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daily life, omens and portents along with the rights to be performed to avert their evil consequences. These afford us a deep insight into the condition of civilization”. (p. 69.)
The Upanishads, SBE, Vol. I also allude to omens and dreams foreboding death (pp. 261-263). The Gaina Sītras, SBX, Vol. 22 enumerate the science of omens and portents as the last of the seventy-two sciences (p. 282).
PISCHEL in huis Vedische Studien hints at this science by observing "When he sees lightning in a cloudless sky, let him know that it is so" (I, 112).
The Kausika Sūtra which is the sole existing ritual Sūtra of the Atharvareda also refers, in the thirteenth and the fourteenth Adhyāyas to a variety of omens and portents (p. 152).
The Arthascstra of Kauțalya ( Trans. Shamashastri, Mysore, 192!) indirectly brings in the subject of om-ns and portents when it mentions “When the nail of the little finger, nimbi, Káma, madhu, the hair of a monkey and the bune of man, all wound round with the garment of a dead man is buried in the house of or is trodden by a man, that man with his wife, children and wealth will not survive three fortnights” (p. 423).
Dr. PUSALKER in his monumental work states “Belief in magic, amulets, omens etc. is found among the vedic Indians also in common with all the ancient people of the world.” ( Bhusa - a study: By Dr. A., D. PUSALKER, M. A., LL. B., Ph. D., Meherchand Lachhmandas Prākrit and Sanskrit Series, Vol. VII. 1940, Lahore, page. 444 ). The same book further mentions there “Dreams and omens were interpreted by royal astrologers and their directions were followed”.
Prof. D. Kosambi in his letter of Feb. 7, 1941 writes to me " There is not much about Ristas and omens in the Päli literature. There is a mention of some of these in the first Sutta of the Dighaniklīya forbidding the Bhikkbus to indulge in their practice, In one of the Jātakas, star-reading is ridiculed”. Prot. P. V. BAPat also in his postcard of Feb. 9, 1941 informs
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