History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.204

v6.c82.204

From the above examples it will be apparent that prognostications were based in very early Vedic times on the nakṣatras either of birth or on nakṣatras deemed auspicious or inauspicious. Puṣya appears to have been regarded as a very auspicious nakṣatra long before Pāṇini, who mentions another name of it as 'Sidhya'. But in these early times it does not appear that any rules had been arrived at about the influence of planets (except perhaps of Jupiter in Puṣya) in certain nakṣatras or about horoscopes with planets in nakṣatras or *rāśis* (signs of the zodiac) or in certain 'houses'. In those days prognostications were confined mainly to nakṣatras, days and natural phenomena and bodily marks. For example, Pāṇini I. 4. 39 ('राधीक्ष्योर्यस्य विप्रश्नः') provides a rule for a diviner considering the good or bad luck of a person. The काशिका explains 'विविधः प्रश्नः विप्रश्न । स कस्य भवति यस्य शुभाशुभं पृच्छयत । देवदत्ताय राध्यति ईक्षते वा नैमित्तिकः पृष्टः सन् देवदत्तस्य दैवं पर्यालोचयति।' In पाणिनि IV. 3. 73 'ऋगयनादिभ्यः' it is provided that the affix अण् (and not ठक्) is applied in the sense of 'तत्र भवः' or 'तस्य व्याख्यानः' to the words in the ऋगयनगण, which contains among others the words अङ्गविद्या, उत्पात and निमित्त (i. e. नैमित्तिक and औत्पातिक would mean 'one who expounds the future consequences indicated by उत्पात i. e. earthquake &c. and निमित्त throbbing &c.). Under पाणिनि III. 2.53 the काशिका gives the examples जायाघ्नास्तिलकालकः, पतिघ्नी पाणिरेखा (line on the palm).