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[Full title: Supernatural Elements (in ancient India); (3): Supernatural occurrences]

The Paumacariya reveals that supernatural occurrences affected the day to day life of the people. They can be dealt under four heads-viz. (1) Supernatural occurrences connected with the life of great persons; (2) Favourable or unfavourable disposition of celestial beings towards 1. See for details Thananga, 7. 558; Tiloyapannatti, 4. 1.77-86 and Jambudivapannatti, (3.66). 2. See Uttara-purana (58. 59. 115). 3. See Adipurana (36. 66).

398 A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM the righteous and the wicked respectively; (3) Celestial being's assistance to their friends or their causing obstruction to their enemies of this life or the previous life and (4) work of the evil spirits. 1. Supernatural occurrences connected with the life of great persons : The Paumacariya reveals that many incidents in the life of great persons are hailed with some supernatural occrrences or with the pouring of flowers and the beating of divine drums by the celestial beings. Hanu's birth (17.90) was hailed with favourable phenomenal occurrences. On the occasion of Rama's success in stringing the bow (28. 106-121) there occurred many phenomenal changes such as the trembling of mountains, agitating of the sea, reversing of the currents of the rivers etc. Celestial beings then poured flowers and beat divine drums. Similarly the occasions like the battle between Rama and Ravana (71.20), the reunion of Rama and Sita at Lanka (71.20), the triumph of Muni Vali in subduing Ravana (9.80) on the Kailasa mountain, Laksmana's success in withstanding the Saktis hurled by king Aridamana (38.42), queen Simhika's success in proving that she was chaste (22.69), Bharata's intiation into monkkood (83.7) and the success of monks in observing meditation (50.3,7) or penances (117.2) were graced with pouring of flowers, sounding of divine drums and hailing words from celestial beings. The 2. Disposition of celestial beings towards righteous and wicked persons :Paumacariya reveals that those who were righteous or of irreproa chable conduct or were devoted to the religion of the Jina were assisted by the celestial beings in critical times. The converting of the fire-pit into a pond of water on the occasion of Sita's fireordeal (102.19.33), the advance information given to Satrughna about the coming calamity on Mathura (87.17), the conjuring up of Ramapuri for Rama in the forest (35.25-36), sentinels guarding the temple in which Ravana was meditating (67.49f) and saving a monk from a calamity (5.231) were the works of divine beings for assisting the righteous persons. Those who were wicked and disrespectful to the righteous ones and the true religion were punished by the celestial beings or some untoward phenomenal occurrences damaged their life. The absorption of king Vasu by the earth on account of telling a lie (11,34) and the paralysing of two Brahmins (105.65) who wanted to kill monks are such examples.

SOCIAL CONDITIONS 399 (3) The assistance and the intimidation of the celestial beings:- The Paumacariyam reveals that the celestial beings, in various ways, helped those human beings who were the benefactors of the former or their relatives in this or the previous birth. Rama and Laksmana had saved two monks from the tortures of a celestial being (39.98), hence the Garudadhipati (Sura) who was the father of those two monks in his previous birth helped Rama and Laksmana with many divine weapons (59.78; 60.2) to set free Bhamandala and Sugriva from the enemy. When some Raksasa princes attacked the country of Rama, two celestial beings (Jatayu and Krtantavadana) who were associated with Rama in their previous life, chased off the enemies and thus helped their master (113.22). Camara, a celestial being favoured king Madhu with a very powerful divine weapon, because in their previous birth the latter had helped the former (12.7-34). On the other hand the celestial beings harassed and punished their enemies. Analaprabha, a Jyotisika god who in his previous birth was killed by Kulabhusana and Desabhusana, created scorpions and snakes to frighten and obsruct the latter from attaining Kevala (39. 16- 17; 46.119). Similarly Dharanendra snatched away the Vidyas from a king who was his enemy in his previous birth (5. 25-38). Raksasi Vidyunmukhi oppressed Muni Sakalabhusana falsely charging him with theft and causing various disturbances to him (101. 54-68) because she was expelled by him, his husband in her previous birth. A Bhavanavasin Deva tortured a king because he as a monkey in his previous birth was killed by that king (6. 102-111). Celestial Camara spread epidemic and caused many deaths to oppress Satrughna, because the latter had killed the former's friend king Madhu (87.17). (4) The work of evil spirits :-Evil spirits such as the Grahas, Bhutas the Pisacas, the Vanavyantaras, the Dakinis, the Brahmaraksasas are said to be frightening and obstructing persons acquiring supernatural powers (7.66) or the monks devoted in meditation (105.33) by conjuring dreadful animals and terrorising scenes (39.24-28). Those who did not get disturbed by them emerged successful.