DESCRIPTION OF A PISÁCHA, AND THE UNITY OF THE
WORLD WITH BRAHMA.
Argument:—Advent of Vasishtha and the saint to the region of
Siddha and description of the people thereof.
Vasishtha continued:—Now as we were at a spot of great extent (beyond
the limit of the terraqueous); and as bright as the golden sphere of
heaven, I spoke to the Siddha by way of friendship.
2. I said, it is true sir, what you said, that it is the want of due
attention, which prevents our comprehensive knowledge of the present,
past and future; but it is a defect not only of yours and mine, but of
the minds of all mankind in general.
3. I say so from my right knowledge of the defects and fallibility of
human nature, or else sir, you would not have to fall from your aerial
seat. But pardon me, I am equally fallible also.
4. Rise therefore from this place, and let us repair to aerial abode of
the Siddhas, where we were seated before; because one’s own seat is the
most genial to man, and self-perfection is the best of all perfections.
5. So saying they both got up, and rose as high as the stars of heaven;
and both directed their course in the same way, as an aeronaut, or a
stone flung into the air.
6. We then took leave of each other with mutual salutations; and each
went to the respective place which was desirable to either of us.
7. I have now related to you fully the whole of this story, whereby
you may know, O Ráma, the wonderful occurrences that betide us in this
everchangeful world.
8. Ráma said:—Tell me sir, how and with what form of body, thou didst
rove about the regions of the Siddhas, when thy mortal frame was reduced
to dust.
9. Vasishtha replied:—Ah! I remember it, and will tell you the
particulars, how I wandered throughout these worldly abodes, until I
arrived at the city of the Loka-pála deities, and joined with the hosts
of Siddhas, traversing in the regions of midway sky.
10. I travelled in the regions of Indra or open firmament, without being
seen by any body there; because I was then passing in my spiritual body,
eversince I had lost my material frame-work.
11. I had then become, O Ráma, of an aerial form, in which there was
neither a receptacle nor recipient, beside the nature of vacuous and
intellectual soul.
12. I was then neither the subject or object of perception of persons
like yourself, who dwell on sensible objects alone; nor did I make any
reckoning of the distance of space or succession of time. (The spiritual
_yogi_ has no cognizance of gross material things, nor of the divisions
of space and time, which are objects of sensation only).
13. The soul is busy with the thinking principle of the mind, apart from
all material objects composed of earth &c.; and is as the meditative
mind or ideal man, that meddles with no material substance.
14. It is not pressed nor confined by material things, but is always
busy with its cognitions; and it deals with beings in the same manner,
as men in sleep do with the objects of their dream (and others with
their air-built cities).
15. Know Ráma, this doctrine of intellection by the simile of dreaming,
to be quite irrefutable, although it is confuted by others (_i.e._ the
Nyáya philosophers who deny the mental conceptions without previous
perceptions); but they are not to be regarded as right. (Since the Veda
says, the spirit of God created all from his mind, and not from its past
perceptions).
16. As the sleeping man thinks himself to be walking and acting in his
dream, without such actions of his being perceived by others (in the
same room); so methought I walked before and beheld the aerials without
their seeing me.
17. I beheld all other terrestrial bodies lying manifest before me, but
nobody could observe me that was hid from their sight in my spiritual
form.
18. Ráma asked:—Sir, if you were invisible to the Gods, owing to your
bodiless or vacuous form; how then could you be seen by the Siddha in
the Kanaka land, or see others without having eyes of your own?
19. Vasishtha replied:—We spiritual beings view all things by means of
our inner knowledge of them; as other people behold the things they are
desirous to see, and naught what they had not any desire for. (This
desire is said to be _satya-sankalpa_, or a firm prepossession of any
idea in the mind).
20. All men though possest of pure souls, do yet forget their spiritual
nature, by their being too deeply engaged in worldly affairs and
unspiritual matters.
21. As I had then wished that this person the Siddha, could have a sight
of me; so it was according to the wish of mine, that I was observed by
him; because every man obtains what he earnestly desires.
22. Men being slack in their purposes, become unsuccessful in their
desires; but this person being staunch to his purpose, and never swerving
from his pursuit, succeeded in gaining his desired object.
23. But when two persons are engaged in the same pursuit, or one of them
is opposed to the views of the other; the attempt of the more arduous is
crowned with success, and that of the weaker meets with its failure.
24. Then I travelled through aerial regions of the Lokapála regents of
the sky, and passing by the celestial city of the Siddhas in my
spiritual body; I beheld these people with manners quite different from
my former habits.
25. I then began to observe their strange manners in the etherial space,
and being unseen myself by any one there, I saw distinctly every body
there, and their mode of life and dealings with amazement.
26. I called them aloud, but they neither heard nor gave heed to my
voice; and they appeared to me as empty phantoms as the images of our
dreams and visions.
27. I tried to lay hold on some of them, but noone could be grasped by
my hands; and they evaded my touch, as the ideal images of the human
mind.
28. Thus Ráma, I remained as a demoniac pisácha, in the abode of the
holy Gods; and thought myself to be transformed to a pisácha spirit in
the open air.
29. Ráma said:—Tell me sir, what kind of beings are pisáchas in this
world, and what are their natures and forms, and what are their states
and occupations also.
30. Vasishtha replied:—I will tell you, Ráma, what sort of beings the
pisáchas are in this world; because it is unmannerly on the part of a
preacher, not to answer to the interlocutory queries of the audience
(though it be a digress from subject).
31. The _Pisáchas_ are a sort of aerial beings, with subtile bodies of
theirs (as we see the empty forms of persons in our dreams); they have
their hands and feet and other members of the body as thine, and see all
things as thou dost.
32. They sometimes assume the form of a shadow to terrify people, and at
others enter into their minds in an aerial form, in order to mislead
them to error and wicked purposes. (They like devils waylay unwary men,
and tempt them to evil).
33. They kill persons, eat their marrow, and suck up the blood of weak
bodied people; they lay a siege about the mind, and destroy the vitals
and viscera and the strength and lives of men.
34. Some of them are of aerial forms, and some of the form of frost,
others as visionary men, as seen in our dreams with airy forms of their
bodies. (And they are at liberty to take upon themselves whatever forms
they please).
35. Some of them are of the forms of clouds, and others of the nature of
winds, some bear illusory bodies, but all of them are possessed of the
mind and understanding.
36. They are not of tangible forms to be laid hold by us, or to lay hold
on any one else; they are mere empty airy bodies, yet conscious of their
own existence.
37. They are susceptible of feeling the pain and pleasure, occasioned by
heat and cold; but they are incapable of the actions of eating,
drinking, holding and supporting anything with their spiritual bodies.
38. They are possessed of desire, envy, fear, anger and avarice, and are
liable to delusion and illusion also; and are capable of subjection by
means of the spell of _mantras_, charm of drugs and of other rites and
practices.
39. It is likewise possible for one at some time or other, to see and
secure some one of them by means of incantations, captivating exorcisms
and amulets and spirit in chanting invocations.
40. They are all the progeny of the fallen gods, and therefore some of
them bear the forms of gods also; while some are of human forms, and
others are as serpents and snakes in their appearance.
41. Some are likened to the forms of dogs and jackals, and some are
found to inhabit in villages and woods; and there are many that reside
in rivers, mud and mire and hell pits.
42. I have thus told you, all about the forms and residences and doings
of pisáchas; hear me now relate to you concerning the origin and birth
of these beings.
43. Know that there exists forever, an omnipotent power of its own
nature; which is the unintelligible Intelligence itself, and known as
Brahma the great.
44. Know this as the living soul, which being condensed becomes ego, and
it is the condensation of egoism which makes the mind.
45. This divine Mind is styled Brahmá, which the vacuous form of the
divine will; which is unsubstantial origin of this unreal world,
which is as formless as the hollow mind.
46. So the mind exists as Brahma, whose form is that of the formless
vacuum; it is the form of a person seen in our dream, which is an entity
without its reality or formal body.
47. It was devoid of any earthly material or elemental form, and existed
in an immaterial and spiritual form only; for how is it possible for the
volitive principle, to have a material body subsisting in empty air?
48. Ráma, as you see the aerial city of your imagination in your mind,
so doth the mind of Brahmá imagine itself as the _Virinchi_ (vir
incipience) or creator of the world.
49. Whatever one sees in his imagination, he considers it as true for
the time; and whatever is the nature and capacity of any being, he knows
all others to be of the same sort with himself?
50. Whatever the vacuous soul sees in its empty sphere, the same it
knows as true, as the spirit of Brahma and the mind of Brahmá, exhibit
this ideal world for reality.
51. Thus the contemplation of the present pageant of the world, as ever
existent of itself at all times; strengthens the belief of its reality,
as that protracted and romantic dream.
52. So the long meditation of Brahma, in his spiritual form of the
creative power; presented to him the notions of multitudes of worlds,
and varieties of creations, of which he became the creator. (So the
original thought occurring in the mind of any one, confers on him the
title of the originator of the same. So says Manu: “Brahmá after long
meditation, produced the world from his intellect”).
53. The ideal then being perfected grew compact, and took a tangible
form; which was afterwards called the world, with all the many varieties
of which it is composed.
54. This Brahmá—the creative mind, was self-same with Brahma the supreme
soul; and these two are ever identic with the uncreated soul and body of
the universe.
55. These two (_i.e._ the great Brahma and Brahmá or the Divine spirit
and mind), are always one and the same being, as the sky and its
vacuity; and they ever abide together in unity, as the wind and its
vacillation.
56. The Divine spirit views the phenomenal world, as a phantom and
nothing real; just as you see the unreality of a figure of your
imagination as real and substantial.
57. This Brahma then displayed himself (under the name of Virát), in the
form of a material body, consisting of the quintuple elements of earth,
water &c., as the five solid and liquid parts of his person. (This is
the Hindu Trinity, composed of the soul, mind and material frame, as
Pope the poet has expressed it in the words: “Whose body nature is, and
God the souls”).
58. As this triple nature of the Deity, is no more than the variation of
his will, so it represented itself as the one or other, in its thought
only, and not in reality (the substance being but a conception of the
mind).
59. Brahmá himself is vacuous intellect, and his will consists in the
vacuity of the same; therefore the production and destruction of the
world, resemble the rise and fall of figures in the dreaming state of
the human mind.
60. As the divine mind of Brahmá is a reality, so its parts or contents
are real also; and its acts or productions of the sun, moon and stars,
as well as their rays—the Marichis are real also.
61. Thus the existence of the world and all its contents, is called the
dominion of the mind; which is only an unsupported vacuum, like the
vacuity of the supportless sky on high.
62. As a city seen in dream is inane, and a hill formed in imagination a
mere void; so both Brahma and his world are as the transparent
firmament, and having no shape or substance of them.
63. So the world is, but a reflexion of the divine intellect; it is ever
existent and undecaying, and the belief of the beginning, middle and end
of creation, is as false, as the sight of the ends and midspot of skies.
64. Say Ráma, whether you find any gross substance, to grow in the inane
space of the mind of yours or mine or any other person; and if you find
no such thing there, how can you suppose it to exist in the inanity of
the Divine Intellect, and in the vacuity of the universe?
65. Then tell me why and whence the feelings and passions, such as anger
and affection, hate and fear, take their rise; all which are of no good
to any body, but rather pernicious to many.
66. In truth I tell thee that these are not created things, and yet they
seem to rise and fall of themselves, like our wrong notions of the
production and destruction of the world. These are but eternal ideas,
and coeternal with the eternal mind of God.
67. The vast extent of infinite void, is full with the translucent water
of Divine Intellect; but this being soiled by our imaginary conceits,
produces the dirt of false realities.
68. The boundless space of the Divine Intellect, is replete with the
vacuous spirit of God; which being the primary productive seed of all,
hath produced these multitudes of worlds, scattered about and rolling as
stones in the air.
69. There is really no field nor any seed, which is sown there in
reality; nor is there any thing which is ever grown or produced therein,
but whatever there is, is existent for ever the same; (and the rest is
but fiction).
70. Now among the scattered seeds of souls, there were some that grew
mature, and put forth in the forms of gods; and those that were of a
bright appearance, became as intelligences and saints.
71. Those that were half mature, became as human beings and Nága races;
and such as were put forth themselves in the forms of insects, worms and
vegetables.
72. Those seeds which are bloated and choked, and become fruitless at
the end; these produce the wicked Pisáchas, which are bodiless bodies of
empty and aerial forms.
73. It is not that Virinchi (vir incipiens) or Brahmá, made them so of
his own accord or will; but they became so according to the desire which
they fostered in themselves in their prior existence (which caused their
transformations or metamorphoses in the latter ones). (Because the lord
is impartial, and makes <not> one more or less than another).
74. All existent beings are as inane, as the inanity of the Intellect in
which they exist; and they have all their spiritual bodies, which are
quite apart from the material forms in which you behold them.
75. It is by your long habit, that you have contracted the knowledge of
their materiality; as it has become habitual with us to think ourselves
as waking in our dreaming state.
76. It is in the same manner that all living bodies, are accustomed to
think of their corporeality; and to live content with their frail and
base earthly forms, as the Pisáchas are habituated to pass gladly in
their ugly forms.
77. Some men look upon others and know them, as the village people know
and deal with their fellow villagers as with themselves; but they
resemble the people abiding together as seen in a dream.
78. Again some meet with many men, as in a city constructed in dream (or
imagination); but are quite unacquainted with one another, owing to
their distant abodes and different nationalities. (So are we
unacquainted with the Pisácha race, in this crowded city of the world).
79. In this manner, there are many races of object beings of whom we are
utterly ignorant; and such are the Pisáchas, Kumbhandas, Pretas, Yakshas
and others.
80. As the waters upon earth, are collected in lowlands only; so do the
Pisáchas and goblins dwell in dark places alone.
81. Should a dark Pisácha dwell at bright midday light, upon a sunny
shore or open space; it darkens that spot with the gloominess of its
appearance.
82. The sun even is not able, to dispel that darkness, nor can any one
find out the place, where the dark demon makes his abode; on account of
its delusiveness to evade human sight.
83. As the orbs of the sun and moon, and the furnace of burning fire,
appear bright before our eyes; so on the contrary the abode of the
Pisáchas, is ever obscured by impenetrable darkness, which no light can
pierce.
84. The Pisáchas are naturally of a wonderful nature, that vanish like
sparks of fire in daylight; and become enkindled in the dark. (The
Pisáchas bear analogy to the sons of darkness or fallen angels in the
black Tartarian regions).
85. Now Ráma, I have fully related to you about the origin and nature of
the Pisácha race in the course of this dis-course; and then as I had
become as one of them, in the regions of the regents of the celestials.