History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.555

v6.c82.555

One should avoid starting in such a way as to face Venus. This belief is very old as the Śāntiparva and Kālidāsa refer to it ⁹⁵⁵ If the king or any one else has decided on a very auspicious day and conjunction for marching out, but some unforeseen or urgent business prevents him from actually going, he should arrange for what is called *prasthāna* (starting, but returning after going a very short distance or sending forward something on the auspicious day and starting within a certain number of days thereafter) A brāhmaṇa should⁹⁵⁶ send out a sacred thread, (a kṣatriya) a weapon, vaiśya should send honey and a śūdra should send out a pure fruit (like cocoanut) or anyone of whatever varṇa may send whatever is dear to his heart. The sages differed as to the distance one should proceed for *prasthāna* and then return. Gārgya⁹⁵⁷ said that he may proceed from his own house to another house (though very near), Bhṛgu holds that one should leave the boundaries of one's village and stay in another village, Bharadvāja provides that one may go as far as an arrow may be discharged and Vasiṣṭha says he must go out of the city The *prasthāna* should be made in the direction in which one intended to proceed. If the king resorts to *prasthāna* he cannot stay in one place for ten days (i e he may stay nine days), a feudatory chief not for seven days and any other ordinary person not for five days and if a person stays beyond these limits he can only start again on a fresh good muhūrta.⁹⁵⁸ Even in modern times some people resort to this method of *prasthāna* and generally it is a friendly neighbour's house where the bundle of substances (some rice, betelnut, turmeric &c.) is kept and taken away when actually starting on a journey.