When Mercury is in his Ṛjvya course, mankind will be happy; when in his Ativakra course he will destroy wealth; when he is in his Vakra course there will be wars in the land; and when he is in his Vikala course mankind will be afflicted with fear and disease.
If Mercury should, after his conjunction with the Sun, reappear in the month of Āṣāḍha or Śrāvaṇa or Vaiśākha or Māgha, there will be fear in the land; but if he should be in his course in those months there will be happiness in the land.
कार्तिके अश्वयुजि वा यदि मासे दृश्यते तनुभवः शिशिरांशोः । शस्त्रचौरहुतभुग्गदतोयक्षुद्भयानि च तदा विदधाति ७-१८ ॥
If Mercury should so reappear in the month of Kārttika or Aśvayuja, there will be wars in the land and mankind will suffer from robbers, from fire, from disease, from flood and from hunger.
When Mercury should disappear, the chief towns in the land will be besieged by enemies, but when he reappears the siege will be raised. According to some writers, the latter occurs only when Mercury reappears as an evening star; and learned writers also say that the chief rulers will also get an accession of territories.
हेमकान्तिरथ वा शुकवर्णः सस्यकेन मणिना सदृशो वा । स्निग्धमूर्तिरलघुश्च हिताय व्यत्यये न शुभकृत्शशिपुत्रः ॥ ७-२० ॥
If Mercury should be of the colour of gold or of a parrot or if he should resemble the hue of the Sasyaka gem, or if his disc should appear glossy or big in size, mankind will be happy; but if otherwise, they will be afflicted with miseries.