Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 427

HOW MAGIC
ACQUIRED 387
The Hindu gods
routed so many miscreants.
their wars against eacli other used no other
Is there anything, for instance, that
these. and giants in
weapons but
can be com-
IS
pared with the Arrow of Brahma or the Arrow of the Serpent
The former is never shot without causing the
Capella
and the latter, launched in
destruction of a whole army
the midst of enemies, has the effect of causing them to drop
down in a state of lethargy an effect which, as one may
'?
;
—
well suppose,
made
singularly short
work
of those
who
were subjected to it.
There is not a secret of magic which this book does not
teach us. It puts us in possession of the means of acquir-
of rendering barren women fruit-
ing wealth and honour
ful
of discovering, by merely rubbing the hands and eyes
with some enchanted mixtures, treasures buried in the
ground or hidden elsewhere of acquiring invulnerability
and the most formidable powers in war by means of bones
Strange to say, the only thing
carried on the person.
which it does not reveal is the means of rendering oneself
;
;
;
immortal.
It is not by entering into compact with the devil, as our
magicians were erstwhile supposed to have done, that the
magicians of India obtained the power of performing so
many prodigies. These latter, indeed, are not the kind of
people to run the risk of having their necks twisted in evil
company of this sort. It is quite sufficient for a Hindu to
become an expert in the black art if he receives a few
private lessons from the guru, or master, of the adepts.
It is this guru who guides him in the right way, who confers
his powers upon him, and to whom he owes obedience.
Should a god, a demon, or a spirit be so stubborn as to
disregard the orders of the newly initiated disciple, the
latter has simply to repeat his injunction in the name and
from the feet of his guru.
Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva themselves are subject to the
commands of the magicians. There are, however, certain
Among these the
divinities who are invoked by preference.
planets occupy the first place.
The term graha, by which
they are designated, signifies the act of seizing, that is, of
laying hold of those whom they are enjoined by magical
enchantments to torment. The next in order are the