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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
Asuras. Demons of Hindu myth. Their world lies between the 3 peaks of the mountain Maha-meru. They used to catch and devour human beings; but the Devas in defence of mankind fought against the Asuras, and slew many, including their prince Mahabali. (Asura-bhavana-kavi; Upulvan-asnê.) See also Maha-bali, Senevi-ratna. They cause sickness, and are exorcised by the Asura-vidiya ; v. inf. The ritual Asura-bandhanê in one form describes an exorcism with cutting of limes, etc., which it traces to the story of Oddisa healing Mänikpala from the spell of Mâra. It prescribes making a figure of five kinds of wax, which is to be pricked with pins, whefby the spell of a sorcerer is dissolved and cast back upon the latter. Buddha, Saman, Mangra, Pattini, etc., are invoked. In another version the spell of Maha-sammata is referred to, and Buddha, the Seven Pattinis, etc., are invoked. A ritual to exorcise sickness caused by Asuras, especially Maha-bali, is given in the Asura-vidiya, or A.-giri-baliya.
Asurindu. See Rahu. Asurindu Rakusu. A demon represented in the R.-bali; see Rakusu.
Ata Magula. The Eight Magulas are the 8 chambers formed in a diagram (yantra) to exorcise evil. The Ata-magula-sântiya describes a ritual on this basis. To heal Vijaya of his "perjury-sickness," the Rpis created a crinum plant flotabo); when this had 7 leaves, they gave the first to Anoma Rşi, the second to Vijaya, the third to Vijaya's younger brother Sudarsana, the fourth to the four guardian gods, the fifth to Buddha, the Paccekabuddhas, and the Maha-rahats, the sixth to Isvara, and the seventh to the deities of the Sapta-kuta-parvata. The presiding deities of these 7 leaves were respectively Mulatan, Citrapoti, Lakşmi, the guardian gods, the Pacceka-buddhas and Maha-rahats, Isvara, and Nila-kântâva. A mat is to be laid near the patient's feet, the 8 magula drawn upon it, and the crinum leaf placed over them. It then relates that the hirässa vine (vitis quadrangularis) arose at Kailâsa from a ray issuing from iśvara's right nostril. It was placed at Vijaya's feet. The serpent king Vâsuki dwells in the leaf, the guardian gods at its 4 angles, and the 8 Gajendras (elephants of the 8 regions ?) at its 8 angles. A leopard's skull is next used. The story is told how Rahu enticed the Mala Raja to heal Panduvas. In the right side of the skull dwells the Mala Raja, in the orbits and nostrils the gods of Svarga, in the 4 limbs the Suras and Asuras, in the back Râma-hasti, in the soles and top of the feet Bala-bhadra, in the tail Valakul. Next is used a yellow cocoanut. This was created from the head of Gana Devi when cut off by fśvara ; Gana Devi, it is added, burst through the right side of his mother Pârvati. One eye of the cocoanut is like the eye of Hanumân, one like the mouth of Sarasvati, and one like the eye of Sriyâ Devi. Gana Devi dwells in the cocoanut. The next instrument is a rice-pestle, which was created from a divikaduru treo (Tabernas-montana dichotoma), which sprang from the false oath of the Brahman Yaga-sôman of Veluvaran-nuvara when seduced by & wo:nan Viskam cut down that tree with a four-edged sword. At one end he put a golden band, at the top a silver hand, in the middle a polished band of red and orange paint. In the pestle Kanda, Gana Devi, and Maha-kela the Serpent-king dwell. The last instrument is a mat. When this is stretched in the midst of a house, the Avagraha, Vivagraha, Tithi-graha, and Tudus-graha Devas and the four guardian gods reside in its 4 corners. In the 8 magulas and the 8 corners dwell the goddesses Amaya, Pamaya, Hemaya, Pugpa-kumudaya, Ritta, Bimbavati. Umâvati, and Pârvati. In the midst of the magulas is the footprint of Sahampati Maha brahma. See Divi Dos, Rice.
