Omens- are they valid or just superstitions?

Omens: Ancient wisdom or mere superstition? Explore their significance in classical astrology and Shastra.

Predictions based on omens are a valid Shastra and are part and parcel of astrology. You can’t say that they are merely superstitions. If there is pramana for this, then they are not superstitions. I won’t say that every omen is valid.

In Atharva Veda Kanda 19, in the 8th Sukta, there are some mantras:

अनुहवं परिहवं परिवादं परिक्षवम् सर्वैर्मे रिक्तकुम्भान् परा तान्त्सवितः सुव

When you are leaving for something, starting to go somewhere, if someone calls you from behind, it is called Anuhava. Not from behind, from anywhere, someone calls you – this is Parihava. You hear Parivada – someone talking harshly to someone else, not necessarily to you, to anyone. Or someone sneezes or you see an empty pot – they all mean that your venture will not be successful.

In this mantra, it is prayed to Savita, Surya, that please remove the bad effects of such omens. Not just these, सर्वैः from all such bad omens.

This is the validity of the Shastra of Omens, called Shakuna Shastra. This is part of classical astrology. There are many divisions of astrology – Gola, Hora, Samhita, Prashna.

Gola is astronomy.
Hora is related to horoscopes, predictions based on horoscopes.
Prashna is based on questions, answers to questions based on the planetary position at the time of asking the question.
Omens come under the section called Samhita.
Sages say these are not arbitrary events or incidents. This is how nature talks to us, gives us signals.

अन्यजन्मान्तरकृतं कर्म पुंसां शुभाशुभम् यत्तस्य शकुनः पाकं निवेदयति गच्छताम्

These signals indicate what is due to us on account of our past karma from previous births. Just as planetary positions in the horoscope and also the Dashas, Antardashas, indicate what you can expect during these periods, this is another way nature itself tells us that this is what is due for you. This is what you can expect, this is what is going to happen to you.

But then every sound is not an omen. Every gesture by an animal or everything you see is not an omen. Only what is mentioned in the Shastra can be taken as valid omens. We will discuss these as we progress.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi