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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ AUGUST, 1928
ettával' aggam pi vadanti keke yakkhassa suddhim idha panditáse which Fausböll has translated (SBE., vol. 10, p. 167) as : "Thus some (who are considered) wise in this world say that the principal (thing) is the purification of the yakkha ", without however saying anything as to what is intended by the 'purification of the yakkha.'
In the light of what has been said above about the meaning of the word yaksha, it is easy to see that this word means 'evil being 'when it refers to Mara. When used in connection with deva putlas, it means in all probability, 'superhuman being', while when used of Indra and the Buddha, it is probable that it signifies, as has been suggested by Kern (1.c.), 'a being to be worshipped or a mighty being '-a meaning that combines in itself the two different signifi. cations of being concrete)' and of 'worshipor might' (see p. 230 in vol. LV ante). The expression yakkhassa suddhi which is equivalent to bhůtasya suddhi or bhuta-buddhi is somewhat ambiguous. In Tântrik practice, the term bhutasuddhi signifies the cleansing or parification of the bhūtas or elements (earth', 'water', 'fire,' etc.), that make up the body of the worshipper, and is one of the many preliminary acts that precede and lead up to the worship proper of the chief deity ; see Principles of Tantra (II, pp. 365 ff.) by A. Avalon, pp. 41ff., of Mantramahdrrava, ch. 8 of Devi-bhagavata, etc.; compare also Ramatd panyu panishat, 5, 1: bhutadikan sodhayed dvdrapůjdm ca krtvd padmádydsanasthah prasannah" (The worshipper) should cleanse the elements (of his body) etc., then after worshipping the gates, assuming the padmasana or other posture, with calm mind.. .". I feel however doubtful if it is this Tântrik practice that is referred to by the Sam. Nik., the more so, as this is a preliminary act to which not much importance is attached. And I am inclined to believe that the bhutasuddhi mentioned here refers perhaps to the cleansing or purification of the bhuta-being or self, through the eradication of what Åpastamba calls bhutadahiud doshah blemishes or vices that sear, that is, destroy, the being or self,' consisting of anger, elation, covetousness, etc., see Apastambadharmasútra, 1, 23, 5. By the eradication of these through yoga, says Apastamba, the wise man attains 'security (abhaya)'-an expression which is explained by Haradatta as abhayam moksham, 'the liberation where there is no more fear'; compare, ibid., 1, 23, 3: doshanam tu nirghato yogamula iha jîvite nirhrtya bhitadahiyan kshemam gacchati panditaḥ "In this life, the destruction of vices (is to be accomplished) by means of yoga ; after getting rid of the vices that sear the being, that is, the self, the wise man attains security". Compare also did., 1, 23, 6: tâny anutishthan vidhind sárvagami bhavati "He who practises these (yogas that eradicate the bhůtadahiya-doshas) according to rule, attains the All". A third interpretation also is possible of the term yalekhasya suddhi; yakshasuddhi or bhutasuddhi or 'the purification of the being (self)' may be understood as the purification of the being or sattvasuddhi that is spoken of in Ch. Up., 7, 26, 2: dhára-buddhau sattva-buddhih sativa-buddhau dhruvá smrtih smrtilambhe sirvagranthindn vipramokshah | tasmai mrditakashayaya tamasah param darśayati bhagavan Sanatkumarah “When the food becomes pure, the being (sattva ; according to Sankara, this denotes antahkarana here) becomes pure ; when the being becomes pure, an unfailing memory (will be established); by the attainment of memory, all knots are severcd; and to him whose impurity (kashaya) is (thus) overcome, Lord Sanatkumâra will show (the Brahman) beyond the darkness". As the Sam. Nik, says nothing more about yakkhassa suddhi, of the causes which lead up to it or of the effects which this leads to, it is not possible to determine which of these three ideas was intended by the author ; perhaps, it is the second of those mentioned above. 45
(To be continued.)
45 This article was written in 1924 and set in type before March 1926. Hence I have been unablo to inake any reference here to Dr. Hillebrandt's article (pp. 17--23) on this word in Aus Indiens Kultur: Festgabe Richard von Garbe that was published in 1927.
