‘shakun’ ka arth hai shubh-ashubh fal ki purva suchna dene vale prakritik sanket. kisi karya ka shri ganesh karte samay jin prakritik sanketon ko dekhne ya sunne se jatak ka karya sugmta purvak safal ho jata hai use ‘shubh shakun’ ya ‘sagun’ tatha jinke dekhne sunne ke bad karya men avrodh ata hai aur ant men asflta milti hai use ‘ashubh shakun’ ya ‘asgun’ kahte hain. shakun bhavishya ke bare men suchna dete hain, atah unka manushya ke jivan men vishesh mahatva hai. acharya varahmihir ne apne granth ‘brihat sanhita’’ men shakunon ka adhar jatak ke purva janm ke shubh-ashubh karmon ko (a. 85.5) bataya hai. anya janmantar kritan karm punsan shubhashubham.
yattasya shakunah pakan nivedyti gachchtam. arthat ‘‘shakun batate hain ki jatak ke purvajanm ke shubh-ashubh karmon ke falasvarup usko kaisa fal prapt hone vala hai. lagabhag sabhi hindu granthon men shakun vichar ka ullekh milta hai, jinmen mahabharat, balmiki ramayan, shrimadbhagavat, shri ramchritmanas tatha puran mukhya hain. ‘brahmavaivart puran’ (shri krishn janmakhand a. 70) ke anusar kans ke agyanusar shri krishn aur balram ko mathura lane ke lie nandganv jate samay akrur ji ke samne ghatit shakunon ka varnan bhagvan narayan ne svayan narad ji se kiya tha, jo apne men paripurn hai.
shri narayan kahte hain:- ‘‘narad ! raste men unhen shubhdayak, manovanchit fal dene vala ramniya tatha mangl-suchak rasmandal tatha shubh shakun drishtigochar hue. bayin or unhen siyarin, bhara ghara, nevla, nilkanth, murda, divya abhushnon se vibhushit, pati-putravti sadhvi stri, shvet pushp, shvet mala, aur shvet dhanya ke shubh darshan hue. dahini or unhonne jalti ag, brahman, vrishabh, hathi, bachre sahit gay, shvet ashva, rajhans, veshya, pushpamala, pataka, dahi, khir, mani, svarn, chandi, mukta, manikya, chandan, madhu, ghi, mrig, fal, sarson, darpan, vichitra viman, sundar diptamayi pratima, shvet kamal, shankh, chil, chakor, bilav, parvat, badal, mor, tota aur saras ke darshan kiye tatha shankh, koyal evan vadyon ki manglmyi dhvani suni.
shri krishn mahima ke vichitra gan, hari kirtan aur jay-jaykar ke shabd bhi unke kan men pare. aise shubh shakun dekh-sunakar akrur ji ka hriday harsh se khil utha.’’ shakun ke vishay men gosvami tulsidas ji ne apne vichar ‘dohavli’ (460, 461) mane is prakar vyakt kiye hainah- nakul sudarshan darsni kshemkri chak chash. das disi dekhat sagun shubh pujhin man abhilash.. sudha sadhu surtru suman, sufal suhavni bat. ‘tulsi’ sitapti bhagti, sagun sumangal sat.. arthat ‘‘nevla, machli, darpan, kshemkri chiriya (safed munhvali chil), chakva aur nilkanth- inhen dash dishaon men kahin bhi dekhna shubh shakun hai, aur man ki abhilashaen puri hoti hain.
tulsidas ji age kahte hain, ‘‘amrit, sadhu, kalpavriksh, sundar pushp, sundar fal, suhavni bat aur shri sitaramji ki bhagti (gungan), ye sat manglkari shakun hain.’’ garur puran (a. 46) ke anusar yadi yatra men dahini or harin, sanp, bandar, bilav, kutta, suar, nilkanth pakshi, nevla tatha chuha dikhai de to yatra manglkari hoti hai. yatra men brahman ki kanya ka darshan hona shubh suchak hai tatha shankh aur mridang ki avaj sunna evan sadachari shrimant vyakti ka darshan ho jana, venu, sadhvi stri, jal se bhara kalash dikhai dena kalyan prapti ka suchak hai. yatra men bayin or shrrigal, unt aur gadha adi ka dikhai dena manglkari hota hai.
parantu yatra men kapas, aushdhi, tel, dahkte angare, sarp, bal bikhere, lal mala pahne aur nagn avastha men kisi vyakti ka dikhai dena, amanglkari hota hai. chink vichar garur puran ke anusar vibhinn dishaon men chink sunai dene ka fal is prakar hai:
- purva disha- shubh fal prapti - agni kon
- shok aur santap dakshin disha - hani - nairritya kon
- shok aur santap pashchim disha - mishtanna ki prapti vayavya kon
- dhan ki prapti uttar disha - kalah ishan kon
- maran ke saman kasht apshkun parihar ‘prashn marga’ granth ke anusar: ekadshadimenisht dvitiya shakune punah pranayamaah shodash syustritiye tu n ch bajet.. (a. 3.29) arthat, ‘‘apshkun hoene par jatak ko karya sthagit kar, hath-pair dhokar, 11 bar pranayam kar punah karya aranbh karna chahie. agar dubara apshkun ho to punah shuddh hokar 16 bar pranayam karke fir prayas karna chahie. yadi tisri bar bhi apshkun ho to us din us karya ko nahin karna chahie.