Brihat Samhita

by N. Chidambaram Iyer | 1884 | 135,584 words | ISBN-13: 9788171104215

This page describes on the circle of dogs (shvacakra) which is the eighty-ninth 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 89 - Omens (4): On the circle of Dogs (śvacakra)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

1 (ka). If the dog (śvan) be seen to pass urine on a man, a horse, an elephant, a pot, a saddle, on milk trees, on heaps of unburnt brick, on an umbrella, a bed, a scat, a wooden mortar, on a banner, a Cāmara or ground covered with tender grass or flowers and to go before the traveller, it indicates success; if it be seen to pass urine on wet cow-dung, the person will get good meals, and if on dry cow-dung, he will get miserable meals or sugar and cakes.

2 (kha). Again if the dog be seen to pass urine on poisonous trees, on thorny trees, dry-wood, stones, dried trees, bones, or cremation ground and to scratch over the parts and to go before the traveller, it indicates evil; if it be seen to pass urine on a bed or on the unused vessels of a pot-man and the like, it indicates disgrace to virgins; if it be seen to pass urine on used vessels or on shoes, it indicates disgrace to the traveller’s wife and if it be seen to pass urine on a cow, there will be a mingling of castes.

1 (ga). Again, if the dog be seen to approach the traveller with a slipper in its mouth, the traveller will gain his object; if it be seen with its mouth full of flesh, there will be a gain of wealth; if with a raw bone in its mouth, there will be good luck; if it be seen to approach with a burning torch or a dry bone in its mouth, there will be death; if with a dead torch, the person will receive blows; if it be seen to approach dragging with it the head, hands, feet, face or other limbs of a person, there will be gain of lands; and if it be seen to approach with a cloth, the bark of a tree and the like, there will be danger. According to some, if a dog be seen to approach with a cloth in its mouth, there will be good luck.

1. (gha). Also, if the dog (śvan) be seen to enter the house with a dry-bone in its month, the head of the family will die. If it be seen to enter with fetters, creepers, leather-straps, ropes and the like, he will suffer imprisonment. If it be seen to shake its ears, to get on the person of the traveller and to lick his feet, he will meet with obstacles. If it be seen to stop the traveller, he will suffer attack. If it be seen to scratch the body, he will meet with opposition and if the dog be seen to lie with its head raised up, there will be evil.

2. If one or more dogs be seen to bark at the Sun from the middle of a village, there will be a change of rulers.

3. If the dog be seen to bark at the Sun in the morning from the south-east quarter, there will be immediate fear from destructive fire and from robbers; if it be seen to do so at noon, there will be death from fire and if in the evening, there will be tight and bloodshed.

4. If the dog be seen to bark at the Sun towards sunset, farmers will soon suffer. If it be seen to bark turning to the north-west within six ghaṭikas after sunset, there will be suffering from winds and robbers.

5. If the dog (śvan) be seen to bark at mid-night turning to the north, Brāhmaṇas will suffer and cows will be carried away by robbers; and if it be seen to bark at dawn of day turning to northeast, virgins will suffer from disgrace, there will be fear from destructive fire and a miscarriage of pregnancy.

6. If. in the rainy season, the dog be seen to bark aloud from a heap of straw, from the king’s palace, the temple or the top of a house, there will be abundant rain: and if it be seen to do so in any other season, there will be death, fear from destructive fires and suffering from diseases.

7. If, in the rainy season when there is no rain, the dog be seen to plunge frequently into water or to drink it or to shake it off from its sides, there will be rain within twelve days.

8. If the dog (śvan) be seen to bark at the mistress of the house with its head on the threshhold while its body remains outside, the master of the house will suffer from disease; but if it be seen to do so with its body within the gate and its head outside it, the mistress of the house will suffer disgrace.

9. If the dog be seen to scratch the walls of the house, there will be house-breaking by robbers; if it be seen to dig the ground in the cow-shed, cows will be robbed away and if it be seen to scratch the places where grain is stored up, there will be gain of grain.

10. If the dog be seen to eat something miserable with a weeping eye and a pitiable look, the master of the house will suffer grief; and if it be seen to play with cows, there will be plenty, prosperity, health and joy.

11. If the dog be seen to kiss or smell the left knee, there will be gain of wealth; if it be seen to kiss the right knee, there will be quarrel with women; if it be seen to kiss the left thigh, there will be sensual enjoyment and if it be seen to kiss the right thigh, there will be enmity between friends.

12. If the dog be seen to kiss the feet, the traveller will be stopped in his journey; but a person who does not travel will gain the object of his desire. If the dog (śvan) be seen to kiss the shoes of a person, that person will soon begin to travel.

13. If the dog be seen to kiss both the arms, there will be suffering from enemies and robbers and if it be seen to conceal in a heap of rubbish, flesh, bones, or any eatables, there will be immediate fear from destructive fires.

14. If the dog be seen to bark first in the village and then in the village cremation ground, the chief person of the village will die and if it be seen to bark towards a traveller, it stops his journey.

15. If the dog be seen to howl with the sound of the letter U on the left side there will be gain of wealth; if with the sound of the long vowel O on the left side, there will also be gain of wealth; if with the sound of the letter AU on the left side, there will be ridicule; and if it be seen to howl in any sound from behind, the traveller will meet with obstacles.

16. If dogs (śvan) be seen to cry frequently uttering the sound kham kham as if beaten with a stick or if they be seen to run in a curve, the ruin of the village is indicated and there will also be deaths.

17. If the dog be seen to show its teeth and lick its mouth-corners, there will be good meals; if it be found to lick its mouth, there will be obstacle even though good meals may be within reach.

18. If dogs be frequently seen to crowd and bark together in the middle of towns and villages, the head-man will suffer miseries; a wild dog shall be treated simply as a wild beast.

19. If dogs be seen to bark near trees there will be rain; if they bark near Indra’s banner, the minister will suffer; if they bark in the middle of the house, the master of the house will suffer from windy complaint and if they be seen to bark from the gates of towns, the towns will suffer.

20. If the dog be seen to bark from a bed, the master of the bed will suffer miseries in his travel; if it be seen to cry from behind, there will be fear and if it be seen to go round men from left to right and then bark, there will be trouble from enemies

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