Bīrūnī, Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad, Alberuni's India (v. 2)

(London :  Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.,  1910.)

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ALBERUNTS INDIA.
 

T'arahami-
hira's Sam¬
hitd, chap,
xxiv. 1-37,
on Rohlni.
 

offering to Suhail. In the same book he gives also the
rules regarding Rohinl:

" Garga, Vasishtha, Kasyapa, and Parasara told their
pupils that Mount Meru is built of planks of gold.
Out of them there have risen trees with numerous
sweet-smelling flowers and blossoms. The bees already
surround them with a humming pleasant to hear, and
the nymphs of the Devas wander there to and fro with
exhilarating melodies, with pleasant instruments and
everlasting joy. This mountain lies in the plain Nan-
danavana, the park of paradise. So they say. Jupiter
was there at a time, and then Narada the Rishi asked
him regarding the prognostics of Rohini, upon which
Jupiter explained them to him. I shall here relate
them as far as necessary.

V. 4.—Let a man in the black days of the month
Ashadha observe if the moon reaches Rohini. Let him
seek to the north or east of the town a high spot. To
this spot the Brahman must go who has the charge of
the houses of the kings. He is to light there a fire and
to draw a diagram of the various planets and lunar
stations round it. He is to recite what is necessary for
each one of them, and to give each its share of the
roses, barley, and oil, and to make each planet propi¬
tious by throwing these things into the fire. Round the
fire on all four sides there must be as much as possible
of jewels and jugs filled with the sweetest water, and
whatever else there happens to be at hand at the
moment, fruits, drugs, branches of trees, and roots of
plants. Further, he is to spread there grass which is
cut with a sickle for his night-quarters. Then he is to
take the different kinds of seeds and corns, to wash
them with water, to put gold in the midst of them,
and to deposit them in a jug. He is to place it towards
a certain direction,- and to prepare Homct, i.e. throw¬
ing barley and oil into the fire, at the same time re¬
citing certain passages from the Veda, which refer to
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