Matsya Purana 243: adhyāyaḥ 243

243.1

yātrāsamaye maṅgalāmaṅgalāsūcakaśakunavarṇanam.

Manu asked—' Lord ! be gracious enough to tell me the good omens that are propitious at the time when a king marches on his journey—1

243.2

manuruvāca.
gamanaṃ prati rājñāntu saṃmukhādarśane ca kim.
praśastāṃścaiva sambhāṣya sarvānetāṃśca kīrtaya .. 243.1 ..

243.3

matsya uvāca.
auṣadhāni tvayuktāni dhānyaṃ kṛṣṇañca yad bhavet.
kārpāsaścatṛṇaṃ rājan! śuṣkaṃ gomayameva ca .. 243.2 ..

Matsya said—The following are the bad omens at the time of a journey, viz the sight of useless medicinal herbs scattered, black grain, cotton hay, dried up cowdung firewood cinders molasses, oil, dirty men covered with oil, naked men poor head dress men with loose hair, diseased men, hermit clad in red, coloured robes, mad man distressed person eunuch, Châṇḍâla, iron mud hide, refuse, fowler, sinner, pregnant women husks ashes skulls broken utensils, utensils stained with blood Just before sunrise at the Brâhma Muhûrta if an indistinct sound is heard in front or a loud sound of a broken vessel letting waters flow in a stream be heard, it is auspicious, but if the sound be heard from the back, it is inauspicious ' Go if such a sound is heard in front it is auspi cious, “go” on the other hand is most inauspicious, if it comes from the back “Where do you go.” “Do not go’ “Stay” “what use in going there,” these are all inauspicious words and indicate danger —2 10

243.4

indhanañca tathāṅgāraṃ gur̤aṃ tailaṃ tathā śubham.
abhyaktaṃ malinaṃ muṇḍantatānagnañca mānavam.. 243.3 ..

243.5

muktakeśaṃ rujārtañca kāṣāyāmbaradhāriṇam.
unmattakantathā satvaṃ dīnañcātha napuṃsakam .. 243.4 ..

243.6

ayaḥ paṅkastathā carma keśabandhanameva ca.
tathaivoddhṛtasārāṇi piṇyākādīnī yāni ca .. 243.5 ..

243.7

caṇḍāla śvapacāścaiva rājabandhanapālakāḥ.
vadhakāḥ pāpakarmāṇo garbhiṇī strī tathaiva ca .. 243.6 ..

243.8

tuṣa bhasma kapālāsthi bhinnabhāṇḍāni yāni ca.
raktāni caiva bhāṇḍāni mṛtaṃ śārṅgikameva ca .. 243.7 ..

243.9

evamādīni cānyāni aśastānyabhidarśane.
aśasto vāhyaśabdaśca bhinnabhairavajarjaraḥ .. 243.8 ..

243.10

purataḥ śabda ehīti śasyate na tu pṛṣṭhataḥ.
gaccheti paścāt dharmajño! purastāttu vigarhitaḥ .. 243.9 ..

243.11

kva yāsi tiṣṭha mā gaccha kinte tatra gatasya tu.
anye śabdāśca ye niṣṭhāḥ te vipattikarā api .. 243.10 ..

243.12

dhvajādiṣu tathā sthānaṃ kravyādānāṃ vigarhitam.
skhalanaṃ vāhanānāñca vastrasaṅgastathaiva ca .. 243.11 ..

If a Râkṣasa sits on a banner it is unlucky and so are the falling down of the conveyances, the overlapping of the dress, the striking of the head against the door, the falling down of the banner umbrella, cloth at the time of departure are unlucky signs —11-12

243.13

nirgatasya tu dvārādau śirasaścābhighātitā.
chatradhvajānāṃ vastrāṇāṃ patanañca tathā śubham .. 243.12 ..

243.14

dṛṣṭe nimitte prathamamamaṅgalyavināśanam.
keśavaṃ pūjayedvidvān stavena madhusūdanam .. 243.13 ..

If there is thus seen one bad omen at the time of departure one should adore Viṣṇu and praise Madhusūdana and then resume his mission, but if there is another one for the second time he should return home —13 14

243.15

dvitīye tu tato dṛṣṭe pratīpe praviśed gṛham.
atheṣṭāni pravakṣyāmi maṅgalyāni tathā'nagha! .. 243.14 ..

The following are good omens, viz., the sight of white flowers, pitchers full of water, aquatic animals, bird’s flesh, fish, cows, horses, elephants, goats, Devas, idols friends, Brâhmaṇas, blazing fire, dancing girls, green grass wet cowdung, gold, silver, copper, all the gems, all the medicines, barley, sesamum bhadrapīṭha sword umbrella banner, clay weapons emblems of regality, clarified butter, curds, milk, various kinds of fruits, the eddy of a river, Kaustubha gem, melodious music, nice and deep songs, the tunes Gâmdhâra, Ṣaḍaja, Rṣabha, pot marked with Svastika sign —15 21

243.16

śvetāḥ sumanasaḥ śreṣṭhāḥ pūrṇakumbhāstathaiva ca.
jalajāḥ pakṣiṇaścaiva māṃsaṃ matsyāśca parthiva! .. 243.15 ..

243.17

gavasturaṅgamā nāgā baddha ekaḥ paśustvajaḥ.
trideśāḥ suhṛdo viprā jvalitaśca hutāśanaḥ .. 243.16 ..

243.18

paṇikā ca mahābhāga! dūrvā cārdrañca gomayam.
rukmarūpyantathā tāmraṃ sarvaratnāni cāpyatha .. 243.17 ..

243.19

auṣadhāniva dharmajña! yavāḥ siddhārthakāstathā.
nṛvāhyamānaṃ yānañca bhadrapīṭhantathaiva ca .. 243.18 ..

243.20

khaṅgaṃ cakraṃ patākā ca mṛdaścāyudhameva ca.
rājaliṅgāni sarvāṇi sarve ruditavarjitāḥ .. 243.19 ..

243.21

ghṛtaṃ dadhi payaścaiva phalānivividhāni ca.
svastikaṃ varddhamānañca nandyāvartaṃ sakaustubham .. 243.20 ..

243.22

vāditrāṇāṃ sukhaḥ śabdaḥ gambhīraḥ sumanoharaḥ.
gāndhāraṣaḍjaṛṣabhā ye ca śastāstathā kharāḥ .. 243.21 ..

243.23

vāyuḥ saśarkarorukṣaḥ sarvatra samupasthitaḥ.
pratilomastathā nīco vijñeyobhayakṛddvija!.. 243.22 ..

If a dry dust storm blows against at the time of departure it is unlucky —22

243.24

anukūlo mṛduḥ snigdhaḥ sukhasparśaḥ sukhāvahaḥ.
rukṣā rūkṣa svarābhadrāḥ kravyādāḥ parigacchatām .. 243.23 ..

On the other hand if a gentle and pleasing wind blows favourably it is very auspicious and so is the chorus of kites, etc, as well as the mild thunder of glossy clouds resembling elephants, and the sight of rainbow —23 24

243.25

medhāḥ śastāghanāḥ snigdhā gajabṛṃhitasannibhāḥ.
anulomāstar̤icchannāḥ śakracāpantathaiva ca .. 243.24 ..

243.26

apraśaste tathā jñeye pariveṣapravarṣaṇe.
anulomā grahāḥ śastā vākpatistu viśeṣataḥ .. 243.25 ..

The sight of Sun’s and Moon’s halo is inauspicious as well the rains, the good influence of stars particularly the rising of Vṛhaspati, (Jupiter) in anuloma, mind full of devotion the adoration of the worthy, the sight of the things very dear to one’s mind are all lucky things at the time of departure —25-26

243.27

āstikyaṃ śraddadhānatvaṃ tathā pūjyābhipūjanam.
śastānyetāni dharmajña! yaśca syānmanasaḥ priyam .. 243.26 ..

243.28

manasastuṣṭirevātra paramaṃ jayalakṣaṇam.
ekataḥ sarvaliṅgāni manasastuṣṭirekataḥ .. 243.27 ..

The hilarity of mind at the time of journey is the indication of victory and in fact it equals all the good omens in point of good luck —27

243.29

manotsukatvaṃ manasaḥ praharṣaḥ śubhasya lābho vijayapravādaḥ.
maṅgalyalabdhiḥ śravaṇañca rājan! jñeyāni nityaṃ vijayāvahāni .. 243.28 ..

The king whose mind is full of joy is sure to win and so is the case with the one who hears auspicious words at the time of his departure and when all his conveyances are very eager to start —28