https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Pancha_Pakshi_ShastraPancha Pakshi Shastra - Revision history2026-08-20T12:30:57ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pancha_Pakshi_Shastra&diff=389019&oldid=prevAjay Kumar: Add new article2023-07-04T06:22:03Z<p>Add new article</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>'''Pancha Pakshi Shastra''' ([[IAST]]: ''Pañca-pakṣi-śāstra'', "science of the five birds") is a system of [[ornithomancy|divination]] historically popular among [[Hindu astrology|Hindu astrologers]] of southern India.<ref name="PVJA"/><br />
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In this system, the ''[[nakshatra]]s'' (lunar mansions) are organized in groups named after five birds: [[hawk]], [[owl]], [[crow]], [[Chicken|cock]], and [[peacock]]. These birds are said to be in one of the following five states depending on the time, the day of the week, and the [[paksha]] (fortnight): ruling, eating, walking, sleeping, and dying (in order of most [[luck|auspicious]] to least auspicious). Based on these states and the birth ''nakshatra'' of a person, the Pancha Pakshi Shastra determines the auspicious and inauspicious times for various activities.<ref name="PVJA">{{cite book |author=P. V. Jagadisa Ayyar |title=South Indian Customs |year=2001 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=9788120601536 |pages=100–102 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5hBvZY7SxeEC }}</ref><br />
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A [[Sanskrit]]-language work on Pancha Pakshi Shastra is ascribed to the legendary sage [[Agastya]]. Its manuscripts, in [[Telugu script|Telugu]] and [[Grantha script|Grantha]] scripts, are available at the [[Saraswathi Mahal Library|Thanjavur Palace library]]. A critical edition of the text, by Shivarama Pati, was published in 1906 under the title ''Pañca-pakṣi-praśna''. [[Tamil language]] versions of this text also exist.<ref>{{cite book |editor=David Pingree |editor-link=David Pingree |title=Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit Series A |volume=1 |publisher=American Philosophical Society |year=1970 |page=35 |url=https://archive.org/details/PingreeCESS/Pingree_CESS_A1_1970/ }}</ref> For example, the Government Oriental Manuscripts Library (GOML) in [[Chennai]] has a manuscript titled ''Ahattiyar-pañca-pakṣi-sūttira''.<ref name="CESS2">{{cite book |editor=David Pingree |editor-link=David Pingree |title=Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit Series A |volume=2 |publisher=American Philosophical Society |year=1971 |pages=11, 51, 80 |url=https://archive.org/details/PingreeCESS/Pingree_CESS_A1_1970/ }}</ref><br />
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Other historical texts on the topic include ''Pañca-pakṣi'' or ''Pakṣi-jyotiṣa'' of Krishna (Kṛṣṇa), ''Pañca-pakṣi-prakaśa'' of Gangadhara,<ref name="CESS2"/> and ''Pañca-pakṣi-śakunāvalī'' of Narayana Bhatta<ref>{{cite book |editor=David Pingree |editor-link=David Pingree |title=Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit Series A |volume=3 |publisher=American Philosophical Society |year=1976 |page=155 |url=https://archive.org/details/PingreeCESS/Pingree_CESS_A1_1970/ }}</ref><br />
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== References ==<br />
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{{India-stub}}<br />
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[[Category:Hindu astrology]]<br />
[[Category:Birds in mythology]]</div>Ajay Kumar