Jyotihshastra: Astral and Mathematical Literature c6.17

c6.17

The earliest extant such text is the first version of the Gargasamhitā,¹⁴ a work probably written in the first century B.C. or A.D. and taking the form of a dialogue between Krauṣṭuki (Ṛṣiputra) and Garga. This vast, unpublished text originally contained some sixty-two aṅgas. The first three utilize the Moon and the nakṣatras, and are related to the omens of the original Śārdūlakarṇāvadāna; karmaguṇa (on actions undertaken at specified times), candramāna, and nakṣatrakendrabha. The next nine (aṅgas 4–12) deal with the motion of celestial bodies—the Moon's node (Rāhu), Jupiter, Venus, comets (Ketu), Saturn, Mars, Mercury, the Sun, and Canopus (Agastya). There follow four (aṅgas 13–16) on the circles (cakra) of intermediate directions (antara), deer (mṛga), dogs (śvā), and winds (vāta). Then come three (aṅgas 17–19) sciences (vidyā)—of houses (vāstu), of limbs (aṅga), and of crows (vāyasa)—and three (aṅgas 20–22) conjunctions of the Moon with the nakṣatras Svāti, Āṣāḍha, and Rohiṇī. Aṅga 23 lists the countries dominated by each nakṣatra, and aṅga 24 gives prognostications involving rainfall. The following seven (aṅgas 25–31) are devoted to the planets—the things they influence (kośa), their conjunctions (samāgama), their amrādakṣiṇya (is this abhrādarśana, “obscuration by clouds”?), their conflicts (yuddha), their configurations beginning with the “triangle” yoga (śṛṅgāṭaka), their “traditions” (purāṇa), and the ripening (pāka) of their effects. Then come three (aṅgas 32–34) on military omens; they are expeditions (yātrā), fire omens (agni), and the array of the army (senāvyūha). The next two (aṅgas 35 and 36) are entitled “variegation of the peacock” (mayūracitra) and “lotus of the world” (bhuvanapuṣkara). There follow two (aṅgas 37 and 38) on rituals: the offering of oblations (balyupahāra) and the performance of śānti rites. Aṅga 39 is a collection of various omens (utpāta) portending disaster to countries; and aṅga 40 is entitled “the treasure on the scales” (tulākośa). Aṅga 41 is the well known historical prophecy, the Yugapurāṇa.¹⁵ In aṅga 42 are collected omens based on the cries (ruta) of various birds and animals: crows (vāyasa), woodpeckers (śatapattra), bluejays (cāṣa), cranes (sārasa), pesamas or pesamās (?), cows (śakkarikā), peacocks (mayūra), visphoṭis (?), ciriṇī-crows, skylarks (bhāradvāja), doves (kapotī), cuckoos (kokila), vultures (śakuni), owls (ulūka), piṅgalā-owls, peahens (nartakā), sundarikās (?), partridges (tittiri), cats (biḍāla), hares (śaśaka), asses (gardabha), vixens (lomaśā), bulls (vṛṣabha), lopā-birds, and spotted antelopes (pṛṣata). There follows a section (aṅga 43) on tears in garments. The next (aṅga 44) is entitled “the tradition (purāṇa) of Bṛhaspati (or of Jupiter).” Aṅga 45 presents omens involving “Indra’s banner” (indradhvaja). The next five (aṅgas 46–50) employ as omens the characteristics of several kinds of animals—rams, tortoises, women, elephants, and cows. Aṅga 51 is entitled “the appearance (saṃsthāna) of Venus.” There follows a section (aṅga 52) on the “pregnancy” (garbha) of the clouds before the beginning of the rainy season, and then comes one (aṅga 53) on water divining (dakārgala). The next group of five chapters (aṅgas 54–58) deals with “atmospheric” phenomena: violent storms (nirghāta), earthquakes (bhūmikampa), halos (pariveṣa) around the Sun and the Moon, meteors (ulkā), and halos again. Aṅga 59 is on the nature of the seasons (ṛtusvabhāva), but the next (aṅga 60) is devoted to omens occurring at dawn or evening (sandhyā). Aṅga 61 is a second chapter on meteors. And finally, aṅga 62 describes the nakṣatra melothesia of the celestial puruṣa. A mayūracitraka on various utpātas is appended to the text.