Chapter 231 - The good and bad auguries known from the sounds of animals and birds

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Puṣkara said:

1. Birds let us know the good and bad indications for a man staying or leaving a country or town or (putting) a question.

2. All excited sounds are pointed out to indicate evil according to fortune-tellers and cooing sounds are said to indicate good results by fortune-tellers.

3. The excitements of birds are said to be of six kinds based on the divisions of time, direction, place, karaṇa (a division of the day), the sound and the species (of the bird).

4-6. Each preceding (item in the above list) should be known as more powerful. The nocturnal (bird) moving in the day-time and that of the day-time moving in the night (are known to be the excitement in time). One should know the malefic asterisms, ascendants and planets also as excited. It is known to be dhūmitā (obscured), jvalitā (burning) and aṅgāritā (burnt) if the sun goes to or stays or leaves (a particular quarter). These three are remembered to be the excited ones and the gentle (cooings) are of five kinds.

7-9. It is said to be agitated bird if it makes an excited sound in the direction that is (termed) agitated. Similar (appellations should be given) to wild (birds making sound) in the village and the village (birds) in the forest as well as on an inauspicious tree. O Foremost brahmin! The deśadīpta (agitation in respect of a place) is known to be in inauspicious place. It is designated as kriyādīpta (excitement in respect of an action) if there is any action improper for one’s own species. It is said to be the rutadīpta (excitement in respect of sound) making broken and harsh sounds. It is known to be the jātidīpta (excitement in respect of the species) in the case of the carnivorous species alone.

10. If the excited characteristics of different categories occur together it is stated to be good. If they are mixed the result is said to be mixed.

11. The cows, horses, camels, asses, dogs, (birds) sārikā, small house-lizards, sparrows, vultures and tortoises and others are said to be living in the villages.

12. Goats, black sheep, parrots, elephants, pig, buffalo and crow are said to be both domestic and wild. All other (birds and animals) are wild.

13. The cat and the cock are both domestic and wild. We know about them from the change in their characteristics.

14-16. The snakes, peacocks, ruddy geese, mules, pigeons, cows, light-brown horses, wild cocks, hawks, jackals, wag-tails, monkeys, śataghna (?), sparrows, cuckoos, blue jays, hawks, kapiñjala^[1] the three, tittiri (francoline partridge), peacocks, pigeons, wag-tails, gallinules, parrots, cranes, cocks, skylarks and deer are known to be moving about during daytime.

17. The fowlers, owls, śarabhas,^[2] curlews, hares, turtles, jackals and piṅgalikas (a kind of owl) are said to be nocturnal.

18-19. Ganders, deer, cats, mongooses, bears, serpents, red dogs, lions, tigers, camels, domestic boars, men, dogs, porcupines, bulls, jackals, wolves, cuckoos, cranes, horses, men in ragged clothes and alligators wander day and night.

20. The above seen in a group in front (of the king) making an expedition with the forces are stated to bring victory and seen on the back cause defeat.

21-22. If the blue jay comes out of the house and makes the sound remaining in front, it indicates humiliation for the king and (making sound) on the left (indicates) quarrel and gaining food. It being sighted on the vehicle or on the right side of the body are commended. The peacock making an unusual sound conveys plundering by thieves.

23-29. O Rāma! a deer (seen) in front of one that has set out would be (indicating) danger to life. O Rāma! The bears, rats, jackals, tigers, lions, cats and asses (running away) in the opposite direction as well as mule braying strangely (would indicate the same result). The kapiñjala (bird) (seen) on the left or right is an excellent (augury). But it does not augur well (if seen) on the back. The tittiri (bird) (in any one of the above positions) is not commended. The black deer, boars and spotted antelopes crossing from the left to the right would always be beneficial and the contrary (movements) are condemned. The bulls, horses, jackals, tigers, lions, cats and asses are known to confer the desired results if they move to the left from the right. The vixen, śyāmānana (?), chucchū (a kind of animal), piṅgalā (a kind of owl), house alligator, sow and a female cuckoo (are said to be) male (omens) if they are on one’s left. The vulture, rūṣa (?) monkey, śrīkarṇa (antelope), and citkarā (?) are known as feminine (omens). The monkey, śrīkarṇa, pipīlikā, ruru (a kind of deer), and hawks (auger well seen) on the right. The sounds made by the bull that is born, the serpent, hare, hog and alligator are good.

30-33. Then it is not desirable to see the monkey and bear at the commencement of a work. The strong omen from a bird as one sets out on a day should be explained by wise men as bearing result on the same day. O Brahmin! Mad ones, those concerned only with the prey, young ones, those mutually quarrelling and those separated by a distance should be known to bear no effect. The vixen howling alone or in groups of two or three or four forebode good. It is said to be not beneficial if five or six (vixen howl). It would be good if seven (vixen howl) and there would be no effect if more than that.

34. The volcano facing the sun that causes the horripilation in men should be known to bring ill luck to vehicles and increase the fear.

35-36. When an antelope is seen at a good place it would give good results. It would give bad results for the whole year for the man (if seen) at a bad (place). One may know the result for himself for the whole year as he had seen the deer on the first day.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The cātaka bird that is said to drink water directly from the rains.

[2]:

A fabulous animal powerful than the lion.