Omens - Celestial Signs..?

Omens - Celestial Signs..?

Prashant Patne, Jyotish Visharad (1^st Rank), JyotirVid (Gold Medallist)

19^th Jun’17

We are stepping out for some important work & someone sneezes…!!!

We are going for some important job and a black cat crosses our path…!!!

How many times have we come across such occurrences in our lives-Many, and every time we blame the person who sneezes or the poor cat for spoiling our work.

If you are one of the above persons you definitely need to read my below blog on –

Omens: Good & Bad – Divine Indicators..?

Omens are widespread in our great country. And each region has its own omens & symbols. A black doll hanging upside down in our entrance is supposed to ward off evil. A new born child is applied black kajal & is made to wear necklaces/bangles to prevent evil influence. All these indicate that omens & beliefs are deeply engraved in our lifes.

So I have chosen this topic to cast light on some of the most popular omens encountered during our daily lives.

Before commencing on this topic, I want to shed some light on the origin of omens or ‘Shakuna’ as they are popularly known in India. The word ‘Shakuna’ is derived from ‘Shaakunt’ , which was the name of a bird found in ancient India in the vicinity of human settlements. Learned men observing his movements/sounds/flying patterns concluded that his behaviour provided hints at possible good/bad things to come. During the course of civilization, each region/civilization developed their own omens based on availability of locally found animals & birds and prevailing customs/lifestyles.  

Do remember that these omens are to be considered only & only at the commencement of any important work/activity. Omens encountered during the course of the activity should be ignored.

1.       Crows –

a. The most common bird found in human settlements is invariably the source of many omens. His cawing outside the door/window indicates visit by guests in the house.

2.       Sneeze –

a. Person sneezing is an ill omen. However if he has a running nose/cold this omen should not be considered.

3.       Cat – Cats are mystical creatures. The Egyptians considered cats as holy gods. Sailors in olden times carried cats in their ships for their ability to indicate any incoming storms, etc. also cats were associated with Witch craft & Black magic. However, in today’s they can act as a companion and their image is to be re-looked  

a. Any Cat crossing our path is a bad omen.

b.Sight of a black cat is considered bad. However if we have a black cat in our house or neighbourhood, this omen is to be ignored.

4.       Dog –

a. Dogs howling at night are considered to bring news of dead people.

b.Dog sneezing is a bad omen.

5.       Cow –

a. Sighting of a cow is a good omen. However if any farmer has bred cows at home, then this omen cannot be valid for him.

6.       Humans –

a. Sight of a funeral is considered a bad omen, however if the person is an old person this is considered to be a good omen.

b.Bad - Person wearing a black dress, A Widow.

c. Good – Prostitute, Married woman with Bindi on forehead, Woman with water pitcher.

d.Sound of Bells or Shankh is a good omen.

This is an infinitely long topic however I have tried to enlist some of the most popular omens and their implications in today’s times. Hope this will be useful to you.

Do post your feedback/queries below the blog. This will definitely help me to improve the quality of my writing.

Until next time..!!

Prashant Patne, Jyotish Visharad (1^st Rank), Jyotir Vid (Gold Medallist)