Chapter 131

“Bhishma said, ‘Then all the highly blessed deities and the Pitris, andthe highly blessed Rishis also, addressing the Pramathas, said,[557] ‘Yeare all highly blessed beings. Ye are invisible wanderers of the night.Why do you afflict those men that are vile and impure and that areunclean? What acts are regarded as impediments to your power? What,indeed, are those acts in consequence of which ye become incompetent toafflict men? What are those acts that are destructive of Rakshasas andthat prevent you from asserting your power over the habitations of men?Ye wanderers of the night, we desire to hear all this from you.’

“The Pramathas said, ‘Men are rendered unclean by acts of sexualcongress. They who do not purify themselves after such acts, they whoinsult their superiors, they who from stupefaction eat different kinds ofmeat, the man also who sleeps at the foot of a tree, he who keeps anyanimal matter under his pillow while lying down for sleep, and he wholies down or sleeps placing the head where his feet should be placed orhis feet where the head should be placed,–these men are regarded by usas unclean. Verily, these men have many holes. Those also are numbered inthe same class who throw their phlegm and other unclean secretions intothe water. Without doubt these men deserve to be slain and eaten up byus. Verily, we afflict those human beings who are given to such conduct.Listen now to what those acts are which are regarded as antidotes and inconsequence of which we fail to do any injury to men. Those men uponwhose persons occur streaks of Gorochana, or who hold Vachas in theirhands, or who make gifts of ghee with those ingredients that go by thename of Akshata, or who place ghee and Akshata on their heads, or thosewho abstain from meat are incapable of being afflicted by us. That man inwhose house the sacred fire burns day and night without being ever putout, or who keeps the skin or teeth of a wolf in his abode or ahill-tortoise, or from whose habitation the sacrificial smoke is seen tocurl upwards, or who keeps a cat or a goat that is either tawny or blackin hue, is free from our power. Verily, those householders who keep thesethings in their houses always find them free from the inroads of even thefiercest spirits that live on carrion. Those beings also, that like usrange through different worlds in pursuit of pleasure, are unable to doany injury to such houses. Hence, ye deities, should men keep sucharticles in their houses,–articles that are destructive of Rakshasas(and other beings of the kind). We have thus told you everything aboutthat respecting which ye had great doubts.'”