Shloka 8
Adhyaya 43 — Portents of Death (Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇas) and the Yogin’s Response; Alarka Renounces Kingship
गृध्रः कपोतः काकालो वायसो वापि मूर्धनि ।
क्रव्यादो वा खगो नीलः षण्मासायुः प्रदर्शकः ॥
gṛdhraḥ kapotaḥ kākālo vāyaso vāpi mūrdhani / kravyādo vā khago nīlaḥ ṣaṇmāsāyuḥ pradarśakaḥ
If a vulture, pigeon, crow, or even a raven perches upon one’s head—or if a blue flesh-eating bird does so—this is said to indicate a remaining lifespan of six months.
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FAQs
The passage frames mortality as legible through ‘nimittas’ (signs), encouraging vigilance, detachment, and timely performance of dharma (repentance, charity, rites) when ominous indicators appear.
It is not a Pancalakṣaṇa topic (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). It belongs to ancillary dharma/nimitta instruction embedded within the Purāṇic dialogue tradition.
Carrion birds symbolize the approach of dissolution (mṛtyu) and the body’s impermanence; the ‘head’ locus suggests the eclipse of one’s vital radiance/tejas and impending severance from embodied identity.