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SILPA SASTRA.
OCTOBER, 1876.]
Silpan, Myen  châri, for measuring length, breadth, and thickness. Also let him enter upon residence on a propitious day, and the blessing of Lakshmi, health, long life, and happiness shall attend him.".
Concerning taking up residence.
"Sunday and Tuesday are unlucky days to take up residence; Saturday, Thursday, Wednesday, and Monday are propitious days. The stars Ashvinî, Chitrâ, Punarvasu, Anuradha, Visâkhâ, Uttarashâdha, Uttarâ Phâlgunî, and Revati are propitious. The constellations Kambum (Aquarius) and Virusikam (Scorpio) are unlucky. The fourth, ninth, and fourteenth days of the Moon are also unlucky. Attending to these rules, take up your residence in the house.
"The ninth and the fourteenth days of the Moon, Saturdays, Fridays, the months Punguni, Auni, Purattasi, and Margali, are unlucky; if you take up residence you will be bitten by a poisonous animal. If. the planet Venus is rising or setting, or if the Trident of Śiva is opposite, do not enter upon residence on those days; if you do, you will suffer great loss."
There is a good deal of this kind of matter, with which we need not trouble our readers. The author next treats of the Makúrthan of the Garbha; but first we shall give his rule for ascertaining the character of the Garbha, and the individuals for whom it is fit.
"Let the yajamana construct a measuring rule in length equal to four of his own hand-spans. With this measure let him measure the house from east to west, and from south to north. Square the sums and divide the product by eight. If the remainder is 5, the Garbha is named Suba-garbha: success in all things will be secured to the yajamana. Should the remainder be 6, it is called Kaka-garbha: it is of a middle character, fit for outcastes to live in. Should the remainder be 1, it is called Garuda-garbha, and is fit for the four castes. Should the remainder be 3, it is called Simbagarbha: this is excellent. Should the remainder be 7, it is called Geja-garbha: great advantages befall the dweller. Should the remainder be 2, it is called Pura-garbha: this is fair, and is fit for hunters. Should the remainder be 4, it is called Swan-garbha: this is fair, but fit for Lambâdîs and Koravârs. Should the
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remainder be 8, it is called Kaluthai-garbha: this too is fair, but the house will never be completed, and even should it, it will perish; it is a dwelling fit only for very low castes, wild beasts, peacocks, and antelopes. Garbha Múkúrthan.
"Reject Fridays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. Also reject the eighth of the following constellations :-Uttara Phalguni, Uttarashâdha, Mâghâm (Capricornus), Punarvasu, Shetatâraka, Mriga, Rohini, Anurâdhâ, and Revati. Reject also the full and the new moon, also the fourth, ninth, and fourteenth days of each half-moon; all other times are propitious for Garbha Múkúrthan.
"If you perform Garbha Múkúrthan when Pisces is declining, it will be fortunate; if when Aries and Taurus are declining, sickness will ensue if when Gemini is declining, sorrow will be the result; if when Cancer is declining, wealth and progress will be the result; if when Virgo is declining, everything you take in hand will prosper; if when Scorpio and Sagittarius are declining, your wife will flourish, deriving excellence from numerous sons."
The author gives a rule for ascertaining certain matters connected with buildings. He uses two expressions, Ayam and Selavu, which, in the connexion he uses them, I cannot translate better than by Profit' and 'Loss.' The Rule. "Ascertain the length of the house, square it, multiply the sum by 8, and divide the product by 12: the remainder is the Ayam, or profit. Again, take the square number and multiply it by 9, divide the product by 10, the remainder is the Selavu, or loss. Again, take the square number and multiply it by 27, and divide the product by 100, the remainder is the age or durability of the house. Again, take the square number, multiply it by 8, and divide the product by 27, the remainder is the star. Again, multiply the square number by 3, and divide the product by 8, the remainder is the Yoni. Multiply the square number by 9, and divide the product by 7, the remainder is the day. Multiply the square number by 9, and divide the product by 4, the remainder is the caste. Multiply the square number by 4, and divide the product by 9, the remainder is the Amsam. Multiply the square number by 9, and divide the product by 30, the remainder is the Tithi.
