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262
Thus arose the Vidyadharas. We may refer the readers to p. 176 ante for an account of some Vidyadharas who flourished about the time of Sri Mahavīra.
Most of the stories comprised in Vasudevahindi relate to Vidyadharas and their achievements through the employment of Vidyas which are nearly forty in numbers. Mahājwālā is described there as the most powerful Vidya being counter to all other Vidyās. An interesting account of Sadhana of Mahājwālā and other Vidyas involving worship of Sañjayanta and Dharmendra appears at p. 318 et seq. Vasudevahindi Pt. II. The reader interested in them may refer to them himself. What is comparatively of greater importance for our purpose is the enumeration of a number of Vidyas in one of the most ancient Anga viz. Sūyagadangasūtra, II Sruta Skandha, Adh. 2, Sūtra 30 թ. 318
SUTRAKṚTANGA-VIDYĀS
INTRODUCTION
The said Sutra calls those who employ Vidyas for the purpose of getting food, drink, clothing, bedding, house or any other object of enjoyment, non-Aryans and misguided and states that such persons would after their death become demons or pariahs amongst gods and would thereafter be reborn quite dumb and blind as a result of such misuse of Vidyās. It is clear that what the passage condemns is the employment of Vidyas out of selfish motives. The Vidyas are therein classed amongst Papaśruta i. e. sinful or evil learning
About forty Vidyas are enumerated in the said Sutra of which twenty eight are Vidyās proper and the remaining twelve are meant for astrological predictions. They are explained in the commentary on the said Sūtra. The famous Tantric Şaṭkarmas and many other objects are said to be achieved by these Vidyas. One of the Vidyas Atharvani-apparently connected with Atharvaveda-is said to cause injury to another at once. This would support what we have stated before that Tantra and Mantra
shall in any way offend a Sadhu (ii) nor offend or do injury to a person who has taken refuge in a Jain temple (iii) nor abduct a woman against her will and that if any one transgressed these rules he would lose his Vidyās. P. 227 Vasudevahindi Pt. II.
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