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SOCIAL CONDITIONS
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sound on a bitter tree (kaduyarukkha) on the Ifeft side, it indicated a quarrel (34. 36).' The sight of a crane (sárasa), a śatapatra bird, a crow, an ass, a horse, a bull or a jackal making noise on the right side indicated defeat (7.16). The crossing of one's path by a black serpent? (70.6) was regarded inauspicious and foreboded defeat. The sight of a weeping women with her hair undressed and looking up at the sun was a bad omen (94.36). The obstruction of one's movement by the strike of another's leg (70.6) or the falling down of upper garment or breaking down of the parasol4 (70.8) of the king were regarded as inauspicious and they indicated defeat. The throbbing of the right eye of a woman prognosticated some trouble" (93.2). In Sita's case this augury came true as she was exiled.
It depended on the mental attitude of a person whether he considered some thing auspicious or inauspicious. Thus the PCV tells that the sight of a Jaina monk was regarded to be auspicious by Rama when he commenced his march to Laikā from Kiskindhipura (54.30), but a hunter who despised Jaina monks considered the seeing of a Jaina monk as inauspicious (6.140). The latter belief is corroborated by the Susruta Samhitā (Sūtrasthānam 29.46). The Bhadrābāhu Samhita observes that the result of seeing a monk depended upon the out look of the person who saw him (13.76).
Besides these the PCV mentions some dreadful phenomenal occu rrences (uppāyādārunā 69.47-53). They were observed on the occasion of Rāvana's final march to the batllefield. These occurrences foreboded defeat and death of a king (desāhivassa maranain) and so Rāvana was killed in this battle. They are indicated below :
1. The sun turned intolerably scorching (akko āuhasariso); 2. The sky was observed to be variegated or a shaggy halo
surrounded the sun (pariveso ambare pharusavanno);? 3. The moon suddenly disappeared; 4. The fire-brands of the hew of blood lighted the eastern
directions ;
1. See Br-Sanh. 95. 56; 95.37 & Su. Samh, (Sut. 29. 32-33). 2. See Bhad-Saṁh, 13.62. 3. See Su-Samh, (Sūt, 29.12). 4: See Bhad-Samh, 14,55. 5, See Sakuntalam, p. 161, vide, IK, p. 330. 6. These occurrences & their efficacy can be corroborated from other works as
follows. 7, Bt-Samh, 34.5-9; Bhad-Sanh, 4.13. 8. I did, 43. 14-10; Bhad-Samh, 3. 16-19.
