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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c15.s1.t2: Acquisition of Spells

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c15.s1.t2

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Acquisition of Spells

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Various practices are described to acquire these spells. Rites were performed on the days of dark caturdaśī and aṣṭamī³² and the charms were acquired with the help of the dead body of an uninjured person, endowed with auspicious marks.³³ The name of Satvaki has been already mentioned, who went to the cemetery for securing the *Malāṇola*-spell. Just he set fire to the pyre with the dead body of an orphan and then covering himself with a moist skin moved about slowly on his left toe till the pyre was kindled. Thus within seven nights Satvaki acquired the spells.³⁴

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³² *Nisi cu*, P1 p 7, *Bih Bhā P* 20

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³³ *Ācā T*, 1 6, T1, p 6a

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³⁴ *Āra cu*, II p 17b

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Then there was magical power of rising in the sky *khecarī vijjā*³⁵ We hear of a thief who went to the burial ground, put up a hanger there with burning charcoal and a pike below. The thief after chanting the spells eight hundred times cut off one string of the hanger and thus cutting off the four strings achieved the *vijjā*³⁶ It is mentioned in the *Utkādhikāra* a commentary that Nattumatta, a *vijjāhara*, in order to attain efficiency in certain *vijjā* went to a bamboo-grove (*vaṃśakuḍaga*) and having fastened his feet up, and inhaling smoke started practising penance.³⁷ Then we are told of a king who wanted to learn spells from a Matanga which he could learn only when he occupied a lower seat.³⁸ It was a belief that the spells lost their efficacy when one uttered falsehood.³⁹

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³⁵ *Āva T* (Hani), p 811 a

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³⁶ 3, p 189 a

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³⁷ *Das cu* p 45, cf *Jāca Jataka* (No 309) III, p 28

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³⁸ *Das cu* p 100, cf *Anla Jataka* (No 474) IV p 202

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³⁹ *Nāyā 1*, p 15 f

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Besides, gods with superhuman powers were also propitiated. We are told that in order to propitiate a god, Abhayakumāra went to his fasting-hall and sat there keeping aside his ornaments, garlands and perfumes observing a three days' fast. In course of time the god was forced to give up his seat in heaven and created artificial rains on the mountain Vebhāra as desired by Abhayakumāra⁴⁰ Another god, propitiated by king Paumanāha, kidnapped queen Dovaī and brought her from Hatthi nāpura to Avarakaṅkā.⁴⁰ Still another god by means of his magical power is stated to have constructed a bridge over the Lavana ocean.⁴¹

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⁴⁰ Ibid 16, p 186

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⁴¹ Ibid 16, p. 190.

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Other Magical spells are arranged here alphabetically:— *Ābhoginī.* By muttering this charm one was able to know the mind of others ⁴² *Addaa vijjā.* By means of this charm a patient was cured after casting his reflection into a mirror ⁴³ *Addhavetālī.* By uttering this charm a stick was put down, it was a counter-spell to the "veyālī" spell.⁴⁴ *Āhavaṇī.* It produced instantaneous disaster.⁴⁵ *Āmayakaraṇī.* It made a person sick.⁴⁶ *Antaddhānī* It made a person disappear.⁴⁷ *Anteurī.* In this charm, by uttering the name of a patient, if one's own body was wiped, the patient was cured.⁴⁸ *Ayamīnī.* It forced a person to come to one.⁴⁹ *Buālī.* It appeared like a cat, and was a counterspell to the "mouse" spell ⁵⁰ *Capetī.* In this spell a patient being slapped was cured ⁵¹ *Dabbha* In this spell a patient being wiped with *darbha* grass was cured.⁵² *Dāmilī.* It was a charm possessed by the Draviḍas ⁵³ *Dubbhagākara.* It made a person miserable.⁵⁴

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⁴² Brh. Bhā. 3.4633

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⁴³ Vya Bhā 5.136-138, p 27

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⁴⁴ Sūya II 2.30

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⁴⁵ Ibid, Āthabhana is also mentioned in the Sutta Nipāta, Tuvattaka Sutta 4 15 52 13

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⁴⁶ Sūya., op cit

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⁴⁷ Ibid

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⁴⁸ Vya. Bhā op cit.

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⁴⁹ Sūya. II. 2 27 trans by Jacobi, S.B E., Vol XLV, p 367.

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⁵⁰ Ava. Nir 137 (Hari ).

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⁵¹ Vya. Bhā. op. cit

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⁵² Ibid

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⁵³ Sūya. op. cit.

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⁵⁴ Ibid,

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*Dūlī* It cured snake-bite of a person even if the same spot of a messenger (*dūta*) carrying the news of snake-bite was rubbed 55

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*Gabbhākāra* It caused pregnancy in a woman 56

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*Gaddabhī* In this spell whosoever heard the braying of a female donkey, vomited blood, was overpowered with fear and lost his senses It is said that this spell was possessed by king Gaddabhilla 57

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*Gandhārī* **

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It was a spell of the Gandharvas 58 It was one of the four important spells 59

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*Gorī* **

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It was one of the four important spells 60

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*Jambhānī* It was a certain magical formulary used for exercising the evil spirits supposed to possess weapons 61

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*Jānāīaī* By means of this spell one could find out the past history of a person 62

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*Kaī* It appeared like a female crow and was a counterspell to the “she owl” spell 63

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*Kalingī* It was a charm possessed by the Kalingas 64

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*Kuhedavijjā* It was a magic trick

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*Lesanī* It made a person cling to something 66

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*Mī* It appeared like a female deer and was a counterspell to the “tigress” spell 67

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*Mohanakāra* It was a magical charm used to bewilder an enemy, 68 it was directed by Jain monks against thieves 69

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55 *Iya* *Bl* *op cit* It is an example of sympathetic magic 56 *Suya* *op cit* 57 *Nisi* *cu* 10, p 371 ff 58 *S* *iya* *op cit*, The *Gandhara* charm is mentioned in the *bo_hara* *Tital* IV 108 119 as a charm for making oneself invisible also *Digha* I p 21, 59 *I a* *c* p 161 *Aita* *Ti* 7 203 *Ase* *Bin* *Bhi* 1 250s 60 *Iid* *do* *Su* *t* *of* *cit* 61 *Suya* *op cit* *d* the *jambhaka* weapons mentioned in the *Utt* *nam* *nta* is most weapons *J* 1 0 5 4 2 102 62 *Uttara* *Ti* 13 p 189 63 *A* *u* *op cit* *Uttara* 71 3 2 64 *Suv* *f* *cit* 65 *I* *the* *o* *Su* *XX* 1 66 *Ane* *f* *cit* 67 *I* *of* *cit* *L* *her* *Ir* *of* *it* 69 *Sin* *p* *cit* 68 *Bih* *Bl* 1 1

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Morī It appeared like a peahen and was a counterspell to the "scorpion" spell⁷⁰ Mūsaga. It appeared like a mouse and was a counterspell to the "cat" spell.⁷¹ Naulī. It appeared like a female mungoose and was a counterspell to the "snake" spell.⁷² Osavanī. It was a charm for putting a person to sleep.⁷³ Ovāī. It appeared like a female hawk and was a counterspell to the "poyai" spell.⁷⁴ Ovayanī. It made a thing fall down⁷⁵ Pāgasāsanī. It was a magic art of conjuring or trickery⁷⁶ which produced illusion. Pakkamanī ** It made a person giddy.⁷⁷ Pannattī. It was one of the four important magic arts. It was an art of foretelling⁷⁸ Poyai It appeared like a female bird (sakunikā) and was a counterspell to the "female hawk" spell⁷⁹ Rohiṇī or Mahārohiṇī. It was one of the four important charms⁸⁰ Sanhai This charm was acquired just by reciting 'padhyasiddha'. After this charm was recited it was surrounded by friends, servants etc. and carried out the commands⁸¹ Sappa It appeared like a snake and was a counterspell to the female mungoose" spell.⁸²

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⁷⁰ Āva Nu. op. cit., Uttarā Ṭī op cit.

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⁷¹ Ibid

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⁷² Ibid

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⁷³ Sūya. op. cit., Āva cū, p. 144 Kalpa. 2.27, also Nāyā. 16, p 186. Āva Pr p 193 Vasu, p. 7

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⁷⁴ Āva Nu. op cit, Uttarā Ṭīkā, op. cit.

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⁷⁵ Sūya op cit, Das cū p 45

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⁷⁶ Sūya op. cit.

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⁷⁷ Ardhamāgadhi Dictionary, Vol. III, p 384, Ratanchandji Sūya op cit

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⁷⁸ Āva cū, p 161; Uttarā Ṭī, 9, p 138, 18, 238a It is mentioned in the Kathākośa as a magical art personified as one of the Vidyādevis (M Williams' Sa-Sk. Dictionary)

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⁷⁹ Āva. Nir. op. cit, Uttarā Ṭī op cit

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⁸⁰ Āva cū op cit, Paṇca Ṭī. op cit.

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⁸¹ Uttarā Ṭī. 13, 189a, 194.

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⁸² Uttarā. Ṭī 3, 72

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*Sīhī.** It appeared like a lioness and was a counterspell to the “female boar” spell ⁸³

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⁸³ *Ibid*

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*Sovāgī* (or *Māyangī*) It was a charm of the *cāṇḍālas* ⁸⁴

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⁸⁴ *Suya-g-ā-s*, I, 102; *Al-Biruni’s India*, I, p 132; Bombay 1437

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*Sovarī.* It was a charm of sorcery (*sambarī*) ⁸⁵

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⁸⁵ *Suya-g-ā-s*, *id*

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*Subhagākara* It made a person happy ⁸⁶

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⁸⁶ *Ibid*

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*Tālaunta* By means of this charm by rubbing the charmed fan a patient was cured. ⁸⁷

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⁸⁷ *Ibid*

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*Tālugghāḍinī* It was a spell used for opening a lock ⁸⁸

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⁸⁸ *Suya-g-ā-s*, *Viyāh*, I, 210; *S. K.*, I, 113; *Ibid*

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*Thambinī.* This spell produced the magical arresting of any feeling or force, as of hunger, thirst, or of the forces of water, fire etc ⁸⁹ The Jain monks employed this magical spell to supress water, fire or air when their residence was in danger, this spell was also directed against thieves ⁹⁰

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⁸⁹ *Suya-g-ā-s*, *id*

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⁹⁰ *Brh Bhā*, I, 2711-3 (80); *Nis. c. bhā*, I, 113; *id*, p 7

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*Ulugī* It appeared like a female owl and was a counterspell to the “female crow” spell ⁹¹

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⁹¹ *Ā-a-Nis*, I, 11; *Ibid*

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*Ucchittho* In this charm if a monk was driven out by a layavan or his food and drink were stopped or he suffered from intense pain or snake-bite another monk applied filth to his lips used his mouth with wine (*moka*) and by chanting the magical formulae relieved the fellow monk of his distress ⁹²

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⁹² *Bih Bh*, 98; *id*

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*Uppayanī* (or *Unnamnī*) It made a thing resume the same position as previously ⁹³

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⁹³ *Suy-g-ā-s*, *Dī*, p 1; *Isibhāsiyāim*, I, 1; pull by incans of which one is able to upward (*Kulas* LXXXVI, 189)

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*Vagghī* It appeared like a tigress and was a counterspell to the ‘female deer’ spell ⁹⁴

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⁹⁴ *Ā-a-Nis* op cit, *L’āc*, I, 1; *id*

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*Vañjana* In this charm, by rubbing charmed food a patient was cured. ⁹⁵

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⁹⁵ *Vj. El* cp at 1; *The* fr. *a P. T.*, *jarat-khe* the name of a female demon supp. the hair of a woman’s pudenda (*M. Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary*)

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Varāhī. It appeared like a female boar and was a counterspell to the “lioness” spell.⁹⁵ Vattha. By uttering this spell or by rubbing a piece of cloth a patient was cured.⁹⁶ The Jain monks employed this charm for curing snake-bite and carbuncle.⁹⁸ Veganai. By means of this spell one is able to rise up swiftly.⁹⁹ Vetālī (or Veyālīni). This was a magic art which brought dead bodies to life.¹⁰⁰ According to the Uttarādhyayana commentary, by this spell a Vijjāhara kidnapped a woman.¹⁰¹ Vicchuya. It appeared like a scorpion and was a counterspell to the “peahen” spell.¹⁰² Visallakarani. It made a person free from a pointed weapon or from pain *salla*¹⁰³

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⁹⁵ *Acc. Nu. op. cit.*; *Uttara. Ti. op. cit.*

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⁹⁶ *Tia. Bh. op. cit.*

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⁹⁸ *Brh Bh.* 3-3907. According to M. Williams *Sanskrit Dictionary* *vatthu* is a wrong reading for *vastu vidyā* which is a science in building.

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⁹⁹ *Uttara. Ti.* 1b, 247. *Vegavati* is a name of a vidyādhari in the *Kathākośa* M. William’s *Sanskrit-English Dictionary*.

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¹⁰⁰ *Sūya op. cit.*

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¹⁰¹ 1b, p. 242a. *Vetālī* is mentioned in Buddhist literature.

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¹⁰² *Uttani. op cit.*

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¹⁰³ *Sūya. op. cit.* Also mentioned in the *Rāmāyaṇa*. II. 25-38.

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