History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.953

v6.c81.953

called Ḍhoṇḍhā troubled boys by day and night. The king consulted his *purohita* who told him that she was a rākṣasī, daughter of Mālin, who got from Śiva a boon that she would not be liable to be killed by gods or men nor suffer from arms nor from cold, heat or rain. The priest further told the king that Śiva said that she would be in danger from boys going about crazily The priest added that on Phālguna 15th season of cold vanishes and summer starts, that people may laugh and enjoy themselves, that boys with bits of wood in their hands may go out of houses in great glee, collect a heap of wood and grass, set it on fire with Rākṣoghna mantras, clap their hands, go round the fire thrice, laugh, sing and utter obscene words in the popular language and by that noise and loud peals of laughter on the part of boys and by the homa⁶¹⁵ the ogress would die. When the king got all this done, the rākṣasī expired and the day came to be called 'Aḍāḍā' and Holīkā. Then it is further stated that on the next day which is the first tithi of the month of Caitra (on the pūrṇimānta reckoning) people should salute the ashes of the bonfire with the mantra quoted below,⁶¹⁶ then worship of Kāma should be made on a square in the house yard in the midst of which square a seat should be arranged and in front a jar covered with leaves containing akṣatas and smeared with white sandalwood paste should be placed The image of Kāma should have sandalwood paste applied to it by a beautiful woman and thereafter the priest should make the performer partake of mango blossoms mixed with sandalwood paste. Then donations should be made to learned brāhmaṇas, bards &c according to one's ability with the words 'May the God of Love be pleased with me' The purāṇa winds up with the verse 'When the season of frost ends on the 15th of the bright half and the time of spring approaches in the morning, that man who partakes of mango blossoms with sandalwood paste lives in happiness.'