Risht Samucchaya

Author(s): Durgadevacharya, A S Gopani
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 97

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THE RISTASAMUCCAYA
being the only strongest motive force of the universe, the common end of every science, mental, moral and physical, is to know and knock out Death. Moral sciences discuss the nature
of Death and put forth their humble claim to elevate man s beyond its reach and grasp; while physical sciences, such as the science of medicine etc. spiritedly declare their only ambition of conferring elernal lease of life on man by gaining a sure and final victory on Death. Whether the promise of science
will be fulfilled or not is a different problem but this much is quite so true that every one, be it small or great, wants to know and remedy Death.
Not a single moment passes in the universe without a phenomenon. Every phenomenon, major or minor, is full of meaning and significance. In all times and climes, human 15 intellect has made strenuous efforts to interpret it. These interpretations of different nationalities have remained in a continual process of development as human mind evolved with the growing intensity and extent of human experiences. Thus
starting with an assumption that there is nothing like accident 20 in the universe, whatever happened was evaluated in terms
of good or bad for the humanity. Mantras were formulated, medicines were invented, tāntric rituals were elaborated, with the sole purpose of acquiring good und avoiding bad. Human mind that was thus busy finding every thing that contributed to 25 its advantage, focussed its attention on the daily events that
occurred in this material universe. Cracking of fingers, exhaling a cold breath, the sneezing of a horse or a cow, the sight of a serpent, the dream of death, the attack of a disease in a particular constellation, the vitiation of the Lagna at the time 30 of a query by the malefics were all minutely studied and scienti.
fically interpreted. The Solar and Lunar eclipses, abnormal appearance of the sun and the moon, the sight of a shadow and the hearing of auspicious and inauspicious words were also
scrutinized and a regular Science of Omens and Portents, 3s technically called Rişțas, was evolved and established. It was used to find out the possibilities of huppiness or misery, gain or loss, victory or defeat. In short, it was utilized for a diagnostic purpose and the remedy for evil was supplied by the Science of the Rituals that also was conceived on parallel lines. These two 4. Sciences, the Science of the Riştas and the Science of the Rituals were thus inseparably linked to serve the purpose of humanity.