History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.236

v7.c92.236

A great deal is said about the six cruel rites in the Tantras such as Prapañcasāra (V), Śāradātilaka (23. 121-145), Śaktisaṅgamatantra (Kālīkhaṇḍa VIII. 102-106), Mantramahodadhi (25th Taraṅga). The Śāradātilaka (23. 137-141) deals with the six methods or arrangements of mantra along with the name of the enemy against whom the six rites were to be practised, *viz.* the arrangements called *grathana*, *vidarbha*, *sampuṭa*, *rodhana*, *yoga* and *pīlana*. These are all passed over here. But it appears that even the early Purāṇas were influenced by rites of black magic. For example, the Matsya¹⁵¹⁸ says 'in *vidveṣaṇa* (creating enmity among friends or among those who love one another) and in *abhicāra*, a triangular *kuṇḍa* is recommended and *homa* should be offered in it by priests that wear red flowers and red sandalwood paste, that wear the sacred thread in the *nivīta* way, that put on red turbans and red garments, the fuel sticks should be smeared with the fresh blood of crows collected in three vessels and should be offered with the left hand holding the bones of a hawk. The priests should have their hair untied on the head and should contemplate the befalling of evil on the enemy; they should recite the mantra '*durmitriyās-tasmai santu*' and also the syllables '*hrīṃ*' and '*phaṭ*' and having recited over a razor the mantra used in śyenayāga, the priest should cut into pieces an effigy of the enemy with that razor and throw into the fire the pieces of the effigy. This rite yields results only here (in this world), but no good results in the next world and therefore one (who engages in this rite) should then perform a *śānti*. The Matsya also provides for a rite for bringing a person (or a woman) under control or for *uccāṭana* (chap. 93. 139-148) It is possible that the Tāntrikas and the Matsya both developed their magic rites of six kinds from the Śyenayāga mentioned in the Brāhmaṇas and Śrautasūtras. The Agnipurāṇa (chap. 138) also deals with these evil rites. The Ahirbudhnya-saṃhitā, though mainly a work of the Pāñcarātra cult, is full of lore on mantras.¹⁵¹⁹ In chap. 52 (verses 2-88) it deals with the linguistic occultism of such mantras as 'om namo Viṣṇave'. It says that mantras have three senses sthūla (gross), sūkṣma (subtle) and highest; chap. 51 explains these three about the Tāra or Tāraka mantra viz. Om.