History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c89.207

v7.c89.207

Matsya (chap 243. 2-12) sets out the sights that are unlucky when they come before a king who is going on an invasion (such as improper drugs, corn with dark exterior, cotton, grass, dry cowdung and many others) and prescribes that on seeing these for the first time he should worship Keśava with a laud and that if he sees it a second time he should enter his palace Yogayātrā (chap. 13. 4 ff) provides what the king starting on an expedition should hear viz such recitations as that of the Veda, Vedāṅgas, Dharmaśāstras, Arthaśāstra, Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, Purāṇa passages Matsya (chap 243. 15-25) prescribes the sights that are auspicious (such as white flowers, jars full of water, aquatic birds, meat and fish, flaming fire, courtezans, Dūrvā grass, fresh cowdung, gold, silver, copper and all jewels besides several others and winds up with a fine sentiment,¹²⁵⁶ viz the ease (or satisfaction) of one's mind is the highest sign of success; on one side are all prognostications and on the other is the mind's ease. The Bṛhad-yogayātrā of Varaha has a similar verse Vide H. of Dh. vol, II pp. 511, 876 and notes 1192 and 2048 therein for two sets of auspicious sights. The Jyotistattva (pp. 729-730) quotes several verses on the objects that are auspicious or inauspicious when seen by a person starting on a journey or expedition and remarks that the same objects when seen in a dream are of the same (auspicious or inauspicious) quality. The Vasantarāja-śākuna (V. 2-6) sets out fifty objects that are auspicious when starting on a journey or entering a home such as curds, sandal wood, ghee, dūrvā, a jar full of water &c. and (V. 10-11) specifies the thirty objects that are inauspicious.