Indian Antiquary Vol 58

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

Page 52

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
MARCH, 1929
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2. Magic. In this Volume the wide subject of Magic turns up in many forms, but I do not propose to treat it except as it occurs in relation to Vidyâdharas and white magic, Witches and black magic, and Witches' spells. I will also give separate notes on Magic knots and Magic circles.
2-a. Vidyadharas and White Magic. There are many references in this Volume to the Vidyadharas, a class of immortals (or shall we say Fairies ? ) endowed with magic powers. Indeed, the term vidyadhara means really the supporter or holder of knowledge,' i.e., magic knowledge, and the same sense of magic knowledge is attached to the fairy. There are also several instances in the Volume of the fall of Vidyadharis (female Vidyadharas) for some crime from immortality to temporary mortality as a punishment by the gods, in which cases they are married to mortals and bear them children. Vasavadatta, the wife of the king of Vatsa, is such a vidyadhari in the main story.
There is a great deal about Vidyâdharas in the Story of the Golden City (pp. 181 ff.), and in a sub-story, that of Asokadatta and Vijayadatta. To these stories there are parallels in both German and Sicilian tales. During the adventures of Asokadatta, who is described as a young Bråhman from the banks of the Yamuna (Jumna), we read (pp. 196 ff.) that after his brother, Vijayadatta had become a Rakshasa or Demon through his own recklesanese (p. 198) he has a series of wonderful adventures and goes in search of "the golden lotus" (p. 209). He then finds (p. 210) that he is himself in reality a vidyadhara by descent, having been born in human form owing to a curse,' and he is informed by Kausika," the spiritual guide of the Vidyadharas," who had descended from heaven by divine command "for the purpose, that he and all his family are really Vidyadharas, and that "the curse of you has now terminated." He says further :"So receive these sciences (white magic), which belong to you, and which you must share with your relations. And return to your own proper dwelling, taking with you your relations.' Having said this, the spiritual guide bestowed the sciences on them." So it seems to be clear that, to the old time Brahman, Magic was a supernatural science, not learnt, but simply supernaturally bestowed by the gods or immortals on favoured mortals.
In this way, both Asokadatta and Vijayadatta, who had become a Rakshasa, became Vidyadharas-the Rakshasa being evidently a lower class of immortal—the Demon lower than the Fairy. They behaved like Fairies : they travelled through the air to Benares, to their parents (p. 210). Incidentally Somadeva is here in error, as Benares is not on the banks of the Yamuna, or even near them. Asokadatta had in the meanwhile married (as a second wife, the first being a mortal) the daughter of the king of the Rakshasas, and she, too, became a Vidyadhari. Finally he secured the golden lotus.
. We next come to another version of the communication of magic powers. The brothers, Asokadatta and Vijayadatta, are asked for their stories. Vijayadatta relates his with the Rakshasas, and says (p. 211): "What follows and how we were released from the power of the curse and thereby recovered our (white magic) sciences, all this my elder brother (Asokadatta) will relate to you." Clearly then White Magic was inherent in the Vidyadhara. Asokadatta then tells his tale (pp. 211-212), which is worth recounting as showing how White Magic was believed to have come among Brahmans. "Long ago we were Vidyadharas, and from heaven we beheld the daughters of the hermits bathing in the Ganges near the bermitage of Gálava (a son or pupil of Visvamitra), and then we fell suddenly in love with them and they returned our affection. All this took place in secret, but their relations, who possessed heavenly insight, found it out and cursed us in their anger : May you two wicked ones be born, both of you, to a mortal woman, and then you shall be separated in a marvellous manner ; but when the second of you shall behold the first arrived in a distant land inaccessible to man, and shall recognise him, then shall you have your magic knowledge restored to you by the spiritual preceptor of the Vidyadharas, and you shall again become Vidyadharas, released from the curse and reunited to your friends. Having been cursed