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LIFE IN ANCIENT INDIA
get flowers for the festival of the Pajjosavana.90 Vinhukumāra was another saint who is stated to have made a flight from Gangāmandira mountain to Gayapura. 21
The Brhatkalpa Bhäsya describes various magical practices such as Koua, Bhūi, Pasina, Pasināpasına and Nimitta, Koua constitutes | vinhavana, i e., giving auspicious bath at cemetery or cross-roads to procure good luck for women for protecting childrena : (2) homa, .e, offering oblation to the sacrificial fire for averting evil; (3) siaparıraja, ic, incantation accompanied with the movements of head (com hands?), (+) khăradahana, i.e., throwing salt in fire for the cure of the diseases; 15 dhūda, i e., throwing incense in the fire ; (6) asarisavesaggahana,i.e., changing apparel, the man taking to the costume of a woman , (7) d'ai'dann, i.e., embracing the trees; (8) utthubhana, i.e., spitting with the sound thu thr for pacification of bad luck and (9) bandha, i.e., fastening a talisman. Bhūkamma means besmearing the body with the consecrated ashes as a protective charm. Sometimes damp earth was applied or a thread was tied in place of ashes. The monks practised this chaim for protecting their residence, body and ritual paraphernalia against thieves etc. Bhūikamma is also referred to in the Avasyaka curni" where it is said that after performing this practice a protective amulet (rakkhāpol lulya) was tied to a new born babe. In Pasina a question is asked to the deity who descended in a thumb nail, in the leavings left after eating kansåra (a kind of sweet) etc., cloth, mirror, sword, water, wall or an ini In Pasinõpasina the question is answered by the deity possessed of chums who appears in dreams; or the Ghantika yaksa, the family deity of Dombi, when asked a question, whispers in her ear, and she refers it to others Nimitta was another practice, by which one could have a knowledge of profit and loss regarding present, past and future Calaman was an important work on Nimitta.27 Then there were love-charms which were magically effective and by which women could regain thar husband's lost affection 8 The Nāyādhammakahā refers to the following contrivances : powder prepared from various ingredients causing stillness (cunnajoya), employment of incantations (mantajoya), charms causing leprosy and other diseases (kammanajoya), causing beauty (kammājoya),
arth
30 Ava. cū, p. 396 21 Uttara Ti 18, P 248a. 23 According to the Vya Bhā. (1 p 116af), however, Koua means wonderful featsperformed
by a juggler by putting the iron balls in his mouth and taking them out through cai or nose, or taking out fire from his mouth The king Siddhattha is described to have performed hundred protective charms (hout
yasaya) after taking his bath (Kalpa 4 62), cf Asrlakkhana Jalaka (No 126) I. P 456 Nisi cú 13, p. 850 P 140 Raksāvight is described in the Caraka, Sarirasthana, VIII, 76, p 155 f Brh. Bhā. 1 1308-13 The Süya Ti. (II, 2 p 336) refers to a mendicant versed in the magical spells He used
to carry off the women of Rāyagıha by his charms Once the king detected him and returned the women to their respective husbands One woman did not want to go back but when the bones of the mendicant rubbed in milk were given to her she returned to her husband,
