Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)
by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words
This page relates 鈥楶opular Beliefs, Omens and Superstitions鈥� of the English study on the Harshacharita: A Sanskrit (poetical work) which can be studied as a Historical book of Indian society during the 7th century. It was originally written by Banabhatta who based his Harsacarita on the life of the Gupta emperor Harshavardhana. This study researches the religion, philosophy, flora and fauna and society of ancient India as reflected in the Harsha-Charita.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
11. Popular Beliefs, Omens and Superstitions
Not only in the 7th century A.D. but in the present time (21st century A.D.) also superstitious beliefs are deeply rooted in the minds of the people. The people at that time also believed in astrology, and astrological point of views were followed in their day today life. For examples, the writer himself set-out for the 谤腻箩补办耻濒补 (royal premises) in accordance with the opinions of the astrologers,[1] who had calculated appropriate time for starting journey. Princess R膩jya艣r墨鈥檚 marriage time and date were fixed by the astrologers.[2] The prophets declared during the birth time of prince 贬补谤峁 that he will be a great emperor,[3] and again when the emperor 贬补谤峁 planned for army expedition, the astrologer declared the suitable time to start the journey.[4]
Certain marks in the body were accepted as the good or bad signs. 叠腻峁嘺bha峁弓a informs in the body of child 贬补谤峁 there were many auspicious marks, which indicated that he would be the emperor of the whole world.[5] Again, it was believed a dream at the dawn of the morning had a future effect. 贬补谤峁 had dreamt some bad dreams before the death of his father king 笔谤补产丑腻办补谤补惫补谤诲丑补苍补,[6] and some nightmares before the death of his brother 搁腻箩测补惫补谤诲丑补苍补.[7] Therefore, 贬补谤峁鈥檚 mood had been very upset. It shows the people believed in dreams and in good and bad omens. There are many ill omens and portents described largely in the 贬补谤峁carita.
Some signs were played important role in their life. Such as-throbbing of the right arm of the king 贬补谤峁 reminded or indicated that it was ready to conquer the 18 诲惫墨辫补蝉.[8] But, on the other hand, the throbbing of the left eye of men was considered as bad omen.[9] Again, the sights of ca峁囜笉膩ls,[10] necked ascetics[11] were regarded as discouraging.
It was believed at that time that medicinal herbs had a great power to remove the bad effects. Such as-办耻艣补[12] grass had a great power to cure or 耻辫补艣补尘补 the plava or 办补峁ａ弓补. During the time of 蝉奴谤测补驳谤补丑补峁嘺, the people used to sleep on the 办耻艣补-bed and they kept fasting.[13] Now-a-days, also, people observe fasting in the time of 蝉奴谤测补驳谤补丑补苍补.
In 7th century A.D., people also believed in the ghosts or evil spirits. They, therefore, tied 惫谤腻驳丑谤补苍补办丑补[14] in the child鈥檚 necks to protect themselves from evil spirits. People also wore the amulets made from sacred plants (惫补苍补耻峁诲丑颈) to take guard from the evil spirits.[15] 叠腻峁嘺bha峁弓a himself used 谤辞肠补苍腻[16] (a bright yellow pigment prepared from the urine or bile of a cow or found in its head) with 诲奴谤惫腻 and 驳颈谤颈办补谤峁噄办腻 flowers to be safe from evil spirits and the evil eyes. Again, it was believed that white mustard[17] had the power to protect the evil spirits. The author also mentions that sesame and water were offered to the dead.[18]
The sight of an empty pot was accepted as bad omen; therefore the 办补濒补艣补[19] filled with water was attached with the mango leaves and was put at the corner of the door of a house. When someone sets-out from the house it takes as good signs for future events. It is seen p奴r峁嘺办补濒补艣补[20] was accepted as auspicious and sometimes, as ma峁単ala办补濒补艣补.[21]
Again, the bathing at a 迟墨谤迟丑补[22] or in holy water collected from the secret rivers or oceans etc. and pilgrimage to sacred places was regarded as great religious acts. 叠腻峁嘺 states that people or ascetics used to visit and took bath at sacred places at that time.
In the 贬补谤峁carita, it is noted that various good or bad omens were related to the birds, animals, natural phenomena etc. It also believed that the earthquakes were the punishments sent by God to punish mankind for their sins.[23] The writer points out the female Jackal howled[24] and flames of firebrand falling from the sky[25] etc. which indicated the bad omens for a country. The cry of the crows was, too, accepted as evil omen.[26] Sometimes tigers and deer were also accepted as bad omens.[27]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
鈥�.mauh奴trikamatena k峁泃anak峁tradohada岣�, 艣obhane muh奴rte鈥︹��.pr墨tik奴峁乶nirag膩t, Ibid.,II.p.26
[3]:
[4]:
[5]:
[a] 鈥akravartinamagra峁嚹沜akravarticihn膩n膩峁� mah膩ratn膩n膩峁冣��.鈥� sapt膩n膩峁� s膩gar膩峁嚹佱箖 p膩layit膩鈥uto鈥檡a峁� devasya 箩腻迟补岣�, Ibid.,IV.p.64 [b] 鈥alaja艣a峁卥hm墨namakarasan膩thatalatay膩 kathitacaturambhodhibhogacihn膩miva cara峁嘺u dadh膩nam, Ibid.,II.p.33
[6]:
[7]:
鈥︹�︹��.t膩峁冣�︹��.k峁p膩y膩峁� k峁峁嘺miva nidr膩malavat svapne c膩bhra峁僱iha峁� lohastambha峁� bhajyam膩namapa艣yat, Ibid.,VI.p.97
[8]:
鈥�.迟补迟办腻濒补蝉尘补谤补峁嘺蝉辫丑耻谤补峁噀苍补鈥︹赌�..肠腻峁ａ弓腻诲补艣补诲惫墨辫补箩别迟补惫测腻诲丑颈办腻谤别 诲补办峁峁嘺峁� bhujastambhamahamahamikay膩 鈥�..sunimitrairapi鈥�, Ibid.,VII.p.108
[9]:
Ibid.
[10]:
bahum峁泃apa峁乿agu峁囜弓han膩峁� ra帽jitara帽g膩峁� jana峁単am膩namiva va峁兣沘b膩hy膩man膩ry膩峁� 鈥�., 贬补谤峁carita,VI.94
[11]:
ak膩峁囜笉apray膩峁嘺saj帽膩艣a峁卥hak峁bhita峁冣�︹�bhimukh膩m膩jag膩m 鈥�..nagn膩峁璦ka岣�, Ibid.,V.p.75
[12]:
tribh奴vanopaplavapra艣ama办耻艣补p墨岣峚dh膩ri峁嘺鈥�, Ibid.,I.p.4
[13]:
鈥�.办耻艣补艣ayanas奴citas奴ryagrahas奴takopav膩s膩m, Ibid.,I.p.8
[14]:
鈥腻峁璦办补惫补诲诲丑补惫颈办补峁璦惫测腻驳丑谤补苍补办丑补辫补峁卥颈尘补峁囜笉颈迟补驳谤墨惫补办别, Ibid., IV.p.64
[15]:
鈥迟迟补尘腻峁単补苍颈丑颈迟补谤补办峁Ｄ乻补谤峁辫别, Ibid.
[16]:
谤辞肠补苍腻citra诲奴谤惫腻grapallavagrathitagirikarnik膩kusumak峁泃akar峁嘺pura岣�, Ibid., II.p.25
[17]:
艣颈办丑腻蝉补办迟补蝉颈诲诲丑腻谤迟丑补办补岣�, Ibid.
[18]:
鈥︹赌�.迟颈濒辞诲补办补辫耻濒补办颈迟补辫耻濒颈苍腻尘, Ibid.,I.p.8
[19]:
艣obhane muh奴rte..sth膩pitamasiterakusumam膩l膩鈥�..mukhanihitanavac奴tapallava峁� p奴r峁嘺办补濒补艣补mud墨k峁m膩峁嘺岣�. 鈥︹��.pr墨tik奴峁乶nirag膩t, Ibid., II.p.26
[20]:
Ibid.
[21]:
Ibid.,IV.p.70
[22]:
[a] bh膩g墨rath墨迟墨谤迟丑补y膩tr膩paricay膩gate鈥�, Ibid.,III.p.47 [b] pray膩gaprav膩have峁噄k膩v膩ri峁噀v膩gatya svayamabhi峁cyam膩nam鈥�, Ibid.,II.p.34
[23]:
诲辞濒腻测补尘腻苍补鈥︹赌�..辫谤补迟丑补尘补肠补濒补诲诲丑补谤颈迟谤墨, Ibid.,V.p.82
[25]:
patant墨rulk膩 nabhaso vav膩艣ire 艣iv膩n膩峁� 谤腻箩补测补岣�, Ibid.
[26]:
[27]:
ak膩峁囜笉apray膩峁嘺saj帽膩艣a峁卥hak峁bhita峁冣��..vin膩艣amupasthit膩峁� r膩jasi峁僪asya hari峁嚹佱弗 prakatay膩nbabh奴vu岣�, Ibid.,V.p.75