12.3.

Other Bharatiya Daimonologies

508-525

12.3.0

Avis.t.ha-ces.t.ha-vidhi-parivarta

567

12.3.1

Bower MS

509-10

12.3.2

Is`ana-s`iva-guru-deva-paddhati 42

510-14

12.3.3

Madana-maha-arn.ava 40

514-22

12.3.4

Bhuta-s of Varan.asi

522-3

12.3.5

Spirit-Possession among the Divehi

523-5

12.3.0

Avis.t.ha-ces.t.ha-vidhi-parivarta

567

"the Avis.t.ha[-]ces.t.ha[-]vidhi[-]parivarta (ACVP), "Chapter on Instructions Regarding Behavior of the Possessed," appearing in the Mahayana-sutra-samgraha, Part 2, pp. 255-259 is taken from the Man~jus`ri[-]mulakalpa (MMK) ... . This ..., like the rest {residue} of of the MMK, is presented as a diaogue between S`akya[-]muni and Man~ju[-]s`ri Kumara[-]bhuta. The question Man~ju[-]s`ri poses to S`akya[-]muni concerns the behavior of people whose bodies have been possessed by other beings, including [by] ... divine beings, ... gandharvas, yaks.as, raks.asas, pis`acas, ... and so on ..., what kinds of ... symmptom of these [possessing-]beings are revealed by these [possessed] individuals ... . S`akya[-]muni then delivers a discourse ... describing the symptoms of auspiciousness in a person thus possessed by a deva. The second topic is ... attributing the peculiarities of speech in ... a yaks.a, mahoraga, kinnara, pis`aca, garud.a, and so on, ... in phonological detail."

12.3.1

Bower MS

509-10

p. 509

deva, naga, asura, maruta, garud.a, gandharva, kinnara (“horse-headed … under the control of Kubera”), maha-uraga, yaks.a (“protective spirit”), raks.asa, preta, pis`aca, bhuta (“ghost”), kumbha-an.d.a {substituted for /kus.ma-an.d.a/?}, putana (“foul-smelling”),

p. 510

kat.a-putana (Manu 12:71cd [p. 568, n. 12:149 : “a ks.atriya [spirit] that eats … corpses”]), skanda (“childsnatcher”), ud-mada (“madness”), chaya (“shadow spirit … causing nightmares”), apas-mara (“convulsions”), os-taraka {for /os.a-taraka/ 'combustion-crossing'? or else for /us.t.ra-kr.ti/ 's`arabha'?}

12.3.2

Is`ana-s`iva-guru-deva-paddhati 42

510-14

42.4-.5a

“The grahas reside in empty places, lakes, wells, mountains, gardens, rivers, individual trees in cremation grounds”.

42.5b-.8b

Graha-s occupy the bodies of “those who are … about to die; women who are naked … in the course of their menstrual period, ..., are afflicted by lust, ... who stand at a crossroads at sunrise or sunset, ... have just been oiled ["as in massage", cf. (supra p. 490) yaks.a-s "fond of ... massage"], or are disrespected.”

p.

42.

#

graha

traits

511

.9cd

1.

nis-teja

“keeps its eyes shut”

.10ab

2.

sura

“wears … a sweet-scented garland”

.10c-.11b

3.

a-sura

“fearless, … laughs at everyone, and has trembling limbs”

.11c-.12b

4.

naga

“longing for sugar [gula], … has red eyes”

.12c-.13b

5.

yaks.a

“moves quickly, and is deep [“in character” {i.e., in philosophical discourse}]”

.13cd

6.

gandharva

“playful and fond of … fragrances, song”

.14ab

7.

raks.asa

“is shameless, is fond of ... meat, and blood”

512

.14cd

8.

pitr.

“performs ancestral offerings of … sesame”

.15ab

9.

hed.hra-ga

“stands on his knees, keeps his head down, smiles, and holds his hands in a fist”

.15c-.16b

10.

bhasma

“speaks haltingly, has cold limbs, holds the eyes askance, … has a big appetite”

.16c-.17b

11.

yoni-ja

“has … the scent of a sheep”

.17c-.18b

12.

kas`mala

“sleeps … laughing and wailing, hates women, and always terrifies others while eating”

.18c-.19b

13.

pralapa

“has desiccated limbs that are prone to injury”

.19cd

14.

vainayaka

“hisses [or “whistling” (p. 568, p. 12:154)], … and grinds his teeth”

.20

15.

kus`a

“lives in solitude, has pale limbs, … is nourished on unheated food, and does not speak”

.21

16.

antya-ja

“is smeared with excrement …, … and has shaky limbs”

.22ab

17.

pis`aca

“speaks exceedingly harshly”

.22c-.23b

18.

bhuta

“can imitate anyone, … and becomes transformed in order to climb trees”

42.

caste

traits

.26

brahma

“constantly offers sacrifice to gods”

.27

ks.atriya

“moves quickly, leaps about”

.28ab

vanij (vais`ya)

“rubs himself, and shouts”

.28c-.29b

vr.s.ala (s`udra)

“speaks out what should not be spoken, dances, … dines on f[a]eces and urine”

12.3.3

Madana-maha-arn.ava 40

514-22

p. 514

“The Madana[-]maha[-a]rn.ava …, written by Vis`es`vara Bhat.t.a in the fourteenth century, is one of the two most important works of a … genre that falls between Ayurveda and dharma[-]s`astra known as karma[-]vipaka (the fruition of karma). … The remedies for these conditions consist of ritual expiation (prayas`citta) rather than medicinal preparations … . The fortieth and last chapter (taranga) … describes symptoms of possession by thirty-one different grahas, all the result of of ill-begotten past karma … . …

p. 516

The fortieth taranga … consists largely of a prose commentary on material from two earlier karmavipaka works …, the Karmavipaka[-]sangraha and the Karmavipaka[-]samuccaya. … The graha … is transferred into the offering material used in a small localized sacrificial offering called bali. This recommended bali consists of offerings of fragrant red flowers …, placed in a new brass pot (kamsya[-]patra, bell-metal), ... at a crossroads (catus.pathe). ... This graha possesses a man who eats leftover food [cf. pis`aca-s "fond of leftovers" (supra p. 496)]”.

p.

#

graha

traits

517

1.

praja ('offspring')

“eats leftover food”

2.

jvara ('fever')

“a man who has sex with a can.d.ali”

3.

aikahikadi jvara ('ephemeral fever')

“is unkind or injurious to animals”

4.

pratun.d.a (snouted)

“[whlle] in a state of ritual impurity, touches … the image of a deity”

5.

kamila ('lustful')

“eats … without having washed his feet”

6.

kala-nayaka

('time-lord')

“does not properly perform sacrifice tol the planetary deities when the ... planets are in ... ("inauspicious") houses of the horoscope”

7.

pitr. ('ancestral')

“causes pain or sorrow for another”

8.

lokayata ('materialist')

“urinates or defecates on an auspicious tree in a temple compound”

9.

apastamba

[at a feast “takes for himself the best plate and consumes special food” ( p. 519)]

10.

vr.tra

“a man who has slept with another man's wife”

11.

maha-jvara ('great fever')

“a man who has sex with a woman while she is having her menstrual period”

12.

kumbhaka ('pot-bellied')

“a man who has sex with [a tribal] (antyaja)”

13.

kapila ['brown']

“spits on a sacred fire”

518

14.

s`iva-pada ('S`iva's foot')

“denounces or acts arrogantly toward his mother, father, … or guru”

15.

urdhva-kes`i ('vertical-haired')

“takes other people's possessions”

16.

vis.t.ambha ('fixing')

“are totally confused in their judgement”

17.

maha-jihva ('great-tongued')

“steps on a mortar and pestle”

18.

nava ('new')

“a man who has sex with the wife of … a guru, or a master”

19.

vasava ['excellency']

“kills or beats a snake”

20.

vayasa ('crow')

“defecates … in gardens of temples”

21.

ks.etra-pala ('field-protector')

“disparages gods (devata[-]nindana-)”

22.

a-cala ('immobile')

“acts friendly with a helper …, but then refuses to reciprocate”

23.

hasti-pada ('elephant's foot')

“consumes substances meant for a deity”

24.

karn.a ('ear')

“consumes temple property”

25.

dhana ('wealth')

“a man who has sex with the pregnant wife of an scetic, ... or [of] an employer”

26.

ava-tola ('down-weighted')

“sells prohibited substances”

27.

kr.s`a ('emaciated')

“eats during an eclipse of the sun or moon”

28.

skanda ['spurt']

“bringing a child already possessed by a childsnatcher (balagrahayutam)”

29.

skanda-apasmara ('Skanda's forgetfulness')

“urinates or defecates into fire”

518-9

30.

s`isu ('infant')

“show[s] disrespect toward … nobility …, or holy places”

519

31.

mes.a ('sheep')

“throws sacred ash on a child possessed by a balagraha”

p.

#

affliction

expiation

519

4.

“The victim of a pratun.d.a-graha suffers from … paralysis on one side.

He liberates himself from this graha by performing the candrayan.a kr.cchra [cf. HDh IV:134 sq] ..., and giving away (... to brahmans) as much gold as he can afford."

6.

“The victim of a kala[-]nayaka[-]graha suffers from sudden dryness in the mouth … .

To alleviate this condition and exorcise this graha, one should offer … sugar, ghee, and honey – along with mango sprouts … while chanting the jatavedasa mantra (R.V 1.99). He should also offer as bali scented red flowers”.

9.

“The apastamba[-]graha … is capable of afflicting … with consumption.

The afflicted person can turn back this … by … making an offering (balidana) at a crossroads … . This … is … the Taittiriya s`akha”.

520

10.

“The victim of a vr.tra[-]graha … suffers from dryness of the buttocks … .

{Vr.tra causeth a drought of dryness. Cf. also the “small-buttocked” Theseus (GM 103.d).} As exorcistic expiation, he must perform the prajapatya fast, offer a homa of black sesame seeds with the gayatri mantra".

12.

“The victim of a kumbhaka[-]graha suffers from … asthma.

The exorcism consists of … offerings of cooked rice with ghee (caru[-]sars.ipi) {mustard (sars.apa)?} … while reciting the Purus.a-sukta”.

521

24.

“a karn.a[-]graha possesses … causing sudden deafness, a freezing of the tongue … .

The antidote is ... R.V (6.24) … . ...The balidana to be offered to the graha consists of … yoghurt, and (probably) onion (kanda). This should be all be placed at a crossroad with a banner”.

26.

“debilities produced by avatola[-]graha include … aching limbs … .

“three-step exorcism is … recitations of the Vis.n.u- … suktas, performance of the kus.man.d.a[-]homa, ... bathing an image of a deity ..., and recitation of ... R.V 4.31.1"

30.

“s`is`u[-]graha afflicts its victim with … eczema (asyas`os`i), and shaking of the hands and feet. …

The victim will achieve peace if he offers as bali … chicken, lamb, and … red cloth on a banyan root (vat.a[-]mule)”

12.3.4

Bhuta-s of Varan.asi

522-3

p.

#

pis`aca

522

1.

“cur.ail, a bloodsucking witch with feet turned backward, found in bamboo groves, bel trees (Skt. bilva [wood-apple …]), or banana trees.”

2.

“savat or spirit of a deceased first wife, hence the rival of a second, who attacks the latter”.

3.

“daitya, a nocturnal spirit that dwells in a pipal tree”.

4.

“brahma, or spirit … who dies an unnatural or untimely death (a[-]kala[-]mr.tyu)”.

5.

“ham.d.ikas` brahma, the spirit of an unwanted newborn that is kept in a basket (ham.d.i) and buried”.

6.

“budnua [p. 570, n. 12:173 : “possibly from bur.na”], the spirit of one who has drowned and attacks an individual who comes to bathe in that pond”.

522-3

7.

“jin or jinnad, a Muslim spirit who resides in a palm … tree or in a graveyard near a mosque”.

523

8.

“s`ahid, or Muslim martyr”.

9.

“bhavani, an unmarried female who dies an unnatural death, then troubles children and … family members if she is not properly worshipped”.

10.

“maru [p. 570, n. 12:174 : “possibly marua”], the spirit of a person killed because of the wrath of the goddess”.

11.

“d.ih, a minor spirit … . [p. 570, n. 12:175 : “The word d.ih refers to a mound on which its shrine is situated.”] The offering of choice to a d.ih is gan~ja (cannabis), promised to it after a cure if enacted.”

12.3.5

Spirit-Possession among the Divehi

523-5

p. 523

“The Divehi are an indigenous people of the Maldive islands … . … Within... Divehi … bhuta … varieties … are

(1)

devi (< Skt. devi), “a generic name for … female … deities”;

(2)

hand.i (< Skt. … Can.d.i), “... smaller ones; … female; one may fly through the air or along the ground; … may make a sound like a tongue click ...”;

(3)

fureta (< Skt. preta), “... male or female; esp. an apparition of light over the ocean at night; … may walk with a shroud”;

(4)

fereta (< Skt. preta), “lights on the sea; like a ship full of lights; … may have an eye of the top of … head, so … has to bend forward to see; may catch people ...”;

(5)

hamund.i (< Skt. … Camun.d.i), which “... disturbs domestic fowl; may be seen as a hen with chicks about it”;

(6)

buddevi (< Skt. bhudevi), “a devi of a budu (idol)”;

(7)

deyo, diyo {< Skt. /Daya/ ('Sympathy' goddess)}, “a spiritual queen ...”;

(8)

kanda hand.i …, “a female; … makes sexual dreams and shows [sexual] intercourse; it may have children by men ...”;

(9)

avat.eri {< Skt. /a-vartra/ 'unimpeded' (R.V 6:12:3)}, “a kind of hand.i that lives in the jungle; female; she has long hair and; if people leave out supplies

p. 524

in the kitchen at night she will grind the condiments, scrape the coconut, … and fix the fire”;

(10)

furana (< Skt. puran.a {'antiquity'}), a “ghost of the {antique} dead”; and

(11)

ravo (< Skt. Ravan.a {or more likely /Ravi/}), “... causes disease to children ...”.