lalaj-jihva

[Michael Slouber]

Many early tantras describe lolling the tongue in various contexts.   
The earliest may be the Picumata-Brahmayāmala (c.7th cent. CE) where  
there is instruction for the practitioner to loll his tongue as part  
of the ritual.  This comes up in at least half a dozen other tantras  
too.  In the Kriyākālaguṇottara (pre-11th cent.), lolling the  
tongue occurs in several contexts: an attribute of someone is  
possessed by a Nāga, as an attribute of Khaḍgarāvaṇa (also in a  
mantra to cause the piśācas to dance on his "lolajihva"), as an  
attribute of Devatrāsa, and as an attribute of a bālagraha named  
Tridaṇḍī.

Michael Slouber
PhD Candidate
South and Southeast Asian Studies
UC Berkeley


On Jan 22, 2009, at 7:33 AM, Herman Tull wrote:

> I am looking for references to Kali's "lolling" tongue.  The Devi  
> Mahatmya and the Mahabhagavata Purana (thanks to Patricia Dold for  
> references) use forms of /lal + jihva (lalana/lalaj-jihva).  MW  
> cites the Kathasaritsagara as a source of lalaj-jihva.  Does anyone  
> has this citation?  Does this descriptive term ("lolling" tongue)  
> occur in reference to other figures/goddesses?
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Herman Tull
> Princeton, NJ