Indian Antiquary Vol 57

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 221

OCTOBER, 1928)
BOOK-NOTICES
197
Maitreyanatha introduced the Yogachåra system. THE BIRD AND BERPENT MYTH, by PROFESSOR That too did not satisfy the masses, and so the "ele- KALIPADA MITRA, Mongbyr, 1926. ment known as Mahdsakha, the great happiness, was
This pamphlet contains in effect a Distribu Introduced. This gave rise to the Vajray&ns sys
tionist theory, but at the same time it is a thorough tem, which gave everybody everything that was
and wide examination of the Bird and Serpent wanted-even the enjoyment of extreme luat to the
Myth, taking the story through all ite ramifications lustful. It was naturally extremely popular. The
throughout the world and showing an immenso bodhichitta, “or the mind determined on obtaining
amount of research. I would, however, point out bodhi or nirudya (now the highest heaven or feeling
that here and there some mis-spellings of authors' of eternal blive), commences an upward march
names occur, which is a pity. Also the pamphlet is through the heavens." As formulated by Vajra.
printed with two paginations, and this has proventyans "the bodhichitta is nothing but a malo divinity of the nature of Sanya and Sanya they made a
ed me from quoting its pages.
Prof. Mitra first states the essential points of the goddess, NairAtma." This accounts for the grossly
tale: "The hero in the tale has tasted the bitters of indecent figures of Yabyûm deities so common in Vajrayana iconography. At the same time the
& step-mother's hatred. His mother is dead. His
father has suddenly changed. He is no longer kind. Vajrayanists were greatly hostile to Hindu ritual
He knows not that the venom of his step-mother And never lost an opportunity of reviling the
has stooled the heart of his father. He and his Hindu deities.
youuger brother are led to the execution ground. The Jadnasiddhi of Indrabhūti, King of Uddi- But the heart of the executioner is softer than a yâna, declares that among all systems the Vajrs. vile woman's and the princes escape into the yana is the best ", and Vajrayna " is nothing but jungle." the sarvatathigaldjfidna, or knowledge of all the
He then shows that the birds in the story, as told TathAgates of the Five Dhyani Buddhas." It
in Bengal, can talk. He next follows the tale of inculcates inter alia the uselessness of the worship of
the talking bird through the Jatakas and Pali the external forms of gods, or of the adkdra or images
bird-lore, and thence through Jaina and old Sanskrit of the gods. It postulates "a divine form of the
literature to modern India. And here he makes a reknowledge which exists in the mind," and teaches
mark with which I entirely agree: “One may how that knowledge and "merit" can be acquired,
object that what has been said above relates to and the very dangerous doctrine that there is no
divination proper, and does not indicate if the difference between purity and impurity. It winds
"artists' really understood the talk carried out up by describing various rules for ritual worship.
between birds or animals. Whether the 'art' Mr. Bhattacharya then makes the very interest
really existed or not is no concern of mine. I am ing statement that Ananga vajra is identified with concerned only with the existence of popular belief Gorakshanatha, and flourished in the tenth century. that the language of animals could be understood Ho developed a form of IndrabhQti's system of and I am satisfied that suck & popular belief did Vajrayana. It provides, if possible, greater sexual exist." I have myself remarked, when objection freedom in unequivocal language. This makes Mr. has been taken to a statement in a folktale on the Bhattacharya remark: "It is no wonder that by ground that it was fantastic, that the point is, in practising this kind of religion, the whole of East my opinion, not whether the statement is fantastic India lost all vigour and the whole population be or otherwise, but whether it was really believed in came corrupted, and it is fortunate that the Muham. or not by the narrator. Writers and searchers madans came to rescue the people by destroying all are apt to lose sight of this point. the Vajracharyas in three big monasteries, NA
The Professor then tackles European, Egyptian, landa, Odantapuri, Vikramasila, and probably
Assyrian, Jowish, South American and Australian Jagaddala also." Finally be quotes an attack on
tales of the dragon or serpent that can talk, and the Hinduism in a still later VajrayAnist work: "A
belief that the method of obtaining a knowledge of dog swimming in the Ganges is not considered pure,
the speech of birds and animals is to slay and aet some therefore bathing in holy places is abeolutely useless.
part of a dragon-especially the heart and liver. If bathing can confer merit the fisherman must be
Ho then considers the traditional antagonism be. meritoriou, not to speak of the fish and other
tween the bird and the serpent, quoting the Mahdaquatic animals) who are always in water day and
bhdrats and the Babylonian records, and notes the night. It is certain that from bathing sin is not
similarity of the two stories. This induces him to oven dissipated, because people who are in the
dive into the vexed question of Indo-Babylonian habit of making pilgrimages are full of passion,
intercourse in very ancient times, which he does hatred and other vices."
with a woalth of learning. His enquiry is espe. Here I leave Mr. Bhattacharya's most informing cially into the connection between the Dravidians pamphlet with my congratulations on his account
of Northern and Western India and the of a very important later Buddhist system.
Babylonian Empire." I do not propose to follow R. C. TEMPLE. I him bere further than to state that be quotes his