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Narada Purana (Jyotisha Selections) · Chapter 10
यात्रा शकुनाश्च
This chapter gives travel muhurta rules. It starts with how to judge a journey when the birth time is known, and when it is not.
Then it names the good stars, the bad moon days and the directions to avoid on each weekday. Next it takes the planets and houses that help or block a trip. A set of journey yogas follows. It ends with foods for the day, and the good and bad omens seen on setting out.
The English below is our translation from the Sanskrit.
प्रागादिक्रमशो भुक्त्वा यातिं राजा जयत्यरीन् ।सज्जिका परमान्नं च कांजिक च पयो दधि ॥ ६८० ॥
Eating these in order for the east and the other directions, the king sets out and beats his enemies. [Foods for the weekdays:] sajjika (a cooked food), rice cooked in milk, sour rice-water, milk, curd,
Simple meaning: Eating the food for his direction, the king wins. A food for each weekday begins: rice in milk, milk.
क्षीरं तिलोदनं भुक्त्वा भानुवारादिषु क्रमात् ।कुल्माषांश्च तिलान्नं च दधि क्षौद्रं घृतं पयः ॥ ६८१ ॥
milk, and sesame rice. Eat these in order on the weekdays, starting from Sunday. [Foods for the stars, from Ashvini:] boiled beans, sesame rice, curd, honey, ghee, milk,
Simple meaning: Each weekday from Sunday has its food. Then a food for each star begins: beans, sesame rice, curd, honey, ghee.
मृगमांसं च तत्सारं पायसं च खगं मृगम् ।शशमांसं च षाष्टिक्यं प्रियंगुकमपूपकम् ॥ ६८२ ॥
[Foods, continued:] deer meat and its broth, milk-rice, bird meat, game meat, hare meat, sixty-day rice, millet and cakes.
Simple meaning: The star foods go on: deer meat, broth, milk-rice, bird and hare meat, rice, millet and cakes.
चित्रांडजफलं कूर्मश्वाविद्गोधांश्च शास्वकम् ।हविष्यं कृशरान्नं च मुद्गान्नं यवपिष्टिकम् ॥ ६८३ ॥
[Foods, continued:] the meat of a colourful bird, tortoise, porcupine, iguana, and shasvaka (a dish we cannot identify). Then rice with ghee for offering, rice cooked with pulse and sesame, rice with green gram, and barley-flour cakes.
Simple meaning: The star foods go on: bird, tortoise, porcupine and iguana meat, rice dishes and barley cakes.
मत्स्यान्नं च विचित्रान्नं दध्यन्नं दस्रभात्क्रमात् ।भुक्त्वा राजेभाश्वरथनरैर्याति जयत्यरीन् ॥ ६८४ ॥
Then fish with rice, mixed rice, and curd rice. These go in order from Ashvini. Having eaten [the food of the day's star], the king sets out with elephants, horses, chariots and men. He beats his enemies.
Simple meaning: Each star from Ashvini has its food. Eating it, the king marches with his army and beats his foes.
कार्यं निगमनं छत्रे ध्वजशस्त्रास्त्रवाहनैः ।स्वस्थानान्निर्गमस्थानं दडानां च शतद्वयम् ॥ ६९५ ॥
The setting out can be made through an umbrella, a banner, weapons, missiles and vehicles. [The distance] from his own place to the place of setting out: two hundred dandas (a measure of length).
Simple meaning: Go out with umbrella, banner, weapons and vehicles. The leaving place is two hundred dandas from home.
चत्वारिंशद्वादशैव प्रस्थितः स स्वयं गतः ।दिनान्येकत्र न वसेत्सप्तषट् वा परो जनः ॥ ६९६ ॥
[Or] forty, or just twelve [dandas]. One who has set out this way has gone himself. He should not stay seven days in one place, or six for another person.
Simple meaning: Sending your things ahead counts as setting out. Do not then stay a week in one place.
पंचरात्रं च पुरतः पुनर्लग्नांतरे व्रजेत् ।अकालजेषु नृपतिर्विद्युद्गर्जितवृष्टिषु ॥ ६९७ ॥
And five nights in front [of the town]. [After that] he should set out again under a new lagna (rising sign). The king should not go when lightning, thunder or rain come out of season.
Simple meaning: After a halt of five nights, he can go again in another lagna. Do not go in unseasonal storms.
उत्पातेषु त्रिविधेषु सप्तरात्रं तु न व्रजेत् ।रत्नाकुड्यशिवाकाककपोतानां गिरस्तथा ॥ ६९८ ॥
In the three kinds of utpata (strange omen in nature), he should not go for seven nights. Likewise the calls of the ratnakudya, the jackal, the crow and the pigeon.
Simple meaning: After unseasonal storms or other strange omens, wait seven nights before leaving.
वाराहशशगोधास्तु सर्पाणां कीर्तनं शुभम् ।हृतेक्षणं नेष्टमेवाव्यपत्ययं कपिऋक्षयोः ॥ ७०१ ॥
For the boar, the hare, the iguana and snakes, speaking their names is good. Their cry or their sight is not good. For the monkey and the bear it is the reverse.
Simple meaning: Naming a boar, hare, iguana or snake is good; hearing or seeing them is not. Monkey and bear: the reverse.
मयूरच्छागनकुलचाषपारावताः शुभाः ।दृष्टमात्रेण यात्रायां व्यस्तं सर्वं प्रवेशने ॥ ७०२ ॥
The peacock, the goat, the mongoose, the blue jay and the pigeon are good just to see on a journey. When coming back in, all of this is the reverse.
Simple meaning: Peacock, goat, mongoose, blue jay and pigeon are good to see when leaving. On entering, it is the reverse.
यात्रासिद्धिर्भवेद्दृष्टे शवेरोदनवर्जिते ।प्रवेशे रोदनयुतः शवः शवप्रदस्तथा ॥ ७०३ ॥
On a journey, success comes if a corpse is seen with no weeping. On coming back in, a corpse with weeping may point to a risk of death too, the verse says.
Simple meaning: Seeing a corpse without weeping helps a journey. A weeping funeral seen on coming home can point to a risk of death.
पतितक्लीबजटिलमत्तवांतौषधादिभिः ।अभ्यक्तवसास्थिचर्मांगारदारुणरोगिभिः ॥ ७०४ ॥
[Seeing at departure:] a person put out of his community, a person of the third gender. A man with matted hair, someone drunk, one who has vomited. Medicines and the like. People with oiled bodies. Fat, bone, leather, charcoal. People who are very ill.
Simple meaning: Some sights are poor signs when leaving: someone drunk, oiled or very ill, or bone, leather or charcoal.
गुडकार्पासलवणारिपुप्रश्नतृणोरगैः ।वंध्याकुजककाषायमुक्तकेशबुभुक्षितैः ॥ ७०५ ॥
[Also:] jaggery, cotton, salt, an enemy, a question [asked as he leaves], grass, snakes. A woman without children, a person with a bent back. A man in ochre robes, one with loose hair, and a hungry man.
Simple meaning: More such signs: jaggery, cotton, salt, an enemy's question, a woman without children, a loose-haired or hungry man.
प्रयाणसमये नग्नैर्दृष्टैः सिद्धिर्न जायते ।प्रज्वलाग्नीन्सुतुरगनृपासनपुरांगनाः ॥ ७०६ ॥
If these, or naked people, are seen at the time of leaving, success does not come. [Good to see:] a blazing fire, fine horses, a king's seat, and the women of the city.
Simple meaning: Seeing such things or naked people when leaving brings no success. A blazing fire and fine horses are good.
गंधपुष्पाक्षतच्छत्रचामरांदोलिकं नृपः ।भक्ष्येक्षुफलमृत्स्नान्नमध्वाज्यदधिगोदयाः ॥ ७०७ ॥
Scent, flowers, whole rice grains, an umbrella, a whisk, a palanquin, a king; sweets, sugarcane, fruit, clay, food, honey, ghee, curd, and a giver of cows.
Simple meaning: Scent, flowers, rice grains, an umbrella, a king, sweets, honey, ghee and curd are good to see when leaving.
मद्यमांससुधाधौतवस्त्रशंखवृषध्वजाः ।पुण्यस्त्रीपुण्यकलशरत्नभृंगारगोद्विजाः ॥ ७०८ ॥
Liquor, meat, white-washed clothes, a conch, a bull, a banner. A married woman with good fortune, a full pot. Jewels, a golden jug, cows and Brahmins.
Simple meaning: Liquor, meat, clean clothes, a conch, a bull, a full pot, jewels, cows and Brahmins are good signs.
भेरीमृदंगपटहघंटावीणादिनिःस्वनाः ।वेदमंगलघोषाः स्युः यायिनां कार्यसिद्धिदाः ॥ ७०९ ॥
Sounds of kettle drums, hand drums, large drums, bells, the veena and the like. Also the sounds of the Vedas and of blessings. All give success in the work of those who go.
Simple meaning: Drum, bell and veena sounds, and Vedic or blessing sounds, bring success to those who set out.
सर्वदिक्षुक्षुतं नेष्टं गोक्षुतं निधनप्रदम् ।अफलं यद्वालवृद्धरोगिपैनसिकैः कृतम् ॥ ७११ ॥
A sneeze in any direction is not good. A cow's sneeze can point to a risk to life. A sneeze made by a child, an old person, a sick person or one with a cold gives no result.
Simple meaning: A sneeze in any direction is not good. A cow's sneeze can mean risk to life. A child's sneeze does not count.
परस्त्री द्विजदेवस्वं तत्स्पृशेद्दिग्गजाश्वकान् ।हन्यात्परपुरप्राप्तो न स्त्रीर्नित्यं निरायुधान् ॥ ७१२ ॥
Another man's wife, and the wealth of Brahmins and gods: he should not touch these. On reaching the enemy's city, he may seize the elephants and horses. He should never harm women or the unarmed.
Simple meaning: In an enemy city, do not touch another's wife or temple property. Do not harm women or unarmed people.
It teaches the stars, directions, planets and omens to check before a journey.
Verse 10.4 names Anuradha, Punarvasu, Mrigashira, Hasta, Revati, Ashvini, Shravana, Pushya and Dhanishtha.
Verse 10.6 says Anuradha, Hasta, Pushya and Ashvini are open doors to all directions.