Indian Antiquary Vol 43

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 44

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MARCH, 1914.
Salutation to the faces of the thousand Buddhas! Salutation to the illustrious Bearer of the Thunderbolt (Vajrapani).
This speech was thus heard by me :-The blessed One was seated at the hermitage of the reed-grovelt by the sheet 13 of lotuses on the bank of the river Ganges, Ic in company with a great retinue of monks and novices.
At that time all the people were overpowered by disease caused by the naga (dragons)17 and prayed to Buddha) for the terrific supernatural power of the noble Red-copper Beak, so that the eight plagues of the hot countries should not increase their fury, 18 carry off, upset, anck up the blood and flesh (of the people); that the angry flood of consuming fiery waves might not descend further] [Here part of the Shaman's operation in exorcising the Nagas is indicated.]
By throwing the iron-nai 19 the paralysed limbs will despatch their accumulated stupefaction to the cemeteries. By throwing up the seed 20 the diseases of the eight great Nâgas will be ejected and the stupefying wounds over the earth be purified.
Her the Beak' has the head of the Garuda bird with a body of copper.21 He feeds overhead. He has a beak of copper 990 fathoms long. He devours anyone of the four races of Nagas. He craves for blood and hail22 and water. He stares fiercely with red eyes. He crunches (even the gods. He laps up the marrow of things. He sends suddenly 23 ulcerous diseases. He subdues the foundations of the three worlds. He scatters the poison of fearsome diseases. Below. he strikes widespread panic into the lower hells ; above, he sinks down the highest of beings. He splits down the six thousand kinds of plague. He lays low the thousand kinds of Nagas of the interior (of the earth). For these reasons there is (amongst the disease-causing Nagas] fear of his appearance and re-appearance.
Then Vajra pani besought the Blessed One, the beneficent ascetic, [saying) "O Sugata, pray have compassion on the six classes of beings, pray set them free from their disease and distress! Pray set them free from the disease of passion, pray kill the fire of anger, pulverize the rock of arrogance, clear away the darkness of ignorance, the poison of disease, deliver from the thousands of disease-demons!”
Thus having supplicated, [the Buddha), in compassion seeing [the distress), acted at heart.24 [Seeing) Vajrapâņi miserable and the torments of the fierce disease, the state of the bodies of all, the disease-spirits] breaking (their) promises and vows had tormented by sickness and enfettered with the thread of passion (Buddha-exclaimed], " Come all (diseases spirits] ! swiftly come near here! I shall explain. Be advised." Thus he commanded.
Then through Vajrapâņi's (request ?] there arrived near, distressed at the commands of the Victorious One, to attend the presence of the Victorious one, the eight classes of the Rak-a-mother fiends25 (also ? he or they] called "The swift-goer of the depths, the middle and
14 Jam-buhd. Skt. nala. There was a hermitage of this name on the Ganges near Vai ali. 15 Or coverlet : 80-ke'he-Skt. kumba (?). 19 Literally possessed of the eight limbs or arms, which the Drctionaries state is the Ganges. 17 JI dec-ned, clefined in the Dictionaries as 'disease caused by Naga;' also leprosy, kusta. 18 gnad kr'o-bo. literally "furious spirit.' 19 Ichags-kviger == Skt, kila, a form of Indra's bolt.
20 t'ig, also • lines oc 'spots, 21 In Jewish mythology Brass is symbolic of irresistible weapons Dan. 2, 39; Mic. 4, 13; Zech. 6, 1.
Chui-ser, may also mean "yellow water' or 'putrid water.' 23 Burciu, which may also read 'by (his) bolts.'
24 The construction here is very involved and obscure; and Buddha is not mentioned, probably intentionally an, in order that the spell of go bloodthirsty a being should not be directly Ascribed to the placid Buddha
25 Lha-m1-erin, literally = god or spirit + mother or not) -- fiend (ritkana), can read the fiends who are not gods i.E. (4suri); but the eight mothers rikrini form a well-known group.