati .. 237.11 ..

237.13

ulūko dṛśyate yatra nṛpadvāre tathā gṛhe .
jñeyo gṛhapatermṛtyurdhananāśastathaiva ca .. 237.12 ..

The king in front of whose gateway or in whose palace an owl is visible, is doomed to die or lose his treasure—12

237.14

mṛgapakṣivikāreṣu kuryāddhomaṃ sadakṣiṇam.
devā kapotā iti vā japtavyāḥ pañcabhirdvijaiḥ .. 237.13 ..

To drive away the ill-effects of such unlucky forebodings a sacrifice should be performed, and terrestrial Śanti is to be performed, and fees presents should be given to the Brâhmaṇas, and five Brâhmaṇas should be made to turn their heads on the prescribed formulæ viz, Devâkapotah, etc"

237.15

gāvaśca deyā vidhivad dvijānāṃ sakāñcanā vastrayugottarīyāḥ.
evaṃ kṛte śāntimupaiti pāpaṃ mṛgairdvijairvā viniveditaṃ yat .. 237.14 ..

Afterwards some cows adorned with gold and cloth should be given away to obviate the impending disaster—14