Jyotihshastra: Astral and Mathematical Literature c8.4

c8.4

Eventually a separate science developed that used this notion of auspicious and inauspicious time-units, in combination with omens and astrological yogas, to establish the correct time for initiating various kinds of actions; this is the science of muhūrta, corresponding to Hellenistic catarchic astrology. In Indian treatises on catarchic astrology great importance is given to deciding the time for performing the saṃskāras and other ritual acts; this aspect of muhūrta strongly influenced dharmaśāstra, many treatises of which are entirely or partially devoted to this kind of prediction.² Also, a number of texts that will be discussed in this chapter represent conflations of muhūrta with omens, but with the muhūrtas as the more important component rather than the omens as in the GS and BS.