History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.246

v6.c82.246

The word ‘muhūrta’ occurs twice in the Ṛg. In the dialogue between the rivers and sage Viśvāmitra that had come to the confluence of the Sutudrī (modern Sutlaj) and the Vipāś (modern Beas) occurs the following⁷⁸⁰ ‘for the sake of my words (of your praise) that will be followed by the offering of *soma* may you, that follow the established order (of nature), stop from⁷⁸¹ flowing for a short while’. In another place the Ṛgveda says ‘the opulent Indra, employing many tricks, often assumes different forms from off his own body, since he, being invoked by mantras addressed to him and upholder of the cosmic order and drinking *soma* at (usual and even) unusual times, comes thrice from heaven for a short time.’ In both these passages ‘muhūrta’ means ‘a short time, a few moments’. This meaning of muhūrta is found in the Śat Br. I. 8 3. 17 (tan muhūrtam dhārayitvā) and II. 3. 2. 5 (atha prātaḥ anaśitvā muhūrtam sabhāyām-āsītvāpi) and in classical Sanskrit works like the Raghuvamśa (V. 58).