Tribes in Ancient India c31.145

c31.145

A knowledge of spells formed an important part of a young man's education in the days when Kāśī was an independent kingdom; and it is natural that we should read of numerous superstitions which were current in Benares. We read in the Jātakas of the skill of the Brahmins of Benares in '*Lakkhaṇamantam*', or charms for discovering the auspicious signs of various creatures.² In Benares there was a Brahmin who professed to be able to tell whether the swords (of warriors) were lucky or not.³ There was a superstitious belief current in Kāśī, as in other countries, that it was an evil omen if the wind touching the body of a *caṇḍāla* (outcaste) touched that of a person of another caste.⁴ Slaughter of deer, swine and other animals for offerings to goblins was in vogue in Benares.⁵