The Varahi Samhita

(20)

...and the performance of rituals for those in distress. Regarding expeditions: the lunar day, the weekday, the KaranaA Karana is half of a lunar day or Tithi, the lunar mansion (Nakshatra), the auspicious moment (Muhurta), the rising sign (Lagna), the Yoga, the twitching of limbs, dreams, the ceremonial bath of victory, sacrifices to the planets, communal sacrifices, the sacred fire, the characteristics of idols, the movements of elephants and horses, the rumors within the army, the gestures of the soldiers, the six-fold diplomatic policy, the means of overcoming calamities, auspicious and inauspicious omens, the encampment of the army, the color of the fire, and the timely employment of ministers, spies, messengers, and forest-dwellers, as well as the methods for capturing an enemy's fortress—all these have been explained by the ancient teachers.

The science is spread across the world, as if painted on the mind or poured into the heart. The life of one who does not know the movements of the heavenly bodies is fruitless. ||5||

One who has mastered the entire SamhitaThe branch of astrology dealing with collective omens and natural phenomena becomes a true diviner of fate. In this work, the following subjects are contained: the movements of the Sun and other planets; their natural states, transformations, size, color, rays, brilliance, shapes, settings, risings, paths, transitions from one path to another, retrograde and re-retrograde motions, and their conjunctions. The results of these are judged according to the division of countries based on the "Star-Tortoise" (Nakshatra-Kurma) arrangement.

It also covers the movements of the star Canopus (Agastya) and the Seven Sages (Saptarishi/Great Bear); the distribution of countries among the planets; the arrangement of the lunar mansions; the "triangle" and "conjunction" configurations of planets; planetary wars; the yearly results of planetary positions; the signs of pregnancy in the clouds; the conjunctions of the Moon with the stars Rohini, Svati, and Ashadha; immediate rainfall; the flowering of plants and creepers; halos and circles around the sun and moon; mock suns; winds; meteors; the glowing of the quarters; earthquakes; the colors of twilight; "cities of the Gandharvas" mirages in the sky; dust storms; the fluctuation of prices; the birth of crops; the festival of Indra’s banner; Indra’s bow (the rainbow); the science of architecture (Vastu-vidya); the science of bodily marks; the science of crows; the circle of internal omens; the circles of deer, horses, and winds; the characteristics of palaces and temples; the characteristics of idols and their installation; the "Ayurveda" of trees (botany); the finding of underground water; the lustration of horses and elephants; the movements of the wagtail; the pacification of portents; the variegated spots of the peacock; the "Ghee-blanket" ceremony; the characteristics of swords, silk cloths, roosters, tortoises, cows, goats, horses, elephants, men, and women; the concerns of the inner harem; the characteristics of umbrellas, shoes, torn clothes, fly-whisks, staffs, beds, and seats; the examination of gems; the characteristics of lamps; and the good or bad omens associated with tooth-sticks.

These general omens affecting the world, as well as those affecting individual men and kings, must be contemplated every moment by an astrologer who is devoted to no other task. It is not possible for a single person to observe all omens day and night. Therefore, a well-paid astrologer should employ four other experts. One should watch the East and South-East; another the South and South-West; another the West and North-West; and another the North and North-East. This is because omens like falling meteors occur suddenly. Their results depend on their shape, color, glossiness, size, and the planets or stars they strike. ||6||

As the Great Sage Garga has said:
"The King who does not honor the astrologer who is skilled in all branches and sub-branches of the science, and who is a master of horoscopy and mathematical astronomy, meets with destruction." ||7||

"Even those who dwell in the forest, who are free from 'mine-ness' and possess nothing, even they inquire of the astrologer who is an expert in the movements of the stars." ||8||

"As the night is without a lamp, and as the sky is without the sun, so does a King without an astrologer wander like a blind man on a path." ||9||

"The auspicious moments, the lunar days, the stars, the seasons, and the solstices—all would become confused if there were no royal astrologer." ||10||

"Therefore, a King who desires victory, fame, wealth, enjoyment, and spiritual merit should approach a learned and leading astrologer." ||11||

"One who desires prosperity should not live in a land where there is no astrologer; for where he resides as the 'eye' of the land, no sin exists." ||12||

"One who studies the science of the stars does not fall into hell; the diviner of fate attains a place in the world of Brahma." ||13||

"The twice-born man who knows this entire science in both text and meaning deserves to be the first to eat at a funeral feast (Shraddha); he is honored and purifies the company." ||14||

"The Greeks (Yavanas) are indeed foreigners, but this science is well-established among them..." original: "mlecchā hi yavanāsteṣu samyak śāstramidaṃ"