Indian Antiquary Vol 57

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

Page 76

58
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ APRIL, 1928
Hopkins, Epic Mythology, p. 36, and Index, s.r. yoksha. To Yakshas as to Bhútas26 temples were built, adoration paid and bali offered and festivals, yatrah or utsavdh, were instituted in their honour. They were invoked in times of danger, and vows were taken in honour of then at such times and also when poople prayed for the fulfilment of any desire. Compare for instance the following passages from the Jnåtâdharmakatha -
(p. 417) Rayagihassa nayarasar bahiya nagani ya bhúyáni yu jakkháni ya indani ya khan. dani ya ruddani ya sivåņi ya resåại ya vesamanani ja lattha nam bahunam någapadimani ya java vesama napadimani ya maharihan puppharcaniyam karettá janu-paya-radiya evam vayitta jai nam aham reud nuppiya daraja ea darigam evi payiyami teniam aham hupham jayam ca ddyan ca bhayam ca akkhaya-uihin ca armvattemi.
[Bhadra, wife of the caravan-leader, sárthaváha, Dhanya, thinks) "Outside the city of Rajagrha are the temples of Nâgas, Bhůtas, Yakshas, Indra, Skanda, Rudra, Siva, Vesa. and Vaisravana. There after a grand worship with flowers of the images of Någas, etc., up to Vaisravana, and after falling on the knees, saying thus: 'If, now, O beloved of the gods, I shall give birth to a son or a daughter, I shall then establish a worship of you, make gifts to you, appoint portions for you, and shall establish a permanent fund 26 for you.'"
(p. 409) júya-khalayâni ya resâgârâni ya ... sin jhalagani ya nyâni ya cankkani ya caccarâni ya någa-ghardņi ya bhiya-gharani ya jakkla-dleulani ya .... [The robber Vijaya was in the habit of visiting and wandering through] "Gamblingdens, drink-saloons, courtesans' houses, places where three, four, and more roads meet. temples of Nagas, Bhatas, and Yakshas . . . ."
(p. 758) bhiya sanjayabhayú annam-anna-kayan samaturangemana bahunaw indani ya khandani ya rudda-siva-vesamaņa-ndganam bhayana ya jakkhina ya ajja-kottakiriyána ya bahuni uvdiya-sadi uvdimamaņa citthanti [Some merchants, when threatened by an evil spirit, mahapisaca, while travelling on a ship in the midst of the sea, become anxious, and] "Feeling fear and apprehension, and embracing each other (for support) are offering many offerings to many Indras, Skandas, Rudras, Sivas, Vaisravanas, Nagas, Bhůtas, Yakshas, Åryâs and Kottakriyâs." 27
(p. 212, 213) ugga ujgaputta bhoga bhogaputta evan ráinná khattiya mdhana bhada johd .... nháyd .. .. siraså kanthe malakada dviddha-mani-suvanna kappiya-hâra ddhahara-lisaraya. palamba-palambamâna-kad isuttaya sukaya-sobhabharand vattha-pavara-pahiriya candanovalittagåya-sarirà appegaiya hayagaya evam gaya-raha-sibiya-sandamani-gaya. ... Rayagiha-nagarassa majjham egadisim egáhimukha nigacchanti2..... kinnam bho devaņuppiya ajja Rajagihe nayare indamahe vd khandamahe vdevam rudda-siva-vesa mana-ndga-jakkha-bhuya-radi-tadya-rukkha. ceiya-pavvaya-ujjana-girijatldi va jaunan uggá bhoga java egadisim egabhimuhd nigacchanti.
%The investigations of anthropologists have shown that belief in the existence, and worship, of evil spirits (demons) plays a prominent role in the religious beliefs and practices of primitive peoplo every where in the world; and the opinion has been expressed by writers on Vedic religion and mythology that such belief and worship were prevalent among the Aryans of Rgvedic times. Thus Oldenberg (Religion des Veda, p. 55f.) bolieves that the existence of such belief and practice is unmistakably indicated by certain details of the Vedic cult; and Hillebrandt (Ved, Myth., III, p. X) says that the belief in the existence of ovil spirits is met with to a emall extent in the RV. and that the worship too of evil spirits must have been prevalent at the time though, as he thinks, no trace of such worship is to be seen in the RV. As we know from later literature that the worship of Yakshas and Bhutas was general and wide-spread, it is permissible to infer that the worship of evil spirits in Rgvedic times too must have, to a great extent, consisted in the worship of Yakshas and Phutas, or at least, that Yakshas and Bhutas were included in the evil spirits that received worship in the time of the RV.
96 Wherewith, explains the commentator Abhayacandra, the charges for renovating the temple, etc., may be met.
37 The commentator explains áryd as prusan'a-rpd durga and kogtakriyah as saiva mahisharidha-rapa, that is, perhaps, fierce in'aspect.
99 This warnaka is not given in the edition, the commentator has, however, extracted it from one of the preceding five Aagastras and reproduced it in his commentary (p. 208f. of the edition)