[INDOLOGY] The pre-natal/pre-incarnatory curse in Indian literature

[Martin Gansten]

Regarding curses preceding incarnation, the following passage from 
Balabhadra's /Hāyanaratna/ (1649, /pace/ Pingree, who says 1629) seems 
to fit the bill:

* * * * *
hillājena tu brahmaviṣṇurudramukhanirgataśāpena yavanatāṃ prāptena 
śrīsūryeṇaiva yavanaśāstrapraṇayanād dvijānām api sūryasiddhāntavad 
etadadhyayanaṃ yuktam ity uktam |

    keśaviṣṇumukhanirgataśāpān mlecchatādhigatatigmamarīceḥ |
    romakeṇa puri labdham aśeṣaṃ tad dvijādibhir ato ’dhyayanīyam || iti |

puri romakapattane |

But Hillāja says [in /Hillājadīpikā /1.6] that because the Yavana 
science was founded by the illustrious  sun [god] himself, who had 
become a Yavana due to a curse issued from the mouths of Brahmā, Viṣṇu 
and Rudra, the study of this is proper even for the twice-born, like 
[the study of] the /Sūryasiddhānta/:

    Romaka received this whole [science] in the city from the sun [god],
    who, by a curse issued from the mouths of Brahmā, Śiva and Viṣṇu,
    had attained the state of a foreigner (/mleccha/); therefore, it is
    fit to be studied by the twice-born and others.

‘In the city’ [means] in the city of Rome.
* * * * *

For teachings at night, what about the Pāñcarātra?

Martin Gansten


Den 2017-05-30 kl. 17:07, skrev James Hegarty via INDOLOGY:
> Dear List,
>
> I would like to pick the list’s formidable collective Indological brain.
>
> I am interested in examples of curses that precede birth or incarnation in Indian literature.
>
> Examples that spring to mind are Dharma being cursed to a human birth as Vidura or one of the Vasus, as Bhīṣma in the Mahābhārata.
>
> Can anyone think of others?  I am not fussy about tradition or period, I just want to compare a few examples.
>
> I have one other topic to raise. It is teachings given at night.
>
> I am interested in whether there are any family resemblances between teachings offered at night (in the most general of terms). Can anyone think of sources in which teachings are offered at night (as Vidura teaches Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the Udyogaparvan of the Mahābhārata, for example)?
>
> Thanks in anticipation to the wise and learned list!
>
> Best,
>
> James Hegarty
> Cardiff University
>
>
>
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