History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.608

v6.c82.608

What firm grip astrological considerations had on the minds of people and writers on astrology is demonstrated by certain rules in astrological works about a child's birth on Aśleṣā or Jyeṣṭhā nakṣatra or on what is called *Gaṇḍa* or *Gaṇḍānta* and how it was recommended that the innocent and helpless infant born on these supposed very unlucky times should be abandoned in spite of what love and pity should dictate. We have seen above that the roots of this belief go back to the Atharvaveda (vide note 753 above). Some verses are translated here. Garga quoted in Prayogapārijāta⁹⁸⁰ prescribes 'a child born on Gaṇḍānta by day causes the father's death, one born in the night on Gaṇḍānta causes the mother's death and one born at twilight causes its own death; no Gaṇḍa is safe (free from danger). Abandonment of children born on Gaṇḍa is laid down or (the father) should avoid seeing it or hearing its cry for six months'. Bhallaṭa⁹⁸¹ provides 'a child born during the period of the last *ghaṭikā* of Jyeṣṭhā and the first two ghaṭikās of Mūla should be abandoned or the father should not see its face for eight years; in the case of a child born on the first quarter (of Mūla) the father dies, if born in the second quarter of Mūla the mother dies, if born in the third quarter there is loss of wealth and (birth in) the 4th quarter (of Mūla) is auspicious; the same results follow in the case of birth on Āśleṣā but in the reverse order from the last quarter of it.' The author knows the case of his father's first cousin who was born to his father when the latter was over forty years of age and when he had been long and anxiously waiting for a son, that was born on an unlucky quarter of Mūla nakṣatra. The astrologers recommended that the child be abandoned at the foot of a sacred tree. The father absolutely refused to accept the advice, saying that he would rather gladly die than abandon an innocent and anxiously desired son. The author saw the father when he had lived beyond 80, and the son also reached a pretty old age.