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RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
425
Description of the Vetāla (Vampire) having a wreath of skulls hanging down to the knees and chewing the condiment of bones and crying like the sacrificial animal (Adhvarapaśoriva) refers to the Tantric mode of worship.
Adhvarapaśoriva' refers to the make-belief of sacrificing the animals at the Vedic sacrifices and interpretation taken by a wrong construal of the Vedic texts.
Conception of two forms and eight arms of Laksmī has been held accordingly.
Meghavāhana's mode of worship has been graphically described by making him squat on the terrace of the courtyard in the temple promiscuously strewn with innumerable flowers, attended by the chief attendants, repose of his confidence, seated on the ground, wearing silkrobes of thick texture being clean through the process of water quite recently, who had performed the morning sacrifice and stationed quite at a distance. There came to him ambitious to meet him the great sages, the Brāhmanas etc. who had attained to perfection of intellect acquired by understanding the meanings of all the schools of philosophy.'
After he had got the boon from the blessings of Srī, Meghavāhana underwent a large series of ritualistic performances which have been detailed accordingly. He entered the Rājakula surrounded by the chief subsidiary vassals, where special adoration of the tutelary deities was being performed; the sages were being implored; the importance of the fervour unto the elders or preceptors was being stressed upon; the group of Cintāmani gems being adored; the rite of offerings unto the quarter-deities was being commenced; the act of alleviation of grief of the refugeless and the innocent was being performed; the sacrificial chambers according to desires entailing the rites of continuity of progeny had been commenced; the sprays of water concerning the propitiatory rites were being sprinkled here and there by the ecclesiast or chaplain bearing green Kuśā in hand, with golden cwers held in hands; the birth of progeny for the king was being pronounced all of a sudden at the culmination of the muttering of sacred
1. TM. Vol. I pp 129-130. 2. WafailaiEGEGA : -Ibid. Vol. I p. 153. 3. अविरलप्रसूनप्रकरभाजि देवतागृहप्राङ्गणवितर्दिकायामुपविष्टस्य नातिनिकटवर्तिना निर्वर्तितप्रात:सवनक्रियेण सद्यो
जलक्षालनविमलनिरायामक्षौमधारिणा क्षितावुपविष्टेन विशिष्टप्तपरिचारकगणेनोपास्यमानस्यास्य दर्शनार्थिनः
Hohedashur Tanicouarytuf: 44: T.... 144 : 1 - Ibid. Vol. I p. 157. 4. Thought gem; a fabulous gem supposed to yield its possessor all desires (Harivañía
8702). Name of various treatises c. g. one on astrology by Dasa bala and commentaries Monier Williams under Cintāmani.
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