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[Y-Indology] the meaning of uccaatanam

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namaste !

 

The English word "exorcism" does not properly convey the meaning of

"uccATana" in the present context. The Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary

gives the meaning of "exorcise" --(1) to adjure by some holy name (2) to

call forth or drive away, as a spirit (3) to deliver from the influence of

an evil spirit. The Sanskrit term "uccATana" in the present context has been

used in the sense of one of the six abhicAra-s (applying the mantra power

for malevolent purposes), out of which I could trace only the five from

dictionaries --- (1) mAraNa -- destruction (2) mohana -- hypnotism (3)

vaziikaraNa -- subjugation (4) stambhana -- arresting one's power (5)

uccATana -- distracting one's mind from a person, place, action etc. If

somebody is haunted by an evil spirit, that person is not at all concious

about his actions. All these actions are supposed to be those of the evil

spirit. On the contrary, uccATana is performed on a person who is infatuated

with somebody or something but he is concious about all this.

 

In the Guru GiitA, the term "uccATanAdikam" is used. The "Adi" means the

other abhicAra-s as mentioned above.

 

Kind regards.

 

Narayan Prasad

 

-

"Matthew Weiss" <shalin327

"Indology _Groups" <indology>

Monday, January 05, 2004 2:27 AM

[Y-Indology] the meaning of uccaatanam

 

 

> Namaste,

>

> In my continuing Guru Gita translation project, I just came across the

Sanskrit word in verse 6, "uccaatanam", which in Apte's dictionary is

decribed among other things as a type of magical incantation, an expulsion,

a separation, etc. Trying to put this all into one English word, I came up

with "exorcism". Does anyone know any more details of what an uccatanam

entails or a better word which could capture all that it is besides just

simply calling it a "magical incantation"?

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At 19:46 2004-01-05 +0530, you wrote:

 

namaste !

 

The English word "exorcism" does not properly convey the meaning of

"uccATana" in the present context. The Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary

gives the meaning of "exorcise" --(1) to adjure by some holy name (2) to

call forth or drive away, as a spirit (3) to deliver from the influence of

an evil spirit. The Sanskrit term "uccATana" in the present context has been

used in the sense of one of the six abhicAra-s (applying the mantra power

for malevolent purposes), out of which I could trace only the five from

dictionaries --- (1) mAraNa -- destruction (2) mohana -- hypnotism (3)

vaziikaraNa -- subjugation (4) stambhana -- arresting one's power (5)

uccATana -- distracting one's mind from a person, place, action etc. If

somebody is haunted by an evil spirit, that person is not at all concious

about his actions. All these actions are supposed to be those of the evil

spirit. On the contrary, uccATana is performed on a person who is infatuated

with somebody or something but he is concious about all this.

 

In the Guru GiitA, the term "uccATanAdikam" is used. The "Adi" means the

other abhicAra-s as mentioned above.

 

Kind regards.

 

Narayan Prasad

 

--\

--------------------

 

According to "SaTkarmadIpikA":

 

zAntivazyastambhanAni vidveSoccATane tathA /

mAraNAntAni zaMsanti SaTkarmANi manISiNaH //6//

 

Accordingly:

 

1. zAntikaraNa

2. vazIkaraNa

3. stambhana

4. vidveSana

5. uccATana

6. maraNa

 

And only in this order.

 

Here are the definitions of the six:

 

rogakRtyAgrahAdInAM nirAsah zAntirIritA /

vazyaM jananaM sarveSAM vidheyatvamudIritam //7//

pravRttirodhaH sarveSAM stambhanaM samudahRtam /

snigdhAnAM dveSajananaM mitho vidveSaNaM matam//8//

uccATanaM svadezAderbhraMzanaM parikIrttitam /

prANinAM prANaharaNam mAraNam samudAhRtam //

svadevatAdikkaAlAdIn jJAtvA karmANi sAdhayet //9//

 

 

[The text of SaTkarmadIpikA may be found in: "indrajAlavidyAsaMgrahaH", a

collection of Sanskrit texts on magic, published in Calcutta, 1915; it's

quite possible that newer editions of the text are available.]

 

 

Regards,

 

Artur Karp

 

University of Warsaw

 

Poland

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