184 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
wrong means of livelihood by low arts, such as soothsaying to the effect that:
The chiefs will march out. The home chiefs will attack, and the enemies retreat. The enemies’ chiefs will attack, and ours will retreat. The home chiefs will gain the victory, and ours will suffer defeat. The foreign chiefs will gain the victory on this side, and ours will suffer defeat. Thus will there be victory on this side, defeat on that. Gotama the recluse holds aloof from such low arts.”
- Or he might say: “Whereas some recluses and Brahmans, while living on food provided by the faithful, earn their living by wrong means of livelihood, by such low arts as foretelling:
(1) There will be an eclipse of the Moon.
(2) There wilt be an eclipse of the Sun.
(3) There will be an eclipse of a Star (Nakshatra).
(4) There will be aberration of the Sun or the Moon.
(5) The Sun or the Moon will return to its usual path.
(6) There will be aberrations of the Stars.
(7) The Stars will return to their usual course.
(8) There will be a fall of meteors.
(9) There will be a jungle fire.
(10) There will be an earthquake.
(11) The God will thunder.
(12-15) There will be rising and setting, clearness and dimness of the Sun or the Moon or the stars, or foretelling of each of these fifteen phenomena that they will betoken such and such a result.” Gotama the recluse holds aloof from such low arts.
- Or he might say: “Whereas some recluses and Brahmans, while living on food provided by the faithful, earn their living by wrong means of the livelihood, by low arts, such as these:
Foretelling an abundant rainfall. Foretelling a deficient rainfall. Foretelling a good harvest. Foretelling scarcity of food. Foretelling tranquility. Foretelling disturbances. Foretelling a pestilence. Foretelling a healthy season. Counting on the fingers. Counting without using the fingers. Summing up large totals.