Belief in evil portents was very common in ancient India. We have a number of such references in the Mbh. (e.g. Sabha 80.28-31, Shalya 192.14-21), Ramayana (e. g. Aranya 23. 1-7, 10-25), Bd. P. Lalita M. 21. 5-20. Jaina Thananga Sutta 405.8, Dharasena’s Jonipahuda testify to the Jain belief in them. Durgadeva’s Rittha-Samuccaya of A.D. 1032 (Ed. A. S. Gopani, Singhi Jain Series 1945) shows many beliefs common to Brahmanical Puranas. Even today Indian masses believe in such portents.
Vayu said:
1. Henceforth I shall explain the evil omens. Know that by seeing them one can foresee one’s death.
2. He who cannot see the Arundhati star, the Pole star, the shadow of the moon and the Mahapatha does not survive a year thereafter.
3. He who sees the sun bereft of rays and the fire with rays (radiating from it) will not survive the eleventh month.
4. He who vomits urine, cow-dung, gold or silver either while awake or in dream, will not survive ten months.
5. He whose feet crack either in front or at the back, or become dusty or marshy, lives only for seven months.
6. If a crow, a dove, a vulture or any other bird of prey settles on his head, he does not survive six months.
7. He who is obstructed by rows of crows or by a dust storm, lives only for four or five months.
8. He who sees lightning without clouds, in the southern direction, or water or the rainbow (without the existence of clouds) lives only for two or three months.
9. He who does not see his reflection either in water or in a mirror or who sces his reflection without the head does not survive a month.
10. If the body smells like a corpse or like burning fat, death is imminent. He lives only for a fortnight.
11. If a biting wind seems to pierce the vulnerable points of one’s body or if no sensation is experienced after touching water, death is imminent for him.
12. If he dreams that he is singing and proceeding to the south on a chariot to which bears and monkeys are yoked, it shall be known as a sign of imminent death.
13. If he dreams that he is being led to southern direction by a dark singing woman wearing black garment, he does not survive long.
14. If he dreams that he wears black rags or that his ear is broken, it shall be known as a sign of imminent death.
15. If he dreams that he is immersed in a marshy sea upto the head, he does not survive long after seeing the dream.
16. He who sees (in dream) ashes, burning coals, hair, dry river and serpents will not survive ten nights.
17. If he dreams that he is being beaten by hideous dark-skinned men with weapons and stones in their hands, he dies soon.
18. If a howling vixen rushes directly at him early in the morning at sunrise, his death is imminent.
19. If he feels acute pain in the chest and morbid senstiti veness in the teeth immediately after taking bath, his death is immiment.
20. If he gasps for breath during night or day and is un able to discern the smell of an oil lamp, know that his death is imminent.
21. If he were to see the rain-bow at night and the cluster of stars during the day, and if he is unable to see his reflection in others eyes, he does not live long.
22. He, one of whose eyes begins to water, whose ears are dislodged from their places and whose nose becomes crooked (and curved) should be known as approaching death.
23. Death is imminent to him whose tongue is black and rough and whose face appears muddy and whose cheeks are ruddy and flattened.
24. A man who (in dream) goes to the southern direction with hair dishevelled, laughing, singing and dancing, meets with the imminent end of life.
25. He who perspires frequently, the sweat drops being like white mustard seeds, dies very soon.
26. He who in dream, goes to the south in a chariot to which camels or donkeys are yoked does not live long.1
1. Cf. v. 12 above.
27. These are two extermely ill omens, viz. he does not hear loud noise with his ears and does not see bright light with his eyes.
28. If he sees in dream that he has fallen in a ditch and that there is no door to escape through and that he is unable to stand up from the ditch, that marks the end of his life.
29. One is definitely in difficult situation if the eye moves upward without steadiness, becomes red and begins to whirl round, if the mouth becomes hot, if the umbilicus is porous and the urine is very hot.
30. If a man is directly hit during the day or night and sees the attacking man (in dream), the man so hit does not live long.
31. If a man dreams that he is entering fire but does not remember the details after waking up, that marks the end of his life.
32. Death is imminent to the man who sees his white covering cloth as red or black in dream.
33-35. A wise man should eschew fear2 and dejection when death approaches him as indicated by the ill omens. He should then start from his house and walk to the east or to the north. With a pure mind he should sit in a level spot isolated and devoid of crowds. He should perform Acamana and sit facing north or east. He should sit in the Svastika posture. After bowing down to Lord Shiva, he should keep his body, head and neck straight.
2. Verses 33-40 advise how one should face death in a Yogic way.
36. His posture is comparable to a lamp in a windless place where it is steady (not flickering)1. He should practise Yoga in a spot sloping to the east or north.
1. Cf. yatha dipo nivatastho nengate sopama smruta|
BG. VI. 19.
37. He shall perform Dharana in the vital breath, eyes, skin, ears, mind, intellect and chest. He shall take particular delight in keeping Dharan, in the vital breath.
38. After realizing the advent of death and the groups (of ill omens) he shall perform Yoga-Dharanas in the parts of the bodies twelve times.
39. He shall perform hundred or hundred and eight Dharanas on the head. Without Dharanas in the Yoga, the breath does not function properly (goes anywhere).
40. Then with a purity of mind, he should fill the body with Omkara. Thus, full of Omkara, he does not perish. He becomes imperishable.