Left and right

[Stefan Baums]

PS. Monier Williams s.v. vāma³ notes:

    the quivering of the left eye or arm is supposed to be a good
    omen in women and of the left arm a bad omen in men

which reminds me that

    Hermann Diels, 1908. Beiträge zur Zuckungsliteratur des
    Okzidents und Orients, II: Weitere griechische und
    außergriechische Literatur und Volksüberlieferung. Berlin:
    Verlag der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften.
    (Abhandlungen der Königlich Preußischen Akademie der
    Wissenschaften, Jahrgang 1908, philosophisch‐historische
    Classe.)

talks a bit about that aspect (Pischel provided the Indian
references). There are several twitches in Kālidāsas Śakuntalā,
including her right eye, which in context and contrary to MW seems
to be a good omen...

S.

-- 
Stefan Baums
Asian Languages and Literature
University of Washington