12.2.5

Bhuta-Vidya Sections of Samhita-s

487-97

6.9.20. (pp. 488-9)

6.9.21. (p. 490)

qualities of possessee

possessing-entities

behaviour of possessee

tithi-s of possession

.20.1 (p. 488) "sweet scent"

deva-s

.21.1 "scriptural study"

1st & 13th

.20.2 (p. 489) abhi-dhyana 'subtle intention'

guru, vr.ddha, siddha, or r.s.i

.21.2 "bathing"

6th & 9th

.20.3 "gaze is unfavorable"

pitr.

.21.3 "service of his mother, father"

10th & new moon

.20.4 "enjoys wind instruments" (mukha-vadya)

gandharva

.21.4 "fond of perfumes"

12 & 14th

.20.5 "is fond of ... song ..., and divulges secrets"

yaks.a

.21.5 "fond of ... massage"

7th & 11th

.20.6 "whose sleep is disturbed"

raks.asa

--

--

.20.7 "laughter and dance, ... and self-flagellation"

brahma-raks.asa

.21.6 "playing games in temple waters"

5th & full moon

.20.8 "walking on ... grass, ... and who is naked"

pis`aca

.21.7 "lusts after women"

2nd, 3rd, & 8th

6.60.8-16 (pp. 491-2)

6.60.17-18 (p. 492)

qualities of possessee

possessing-entities

tithi-s of possession

.8 (p. 491) "has the proper scent"

deva

full moon

.9 "is sweaty"

deva-s`atru

dawn & dusk

.10 "frequents sandy river banks"

gandha-rva

8th

.11 "eyes are coppery"

yaks.a

1st

.12 "desires and eats ... sesame"

pitr.

5th of waning

.13 (p. 492) "desires ... honey, and milk"

bhuj-anga

" " "

.14 "immensely strong"

raks.as

night

.15 "whose hand is raised"

pis`aca

14th

.16 "whose eyes are dull and gait is fast"

graha

--

6.4.

.6-8

p. 494 [indications of being obsessed by one of the 18 varieties of Bhuta :]

"residing alone in an empty house, or

spending the nights in burning grounds {crematories} ...,

public nudity".

.9-43

.9-12 (p. 494)

.13-43 (pp. 494-7)

tithi-s

qualities of possessee

entities

.9 1st & 13th

.13-15 (p. 494) "enjoys dwelling ... on high peaks, ... does not sleep" {cf. unsleeping buddha}

sura/ deva

12th waning

.16-17 (p. 495) "goes around saying, "I am Rudra, Skanda, Vis`akha""

danava/ daitya

.10 14th

.18-19b "engages in song and dance"

gandha-rva

12th & 5th

.19c-21b "likes milk, ... and ... sleeps face down ..., being fearful of sunlight"

ura-ga

7th & 11th

.21c-24b "tells secrets and mocks physicians ..., ... and has a swift gait"

yaks.a

.11 5th & 8th

.24c-26b "fond of laughter and dancing, ... beats himself with sticks and knives, ... addresses others with the respectful term bhoh."

brahma-raks.asa

9th & 12th of waning

.26c-29 (p. 496) "laughs at mealtime"

raks.as/ raks.asa

" " " " "

.30-34b "fond of leftovers, ... scratches himself with his nails" [p. 564, n. 12:93 : "mounts on a wooden horse"]

pis`aca

.12 10th

.34c-35b [p. 564, n. 12:94 : "holes in the grass" {for golf?}] [cf. "walking on ... grass", ascribed instead to Pis`aca-s (in Caraka Samhita 6:9:20:8)]

preta

--

.35c-36b "is late wherever he goes"

kus.ma-an.d.a

--

.36c-38 "haunting ... lonely roads, or places with a single tree"

nis.ada

--

.39 "begs for water and food"

aukiran.a

--

.40 "speaks the truth, shakes, and sleeps a lot"

vetala

--

.41-42 (p. 497) "is fond of sesame [cf. Su-s`ruta Samhita 6:60:12] ..., and ... stammers"

pitr.-graha

.12 8th & 9th

.43 "may describe his own speech, diet, and movements in terms of that graha" {This may be true spirit-possession, with the spirit speaking through the mouth of the possessee.}

guru, vr.ddha, r.s.i, & siddha

12.2.6

Psychodynamics of Bhuta-s

497-508

p. 497

[quoted (for criticism) from Weiss 1977, p. 183 :] "In the deva and guru et al. types, hyperpious ... symptomology are characteristic suggesting ... preoccupation with cultural values".

{In critizing diagnosis of the case as "preoccupation with cultural values" (p. 497), to assert that this "misstates, ignores, or downplays its cultural locus and significance" (p. 498) is itself a misstatement and a downplaying. More to the point would be to note that in stigmatizing "preoccupation with cultural values", those psychiatrists, [whether European or Bharatiya] are permitting only a cultural hypocrisy which despiseth cultural values ideologically, while upholding them (quite meticulously) in actual practice! This unremitting and uncompromising hypocrisy is thoroughly typical of capitalism and of modern, mainline state-sponsored "Christianity". The author [F.H.S.]'s neglect (to notice that the point at issue is actually official, state-sponsored hypocrisy) must be due either to carelessness or to squeamishness in reluctance to criticize brute capitalism's state-authority. [written Apr 3rd 2014]}

p. 498

[comment by the author F.M.S. on Weiss :] "to label this particular set of psychodynamics ... misstates, ignores, or downplays its cultural locus and significance ... .

Similarly, such preemptive classification ignores complementary passages in the ayurvedic texts that describe equivalent personality types not regarded as a product of possession."

[supra p. 478 Abhinavagupta's defiance of state-sponsored praetensefulness of caste and social standing is mentioned. {These high-caste (high social standing) types are the ones who are [in collusion with their government] forcibly imposing hypocrisies on the general populace.}]

p. 497

"These observation [by Weiss] ... fail to consider ..., especially for the deva and guru types ..., possession as devotional practice."

p.

#

sattva

qualities

498

1.

brahma

"passionlessness, tolerance"

2.

ars.a

"keeping vows and are hospitable"

499

3.

aindra

"generous, virtuous"

4.

yamya

"economical in action, self-motivated"

5.

varun.a

"fond of water, and proper in exhibition"

6.

kaubera

"philanthropy ..., and recreation"

7.

gandha-rva

"fond of song and dance, poetry and epic narration, scents, garlands"

"The descriptions of grahas and sattvas, possessing entities and personality types, are noteworthy because of their close resemblance. ... The identification of these sattvas as independently or exogenously materialized grahas, ... is a kind of cultural phenomenology that ... harks back to ... the vedic Brahman.as and Upanis.ads."

"With respect to exorcism (bgegs-bzlog-chog), ... the standard Mahayana position ... that these demons do not "really" exist ... is mediated through ... ritual procedures, ... as

{There distinguishing feature of the Bauddha religion is that mortals do not exist, because they can be described as composites of skandha-s. Because no parallel decomposition of an immortal deity would seem ever to be proposed, the implication is that the deities can be regarded as more existent than mere mortals.}

the ritual officiant "has compassion for ghosts and wishes to liberate them"".

{Apparently, it is the admission of non-existence of the self (by living mortals) that is capable of such "compassion" on those dead mortals who have not succeeded in dissociating their own skandha-s.}

Among "The ... bgegs ... malignant spirits (gDon) ... are "rulers of plantary forces" (gza-yi gdon), comparable to the grahas that are the possessing energies of the planets in Indian astrology.

These ... require therapy in the form of mantra, meditation, and ritual (daiva[-]vyapas`raya[-]cikitsa)."

{"Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." (Matthaios 17:21)} {"This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." (Markos 9:27-29)}

"Chapters 77-79 of the [r]Gyu[d]-[b]zhi describe three types of possessing entities.

Chapter 77 contains a list of eighteen "elemental spirits" (>byung-po>i gdon)".

p.

Samskr.ta

Bodish translation

504

deva

lHa

gandha-rva

Dri-za (scent-eaters)

505

raks.asa

sRin-po (cannibals)

pis`aca

S`a-za (flesh-eaters)

aukiran.a

Yen-ched ("mental agitators")

vetala

Ro-lans (zombies)

pitr.

mTshun-lha (ancestor-gods)

siddha

Grub-pa ("magical emanation")

"emotions generated through possession ... are identified by theoreticians from Bharata to Abhinavagupta to bhakti philosophers, such as Vallabhacarya and Rupa Gosvami".