Indian Antiquary Vol 57

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

Page 78

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ APRIL, 1928
a
Itihasas and other Brahmanical books also; compare, for instance, the Ramayana, 2, 56, 33 : caitydny dyatandni ca. .... sthapayamása Raghavah: 2, 71, 42: devdyalana-caityeshu dinal parishi-mrgas tatha : 2, 3, 18: devdyatana-caityeshu : 2, 17, 16: caityamá câyatandni ca pradakshinam pariharan; in Agnipur&ņa (apud Hemadri's Caturvargacintamani, Vratakhanda, ch. 21, p. 344) caityeshv dyataneshu ca devánam cajva rathydsu : in Bhavishyottarapurana (apud Hemadril.c., p. 353 ) katagareshu caityeshu : in the Mahabharata, 2, 102, 33 : devayatana. caityeshu prdkáráttalakeshu ca; Kautilya's Arthasastra, p. 208, parvasu ca.... caitya-pujáh kdrayet; p. 243, prati pannam caityasthane rátrau.... upaháram karayet ; p. 56, caitya-punyasthana-vana-setubandhah karydh. In all these instances, the juxtaposition of the word devdyatana shows that the word caitya means 'temple of yaksha or bhůta' as the compound deváyatana-caitya means 'temples dedicated to gods and to evil spirits. The presiding deity of the Dandapaņi temple in Benares, that pious devotees visit every day, is also a yaksha, as is related in ch. 32 of the Kasikhanda.
The worship of yakshas and bhilas is referred to in the Bhagavad-gitâ, where it is said in XVII, 4,39 that adtvika people worship gods (deva), rajasa people yakshas and nakshasas, and támasa people, ghosts (preta) and hosts of bhútas, and in IX. 25,33 that the worshippers of bhůtas go to them while the worshippers of the Lord go to Him. Yakshas and bhutas are both objects of tarpana (with water) in the daily brahma-yajña ceremony prescribed for the householder of the first three castes (op. As. GS. 3, 4, 1). Similarly, the bhutayajña, which consists in the offering of bali to bhūtas, (compare TA. 2, 10: yal bhutebhyo balim harati tad bhata yajith) is also daily proscribed for such householders (op. ibid., 3, 1). The yaksha-bali rite34 is referred to by Ujvaladatta in his scholium on the Uņadisâtras, 4, 123, in the Jataka Stories Nos. 347 and 455, while its wide prevalence is attested by the common saying yakahanurupo balih: "As is the yaksha, so is the bali,' (that is, the bali corresponds to the yaksha ; if the yaksha is great, the bali offered will be considerable: if tho yaksha is negligible, the bali too is negligible) cited by Saukara in his commentary on the Chan. Up. 6. 32; (800 also Laukikanyayañjali II. p. 64: ydd so yakshas Iddrso balih). TA. I, 31, 123 gives details of the Vaiśra vaņa-yajña ceremony in which bali is offered to Vaiára vana (ie. Kubera) who is the lord of Yakshas, but who is, remarkably enough, referred to by the mantra arvabhutadhipateye nama iti ; (the commentator Bhatta-bhaskara explains sarvabhútándm alternatively as yaksha-guhyakandm) as the 'lord of all bhůtas.'
The fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of every month is known as bhula-caturdasi and is held sacred to the bhutas. On that day are performed vratus intended to win the favour of Siva, lord of the bhutas : see Hemadri, I.c. p. 50 ff. This day however is held consecrated to the Yakshas also, and accordingly, on this day are performed the uratas in which worship is offered to Yakshas (namely, the Kshemavrata, p. 154), and to Vaisravana, lord of the Yakshas (p. 155). The Saurapurâns (apud Hemådri, l.c. p. 156) prescribes the performance on this day of the Krshņa-caturdasi-vrata, in which the figure of a Yaksha made of bdellium (guggula) should be burnt, and says that in consequence of this vrata, the performer goes to the world of the Pinaka-bearer, that is, of Siva, the lord of bhulas (kyshnapakshe caturdaśyam yakshan guggulakam dihet Bayati paramın 8thânım yatra devih pindkadhrk).
It may further be mentioned that according to the Puranic mythology, Isana (or Rudra) the lord of bhůtas, and Kubera (or Vaisravana) the lord of Yakshas both dwell in the north in the Himalayas and are neighbours, and that the Jaina writers so closely associated yakshas 32 yajante sättvika derán yaksharakshariai rajasan
pretân bhataganaṁ canye yajante tamasa jana II 33 bhatani yanti bhatejyd yanti madya jino'pi mám
34 It may be observed, that analogous to the bhutabali and yukshabali rites, the Grhy aggtras kuow of a sarp bali rite also where buli is offered to surpris or snakes (ndgas), compare Adv. GS. 2, 1, Npsimha's Prayogapdrijata (Nirnayasa gara ed.), pp. 434 ff.