Encounters With Vetalas Studies On Fab Creatures I

ENCOUNTERS WITH "VETĀLAS" STUDIES ON FABULOUS CREATURES I
Author(s): Csaba Dezső

Source: Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, Vol. 63, No. 4 (December 2010),
pp. 391-426
Published by: Akadémiai Kiadó
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Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hang. Volume 63 (4), 391—426 (2010)
DOI: 10.1556/A Orient. 63.2010.4.1
ENCOUNTERS WITH VETÄLAS
STUDIES ON FABULOUS CREATURES I
CSABA DEZSÖ
Department of Indo-European Studies, Eötvös Lorând University

H-1088 Budapest, Mûzeum krt. 6-8/A, Hungary
e-mail: csaba.dezso@gmail.com
This paper attempts to outline the évolution and taxonomy of vetâlas, one of the fabulous créatures
that populate the religious culture of ancient and early mediaeval India. Sometimes misleadingly
identified as "vampires", vetâlas had an important role in tantric rituals aiming at magical powers
and performed in crémation grounds. Three such rituals are examined in this paper on the basis of
both tantric and literary texts, all involving vetâlas who sometimes appear as animated corpses,
sometimes as jinn-like servants, sometimes as fiilly developed fabulous créatures bearing the char
acteristic marks of their species, which marks сап also be assumed by deities. In the appendices a
Kashmirian stotra to Bhairava appearing as a vetâla is edited and translated, and two vetâla door
keepers are presented ffom a 12th-century Hoysala temple.
Key words: vetala, fabulous créatures, Tantra, magic, stotra.
The range of living beings in traditional Indian culture comprises not just gods, men
and animais. The hells have their special créatures who inflict tortures on humans
who have been reborn there due to their demerits. Then there are various non-human
beings, some demonic and dangerous (räksasas, pisäcas), others more like fairies
(gandharvas, apsarases, vidyädharas). Many of these fabulous créatures belong to
the common héritage of Indian religious cultures, and many of them are found in the
* This article grew out of a paper read at the Conference "Letting the Texts Speak: The Im
portance of Textual Studies in Contemporary Indology" (ELTE, Budapest, 3-5 February, 2010). The
underlying research was supported by the Hungarian National Scientific Research Fund (OTKA),
project no. PD 78093. The reading sessions and lectures of the Second and Third International
Workshops on Early Tantra (Pondicherry, 2009 and Hamburg, 2010) provided me with much maté
riel and food for thought, as did Dr. Somadeva Vasudeva's learned blog entries (http://sarasvatam.
blogspot.com/2008/05/concerning-vetlas.html, http://sarasvatam.blogspot.com/2008/05/concerning
vetlas-2.html). I am grateful to Prof. Harunaga Isaacson and Dr. Dominic Goodall for reading parts
of this paper and suggesting several improvements. All remaining errors are certainly mine.
0001-6446/$ 20.00 © 2010 Akadémiai Kiadô, Budapest
392 CS. DEZSÖ
most ancient texts and i

tact with humans, seduci
them treasures or magic
able: a being can, after d
ture abounds in stories in
great variety of rebirths,
Vetälas belong to the m
are associated with dead
and pisäcas. In translatio
not bite necks to suck the
gicians. An accomplished
powers (,siddhis) from the
Three kinds of rituals ar
tristic works of early med
(homa) performed using th
as the zombie-type: the
third variant is the "barte
tric practitioner tries to w
mation-ground by selling
I. Vetälasädhanas in Tantric Texts
LI. The Utthäpana-ty/x?: Raising the Dead
Several versions of this type are described in the Nisväsaguhya, a very early'
Saiddhäntika scripture. According to the first account, the tantric practitioner (säd
ka) should fetch the unmutilated corpse of a man or a woman, worship it with
grances, flowers and incense, position it with its head towards the south, put his h
smeared with red sandal upon it, and recite the mantra "OM ACETANA ('inanim
NAMAH" until it stands up. The sädhaka must not be scared. It will say: "What shall
do?" He should reply: "Be my servant." From that moment it becomes his slave
will carry the sädhaka on its back wherever he wants to go. If the corpse belonged
a woman, it will become like a celestial damsel {apsaras)\ the sädhaka will bec
invisible with her and live for ten thousand years."
1 Goodall and Isaacson (2007, p. 6) date the earliest part of the Msvösa-corpus between
and 550, and though the Guhyasütra is not among its oldest sections, it can still be counted am
the earliest Saiddhântika scriptures. I thank Dr. Dominic Goodall for allowing me to use a draft
tion of the text prepared by him and Dr. Diwakar Acharya, with contributions ffom Prof. A
Sanderson and Mr. Nirajan Kalle.
2 Nisväsaguhya 11.87: от acetana namah. anena mantrena savam aksatângam strîpurus
vä grhitvä gandhapuspadhupärcitam krtvä daksinasira sthäpya raktacandanadigdham hastam
syopari dattvä tävaj japed yävad uttisthate. tasya na bhetavyam. so bruvate kim karomîti. sa
Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010
ENCOUNTERS W1TH VETÄLAS 393
In a very similar description (14.127) the sädh

vetäla, goes to the cremation-ground. There he f
ments it, then worships it with fragrances and f
cloth. Then the sâdhaka puts his hand on its ehest an
sand times, then eight hundred times with the ghee
Düring the recitation he should smear his own (?) han
He should not do the recitation aloud. Then it wil
what shall I do?" The adept should reply: "Give m
will arrange everything. Or the sâdhaka should say:
bezoar, realgar, médicinal herbs, or a hoard of je
that task, it returns to the same place and "falls d
In 14.128 and 14.129 the procédure is the same, ju
(sarsapakalka) and 'pungent oil* (tîksnataila) for sme
asks the vetäla to carry out some task, while in the l
In another, perhaps related ritual (11.105) the ad
sand offerings into the fire of the crémation groun
BHAVA ('you who are both death and birth') NAM
garlands will arise from the fire and ask him: "W
"Destroy this and this man, or town, village, or cou
second. If the adept wants to perform a ritual of
dred thousand oblations of milk in a fire made of sa
will be quelled (sânti).4
1.2. The Нота-type Vetälasädhana
The homa-type vetälasädhana is found in several

dhist. A summary of the ritual will be given below
the Picumata-Brahmayâmala (7th-8th centuries?
of the Vidyâ Corpus ( VidyäpTtha) of Saiva scripture
ktavyah sahâyo bhavasveti. tatah prabhrti kinkaro bhavati.

vrajati. atha strihy apsarasopamä bhavati. tayä saha adrsy
3 Nisväsaguhya 14.127: atha vetälam sädhayitukämah
tängam samädäya snänälamkrtam krtvä mandalam pravis
lavastrena pracchädya urasi hastam dattvästasahasram jap
tasatam japet. japamäno hastau mraksayitvä tasya pädau
astasahasram parisamäptam iti. tatas cottisthati bruvate ca.
vyah. ïpsitam kämam dadasveti. tatah sarvam sampädaya
dhiratnanidhänam vä änayasveti. tatas tatkarma krtvä tatra
4 Nisväsaguhya 11.105: от nidhanodbhava namah. an
ed.: smasa N, smasä K, smasönägnau W) ni laksänij
rusam uttisthati. sa ca vadati kim karomïti. vaktavyam am
vä näsayasveti. tat ksanän näsayati. pratyänayane samfsam
säntir bhavati.
394 CS. DEZSÖ
exposition.5 Parallel pas

modify the picture emer
The ritual takes place on
ing cremation-ground.
someone who has been
whole,8 not hairy, not t
sniffed at by crows or do
eyes neither sunken no
pletely, wash it with pe
king.10 Then he perform
ground (bhüparigraha), th
corpse (anganyâsa), prot
(raksä), smearing the gr
cowdung,11 scattering po
food (naivedya, carii) f
mantra, offers fragrance
vessels, or conch-shell
should also smear it with
head towards the south
5 Ms. A 42/6, fols. 82r-83v

of the text (Kiss 2009).
6 Brahmayämala 15.24: sm
hya also mentions a solitary
tion of roads?, samgame) as
1 Brahmayämala 15.16ff
Does this mean that it is the
the same purpose is also men
udbaddham anyathà-m api).
corpse must have been whole
8 Brahmayämala 15.16: ak
also emphasised in the Nisv
g Brahmayämala 15.17: ni
ca nimnäksä nätisthüleksan
nair na jighratam.
10 Brahmayämala 15.20cd
payitvä savam divyam sugan
" Brahmayämala 15.24cd-
nam tu smasânasyângrhenaiv
rhena (metri causa for angh
12 Brahmayämala 15.25: r
that he draws the mandata, u
13 Brahmayämala 15.29cd
yair vâ snâpayen mantrï sah
snâpayitvà yathänyäyam su
clear to me in what order a
seems to be washed and perf
ENCOUNTERS WITH VETÄLAS 395
the corpse's heart and sit down on it facing south.14 Th

mouth of the corpse,15 into which he performs the hom
Dreadful obstacles will spring up for him: he will
and a most terrible noise, he will see the world becomin
hear cows bellowing and crows cawing, but he must
offer argha guest-water.16 Then he sees quiescence,
ârâmam pasyate tatra), which may mean that those port
hears sharp howling, horses neighing and éléphants trum
be afraid nor neglect the homa. 8 He will see the sun ris
billions of weapons, but the best of sädhakas should not
Then smoke resembling a cloud will arise from the m
which the sädhaka should offer argha guest-water.20 Th
and powers will appear for him.2 If he wishes he can
siddhis then, but if he wants middling siddhis he should
heroic person (vira, mahäsattva) he will not follow
leagues and will carry on with the ritual.22
14 Brahmayâmala 15.34-35: hrdayennâsanam dattvâ ...

daksinâbhimukhasthita ...
15 Brahmayâmala 15.36ab: agnim vai *jvâlayitvâ (em.: jâlayitvâ mss) tu mukhe pretasya
vyâvrte ...
16 Brahmayâmala 15.39-4lab: vighnâny asyopajâyante raudrâni ca tato fva hif \ sivârâ
vam mahâghoram kalakalam ca prajâyate || prabhâtam pasyate sarvâm (em. to sarvaml Or is
sarvâm plur. gen.?) gorambhâm (em. to gohambhâml) srûyate tathâ | kâkasabdam prajâyeta lokam
pasyati utthitam \ | homam devi na moktavyâm argham dattvâ tu mantrinâ |.
171 owe this interprétation to Dr. Dominic Goodall. One might translate the text as "he sees
a pleasure grove there", but I find it difïïcult to fit a delightful garden into the description of portents.
18 Brahmayâmala 15.42: *hesâravo (em.: hesä° mss) tato 'svânâm gajagarjadhvanis tathâ \
tâm srutvâ tu na bhetavyam na ca homam pramâdayet 11.
19 Brahmayâmala 15.43: âdityam uditam pasye âkarne sâstrakotyatâm (or perhaps "he will
hear the sound of things being broken into pièces by weapons"?) | tam drstvâ tu na moktavyâm ho
mam vai sâdhakottamah 11. (The syntax of this sentence is especially barbarous, though the meaning
is fairly clear.)
20 Brahmayâmala 15.44: tato dhitmamprajâyeta savâsyân (conj.: savasyo MS.) meghasapra
bham | argham tatra pradâtavyam savâsye sâdhakottamah ||.
21 Magic pill (gudikâ) and ointment (ahjana) come out (niskrame câsya, where âsya perhaps
stands for âsyât, "from the mouth" of the corpse), he (or the corpse? rather the sâdhaka) levitates
(?, uttisthate), a pair of magie sandals appear (pâdukau), Aying happens (khagati), and he will see
the magie bezoar (rocanâ) in the corpse's mouth (15.45-46ab: gudikâ niskrame câsya anjanam ca
tathâ priye \ uttisthate tathâ caiva pâdukau khagatis phalam \ | rocanâ ca pradrsyeta pretâsye nâtra
samsayah). The word uttisthate might mean that the corpse stands up (or the vetâla rises up) and
perhaps offers his services to the adept. The Brahmayâmala, before embarking on the description
of the ritual, promises the following siddhis (15.13-14): magie sword, magie bezoar, entering sub
terranean paradises (pâtâlam), the status of a wizard (vidyâdharapada), magie sandals, magie oint
ment, lévitation (? uttistha, or perhaps "[the animated corpse] stands up" ?), becoming invisible
(antardhânaka). For more détails on magical attainments see Hatley (2007, pp. 74ff., fit. 131).
22 Brahmayâmala 15.46cd-48ab: ekâ tatra labhet siddhih yad icchet ksudrasattvakah (em.
°sâdhakahj) || argham dattvâ grahetavyâm esâm anyatame tathâ \ atha vîram mahâsattva tesu lokam
na gacchati. (The interprétation of this sentence is highly tentative.) || tato homam na moktavyam
madhyamâ siddhim icchatä |.
396 CS. DEZSÖ
Then he will see a beau

stunning courtesans, Ram
the spring season with b
sans will try to seduce h
should go on with his ho
he will see in the sky Ind
ma, who offer him their
dam). But the sädhaka shou
Then a huge Aame will a
sand suns, as if burning
emer^e greedily towards t
band"6 before it touches h
the tongue it will turn int
into the sky, mounts up
and the master of billions
23 Brahmayâmala 15.48cd-
nâni tathâ pasye ganikâs caiv
dhavam pasyate mâsam udy
tah \ |. One might consider em
24 Brahmayâmala 15.5lcd—
bhaktäsmäkan tu sandhista (
kâmadevena pîditâh \ nirghr
manmathena tu pîditâh \ tâm
santiha cumbayanti ca sâdhaka
25 Brahmayâmala 15.55-58
âkâse visnum garudasamsthita
samprahrstàs te sâdhakam sur
tah MSS)| brahmatvam py ath
bhangam na kârayet \ na ca h
rûpam seems to indicate that
26 Brahmayâmala 15.59-61a
trailokyam sahasrârkasamapr
thâpitam yat tu ksurikâ vâpy
word prâkkhandasthâpitam m
one might consider emendin
hand" (I owe these tentative in
27 Brahmayâmala 15.61cd
anyathâ kurute mohât khâdya
may have siddhas eut and fet
tah).
28 Brahmayâmala 15.63ab: yâvad dhaste bhavet tasya tâvat khadgam mahâprabham. Sculp
tural représentations of sword-wielding vidyâdharas are not unknown in mediaeval Indian art, e.g.
a sandstone ceiling panel ffom Rajasthan (c. 750-850 CE) kept in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford,
has eight such wizards interlinked to form a circle.
24 Brahmayâmala 15.63cd-64: tatas tam grhya mantrajno utpate gaganâhgane || uttistati
vimânastham vimânaih parivâritam \ tatrâruhya mahâdhîras cakravarttisvaro bhavet \ kotyâ caiva
vimânânâm âdhipatyam avâpnuyât ||. Cakravartîsvaro presumably means the lord of the emper
ors of the wizards, vidyâdharacakravartins. The Nisväsaguhya does not mention the fearfiil or
tempting obstacles, only that the tongue cornes out while the sâdhaka is performing the homa, and
The short description of the homa-type vetäla

ends with a peculiar injunction that has no counterpa
nam tu savam sarvam sädhakebhyo nivedayet, "[t
whole golden corpse to [his fellow] sädhakas" (3.6
Springs to mind as a possible parallel is the Tibetan
stories of the "Golden Vetäla", in which Nägärjuna
gold mine on Sriparvata with the help of a special
carried on one's Shoulder without uttering a word. If
ing in courage the corpse will not transform into
mine will be formed (see Macdonald 1990, pp. 38ff
Bu-chos, the story of Nägärjuna transforming the co
gold is of Indian origin (see Macdonald 1990, p. 14)
The Vinäsikha (or Vinäsikha), a scripture of th
Mantramärga,30 teaches a combined form of the
dhaka should offer human flesh mixed with the m
the mouth of a corpse (i.e. presumably into the fir
prêta (the ghost? or the corpse itself?) stands up an
give one magical thing from the usual list (pills, oi
kingship, elixir, etc.), and then goes away. The B
Century) contains a similar account (44.1-6, with "
of magical attainments) (see Sugiki 2008).
1.3. Barter in Human Flesh (Mahämämsavikraya)
Selling human flesh to the denizens of the crémation

or some magical attainment is a practice familiar fro
bhüti's Mälatimädhava (8th Century). Harihara, the 12
play quotes the following définition from the Sidd
Trika branch of Säkta Saivism, possibly dating back t
1999, p. vii): virahastän mahämämsam grhitvä vir
cepting human flesh from the hand of a hero (i.e.
boon he desires".31
that he should eut it with an appropriate weapon (sastra). Th

adept grasps it and becomes a wizard (vidyädhara), who
endure (3.63cd-64: tato jihväm viniskrämet täm tu sastrena
grhya *vidyädharo bhavet (conj. ed.: vidyä — NW, vi — К
rakam ||).
30 As Sanderson has shown, the cult of the Väma branch was already established in India at
the beginning of the 8th Century (see Sanderson 2001, p. 8, note 5). The Tantra has been edited and
translated by Goudriaan (1973).
31 Harihara's comm. ad Mälatimädhava 5.7+ (p. 154 in Grimal's édition). As Hatley points
out (2007, p. 86, note 178), the beginning of the quotation (up to grhïtva) seems to be metrical and
might have belonged to an anustubh verse.
398 CS. DEZSÖ
The quoted sentence is n

dhayogesvarfmata, but i
tioner, having fasted for
night of the dark half-mo
his body straight and untr
around him. Their hideo
naked, others with blood
heroic sädhaka. He should
them with his own blood
give him any magical pow
A verse of the Svacchan
reconstructed by Shaman
context of initiatory dream
vîravetâlasiddhais ca mah
tion ground, surrounded
human flesh by heroes,
tion ground is the natura
change of human flesh an
II. Vetälasädhanas i
II. 1. Vetâlas as Servants
Varâhamihira's famous work on astronomy and astrology, the Brhatsamhitä (5th

6th centuries CE), also deals with the interprétation of bodily marks (laksanas), an
devotes one chapter (68) to the five special types of men (pahca purusäh prasastäh
and their attendants. One such attendant, the so-called mandalaka, is described (68.3
38, see Tripâthï 1968) as an expert in black magic (abhicäravit), and fond of spells and
32 Siddhayogesvarïmata 13.11-21: krsnapakse caturdasyäm trirätram ca upositah \ nis

gatvä smasänam tu sahäyaih parivarjitah \ \ nagno muktasikho bhütvä kauberyabhimukhah sthitah \
ürdhvakäyo japen mantrî suniskampah paräparäm \ | ekacittasthito vïrah sa mahätmä prasanna
dhlh | tävad yävat samäyätä yogesvaryah samantatah || täsäm caiva tu rüpäni bhisanäni bahüni ca \
drstvä naiva bhayam kuryäd vidyäm eva-m-anusmaret \ \ tatah kalakalärävam krtvä ghoram sud
runam | bhümau nipatya tisthanti vestayantyah sädhakottamam \ \ käs cid utphullanayanäh käs cid
raktäyateksanäh \ ustravyäghränanäh käs cit käs cic caiva kharänanäh \ \ vivasträ muktakesäs c
käs cic cänyä varänane\ kharüpinyo mahäbhägä madavibhräntalocanäh \ \ vistirnanayanäh käs ci
pînonnatapayodharâh | divyädankäiradiptängäh sarvakämärthasadhikäh 11 tato niskampacittas tu v
dyäm ävartya mantravit | täsäm krtvä namaskäram vämängam bhedayet svakam 11 taduttham lohi
tam grhya pürayitvä tato 'njalim \ grnan vidyäm tatas caisäm f mucchantibhyäm f pradäpayet 11
datte 'rghe tu tato devyah siddhim yacchanti mânasîm | sädhakasya mahäbhägäh sarvakämapha
pradäh II.
3 One of the earliest of the Saiva Bhairavatantras (see Hatley 2007, pp. 132, 149ff.).
34 Svacchandatantra 4.14cd-15ab, quoted by Hatley (2007, p. 87, note 179).
ENCOUNTERS W1TH VETÄLAS 399
rituals such as the krtyä and the vetäla (krtyävetälä

Bhatta Utpala, the 9th-century commentator of t
"a woman conjured up from the middle of a fire in
dhärtham agnimadhyäd yä strf utthäpyate sä krt
rior36 corpse again with the help of mantras" (savas
rutthäpanam vetälah).
Such a corpse then could be made into a serva
means of transportation, as the Nisväsaguhya teache
both in the Jain Prakrit (Sanghadäsaganin's Vasudev
in the Nepalese Sanskrit (Budhasvämin's Brhatka
time before 1000 - see Mallinson 2005, p. 15) vers
thus, might have been part of Gunâdhya's now lo
ries around the beginning of the Common Era), d
the Vasudevahimdi, an old mäyamga (Sanskrit m
sudeva to give him the mäyamga girl he saw dancin
woman's granddaughter, is actually from a wizar
ing magie, assumed the form of a mäyamgu% The k
At night he is awakened by the touch of a hand and
he sees a terrifying veyäla. 9 Не muses about the tw
the hot one when they want to destroy the enemy,
off and then returns the target.40 This particular v
variety, since it Starts dragging Vasudeva away from
maids to sleep so that they do not wake up even wh
by itself behind them. As they go through the c
which he interprets as good omens. The veyäla ca
(piuvana) and delivers him to the old mäyamga wom
to herself. She congratulâtes the veyäla (calling i
drops Vasudeva, laughs and disappears.42
In the Brhatkathäslokasangraha the hero of the
ta. Similarly to Vasudeva, he hesitates to accept th
35 Cf. the ritual described in Nisvâsaguhya 11.105, quot

Century), however, in his commentary to Netratantra 18.4
to enter into a woman's corpse with the aim of destroying
vesitâ vetâlî krtyâ).
36 Perhaps this attribute can be connected with the pres
about the corpse having unmutilated limbs, possessing ail s
37 The Mâyamga was one of the vidyâdhara nikâyas, se
38 Vasudevahimdi p. 178: kilâpuwam vijjânuvattïmâya
39 Ibid.: hatthaphâsenapadibuddho ... dîvamanipagâsiy
40 Ibid. : je unhâ veyâlâ te sattum paümjamti vinâseukâ
yam-ti evam cimtemi.
41 Ibid. : kaddhati mam veyâlo ... cedïo passâmi pasutt
pâehim vi chikkâ rta ceyemti.
42 Ibid. p. 179: sampâvio piüvanam. ditthâ ya maya
bhanio anäe veyâlo - bhaddamuha, sampâviyam te payoyana
hasiûna adarisanam gato.
Acta Orient. Hung. 63,
400 CS. DEZSÖ
later turns out to be the w

ravähanadatta is roused f
opens his eyes he sees in
He infers the créature t
garbham) who has come
kill the prêta there and th
being put him on his back
the guards lie asleep due
behind them.45 Naravähan
to be a painful experime
while whenever Naraväha
through the city he wit
"abode of the dead" (ujjv
walls, complété with the
raised sword and a potsher
(20.95: kva cit purusam u
tvâh krïyatàm iti vâdinam
sky (20.96: sâdhakam sid
nadatta noticed the old w
human blood into a funera
with the syllable 'ham\ W
her instructions, a profou
ritual. After welcoming h
'Welcome, moon-face! Le
lamity has befallen the m
He released me gently, spr
into the ground with a lou
43 Brhatkathäslokasangrah
cayâ mama ...
44 Ibid. 20.30b-31c: kathor
kandaram \ \ anumâya ca tam
45 Ibid. 20.32-35: bharadväj
sma bhîsanâratisankitah || t
mârgena prâsâdâgrâd avätarat
tam adrâksur na niryântam a
samputas tatra sanair aghatay
46 Ibid. 20.36-37: grhâd dït
jânupîdâprayojanah \ \ yac ca
sma kimcit kälatn na gacchati
47 Or perhaps "stretched his
48 Yama's quarter, the cor
vetâlasâdhana.
44 Brhatkathâslokasangraha 20.97d-102: sä drstä sthavirâ maya || vatamûle citâvahnau vâ
mahastärpitasruvä \ hamkârântena mantrena juhvatî narasonitam || tam ca pretam asau drstvâ sà
dhitädesam âgatam | guruharsavisâlaksî karmasesam samäpayat || tam ca dattârghasatkâram avo
cat krtakarmane \ svâgatam candravakträya kumäro mucyatäm iti 11 mama tv âsïd aho kastâ сап
The vetäla or prêta of this story seems to be a

corpse with sunken-eyes and gaping mouth, revived b
spirit inhabiting a dead body who entertains the hero
the corpse on his back to the place of the sädhana,
type vetäla who Shoulders the hero and delivers him
plished its task and following a respectful réceptio
ground), which might correspond to the laconic ni
sväsaguhya (14.127).
Vetälas could also be employed as assassins. In
10th-century Brhatkathäkosa, a certain Bandhusrï
kill Jinadattä, the co-wife of her daughter. "Murder i
blemish",50 déclarés the käpälika, and on the 14th n
goes to the crémation ground and fetches a corpse
tälavidyä / vetälavidyakä / vetäläkhyamahävidyä). Thi
hand, asks for the käpälika's order, who command
however cannot enter the Jain sanctuary where the la
times without accomplishing its task. Finally the k
woman of the two",5 and the vetäla goes and liquidâte
Somadeva's Kathäsaritsägara (1 Ith Century), one
of the Brhatkathä, also contains stories with vetäla
The legendary king Vikramäditya is said to have
Crested", at his disposai. When the king summons him
eyes and hair standing on end, and says: "What sha
Orders the vetäla to kill and eat an evil käpälika, a
is trying to draw the wife of Kuvera's brother to him
ritual. The vetäla enters the corpse (placed in a man
for his ritual, then Springs up and rushes forth wi
mouth. The sädhaka is just Coming back from rinsi
upon noticing the monster, but the vetäla catches him
the air and then smashes him on the ground, crush
tions.53 Considering his name and the task he is entru
dramasyäpad ägatä \ yena käkamukhasyäsya mukham etena tu

bähujahgham prasärya ca \ daksinäbhimukhas täram äratyäpa
0 Brhatkathäkosa 64.41cd: märanam nah kuleyuktam b
51 Brhatkathäkosa 64.57: duräcäräm dvayor madhye nih
samïpam ca krtakrtyatvam ägatä | |.
52 Po-chi Huang (2009, p. 225, Iii. 42) quotes the définit
nese version of the Sarvâstivâda Vinaya: a bhiksu washes an
mantras, gives it a knife and sends it to kill his enemy. But
sheep ready in case the emeny proves to be too powerfiil to be
can exterminate the sheep instead of the bhiksu (Taishö, vol.
53 Kathäsaritsägara 18.2.23cd-28: ity uktvägnisikham n
cähüto jvalannetrah prämsur ürdhvasiroruhah \ upetyaivàbrav
atha räjäbravid esa paradäräpahärakrt \ päpah käpäliko hatv
'gnisikhas tasmih save 'rcämandalasthite \ pravisyädhävad u
402 CS. DEZSÖ
to the "hot" variety m

scribes a ritual that conju
At an other occasion
("Ghost-Bannered"), wh
servant (a rather unusua
restore the human form
taketu confesses that his
they visit the village of t
plish the transformatio
devours flve hundred of
Bhütaketu, who helps Vik
Kaiinga, without major
Kalingasena's bedchamb
king and says to him l
Vikramäditya?" The king
mäditya's mercy.57
Interestingly, the per
Vikramäditya also seem
in his career (end of th
II, one of the greatest G
was still a junior prince
by Temerity". Visäkhad
was based on this story.5
could reconstruct the o
Bakker 2006). The Saka r
besieged his camp and d
jahghayoh pascät tarn cäcä

bhrämayitvä ca ksipram äsph
54 Vasudevahimdi p. 178. S
55 See fn. 4.
56 Kathäsaritsägara 18.4.34-40: ekäktcâtra vetälam Bhûtaketum samasmarat \ prän netra
rogäd drstyaiva mocayitvä vasïkrtam 11 sa vetälah smrtäyätah prahvo räjänam abravït | kirn smrto
'smi maharaja nideso dryatäm iti 11 atha râjâbravîd etam bhadra kärpatakam mama \ sahasäjaga
ribhütam präpaya prakrtim nijäm \ | vetälo 'py avadad deva nâsti saktir mamedrsï \ saktayo niyatä
väri vaidyntägnim nu hanti kim || tato râjâbravît tarhi yämah palllm imäm sakhe \ ato budhyeta
bhillebhyah ko 'py upäyah kadä сапа \ \ ity älocya savetälo räjä pallfm jagäma tarn | tatra säbhara
nam drstvä tarn cauräh paryavärayan \ \ kiratäm saravarsäni tesäm pahcasatäni ca \ Bhûtaketnh sa
vetälo rcmädesäd abhaksayat \ \.
5 Kathäsaritsägara 18.5.40-43: ity älocya savetälo räjä tatsiddhyalaksitah \ suptasyaprä
visad rätrau Kalihgesasya väsakam 11 are Visamastlena vigrhya svapisîti tarn \ prabodhya tatra vi
trastam vetälah so 'bravïd dhasan 11 sa cotthäya Kalingendro drstvä darsitasähasam \ parijhäya ca
räjänam raudravetälasamgatam \ | idänlm vasago 'ham te devädisa karomi kim \ iti vijhäpayäm äsa
bhiïas taccaranänatah 11.
58 Visakhadatta (or Visäkhadeva) is sometimes dated to the 6th Century (see Warder 1977,
§1063), but recently Willis has suggested that he was a contemporary of Candragupta II (Willis
2009, pp. 59ff.).
tion of peace. Rämagupta has consented to hand over

favour a more valorous solution. Since no other w
gupta's camp, Candragupta considers performing a
servant girl happens to come that way carrying t
which gives the idea to Candragupta to dress up
enemy's camp in disguise, and kills the Saka chief (
Raghavan argues that Candragupta probably did n
lasädhana,60 but one can see how he could have used
one to destroy the enemy, or a "cold" one to have
emy's camp unnoticed by the guards. Could it be, tha
the Kathäsaritsägara, who, perhaps helped by vetä
wants to take away another man's wife, and enters un
emy king, thus demonstrating his courage (darsita
of his adventures to Candragupta II Vikramäditya?61
In the Kashmirian Chronicle of Kings we read
tered history, though the 3rd book of Kalhana's Rä
and tales than verifiable material. King Pravarasena II
a town, and "went forth at night for adventures (vir
supernatural way the place and the auspicious time".62
a crémation ground, on the bank of which he not
with raised arms. "Then the 'night-roaming créatu
laud voice a terrible echo in all directions, thus addre
ing Vikramäditya and Südraka who excels in coura
the earth, it is difficult to find perfect fortitude elsew
earth, will be fulfilled.'"64 Then the vetäla gave the k
59 Srhgâraprakâsa, quoted by Räghavan (1978, p. 845):

guptaskandhâvâram anujighrksur upäyäntarägocare pratïk
kumâra-Candraguptah ...
60 Thus the paisâcyam, "demonic act" later associated w
probably refers not to the vetâlasâdhana, but to Candragupta
brother, Rämagupta (see Raghavan 1978, p. 864).
61 Candragupta's deeds were remembered in the centur
tions that he disguised himself as a woman and killed the Sak
another (Harsacarita p. 270: parakalatrakâmukam kâminïve
prasasâsa), and there is even a Persian work from the 12th Ce
which itself went back to an Indian (Sanskrit?) source), the M
Störy of Rawwal (Rämagupta) and Barkamäris (Vikramädit
62 Ràjataranginî 3.337: ràtran ksetram ca lagnam ca di
vîracaryâyâm niryayau pârthivâryamâ || (tr. Stein).
63 Stein "translated" ksanadäcara as "Räksasa", and t
passage is fairly loose, I have changed his for a more litera
confusion among fabulous créatures.
64 Ibid. 3.342-344ab: tarn atha pratisabdena ghorenäp
uccair uväca ksanadâcarah 11 samtyajya Vikramâdityam sattv
pala paryäptam dhairyam anyatra durlabham || vasudhädhi
(tr. Stein).
404 CS. DEZSÖ
down the measuring line

(ibid. 3.348ff.).
Vikramäditya's attenda
power rather than zombi
again when we accompan
the crémation ground. But
na which involves a fire sacrifice.
II.2. The Нота-type Vetälasädhana in Literary Texts
Bäna in his Harsacarita (first half of the 7th Century) describes the vetälasädhana of
the Saiva sädhaka Bhairaväcärya, who in the end flies up into the sky turned into а
vidyädhara (.Harsacarita Chapter 3, pp. 162ff.). One of his four assistants is king
Pusyabhöti, the founder of Harsa Vardhana's dynasty, who is said to have been "ini
tiated by Saiva procédure" (saivena vidhinä diksitah) (Harsacarita p. 162)65 before
he sets out on the 14th night of the dark half-month to the crémation ground where
the sädhana is going to take place. Bhairaväcärya, on the other hand, is said to have
completed the "preliminary service" (pürvasevä) of "the great mantra called the Heart
of Mahäkäla" (mahäkälahrdayanämno mahämantrasya) before the performance of
the vetälasädhana (Harsacarita p. 161; see Sanderson 2001, p. 13, note 11; Hatley
2007, p. 89).66 The king finds the sädhaka in a deserted temple near the crémation
ground,67 sitting on the ehest of a corpse (presumably fetched by one of his assist
ants) in the middle of a mandala drawn with ash.68 The corpse has been smeared with
red sandal paste and is decked with a red garland, red garment and red Ornaments.69
Bhairaväcärya, himself wearing all black, is offering black sesame seeds into the fire
lit in the mouth of the corpse, as if, aspiring to become a vidyädhara, he were de
stroying the atoms of impurity that are the material cause of his human existence.70
The king and the three disciples of Bhaivaväcärya take up positions as guardians of
the quarters (Pusyabhüti guards the Southern direction), thus, as Bäna fancies, forming
65 As Hatley (2007, p. 76, note 137) points out, "it is possible that the king takes samaya
diksä, the initiation ofthe samayin or 'pledge holder', by which he becomes a Saiva neophyte. This
is suggested by Bâna's terminology, in which niyamavän ('possesing / observing the rules') might
be synonymous with samayin''.
6 The vetâlasâdhana is the concluding ritual needed for the successful completion of the
propitiation of this mantra (Harsacarita ibid. : tasya vetâlasâdhanâvasâna sidhih).
61 Harsacarita p. 162: mahâsmasânasamïpabhâji sïmyâyatane.
68 Harsacarita p. 164: bhasmanâ likhitasya mahato mandalasya madhye sthitam ... savasyo
rasy upavisya ...
6g Harsacarita p. 164: raktacandanänulepino raktasragambaräbharanasya [savasya] ...
70 Harsacarita p. 164: krsnatilâhutinibhena vidyâdharatvatrsnayâ mânusanirmânakârana
kâlusyaparamânûn iva ksayam upanayantam ... The fiâmes of the lamps lit around him are re
flected in the Perspiration on his body, as if the sädhaka were burning away ail his limbs to ensure
success (ibid.: homasramasvedasalilapratibimbitâbhir âsannadîpikâbhir dahantam iva siddhaye
sarvâvayavân).
a protective cage with their arms around the m

necessary to keep away the noisy goblins who try to
Just after midnight a serious obstacle arises
human-like being who Springs up from a chasm ne
Srikantha, the protective serpent deity (kseträdhip
not being given bali offering by the sädhaka. The k
spares his life when he notices his sacred thread. A
seif in the middle of his magic sword called Atta
that was once presented to him by Bhairaväcärya. T
over by the king's heroism, grants him a boon. The
(success / magical attainment) for Bhairaväcärya,
promises that Pusyabhüti will be the founder of
day a universal emperor called Harsa will be bo
Bhairaväcärya, in accordance with the words of
successfully completed ritual attains the status of a
from the king he flies off into the sky to proce
The näga Srikantha proclaims himself to be bou
taught discipline, and offers his services to Pusy
chasm.75
This story has two heroes, and the role played by Pusyabhüti as an assistant of
Bhairaväcärya is at least as important as that of the sädhaka himself, or even more
significant considering the entire narrative of the Harsacarita, since the king's valour
wins Laksmï's favour through which he becomes the founder of a glorious dynasty
with Harsa as its greatest scion. From the perspective of the ritual, the disruptive ap
pearance of the näga is a major obstacle (vighna) to be overcome, and it is the task of
the assistant to ward off the obstacle, while Bhairaväcärya presumably continues the
performance of his homa. Laksmï's first offer of a boon might also be regarded as an
obstacle, but the king is wise enough (and perhaps not simply altruistic) to request
success for the sädhaka, whose final siddhi is achieved not just through the favour of
the goddess but also as a resuit of the proper completion of the sädhana.
71 Harsacarita p. 165: dikpâlabhujapanjarapraviste ... bhairavâcârye ...

72 Harsacarita p. 165: aticiram krtakolâhalesu nisphalaprayatnesu pratyûhakârisu sântesu
kaunapesu ...
73 The king is said to have deserved this boon with the excessive valour he has shown and
his uncommon dévotion to Lord Siva (anena sattvotkarsena bhagavacchivabhattârakabhaktyâ câ
sâdhâranaya).
74 Harsacarita p. 170: bhairavâcârye 'pi tasyâ devyâs tena vacasâ karmanâ ca samyag upa
pâditena ... avâpa vidyâdharatvam ... gaganatalam utpapâta, yayau ca ... siddhyucitam dhâma.
His appearance is now complété with various appropriate accoutrements: hair-lock, diadem, ear
ring, necklace, armlet, girdle, hammer, sword, and according to some manuscripts an armour
(.kuntalîkirïtïkundalïhârïkeyûrïmekhalïmudgarïkhadgîkavacîca bhutvâ .. .)•
75 Harsacarita p. 171: *svâmin (MSS A and В of Führer's ed. as well as three Sâradâ MSS in
the Stein-collection at the Bodleian Library, Oxford: räjan ed. Führer), parâkramakrïtah kartavye
su niyogenânugrâhyo grâhitavinayo 'yam parijana.
406 CS. DEZSÖ
The figure of the vetäla

a collection transmitted in
Emeneau 1935). The mos
deva's Sanskrit retelling
sädhaka in the frame sto
perform the sädhana is T
the Sätavähana dynasty o
able présents to Pusyabh
the Kathäsaritsägara the m
ten years, which fruits tu
takes place in the crématio
king finds the bhiksu und
directions, Trivikramasena
spires, the corpse is inha
the king with riddles the
the corpse vanishes from
proves to be too tricky fo
vetäla'' s goodwill, who d
him how to behave, and th
Meanwhile the monk h
ground smeared with blo
four directions along wit
nearby (12.32.3-4). He wa
dala, smears his own bod
and garments of the dead
he worships the vetäla w
Orders the king to prostr
king), Trivikramasena, fol
to do it. Then he chops of
"lotuses" to the vetäla. W
vetäla's stories. The vetäl
sas and other fabulous cré
celebrated (12.32.29).
When the vetäla leaves
in front of the king and c
to attain the status of the
God promises the king t
(vidyädharacakravartin),
(säyujya) with Siva. Fina
76 For a recent treatment o

77 The king is actually a re
78 Kathäsaritsägara 12.32.3
ramahäcakravartitähathakämukah.
räjita) from the God with the help of which he is

(12.32.35-37).
Somadeva's sädhaka is différent from the respectable, holy figure of Bhaira
väcärya in Bäna's novel: he is a wicked, false ascetic (kütatäpasa), probably a Bud
dhist, whose demise is welcomed by Siva himself. As we have seen above, Buddhist
tantric texts also covered the practice of vetälasädhana, but from the Saiva point of
view they were heretics and their efforts were doomed to failure. Even the vetäla
whom the bhiksu wants to propitiate prefers to help the king attain siddhi - the king
"who is destined for happiness"79 and who, as the reader will later réalisé from Siva's
words, was once created by the Lord out of a portion of himself (svämsatah, 12.32.33).
In Jambhaladatta's version of the Vetälapahcavimsatikä the sädhaka is said to
be a kâpâlika and mahäyogin, who wants to sacrifice the king to the Goddess (Devt).
Following the vetäla's advice the king slays the sädhaka and Standing upon the heads
of the two corpses he offers them to the Goddess and receives from her siddhi in re
turn (see Emeneau 1934). In Sivadäsa's version of the tale the sädhaka is a digam
bara, which term is usually applied to "sky-clad" Jain ascetics, but he also wants to
offer the king to the Goddess. In Ksemendra's BrhatkathämahjarT the story is very
similar to Somadeva's: the sädhaka is a bhiksu or sramana, who wants to attain
siddhi from the vetäla, not fforn the Goddess, but the king is declared to be a portion
of Visnu, not Siva (9.2.1218).
Raising a vetäla was a risky enterprise to be considered only as a last resort.
Varâhamihira says that such a ritual can destroy one who performs it in an inap
propriate way,80 and already the Uttarajjhäya, a canonical text of the Svetämbara
Jains mentions that a vetäla who is not "disabled" (not checked by mantras?) can be
deadly.81 We have seen in the tantric descriptions that the vetäla may devour the in
cautious sädhaka?2 Somadeva describes such a failed homa-type ritual in the Kathä
saritsägara: the sädhaka, sitting on the corpse's ehest, Starts pouring offerings into
its mouth with sacrificial ladels made of human bones, when a flame bursts out of it.
The magician is scared to death, throws away his ladels and takes flight, but the vetä
la runs after him and swallows the coward flesh and feil.83 The 102nd story of
Harisena's Brhatkathäkosa is similar but also funnier a morbid way: king Manipati,
who has become a Jain mendicant, one day arrives in Ujjain and goes to sleep in the
grove of Mahäkäla. A käpälika happens to come that way in search of dead bodies
for the propitiation of "the spell called vetäla",84 and he mistakes the sleeping ascetic
79 Kathäsaritsägara 12.31.64: tat siddhim bhävikalyäne räjany asmin nivesaye.

80 Brhatsamhitä 103.59: vinihanti tad eva karma tön vetäliyam iväyathäkrtam.
81 Uttarajjhäya 20.44d: hanäi veyäla ivävivanno.
82 See fii. 27.
83 Kathäsaritsägara 12.6.307-309: vaksasthalopavistas ca tasyäsyakuhare 'tha sah | naräs
thisruksruvakaro homam kartum pracakrame || ksanäc ca tasya vetälasyäsyäj jvälodabhüt tadä \
yathä sa sädhakas träsäd utthäyäpäsarat tatah 11 sattvacyutam ca tarn srastasruksruvam paridhä
vya sah I vetälo vyättavadanah sängopähgam nigtrnavän 11.
4 Brhatkathäkosa 102.9: vidyäm vetäläkhyäm.
408 CS. DEZSÖ
for a corpse. When the rit

ened käpälika beats it, leav
It is not just the homa
practitioner: in the Hars
crazy about the doctrine o
tâla called Tâlajangha, "Pa
us to the third type of ve
II.3. Barter in Human Flesh
Most of the vetälas we encountered above were in one way or another connect
with human corpses. Sometimes the vetâla appears to be the animated corpse itse
in other cases it occupies a corpse, the sâdhaka can summon the créature into th
corpse, but the vetäla can also leave the dead body. Vetälas can be satisfïed with
ferings of human flesh and blood.
In the story of the failed homa-type ritual in the Kathäsaritsägara, in whic
the vetâla swallows the coward magician in the end, the real hero is the assist
Srîdarsana. As usual, he has been asked by the sâdhaka to fetch a corpse. The vet
inside the corpsc offers him a deal: "This is what I say: I am hungry, so whoever give
me food will be my friend and he may carry me wherever he wants."87 Srîdarsana fi
wants to eut some flesh from another corpse, but that too is possessed by a vetâla an
disappears. So he has no other choice but to carve a slice of his own flesh. The ve
is pleased with this brave act, restores Srîdarsana's body and later devours his un
tunate master.88
The frame story that intégrâtes the Vetälapahcavimsatikä into the Kathäsar
sägara also contains a reference to the ritual of mahâmâmsavikraya. Prince Mrgân
datta, the hero of Book XII, is searching for his ministers (they have been separa
by a curse), and one day he notices one of them, called Vikramakesarin, being c
ried in the sky by an extremely ugly man.89 They descend and Vikramakesarin
misses his vehicle saying "Corne to me when I think of you."90 Then the minist
tells the prince his story: Once he cured an old brahman who had been bitten b
85 Brhatkathäkosa 102.12cd—13: tadä pradähasamyogät sädhunä cälitam sirah || tanm

take cale ksipram bhayavepitavigrahah \ ardhasiddham carnm hitvä nastah käpälikas tatah ||.
86 Harsacarita p. 270: Mahäkälamahe ca mahämämsavikrayavädavätülam vetälas Tälaja
gho jaghäna jaghanyajam Pradyotasya (v.l. pratodyasya) Paunakim (v.l. paunikam) kumäram K
märasenam. Mahäkäla was the presiding deity of UjjayinI (Ujjain), where Pradyota, alias M
sena was a legendary king, father of PadmävatT, who became the wife of Udayana, king of
Vatsas (see e.g. the Svapnavâsavadatta or the Brhatkathäslokasangraha).
87 Kathäsaritsägara 12.6.296: aham evam bruve mahyam ähäramyah prayacchati | ksudh
tâya sa me mitram sveccham nayatu mäm ca sah \ \.
88 See p. 407 and Emeneau (1934).
89 Kathäsaritsägara 12.8.4: gacchatä dadrse tena märge Vikramakesarï \ mantrf pumsä
vikrtenohyamäno nabhast aie \ \.
90 Ibid. 12.8.7cd: visasarjapumämsam tarn smrto 'bhyesyasi mäm iti.
ENCOUNTERS WITH VETÀLAS 409
snake. The grateful brahman gave him a spell for m

from his father.9' When Vikramakesarin was rel
man exclaimed: "Don't you know that all that on
92 • •
talaT' As an illust
Convinced by the
a corpse and sum
shipped the créatu
fered bits of his
his body and gran
again, so the vet
ported him on hi
flying in the sky.
up (dadhyau) the
it to kidnap prin
créatures cannot a
In Bäna's Harsacarita we read about various rituals undertaken in order to
avert the impending death of Harsa's father, king Prabhäkaravardhana. Thus "at some
place Ämardaka was being implored by a 'Dravidian' who was ready to bring an o
fering of (his own?) head".95 Sankara, the commentator of the Harsacarita remar
ad loc. that "Ämardaka is a vetäla; others say he is a kind of ferocious deity" (äm
dako vetälo raudradevatäbheda ity anye). As Hatley pointed out, "Saiva sources spe
of Ämardaka or Ämardakabhairava as a deity, but mention also a class of spirits called
ämardakas" ,96
91 Ibid. 12.8.16: prànâs tvayâ mama prattä tat pravïra grhäna me \ vetälasädhanam man
tram imam präptam mayâ pituh 11.
92 Ibid. 12.8.19: kirn najânâsy abhîstamyad vetälät sarvam äpyate?
93 Ibid. 12.33.48cd-51: ähüya mantrena ca tena tasmin vetâlam asmy arcitavänyathävat ||
bhojyam mahâmâmsam adäyi tasmai trptyai tadä so 'pi tad äsu jagdhvâ \ trpto 'smi naivänyad u
nayeti mäm abhyadhän mänusamämsagrdhnuh 11 kälam yadâ näksamatätra kirn cid utkrtya m
säni tadä nijäni \ prädäm aham prftikaräni tasmai yogesvaras tena sa me 'bhyatusyat \ \ athäbrav
mäm sa sakhe drdhena sattvena tusto 'smy amunädhunä te \ tat pürvavad vira bhavâksatângo vrn
sva matto varam îpsitam ca\\.
94 Ibid. 12.35.18, 20: prâksiddham atha vetâlam dadhyau Vikramakesarï \ tanmantrï väsa
bhavanât tatpriyâkarsanecchayâ || ... etya tatra pravestum yan na sasâka jagâma tat | Sambh
varâttâm nagarïm näkrämanti tathâvidhâh \ |. The most natural meaning of varâttâm would be "o
tained through Siva's favour", but I am not certain whether the king of Ujjayinî or one of his ance
tors secured the city as a boon front Siva.
95 Harsacarita p. 263: kva ein mundopahäraharanodyatadravidaprärthyamänämardakam.
96 Hatley (2007, p. 70, note 152) refers to Brahmayâmala 62.19 where âmardakas are liste
along with such beings as siddhas, gandharvas, vetâlas and kinkaras (kinnarasl), while Brahmay
mala 72 is a fat/pa-manual of Mahâmardakabhairava. Professor Alexis Sanderson has kindly pointe
out to me a half-verse in a Guhyakâlïdhyâna on a Thyasaphu in a private collection, which rea
(fol. 4r-4v, v. 14cd): râksasâmardavetâlâvestitâ tu bhayânakâ; here âmarda seems to be som
kind of fearsome créature. On the other hand, the Sivapurâna, Satarudrasamhitâ 7.48 says abo
Kàlabhairava the following: âmardayisyati bhavân rusto dustâtmano yatah | âmardaka iti khyàt
tatah sarvatra yâsyasi ||; here Âmardaka is an epithet of Kàlabhairava. (I also owe this reference to
Professor Sanderson.)
410 CS. DEZSÖ
In literary works we
patis), e.g. in Ratnäkara
other hand, in Dandin's
Räjahamsa, the king of
ter in human flesh' at M
terities that can yield fr
treme heroism and gave h
Later in the story the sam
pearance who is kind to
of the crémation groun
haps corroborâtes this c
presiding deity of the cr
Uddyotana's Prakrit n
desa), contains several r
times furnished with a
Drdhavarman (Dadhavam
yämä (Piyamgusämä), w
"Chamber of Anger" wh
deity. Drdhavarman assur
several possibilities: he co
and perform homa with
présent his head as èa/i-
buffalo demon; or he cou
clicking sounds (kilikile
boiling bdellium (guggu
(spirits and mother-godd
lineage-goddess, Royal
Towards the end of the novel Mahävlra narrâtes to Gautama and his other dis
ciples the story of Vajragupta (Vaïragutta), the son of Candragupta (Candagutta), king
of Rsabhapura (Usabhapura). A robber was plundering the city and no one including
the city-guards could catch him. Vajragupta made a vow that he would find the thief
in seven days; if not, he would kill himself in a fire. Six days passed but the prince
found no trace of the thief. He thought to himself: "So I have no other option: tonight
I shall go to the crémation ground, seil human flesh, propitiate a vetäla and ask him
to tell me who this thief here is. Otherwise my death is unavoidable."100 He eut a
97 Avantisundari-kathä p. 38: tapasä ca punar anyajanmaphaladänocitena duhsädham

äkalayya phalam aihikam Mahäkäle mahämämsavikrayam akarot. Ämardakena bhagavatä sauryä
tisayasamtositena bhavadvijayâya ko 'pi nistrimso dattah.
98 Ibid. p. 134: bhagavän bhaktavatsalo bhairaväkrtir ämardakah.
99 Kuvalayamälä p. 13: jaïvi dara-daddha-mänusa-paharisa-vasa-kilikilemta-veyäle \ gam
tum mahä-masäne vikkeûnam mahämamsam \ \.
100 Kuvalayamälä p. 247: "tä sawahä ajja räTe masänam gamtüna mahämamsam vikkeüna
kam pi veyälam ärähiüna pucchämi jahä 'söhasu ko ettha coro ' tti, annahä nîsamsayam majjha
maranam " ti.
piece of flesh out of his own thigh with a knife, and hold
his hand he said: "Hey you râksasas, pisâcas, bhutas a
selling human flesh, take it if you have the price!"102 Af
vetâla presented itself as a Willing buyer and inquired abo
The prince certainly praised his merchandise and offered
not satisfied: "Hey, this flesh is raw, it is of low quality
take it unless you give it to me roasted in fire."103 Va
руге, eut another piece from his own body and roasted it
it up.
At this point Mahâvïra is interrupted by Gautama: "My Lord, do the pisâcas or
ràksasas, these divine beings, consume human flesh or other insupportable food?"104
Mahâvïra assures his disciple that these créatures do not consume human flesh:
"These vyantaras are playful by nature, like children. So they play with humans, and
when they see a courageous man they feel delighted, and it is like this when [they
see] a prince who resembles a strong wrestler: they test his courage with various
plays. That's why they pretend they have eaten the flesh, but actually they throw it
away."105 As Warder has pointed out, "This is a remarkable rationalisation of this
stränge populär rite, bringing it into line with jaina conceptions about the nature of
the gods" (see Warder 1983, § 2736). Uddyotanasöri's attitude is comparable to that
of his master, the illustrious Jain scholar Haribhadra, who made fun of the irrational
ity of the epic and Puränic legends in his Dhuttakkhäna (The Story of the Rogues).
Mahâvïra then returns to the story of Vajragupta, who did not have an easy
job. The vetâla tasted his roast flesh and was not amused: "Hey, this meat has no
bones, it is not nice. If you give me food with bones I shall crunch it."106 The prince
obediently chopped off his own right shank, grilled it and gave it to the vetâla, who,
as Mahâvïra now carefully phrases, "threw it away" (pakkhittâ tend). Then the créa
ture had further demands: "Hey, I've had enough. Now I am thirsty: I shall drink your
101 Vyantaras, form a lower category of divine beings according to the Jain classification
(they include pisäcas, räksasas, yaksas, bhütas, kimnaras, etc.).
102 Ibid.: ukkattiyam asidhenüe ürüsu, niyayam mahämamsam gahiyam hatthena, bhaniyam
ca tena: "bho bho rakkha-pisäyä bhüyä taha vamtaräya anneya | vikkemi mahämamsam gheppaii
jaiatthi te mollam. "
103 Kuvalayamälä p. 248: "bho bho eyam âmam nissattam vissagamdhiyam eyam | rtäham
genhämi imam jaipakkam desi aggîe. "
104 Ibid.: "bhagavam, kirn pisäyä rakkhasä vä devajoniyä ime mahämamsam annam vä kä
valiyam ähäram ähäremti? " According to the Päiasaddamahannavo, kävalia means either asaha
na, asahisnu, "unable to endure", and thus perhaps "intolérable" (this is Chojnacki's interprétation,
Vol. II, p. 685). Another meaning given in the same dictionary is kaval-praksep rüp ähär (derived
from kavala, "a mouthful, morsel") and thus possibly "solid food" (this is how Warder understands
the word, see Warder 1983, § 2736).
105 Ibid.: "payaîe ime vamtarä keltgilasahävä bäla wa homti. tenapurisehi saha khelamti,
sattavamtam ca datthûna paritosam vaccamti, baliyam piva mallam räyaüttam, tassa sattam nänä
khelävanähim parikkhamti. tena mamsam kira mae bhuttam ti demsemti, tarn puna pakkhivamti. "
106 Kuvalayamälä p. 248: "bho bho eyam mäsam niratthiyam neya sumdaram hoi | jaï desi
atthi-sarisam bhujjam tarn kadayadärävam \ \ ".
412 CS. DEZSÖ
blood."107 Vajragupta spl

the vetäla quenched his
sawed [in two] and emptie
nectar of human blood."10
you, but as for sawing, p
Then Vajragupta grasped
with a sword held in his r
ous laughter mixed with
satisfied with this unpar
I shall give you today wha
Another Jain novel,
(c. 100 CE), présents a sim
lem that is familiar from
queen are unhappy becaus
Goddess of Royal Fortun
day when he is about to of
ful laughter: a vetäla appea
king give him a présent
hana, whose words addre
irony, is of course ready t
the Goddess intervenes: s
the yaksa called Mahoda
courage. Now she is compl
(Tilakamanjan pp. 27-3
This episode in Dhanap
creative way he borrows
this paper we are only con
worthy of being quoted an
adräksic ca daksinetara
sanam,
nidarsanam iväsesa-tribhuvana-bhisanänäm,
107 Ibid.: "bho bho alam imenam sampa'i tisiopiyämi tuha ruhiram | ".
108 Ibid.: "eyam jam tujjha siram chinnam karavatta-kattiya-virikkam \ mânusa-va
räsava-casayam maha sumdaram hoi | | ". Chojnacki's interprétation of the first half of the
différent (Vol. II, p. 686): "Si tu coupes ta tête en la tranchant de ton épée et que tu me la d
partage ..."
109 Ibid.: "chettûna demi tujjham jam puna karavatta-kattarana-kammam \ tam bho sayam
karejjasu ettiya-mettam mahâyattam || ". Chojnacki's interprétation of the verse is again différent
(ibid.): "Je la couperai et te la donnerai, mais si je me tranche la tête avec mon épée, toi, veuille en
contrepartie me rendre un seul grand service!"
110 Ibid.: ti bhanamânena kavalio kamta-kasina-komtalä-kalävo vâma-hatthena dâhina-hat
thena ya chettûna payatto asidhenue. täva ya hähä-rava-sadda-muhalo uddhäio attattahäso gaya
namgane.
111 Ibid.: "eena tujjha tuttho anarina-sarisena vïra-sattena \ tä bhanasu varam turiyam jam
maggasi ajja tarn demi || ".
atikrsa-prämsu-vikaräla-karkasa-käyam,
ali-kula-komalena prasaratâ samantatah känti-käl
saila-dvlpa-känanäm urvim kurvänam,
anatipuräna-suktikä-sreni-sita-bhäsä hâsa-dûra-pr
pratimayeva purah sphurantyä sthüla-prthula
prakäsita-nija-prabhä-timira-tirohita-carana-y
äbaddhästhi-nüpurena sthaviyasä carana-yugalena
nakha-prabhä-visaram aneka-vätika-mandala-b
raksä-bhüti-raja iva diksu viksipantam,
aksudra-sarala-sirä-danda-nicitena niscetum ucch
grMtäneka-mäna-rajjunevopalaksyamänena g
janghâ-dvitayena nirantarärüdha-vitata-vrat
sikhara-nisannam iva drsyamänam,
ulbanästhi-granthinä jânu-yugalena ksïna-mâmse
dvayena visränita-paraspara-guna-prakarsam,
aghrnäncanäd änanodvänta-garena jarad-ajagaren
tha-raktârdra-sârdûla-carma-sicayam
asrk-praväha-pätalayä Vaitaram-sarit-salila-venik
roma-latayä slmantita-karäla-kuksi-kuhara-pä
ärdra-panka-patala-syämam atikrsatayä käyasya d
parsukänäm antaräla-dromsu nidräyamäna-si
märga-nirgatävirala-visa-kandalam säksäd ivä
pradesam darsayantam,
acira-khanditam mantra-sädhaka-mundam indu-k
kutilän damsträ-nirgamän apaharantam äsädit
galävalambitam bibhränam,
atibhâra-vighatitângulï-samnivesa-galitam ucchal
yatana-stambha-kumbhikam äsä-kari-kumbha-
atidüra-luthitam api raktäsava-kapälam anubh
bhujäyämena päninä vämena tathaivordhva-sth
daksinena ca pratiksana-vyäpärita-nisita-kartrike
kandharasya drdha-niruddha-nihsväsa-nirgam
tat tad atikarunam antah krandato datta-nisph
vetäla-sädhakasya sädhitam ûrdhvam utsarpa
visa-pävakena gätra-pisitam utkrtyotkrtya kikas
kavalita-pisita-carvanäyäsa-cancalena kapilatä-sam
vanodara-cärinmäm acira-rocisäm ârabdha-sa
ksayänala-varcasä kürca-kaca-kaläpena kavaci
randhra-nirgalad-rudhira-gandüsam iva pralam
udvahantam,
atïkathina-kharva-parvabhir angulî-venu-dandikâb
ksnäyatägra-kotibhih kara-ruha-kuddälair asu
rasätala-gatän alika-sadhakän uddhartum iva k
414 CS. DEZSÖ
vipula-varti-mandalam
puccha-näla-nibidälih
dvayam ivodvahantam
sikhi-kanärunayä tirya
sarala-bhoga-nâlâbhy
sväsam ubhayatah pät
visadharäbhyäm dvidh
muhur udancatä muhu
dTrgha-prthulena jih
ärdrärdram anga-räg
antar-jvalita-pingalogr
yugalena Yamunä-pr
garbhodarenâvarta-dv
abhoginä laläta-sthalen
pacanäya nara-jängalä
bhrukuti-dhümändha
ürdhva-sthitena sthira
bhäsurena kesa-bhär
khandam utpäta-dhüm
äyatana-bhitti-sanginä
varjam ätmano nirvis
cärinä sänucaram iva
ghonayäpy utphulla-sp
vadana-niryad-rasäm
dasana-mälayäpy antar
bhyavahäräya sahäyikr
caranängulTbhir api sp
kapäla-karparäbhir iv
ksataja-kana-varsam,
asthi-nüpurair api pada
satata-sevita-caranam,
äbharana-bhujagair api jvalad-unmayükha-phana-manibhir ätta-pradfpair
ivävagähyamäna-kajjala-käla-käya-prabhändhatamasam,
mämsenäpi khâdana-bhîteneva säsrena parityakta-sarvävayavam,
avayavän ару asthi-sârân ativikrta-rüpa-darsana-bhayät paläyitukämän iva
snayu-granthi-gädha-naddhän dadhänam,
äjänu-lambamäna-sava-siromälam
ekam vetälam.
And he saw [a being] suddenly manifesting himself on the left side of the God
dess, right next to the her. He seemed like an illustration of all the
monstrosities in the three worlds. His body was very lean, tall, dreadful
and rough; with his shining blackness soft as a swarm of bees and
spreading everywhere he transformed the earth with its mountains, con
tinents and forests so that it seemed to be made of lampblack;
with his thick and broad row of nails flashing fo

image of his set of teeth made visible from
shining white like a sériés of not too old pea
toes of his feet that were concealed by his o
the pair of his very broad feet with bone anklet
directions the spreading radiance of his nails
key, as if it were the dust of protective ash t
roving through the mandalas of many magic
snakebites];1 2
with the pair of his shanks towering above the
straight, staff-like veins [and thus] giving t
measuring ropes held together in order to de
upper world, he seemed to be seated on the
with a net of densely grown, far-spread cre
the pair of his knees with thick, bony knobs an
which the flesh was completely wasted had b
their respective superior qualities;
he was wearing a tiger-skin garment red and we
made thick by the ancient boa vomiting pois
it was mercilessly bent;
the wide, hollow underworld of his belly was pa
pale red like a current of blood, broad and lo
in the river of hell red with the current of g
he displayed a ehest dark like a layer of fresh m
between the ribs the Protrusion of which w
due to the extreme leanness of his body, bab
it was like a field of unrighteousness présen
which poison sprouts densely in the wake of
he wore the freshly eut head of a spell-master h
had got hold of Rähu when he was about to
curved, projecting fangs, believing them to
when his skull-bowl filled with gore slipped fro
separated by its massive weight, and the flo
the jars on the temple's columns, with his le
to which was shown to have extremely mira
he pulled back the bowl, as massive as the fr
guarding the quarters, into the same upright
rolled far away;
under his left armpit he tucked the neck of a v
ered the blow with his sword in vain and wh
112 One of the commentators glosses vätikäh with ma

the other one's gloss is more specific: gärüdikamäntrikäh,
Haravijaya 41.8.
416 CS. DEZSÖ
that extremely pitiful

breath that had been f
cutting slices of meat
brandishing a sharp kn
roasted in the poisonou
ous snake that was his
ka's bones as condime
his bushy beard was swin
meat he had bitten off
to summon the lightni
distribute their shares
and broad chin which
all of its pores;
the cane sticks of his fin
spade-blades of his fin
long: with these he see
gicians who had gone t
the pair of his ears he
lobes: they resembled
upwards, tightly embr
expanded;
the two snakes omamenting his ears had their straightened, tube-like coils made
to appear as if wearing matted hair by the rays of light Coming from the
jewels in their hoods, red like sparks and spreading sideways - as the
snakes descended on both sides to drink in the breath flowing from his
nostrils in heavy streams, they overcame the line of hair above his lip in
. 113
two ways;
the tip of his liana-like
moving upward, now
savouring with it on
his mouth the very d
the pair of his eyes, w
the shape of wide cir
Yamunä with two wh
them;
on his curved forehead he bore a five-fingers-breadth114 of bloody paste, freshly
applied, resembling a funeral pyre heaped up to cook human flesh, sur
rounded by the innate darkness of the smoke of his contracted eyebrows;
with the mass of his hair of shining reddish-brown colour, standing on end and
resembling the way a frozen series of strings of lightning would stand,
113 That is to say they hung above it and they were blacker.
114 Alternatively pahcähgulam might mean "five finger [marks]", a kind of forehead (sec
tarian?) mark, the bright red lines resembling buming firewood. (I am grateful to Professor Isaacson
for the interprétation of this sentence.)
ENCOUNTERS WITH У ETA LAS 417
he was threatening the portentous comet that w

its host of fiâmes above;
he seemed to have an attendant in the form of a sh
side, sticking to the wall of the temple, illumina
lamps that had been offered, who had the same
for his hair, nails and teeth;
as for his nose, its wide nostrils distended, he was d
the juice exuding ffom his mouth, as if with an
leaf-cup;
as for his teeth, with bits of bones of dead bodies stuck in their interstices, they
were filling the cavity of his mouth, as if they had secured the help of
Ananta's (= Krsna?) teeth in order to devour all the three worlds;
as for his toes, the nails on which were sparkling white and had their inside
depressed, he seemed to receive with them the blood raining from his
upper garment made of human skin, as if he were raising skull-bowls to
his mouth;
as for his bone anklets that were clinking as he walked, they were constantly
worshipping his feet, as if they had started singing praises out of fear;
as for his omamental snakes which had blazing jewels shining forth in their
hoods, he penetrated with them into the pitch-darkness radiating from
his body as black as soot, as if he were holding lamps;
as for his flesh, it has left all his limbs along with blood, as if it were reduced
to tears, afraid of being eaten;
as for his limbs, which were bones for the most part, he bore them tightly bound
with the knots of his sinews, as if they wanted to flee for fear of seeing
his hideous form;
he was wearing a garland of heads of corpses hanging down to his knees -
he was a vetälal
This vetöla is not simply a Walking corpse any more: he is a créature füll of
character. At this point we may try to outline the évolution of this species on the ba
sis of the vetälas we have encountered so far. The chronological order is of course
not rigid: various kinds of vetälas may well have existed at the same time. The earli
est form of this créature seems to have been a reanimated dead body, a kind of zom
bie who carried out the commands of its master like an automaton. The next stage
might have been a spirit being inhabiting a corpse, a being with own willpower, whose
favour could be won by the performance of dangerous rituals, or by otherwise dem
onstrating one's courage and other merits. Then we met vetälas who existed inde
pendently of a corpse and had their own characteristic features. These features could
in fact be assumed by other beings: the gruesome apparition in the Tilakamanjari is
actually not a vetäla, but the attendant yaksa of the Goddess who has taken on the
form of a vetäla. Bhairava, Siva's manifestation as a skull-bearing ascetic associated
with the crémation ground, can also appear as a vetäla, as we see in a stotra from
Kashmir edited below.
418 CS. DEZSÖ
Appendix I: A Vet
I edit the text of the Vet

script from Kashmir, whic
Laksmï, Bhairava, Särikä,
I am grateful to Professor
to me. The stotra appears
and 2 in the sragdharä met
(upendravajrä) is the only
verses 4, 6, 9-13 form a u
mämy aham); verse 5 (als
gara; verses 7-8 and 14 (v
OM srFvetälabhairaväya
OM Obeisance to Lord Vetälabhairava! OM
jväläkesam trinetram bhujagapatimahäbhFsanam mundamäläm

daivFmU6 kartrFm kapälam damarum atha mahänFlasülam dadhänam
vFnäm vädyapravFnäm urasi vinihitäm vädayantam bhujäbhyäm
vande Vetälam udyaddinakarasadrsam nätyalagnam basant am. (1)
I worship Vetäla[bhairava], whose hair is like Harnes, who has three eyes and
is very terrifying because of the lordly snakes [he wears]; he wears a garland
of heads, holds a divine sword, a skull-bowl, a drum and a great, black spear;
he plays with two hands a vïnà suitable for music which rests against his
ehest; he resembles the rising sun, is engaged in dancing, and laughs.
Vetälam hy ugrarüpam sakalabhayaharam caikavaktram trinetram

khatvängam vädayantram damarum asivaram bibhratam vedasamkhyaih
sphürjadbhir bähubhis tarn paramasukhakaram sädhakair baddhabhävam
nrtyantam bhogamoksapradam amalarucim naumy aham pretasamstham. (2)
I praise Vetäla[bhairava] of fierce form, who removes all dangers, who has one
face and three eyes, who holds a skull-staff, a musical instrument, a drum, and
an excellent sword with his four, shining (?) arms. He brings about the highest
bliss, the adepts fix their affection upon him, he dances, bestows enjoyments
and libération, his complexion is spotless, he stands on a dead body.
kapalakhadgam damarum ca ghantäm

sutumbavfnäm karayugmakena
115 The Vetalastotra is found on fols. 61 recto-64 verso.

116 daivim] em., devîm MS.
vahan sa rakto madhupänasaktah

trilocano no 'vatu vTranäthah. (3)
May the three-eyed lord of heroes protect us, w

a drum and a bell, [and] a vïnâ of good gourd in
devoted to drinking wine.
vittadam vighnahartäram dvibhujam vimalam vi

vidyuc ca cancaläkäram Vetälam tarn namämy
I bow to that Vetäla[bhairava] who gives riche

arms, who is spotless and mighty, whose form q
avyät krsnacchavih prämsur ustragrîvo hudän

mahisänghrir ulükäkso Vetälah kharakanthaka
May Vetäla[bhairava] be gracious, whose comp

whose neck is like that of a camel, whose face is
feet are like those of a buffalo, whose eyes are l
throat is like that of a donkey.
damarum dhärayed väme kartrîm daksinapäni

sülam kapalam aparaih Vetälam tarn namämy
I bow to that Vetäla[bhairava] who should hold a

a knife (scissors?) in his right hand, [and] a spea
other [hands].117
jväläkacam bhujagabhüsanam ugrarüpam

tryaksam bhayäpaham amitrabhayapradam ca
vfnäravam bhujayugena ca kärayantam
Vetälaräjam iti nityasadä namämi. (7)
I always regularly worship the Vetäla King as on

who is adorned with snakes, who has a fierce fo
off threats and excites fear in enemies, and who
pair of his hands.
sülam kapälam atha vä damarum sasabdam

nätyasthitam varabhujaih kila dhärayantam
atyugrabhfmavapusam sadayam hasantam
Vetälaräjam iti nityam aham pranaumi. (8)
I regularly praise the Vetäla King, who - as we k

a spear, a skull-bowl or a rattling drum with his
' One would expect a dual here (two hands holding two
420 CS. DEZSÖ
in dancing, who has a ve

who laughs (or: who la
räjasabde sthitam devam

räjnäm hitakaram nityam
I bow to that Vetäla[bha

endowed with the title "
constant benefactor of k
jvalatkanakasahkäsam p
damstrotkaravaram dev

eyes and other [parts of
mämsapriyam gajäkära
smasänanilayam devam

of an éléphant, who is jo
crémation ground.
bhairaväkärarüpastham
bhimättahäsabhayadam

is a form of Bhairava (or
who inspires fear with h
nätyasthitam jvalatkesa
arcitam püjitam bhaktyä
I bow to that Vetäla[bh

aflame, who is in the m
shipped with dévotion.
devam mahogravapusam
Vetälaräjanavabhairava
raksäparam sakalabhïtiha
nätyasthitam ca varada
I bow with dévotion to t

mous and great, the Vet
118 sakala°] em., sala° ms.

119 priyajnam] em., prayajn
This is how the illustrator of the Kashmirian manuscrip
nine Bhairavas?), whose form is terrifying, wh

removes all dangers, who knows what is kind, w
who grants wishes.
iti srfvetälastotram samäptam.
Here ends the Hymn to Lord Vetäla.
Verse 5 is particularly interesting since it al

ritsägara (1 Ith Century), in the story of prince
ter, Vikramakesarin, conjures up (dadhyau) the
secured by a sädhana (präksiddhä). The créature i
is almost identical to verse 5 of the Vetäla-hymn
grîvo gajänanah \ mahisähghrir ulükäkso vetäl
that vetäla came, his complexion was black, he w
camel, his face was like that of a ram, his feet were
like those of an owl and his ears were like thos
cant différence is that Somadeva's version reads
thakah, which is perhaps the better reading, sin
nished with a camel-neck, and it is more logical
422 CS. DEZSÖ
donkey-throat. As for th
adapted the verse of a sto
or another one ffom whi
rather than that a verse
reused in a hymn.
We should notice, how
fabulous créature who,
long to the entourage of
the other hand, praises
ney" of the vetâla from
Ämardaka, who sometim
the commentator of th
sometimes as a "ferocio
case is that of Mahäkäla
to being identified with
Appendix II: The D

in Dodda-Gad
The Laksmidevï temple

style. According
an in to
his wife in 1113 CE. The
the eastern one contains
ern one an image of Bhai
as the emblem of Garuda
The Kall shrine is guar
already Narasimhachar i
Both figures have sever
scriptions seen above: the
with thin thighs, knobby
are wide open, they have
as we are facing the shri
bowl in his lefit hand, a
vetäla are broken). Ther
sculpted vetälas are nak
should not corne as a sur
ards current in the Hoys
in novels written under P
120 Cf. pp. 409-410 above

121 Inscriptions connected
later to Mahâlaksmï, Käli an
122 Photos courtesy of Ms
The Kali shrine in the Laksmidevi temple
424 es. dezsö
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Encounters With Vetalas Studies On Fab Creatures I

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ENCOUNTERS WITH "VETĀLAS" STUDIES ON FABULOUS CREATURES I

Author(s): Csaba Dezső

ENCOUNTERS WITH VETÄLAS

STUDIES ON FABULOUS CREATURES I

Department of Indo-European Studies, Eötvös Lorând University

Key words: vetala, fabulous créatures, Tantra, magic, stotra.

0001-6446/$ 20.00 © 2010 Akadémiai Kiadô, Budapest

most ancient texts and i

I. Vetälasädhanas in Tantric Texts

LI. The Utthäpana-ty/x?: Raising the Dead

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

In a very similar description (14.127) the sädh

1.2. The Нота-type Vetälasädhana

The homa-type vetälasädhana is found in several

ktavyah sahâyo bhavasveti. tatah prabhrti kinkaro bhavati.

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

exposition.5 Parallel pas

5 Ms. A 42/6, fols. 82r-83v

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

the corpse's heart and sit down on it facing south.14 Th

14 Brahmayâmala 15.34-35: hrdayennâsanam dattvâ ...

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

Then he will see a beau

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

The short description of the homa-type vetäla

1.3. Barter in Human Flesh (Mahämämsavikraya)

Selling human flesh to the denizens of the crémation

that he should eut it with an appropriate weapon (sastra). Th

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

The quoted sentence is n

II. 1. Vetâlas as Servants

Varâhamihira's famous work on astronomy and astrology, the Brhatsamhitä (5th

32 Siddhayogesvarïmata 13.11-21: krsnapakse caturdasyäm trirätram ca upositah \ nis

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

rituals such as the krtyä and the vetäla (krtyävetälä

35 Cf. the ritual described in Nisvâsaguhya 11.105, quot

Acta Orient. Hung. 63,

later turns out to be the w

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

The vetäla or prêta of this story seems to be a

dramasyäpad ägatä \ yena käkamukhasyäsya mukham etena tu

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2

to the "hot" variety m

jahghayoh pascät tarn cäcä

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

tion of peace. Rämagupta has consented to hand over

59 Srhgâraprakâsa, quoted by Räghavan (1978, p. 845):

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

down the measuring line

II.2. The Нота-type Vetälasädhana in Literary Texts

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

a protective cage with their arms around the m

71 Harsacarita p. 165: dikpâlabhujapanjarapraviste ... bhairavâcârye ...

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

The figure of the vetäla

76 For a recent treatment o

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

räjita) from the God with the help of which he is

79 Kathäsaritsägara 12.31.64: tat siddhim bhävikalyäne räjany asmin nivesaye.

Acta Orient. Hung. 63, 2010

for a corpse. When the rit

II.3. Barter in Human Flesh

85 Brhatkathäkosa 102.12cd—13: tadä pradähasamyogät sädhunä cälitam sirah || tanm