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SVASTI - Essays in Honour of Prof. Hampa Nagarajaiah
of the new-born are also treated.173 Further, to give a baby a long life stone balls are struck near his ears. 174 Later, at the upanayana, the right ear of the child into which the gāyatri verse is repeated is thought to become holy for life.175 After the ceremony, the mother marks her son's eye-lashes with lamp-black and makes a smudge of it near his right ear, this being her final chance to safeguard him against evil influences. 176 The Buddha condemns muttering spells on the ears of an opponent to prevent him from hearing something."77 The adhvaryu and the yajamāna whisper a mantra into the right ear of a horse'78 and a prince murmurs an incantation into the ear of a lion and teaches him the Svetāmbara Doctrine.179 Somadeva makes a foolish brahmin with his hands in the shape of a cow's ear (vide infra sub 8) chant the Sāma Veda with a shrill sound, whereas he had been told to please the woman who should teach him the way of the world, by coaxing (sāma)."*" For king Donkey Ear see above sub 2.2.2.1f. In the citrā ceremony the ears of a this year's calf are marked with linga and yoni by a knife as a magic rite to make the cattle do well.181 By lauding with the vātsa sāman, Triśoka brought about the opposite, viz hairless and earless cattle.182 The vrsôtsarga has to take place in the middle of the Full-Moon sacrifice, an expansion of the ceremony of Kauss 24,19-23 at which oblations for the rain deity Pūsan are made and a verse muttered in a bull's ear.183 At the founding of the sacrificial fire the yajamāna mutters the Tanū mantras in the horse's right ear.184 When asked the yakșa Ghantika whispers the answer into the ear. 185 6.2 One touches one's right ear as a protection against impurities or for atonement, and at an asseveration, the former, e.g., when sneezing at a religious ceremony, in order to avoid spirits entering the ear because the Ganges, the Vedas, sun, moon and air live in a brahmin's ear. 186 Touching the right ear is an easier ritual gesture instead of sipping water while uttering mantras, 187 e.g. before receiving madhu-parka.188 A
173 Jolly 1977 $ 43. 174 Hemacandra, Trio 12,316; Bhāvadeva, Pārévac. V 76; Nemicandra 289a 11 on Utt 23,1. 175 Stevenson 1920: 36. 176 Stevenson 1920: 40. 177 DīghaNikāya I 11,20 kanna-jappana with Sv 97,6ff. . 178 Kātyss 20,2,9 adhvaryu-yajamānau daksine aśva-karne japato vibhūr mātrêti. 179 Kuvalayamālā 111,32 (karna-jāpa). 180 KSS 6,57 go-karņa-sadssau kstvā karāv abaddha-sāranau tāra-svaram tathā Sāma gāyati sma jadaśayah. KSS 18,108 characterizes Sāmaveda brahmins as the home of timidity, boorishness and ill temper (Tawney-Penzer II 57). 181 Kauss 23,12ff. 182 Caland 1919 & 203. 183 AVPar XVIIIc (Negelein I 1909: 117). 184 Krick 1982: 323 note 845; 336. 185 Commentary 404,2 on BKBh 1312 Dombi tasyah kula-daivatam Ghantika-yakṣo näma. Sa prstah san karne kathayati, etc. (Jain 1984: 327 note 5 where the reference ĀvCü II 229 could not be found). 186 Campbell 1898: 160. 187 Sārngadhara, Paddhati 603 < Sternbach VI 10783. 188 Gonda 1980: 334; Hemādri, Caturvargacintamaņi II 1,690f. < Meyer 1937 I 195 note 1.
