Brihat Samhita
by N. Chidambaram Iyer | 1884 | 135,584 words | ISBN-13: 9788171104215
This page describes the features of the goat (chaga-lakshana) which is the sixty-fifth Chapter of the English translation of the Brihat-samhita. This work, written by Varahamihira in the 6th century, is classified as jyotisha literature, also known as Indian astronomy. It contains however, also content regarding astrology, palmistry, agriculture, gardening, perfumes, medicines and various other encyclopedic topics.
Chapter 65 - On the features of the Goat (chāga-lakṣaṇa)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
1. We shall now proceed to describe the bad and good features of the goat (chāga). A goat which has 8, 9 or 10 teeth will bring wealth to a person if it dwells in his house. One that has 7 teeth shall be rejected.
2. A white goat which has a black ringlet on the right side brings on prosperity. A goat that resembles the antelope whose colour is black-red and which has a white ringlet, conduces to prosperity.
3. The fleshy excrescence which hangs from the neck of a goat is known as Maṇi. A goat with a single maṇi brings on prosperity; one that has two or three maṇis brings on wealth.
4. A goat (chāga) that has no wool on it will make the owner prosperous, and one that is either wholly white or wholly black, or half white and half black, or half brown and half black, will bring on wealth.
5. The goat which passes as the foremost of the herd or which first gets into water, will do good as well as one with a white head.
6. A goat which has a ringlet in the neck or head, or, one which is of the colour of the sesamum flour, or with red eyes or of white body and black legs, or of black body and white legs, will bring on prosperity.
7. A goat whose body is white, whose testicles are black, and which has a strip of cast off skin round the waist, as well as the goat that walks gently and with noise will bring on prosperity.
8. A goat whose horns and legs resemble those of the antelope, as well as the one whose front part is white and the hind part black, will bring on prosperity. The following is Garga’s stanza on the subject of the goat.
9. The four species of goats (chāga) known as—Kuṭṭaka, Kuṭila, Jaṭila and Vāmana are the children of Lakṣmī, the Goddess of wealth. These will never be found to live under the roof of poor people.
10. A goat that bleats like the ass, whose tail is bright, nails disfigured, body of bad colour, ears cut or clipped, head resembling that of the elephant, and mouth corners and the tongue black, will not conduce to prosperity.
11. A goat which is of excellent colour, with a fine mane and with no wool on its body, and whose eyes are red, will bring health, fame and wealth to his master.