War in Ancient India c15.26

c15.26

2. The consultation of auguries is another feature of the wars in ancient India. Auguries consisted of śakunam and nimittam.³ In this connection a sūtra of the Tolkāppiyam is very significant.⁴ We have a series of nimittams here. The first is nāḷ nimittam or the choice of a particular day auspicious for starting on an expedition.⁵ The astrologer was an important official of the state whom the king often consulted. Secondly from right to left, or from left to right, seeing certain birds, hearing the voice of others were sure indications of the success or otherwise of the undertaking. References to this omen are extensively met with both in early and later Tamil literature.⁶ Among the birds, Kāri (sans. Bharadvāja) is referred to in the Cintāmaṇi in connection with the cattle-lifting.⁷ A third nimittam was viricciyoṟṟal (sans. upaśruti). This is a statement made by a third person unconcerned with the actual decision to be taken. In common usage it is called in Tamil land வாய்ச்சொல்⁸ Then we have what is called orikkural or the howling of a beast, particularly a jackal. It may be also kaḷutukural or the howl of a devil. The fifth was the fall of headless body or bodies in the orbit of the sun (veñcuṭar maṇṭilam). The sixth was the sight of a hole in that maṇṭilam. The seventh was the appearance of the moon in the day-light. The last three are rare phenomena cognizable by the senses only. Kālidāsa⁹ refers to adverse winds on the march of an army. The auspicious day was also fixed by the place occupied at a particular time by the planets.⁹ᵃ The following lines of the Kalingattuparani throw interesting light on this subject of omens.