mummification in India

Christophe Vielle vielle at ORI.UCL.AC.BE
Fri Nov 14 08:51:01 UTC 2003


There is an interesting epic-pur-a.nic testimony on mummification in the
story of the r-ajar.si Nimi.
See Rm 7, App. I no. 8, ll. 189-212 (= Bombay ed. 7,57.9-20; cf. also the
indian commentaries ad loc.) and ViP 4,5.9 (cf. the note of Wilson's
translation ad loc. adding another reference about mummification from the
SkP K-a/s-ikha.n.da), where, moreover, the mummified body of Nimi is used
as adhar-ara.ni and shaked (MATH), from which is born his son Mithi the
Vaideha/Janaka (cf. V-aP 89.5 = B.dP 2,3,64.5, or Kirfel's PPañc 338,98.5).


>Mummification of suitably holy Buddhist individuals is not uncommon in
>Tibet, China, Korea and Japan.  Though I suspect that the answer will be
>negative, was mummification ever done anywhere in India ?
>
>Best wishes,
>Stephen Hodge


Dr. Christophe Vielle
Centre d'Etudes de l'Inde et de l'Asie du Sud
Institut orientaliste
Place Blaise Pascal 1
B - 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve
BELGIUM
Tel. +32-(0)10-47 49 54 (office)/ -(0)2-640 62 66 (home)
E-mail: vielle at ori.ucl.ac.be





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