Indian Antiquary Vol 23

SR No.: 032515
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 412
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[AUGUST, 1894.
4. Of a tree (tam-shing (khram-shing)].
5. Figures of the mystic Eight Parkha and the Nine Mewa. The whole arrangement is fixed to the outside of the house above the door; the object of the figures of a man, wife and house being to deceive the demons, should they still come in spite of this offering, and to mislead them into the belief that the foregoing pictures are the inmates of the house, so that they may wreak their wrath on the bits of wood and so save the real human occupants ! 11
When all is ready and fixed, the Lama turns to the south-west and chants :
"O! O! ki! l! Through the nine series of earths you are known as Old Mother Khön-ma, the mother of all the Sa-dak-po. You are the guardian of the earth's doors. The dainty things which you especially desire we herewith offer, viz., & conch-white skull of a ram, on whose right cheek the sun is shining like burnished gold, and on whose left cheek the moon gleams dimly like a conch-shell. Whose forehead bears the sign of Kbön, and the whole of which is adorned with every sort of silk, wool and colour and precious sabstances. To which is also given the spell of Khön (here the LÂma breathes upon it). All these good things are here offered to you, so please close the open doors of the earth to the family which here has offered you these things, and do not let your servant Sa-thel-ngag-po and the rest of the earth spirits do harm to this family. By this offering let all the doors of the earth be shut. O! O! lei! ki / Do not let your servants injure us when we build a house or repair this one, nor when we are engaged in marriage matters, and let everything happen to this family according to their wishes. Do not be angry with us, but do ns the favours we ask.
Om kharal dok ! 12 Om khamrhil dok ! Ben-neu swáhá !"
8. The Demons of the Sky. The local demons of the sky are under the control of the grandfather of the three worlds, Old Father Khen-pa, who is an old man with snow-white hair, dressed in white, riding on the white dog of the sky, and carrying in his hand a crystal wand. He is the owner of the sky.
The ceremony called nam-go, or the closing of the doors of the sky,' so frequently prescribed by the Tsi-pa Lamas, is addressed to him. An arrangement of masts, threads, images, etc., exactly similar to that used in the sa-gô ceremony above-noted, is constructed, the only differences being that a dog's skull is used, 13 which is directed upwards towards the sky, and that the sign of the parkha painted on the forehead is that of Khen in blue. The ceremony is the same as before, Parkha except in its introduction and in the names of the chief servants :
of Khen. "O! O! we turn towards the Western eun, to the celestial mansion where the sky is of turquoise, to the grandfather of the three worlds, Old Khen-pa, the owner of the sky. Pray cause your servant, the white Nam-tel, to work for our benefit, and send the great planet Pemba (Saturn) as a friendly messenger, etc., etc."
7. Prevention of injury by the Eight Classes of Demons. Om-swa-ti is the ceremony of warding off the injuries of the eight classes of demons. First of all offerings of blood, milk, curdled milk, tea, beer, and clean water, are prepared
11 (May not this ceremony, however, be merely an instance of sympathetie magicp-ED.]
12 The meaning of the dok' is 'let all evils be annihilated !' As the first two lines are repeated, the hands are clapped.
11 The dog was especially associated with the analogous Lares worship of the Romans.