94. PROPITIATION OF PLANETS FOR BIRTHS DURING GANDANTA

तिथि - नक्षत्र - लग्नानां गण्डान्तं त्रिविधं स्मृतम् ।
जन्म - यात्रा - विवाहादौ भवेत्तन्निधनप्रदम् ॥ १ ॥

1 : Maharishi Parasara said - O Vipra ! There are three types of Gandanta (गण्डान्त) namely-Tithi, Nakshatra and Ascendant (लग्न). They render death during the birth, travelling and auspicious ceremonies like marriage etc.

पूर्णानन्दाख्ययोस्तिथ्योः सन्धौ नाडीचतुष्टयम् ।
अध ऊर्ध्वं च मैत्रेय ! तिथिगण्डान्तमुच्यते ॥ २ ॥

2: O Maitreya ! The starting Two Ghatis (घटी) of Poorna Tithis viz., Panchami (5th), Dashami (10th) and Puranmashi (15th) and ending two ghatis of Nanda Tithis viz. Pratipada (1st), Shashti (6th) and Ekadashi (11th) totally four ghatis are called Gandanta.

रेवतीदास्त्रयोः सार्पमघयोः शाक्रमूलयोः ।
सन्धौ नक्षत्रगण्डान्तमेवं नाडीचतुष्टयम् ॥ ३ ॥

3 : The four Ghatis of the Junction point (सान्धि) of Nakshatras Revati - Aswini, Ashlesa - Magha and Jyehta - Moola denoted by the last two Ghatis of the first and first two Ghatis of the second Nakshatra, are called Nakshatra Gandanta.

मीनाजयो: कर्किहर्योर्लग्नयो-रलिचापयोः ।
सन्धौ च लग्नगण्डान्तमध ऊर्ध्व घटीमितम् ॥ ४ ॥

4 : Half Ghatis astride the junction point (सान्धि) of signs Pisces Aries, Cancer - Leo and Scorpio - Sagittarius totally one Ghati is known as Lagna Gandanta (ending half Ghatis of the first sign and starting half Ghatis of the second sign in each case)

एषु चाभुक्तमूलाख्यां महाविघ्नप्रदं स्मृतम् ।
इन्द्रराक्षसयोः सन्धौ पञ्चाष्टघटिकाः क्रमात् ॥ ५ ॥

5 : Amongst these Ghandatas the ending five Ghatis of Jyeshta and Starting eight Ghatis of Moola Nakshatras are called Abukta Moola (अभुक्त मूल). This is reckoned as highly trouble giving period.

अथ गण्डान्तजातस्य शिशो: शान्तिविधिं ब्रुवे ।
गण्डान्तकालजातस्य सूतकान्त्यदिने पिता ॥ ६ ॥

शान्तिंशुभेऽहि वा कुर्यात् पश्येत् तावन्न तं शिशुम् ।
वृषभं तिथिगण्डान्ते नक्षत्रे धेनुमेव च ॥ ७ ॥

काञ्चनं लग्नगण्डान्ते दद्यात्तद्दोषशान्तये ।
आद्यभागे प्रजातस्य पितुश्चाप्यभिषेचनम् ॥ ८ ॥

द्वितीये तु शिशोर्मातुरभिषेकं च कारयेत् ।

6-8 : Now I will narrate the method of propitiation for the alleviation of the affliction to the birth of the Gandanta Nakshatra. The father of the child should see the child only after the end of Janma Shouchaka (जन्मशौच - the period of ten days after the birth) or any auspicious day after performing rituals of propitiation.

By giving charity of a bullock for the birth in Tithi Gandanta; a cow with calf in Nakshatra Gandanta and gold in Lagna Gandanta, will mitigate the evil effects. If birth took place in the first half part of the Gandanta, the Abhisheka (अभिषेक - bath) of the child be performed alongwith father and in case of birth being in the second half part of the Gandanta, it should be alongwith mother.

सुवर्णेन तदर्धेण यथावित्तं द्विजोत्तम ! ।
तिथिभेषादिरूपं च कृत्वा वस्त्रसमन्वितम् ॥ ९ ॥

उपचारैर्यथाशक्तिं कलशोपरि पूजयेत् ।
पूजान्ते समिदन्नाज्यैर्होमं कुर्याद्यथाविधि ॥ १० ॥

ब्राह्मणान् भोजयेत् पश्चादेवं दोषात्प्रमुच्यते ।
आयुरारोग्यमैश्वर्यं सम्प्राप्नोति दिने दिने ॥ ११ ॥

9-11: On making idol in gold of the lord (deity) of the Tithi (for birth in Tithi Gandanta) or of the Nakshatra lord (for birth in Nakshatra Gandanta) or of the Lagna lord (for birth in Lagna Gandanta) and of weight 16 or 8 or 4 Masas as one can afford and Pooja be performed on placing over Kalasha (कलश) as per the prescribed rituals and with complete devoutness. Towards the end of the Pooja, Havana (हवन) be performed with the pieces of wood, food grains and Ghee (घी) and finally on feeding Brahmins with devotion as many as one could afford, the evil effects get alleviated.