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210
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[August, 1894.
A second figure of human shape, but with an ape's head, is placed behind the tiger, as a driver.
Out of a piece of father' tree26 is shaped a label :
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This is inscribed with an order to take away the Eating Demon, and planted in the shoulder of the bird-faced 27 figure. A similar label made out of a 'son' tree 29 is inscribed with another spell,29 and planted in the shoulder of the tiger-riding figure, i. e., of the death-demon himself. A geometrical figure called nam-jang nak-po, and four arrows of wood with red painted shafts, called mdah khra, are placed on each shoulder of the tiger riding demon and of the bird-faced figure.
Round these figures are strewn morsels of every kind of eatable, -grains, fruits, spices, including raw meat and spirits. Also a few small coins of silver and copper.
Weapons are then enchanted for the coming conflict with the Death-Demon - pieces of iron, copper, small stones preferably white and black in colour, grains, and rampu30 roots, for the use of the Lamas. And for the lay army of the household and neighbours, a sword, knives, rea ping hook, ayak's tail, a rope of yak's hair with a hook at end of it.
When all the preparations are completed and the sun has set for demons can only move in the darkness - the ceremony begins. The head Lama invokes his tutelary deity to assist in the expulsion of the death-demon, chanting the following spell, which is locally supposed to be in Sanskrit:
Om ! dudtri maraya srogla bhyo ! bhyo ! Raja dudtri mârayâ srogla bhyo ! bhyo ! Nagpo dudtri maraya Brogla bhyo ! bhyo!
Yama dudtri mirayê srogla bhyo! bhyo!' Immediately on concluding this spell, the Lâma with an imprecatory gesture blows his breath, spiritualized by his tutelary deity, upon the images, while the other Lamas loudly beat a large drum and cymbals and a pair of) kang-ling thigh-bone trumpets, whereupon the laymen present, armed with the aforementioned weapons, loudly shout and wildly beat the air with their Weapons.
When silence is restored the Lama chants the following:
“Hung! Hear ye eighty thousand demons 131 In olden time, in the country of India, King Chakra32 was taken ill, being attacked by all the host of gods, devils, eating-demons, and accident-causing33 demons. But learned and revered Mañjúśri, by performing the following worship, defeated the devils and cured the king. With the five precious things he made a shapely image of the eating-demon, and on it planted nam-mkha rgyang-bu, mdah-khrn and phang-khra, and, writing on slips of wood the gyrr-yik spells, he stuck them into the demon's image, and he heaped round it the nine sorts of eatables, as a ransom from the house-holder, the dispenser of the gifts, and he said :--Now O devil, the sun has gone. Your time, too, for going has arrived in the black darkness, and the road is good. Begone! Begone to the country of our enemies and work your wicked will there! Quickly begone! Jump! Turn about!' And thus the devil was turned away and the king was cured. Again in the Indra 26 pho shing might possibly be intended for 'bamboo.'
1. Za hdre dgrs phyoge su-kha sgyur ro. * pu shing. 29 za hdre kha sgyur ro.
9 Sweet calamus. 11 bgage. * Ildor lo-tuk-pe='the noisy wheel.'
# Sri.
