bhautika (-brahmacaarin)

[gruenendahl]

Many thanks to Joerg Gengnagel and D.N. Lielukhine for their
suggestions.
I haven't checked the Mahabharata passages yet, but in general,
bhautika seems to be derived from, and refer to, the 5 gross
elements of the material world (mahaa-bhuutas; somtimes also
tanmaatras), occasionally to the bhuutas ("ghosts, spirits of the
deceased"). But how do we get from there to bhautika = "a kind of
monk"? Is "bhautika" to be understood as "worldly" = temporary,
returning to a worldly existence? Do the Sastras say anything about
that, I wonder? Are these bhautikas described anywhere?

Anyway, it is reassuring to know that at least one other Saiva text
uses the term in exactly this sense.


Best regards

Reinhold Gruenendahl

********************************************************************

Dr. Reinhold Gruenendahl
Niedersaechsische Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek
Fachreferat sued- und suedostasiatische Philologien
(Dept. of Indology)

37070 Goettingen, Germany
Tel (+49) (0)5 51 / 39 52 83
Fax (+49) (0)5 51 / 39 23 61
gruenen at mail.sub.uni-goettingen.de

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