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Ganesh Thite
deities, to Bräbmanas etc, and desire of making others sleep is expressed. Then where at the village gate or the door of house, one of these is buried, all the people go to sleep (XIV. 3 34-43) In the fourth rite for making others sleep, one who has fasted for four meals should make an offering in an un crowded cremation ground on the fourteenth of the dark fortnight, and taking with the Mantra in which obeisance is paid to Asura-beings and desire of niaking others sleep is express ed, a dead Särikā, should tie it in a bag made of a hog's snout. Piercing it in the middle with the quill of a porcupine, where It is buried with the Mantra, one sends all there, to sleep (XIV 3. 43-50)
To avert calamities
In order to avert various calamities, Kautiliya ArthaŠāstra prescribes various magico-religious devices The calami. ties of divine origin are of eight kinds - fire, floods, disease, famine, rats, wild animals, serpents and evil spirits, From these the country must be protected (IV.3 1-2). For the sake of avoiding calamities of fires, the king should, in summer, cause worship of the file to be made with offerings, oblations in fire, and recitals of benedictions (IV 3.5). For the sake of averting the calamity of floods, he should cause worship of rivers to be carried out on Parvan-days. Experts in the piactice of magic on those versed in the Vedas should use spells against iain (IV 3. 10-11 ) In case of drought he should cause worship of the Lord of Saci, Ganges, the Moun tains, and Mahåkaccha to be made (IV 3 12). The magicians and others should counteract with secret means, the calamity of disease. Similarly the holy ascetics should perform paci ficatory and expiatory rites The sanie is to be done in case of epidemics Similarly in that case the king should cause to be instituted bathing in sacred places, worship of Mahākaccha, milking of cows in cremation grounds, burnig of effigies, and a night festival in honour of gods In case of epidemic among cattle he should cause lustration-rites in connection with the sheds and objects connected with them and worship
