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LIFE IN ANCIENT INDIA
to have a sexual union with the fakkhas. 382 We have already referred to the Ganditindugaa88 Jakkha, who is said to have had sexual intercourse with the princess Bhaddă Then there were low types of the Jakkhas. The Adambara Jakkha, also known as Hıradikka Jakkha, and Ghantika Jakkha384 were believed to be the Jakkhas of the Mātangas and the Dombas respectively. The shrine of the former was built on thc bones of human beings who had died recently 335 The Ghantika Jakkha was believed to whisper in the ear when questioned. 286
Like Jakkhas the Vānamantarēs or the Jakkhinīs also played an important role in ancient Indian life The Vīnamantarī Sālejjā is said to have paid reverence to Mahāvira, 237 whereas Katapatanā gave him trouble ?38 Then the Guhagas are mentioned. There was a belief among the people that the Gupzhagas were residents of Kailāsa and lived in this world in the form of dogs and hence dogs were to be treated with respect 239 It is said that the Gurghagas like the Devas neither touched the earth nor winked their eyes 240
Various feasts and festivals were celebrated in honour of the Jakkhas The pilgrimage to Bhandiravana, the abode of Bhandira Jakkh was a popular deity in Mathură 241 Kundalamentha was another dcity whose feast was celebratcd ncar Bharuyakaccha.249 Then the feasts wcic cclcbr.11ed in honour of the Vānamantara gods after complction of a new stc 13 and the drums werc heaten in their honour 244
SHRINES AND TEMPLES OF THE JAKKHAS (7.JKKHĀI 17.1.) 1)
The abode of a fakkha is often referred to as a cerya (Pali celiya) or āyatana in the Jain canons. In the Epics cartya was intimately associated with the place where Vedic sacrifice had been performed. Here somctimes cartya is no more than a sacred tree or a tree with an altar which is termed as resort of the Devas, raksas, Raksasas etc., and hence not to be injured in the Ramayana we come across words such as caityagiha, cartyapräsåda and cautyavrksa. In the Yājñavalkya smrti, caityas serve the boundary limits of a village or a janapada. Kautilya refers to cartyas as houses of
238
233 291
375
33;
in
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P 89 Gandatindu tree is mentioned in the Gandalındu fåtaka (No 520), V, P 99 A rahsa with a bell round the neck is referred to in the Vinayavastu of the Mülasanastivāda, p 12Gilgit Manuscripts, Vol 3, Pt 2, also Mahābha IX 1024 Aua, cũ II, P 227 Vya Bhā 7313, ha cũ II, p 220, Bth Bha 2 1312 Ava cú p 294 Ibrd , 490, ct the Ayoghura Jataka (IV, No 510), p 491, also Ränāyane, V 24 Nui cũ 13, P 85 Ogh Nir P 150a, cf Hopkins op cit,p 147f, "The world of Gulyaka, was for those who died hy sword, not ignobly, but not bravely." Also see Kathäsarit sägara, I, App Ava cū p 281 , the famous nyagrodha tree of Vrndāvana was called Bahandira (Mahabhārata, IL 53 8) Brh Bhá ,3150. Ibid , 3 4769 Das. cü p 48,
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