History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c89.94

v7.c89.94

Examples of unfavourable happenings (nimittas or utpātas) occur plentifully in the Mahābhārata, Sabhāparva 80. 28-31, 81. 22-25, Vanaparva 179. 41, 224. 17-18, Virāṭa 39. 4-6, 46. 24-32, Udyoga 84. 4-9, 156. 28-30, Bhīṣma 2. 17-33, 3. 65-74, 19. 36-38, 99. 21-28, 112. 6-12, Droṇa 7. 34-41, 77. 3-7, Śalya 23. 21-24, 56. 8-14, 192. 17-21, Mausala 1. 1-5, 2. 1-17 and the Rāmāyaṇa, Ayodhyā 4. 17-19, Araṇyakāṇḍa 23. 1-7 and 10-25, Yuddhakāṇḍa 10. 14-20, 23. 4-11, 35. 25-35, 41. 13-20, 53. 32, 65. 47-51, 95. 43, 96. 40-44. The chief *utpātas* and *adbhutas*, are: terrible dreams, roar of contending winds i. e. hurricanes (*nirghāta*), meteors, she-jackals howling towards the south, fierce and dry wind with shower of sand; earth-quakes; sun eclipse at an unusual time (Rāmāyaṇa III. 23. 12, Sabhā 80. 29, 81. 23 Śalya 56. 10, Bhīṣma 3. 28); flashes of lightning without clouds; carnivorous birds like vultures and crows on temples; fort-walls and bastions, spontaneous fire; rent banners; halo of the sun and moon; river-flowing with bloody waters; rain without clouds, rain of blood or mud; trumpeting of elephants; sky filled with darkness, horses shedding tears; peals of thunder in a clear sky, rivers flowing in reverse direction; throbbing of the left arm and eye (in men), croaking of frogs; sea lashed into fury; images of gods trembling, dancing, laughing or weeping (Bhīṣma 112 11); pale sun, birds like pigeons and *mainas* and deer weeping with face towards the sun; appearance of a headless trunk near the sun; strange births such as ass born of a cow, mouse born of an ichneumon (Yuddhakāṇḍa 35. 30). The auspicious signs described in the epics, are comparatively few as in Bālakāṇḍa 22. 4, Udyoga 83 23-26, 84 117, Bhīṣma 3. 65-74, Śānti 52. 25, Āśvamedhika 53. 5-6 The principal auspicious signs are. clear sky without clouds, wind blowing¹¹⁸⁸ cool and pleasant to the skin, no dust raised, birds and animals proceeding to a man's right side, fire without being enveloped in smoke and with flames turned towards the right, shower of flowers, auspicious birds like *cāṣa*, *krauñca*, peacock sending up chirpings to the right (Karṇa 72. 12-13)