Chapter 299 - Recipes for the diseases of infants (bālatantra)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

[Full title: Recipes for the diseases of infants (balagraha-hara-bālatantra)]

Fire-god said:

1-2. I shall describe the science relating to (the diseases of) children [i.e., bālatantra] that would destroy the evil spirits that seize children [i.e., bālagraha-mardana]. The Pāpini (sinister) spirit possesses the child on the day of its birth. (The child) would have trembling of the body. It would not take food and would toss about its neck. These are the reactions due to the above (spirit). It would also take away the strength of the mothers.

3-5. (An offering consisting) of fish, meat, wine, edibles, perfumes, garlands, incense and lamps (should be made to appease this spirit). The child should be besmeared with a paste of dhātakī (a variety of myrobalan), lodhra, mañjiṣṭhā, tāla and sandal. The spirit known as Bhīṣaṇī (frightful) (would seize the child) on the second night after birth. An incense made of mahiṣākṣa (should be offered to drive the spirit). A child possessed by this spirit would have cough with hard breathing and writhing of the body again and again. The body of the child should be besmeared with urine of goat together with black pepper, apāmārga and sandal. An incense made of cow’s horn, tooth and hair should be offered. Offering (should be made to the spirit) as before.

6-7. The spirit Ghaṇṭālī (possesses) on the third (night after the birth). (The affected child) would cry repeatedly, yawn and make sounds. It would exhibit fear with convulsions. It would not have appetite. The child should be besmeared with a paste of keśara (filament of a flower), añjana, the tooth of a cow and tusk of an elephant together with goat’s milk. An incense consisting of nakharājī and leaves of bilva should be offered. Offering (should be made to the spirit) as before.

8-9. The spirit (known as) Kākolī (possesses) on the fourth (night after the birth). (The child would have) convulsion, loss of appetite, frothing, and would turn to look in the different directions. An offering (to the spirit is made) with kulmāṣa and spirituous liquor. The body should be besmeared with (the scrapings of) the tusk of an elephant, the slough of a serpent and the urine of a horse. Fumigation should be done with (the vapours of) turmeric (and) neem leaves fanned by the hair.

10-lla. (The monstress) Haṃsādhikā (would affect the child) on the fifth (night). It is marked by yawning, breathing upwards and clenched fists. Offering (to the spirit) should be made with fish and the like. The child should be besmeared with (the scrapings) of goat’s horn, balā, lodhra, śilā and tāla.

11b-12. The mons tress Phaṭkārī (takes possession of the child) on the sixth (night). (The child would exhibit) fear, fainting and excessive weeping. It would not take food and have convulsions. The offering (is made to the spirit) with fish etc. (The body of the child) is besmeared with turmeric, guggulu, kuṣṭha, (scrapings of) tusk of an elephant etc., and fumigation is done with the same materials.

13-19a. A child is afflicted by (the spirit) Muktakeśī on the seventh (night). There would be foul smell, yawning, exhaustion, excessive weeping and coughing. Fumigation should be done with tiger’s nails. (The body of the child) should be besmeared with vacā, cow-dung and cow’s urine. The spirit (known as) Śrīdaṇḍī (afflicts the child) on the eighth (night). (The afflicted child) would look in different directions, move the tongue, cough and weep. Offering is done as before with fish etc. Fumigation and besmearing is done with hiṅgulā, vacā, mustard and garlic. The frightful monstress Ūrdhvagrāhī (affects the child on the ninth day). (The affected child) would get agitated, have upward breathing and bite its clenched fist. Fumigation is done with red sandal, kuṣṭha etc. and the child is besmeared (with the same). Fumigation is done with the hair and nails of a monkey. The monstress Rodanī (affects the child) on the tenth day. (The affected child) would always weep, (the body) would smell sweet and turn blue. Fumigation is done with neem (to appease) the terrible monster. (The body) should be besmeared with turmeric and the juice of sarja (a kind of tree). Offering should be made outside (the house) with fried grains, kulmāṣa and barley. Fumigation and other such acts should be done in this manner until the thirteenth day (after the birth).

19b-22a. The terrible monster (known as) Pūtanā takes possession of the child that is one month old. The (afflicted child) weeps like a crow and breathes heavily. The body would have the smell of urine. The eyelids would close. Such a child should be bathed with cow’s urine. Fumigation is done with the tooth of a cow. (The spirit should be appeased) by giving yellow clothes, red garland, red sandal, oil lamp, three kinds of sweet porridge, wine, sesamum and four kinds of flesh. Such an offering should be made for seven days at the foot of a karañja (tree) in the direction of Yama (south).

22b-23. (The female spirit) Mukuṭā (would seize the child) two months old. The body (of the child) would get cold. There would be vomitting, parching of the mouth and other things. Flowers, incense, cloth, sweet cake, cooked rice, lamps and (things) of black colour (should be offered). Camphor and fumigation (also should be shown).

24-26a. (The famale spirit) Gomukhī (possesses) in the third (month). (The afflicted child) would sleep (long), pass urine and motion (in excess) and cry. (This spirit should be appeased) by offering barley, priyaṅgu, meat, kulmāṣa (a kind of grain), vegetables, cooked rice and milk in the morning. Fumigation (should be made) with clarified butter at midday. (The child) should be bathed with (water mixed) with (the leaves of) five kinds (of trees). (The spirit) Piṅgalā would afflict (the child) in the fourth month. The body (of the child) would become chill, have putrid smell and be parched. That child would certainly die.

26b-27a. (The spirit) Lalanā (would seize the child) in the fifth (month). It would make the body weary. Blood would come out through the mouth. The stools (would be) yellow in colour. Offerings of fish and the like are made in the south (in order to appease that spirit).

27b-28a. (The spirit) Paṅkajā (would seize the child) in the sixth month. (Crying and modified) voice (are) the symptoms. Offering (to appease the spirit) is done with fish, meat, wine, cooked things, flowers and perfume and the like.

28b-29. (The monstress) Nirāhārā (would seize the child) in the seventh (month). (The child would have) fetid smell and the like and have toothache. Offering (is made) with flour-paste, wine and meat. (The name of the spirit that would seize the child) in the eighth (month) is Yamunā. There would be boils, desiccation and the like. One should not do medical treatment for that.

30. (The spirit) Kumbhakarṇī (afflicts the child) in the ninth (month). The afflicted child would have fever and would vomit and cry. Offering should be made with meat, kulmāṣa (a kind of grain) and wine and the like in the north-eastern (direction).

31. (The demoness) Tāpasī (seizes the child) in the tenth (month). The symptoms are: the child would refrain from (taking) food and have the eyes closed. (The monstress is appeased) with (the tying of) a bell, (fixing) a banner and offering of wine and meat together with flour on a level (ground).

32-33a. The demoness Rākṣasī (affiicts the child) in the eleventh (month). It would affect the eyes etc. There is no medical treatment (for that). (The spirit) Cañcalā (would seize the child) in the twelfth (month). There would be heavy breathing. (The child) would exhibit fear etc.

33b-34a. (The monstress) Yātanā (would affect the child) in the second year (after birth). (The child would have) pain and would cry. Offering is made with sesamum, meat, wine etc. As before bathing and other (practices are done).

34b-35. (The monstress) Rodanī (would seize the child) in the third (year). (The body would) tremble. (The child) would cry and pass urine (mixed) with blood. Cooked rice mixed with molasses and sesamum cake (should be offered) to the image (of the monster) made of sesamum flour. It is bathed with sesamum. Fumigation (should be done) with five varieties of leaves and the bark of rājaphala (a kind of fruit).

36. (The monstress) Caṭakā (would afflict the child) in the fourth (year). There would be swelling (in the body), fever and exhaustion in all the limbs. Offering (to appease is made) with fish, meat, wine, etc. Bathing and fumigation (are also done).

37-38a. (The monstress) Cañcalā (would seize the child) in the fifth year. (The child would have) fever, fear and exhaustion in the limbs. Offering (is done) with meat, cooked rice and the like. Fumigation (is made) with the horn of a ram. Bathing should be done with the water in which the leaves of the trees—palāśa, udumbara, aśvattha, vaṭa and bilva (have been put).

38b-39a. (The monstress) Dhāvanī (would afflict the child) in the sixth year. (The child would have) desiccation, insipidity and exhaustion in the body. Offering should be made for seven days. Fumigation and bathing with bhṛṅgaka is done before that.

39b-40a. (The spirit) Yamunā (would possess the child) in the seventh year. (The child would have) vomitting, speechlessness, fits of laughter and weeping. Offering consists of meat, sweet gruel, wine and the like. (Then there should be) bathing and fumigation.

40b-4la. (The spirit) Jātadevā (would possess the child) in the eighth year. (The child) would not take food and would cry. Offering (should be done) with kṛśara (sesamum and rice mixed), cakes and curd etc. Bathing and fumigation (should also be done).

41b-42a. (The monstress) Kālā (would seize the child) in the ninth year. (The child would make) sound by beating the arms, would roar and (exhibit) fear. The offering would be with sesamum mixed with rice, cakes, flours, kulmāṣa (a kind of grain) and sweet gruel.

42b-44. (The spirit) Kalahaṃsī (would possess the child) in the tenth year. There would be burning sensation, emaciation and fever. Offering should be made with the paulika cake (a kind of cake) and curd rice for five nights. Fumigation with nimba and besmearing with kuṣṭha (is done to appease the spirit). The possessive spirit Devadūtī (seizes the child) in the eleventh (year). (The child would utter) harsh words. Offering and smearing (are done) as before. (The spirit) Balikā (would possess the child) in the twelfth (year). There would be hard breathing. The offering and smearing (are) as before.

45-47. (The spirit) Vāyavī (would possess the child) in the thirteenth (year). The face and external organs would become emaciated. Offering (consists of) red-coloured cooked rice, incense, flowers etc. (The child) should be bathed with the five (kinds of) leaves. Fumigation (should be done) with rājī, and neem leaves. (The monstress) Yakṣiṇī (would possess the child) in the fourteenth (year). Colic, fever and burning sensation are the effects (due to this spirit). Offering (is made) with meat, eatables etc. Bathing for the appeasement (of the spirit is done) as before. (The spirit) Muṇḍikā (would possess) in the fifteenth (year). Discharge of blood is due to this (spirit). The mother (of the child) should always be attended to in such cases.

48. Vānarī (would seize the child) in the sixteenth (year). The child would fall to the ground, sleep always and have fever (under the influence). Offering (is made) with sweet gruel etc. for three nights. Bathing etc. (are done as before).

49. Gandhavatī (would possess the child) in the seventeenth (year). The body (of the child) would tremble and the child would cry much. Offering (should be made) with kulmāṣa etc. Bathing, fumigation and smearing etc. (are done) as before. (The spirit) Pūtanā exercises her influence during the day and Sukumārikā during the whole year.

50. Oṃ! Obeisance to all the mothers. Consume! Consume the affliction that has got united with the child! Attack! Attack! Explode! Explode! Agitate! Agitate! Seize! Seize! Manifest! Manifest! Thus Siddharūpa announces. Take away! Take away! Make the female or male child or the woman or man free from defect from the seizure of all the spirits. O Cāmuṇḍā! Obeisance to the goddess! Hrūṃ! Hrūṃ! Hrīṃ! Drive away (all) the evil spirits! Hrūṃ! Let the possessors go elsewhere by another way. (Lord) Rudra makes known (thus). This mantra would yield the desired result in all the cases of seizure of children by evil spirits.

51. Oṃ! Obeisance to the Goddess! O Cāmuṇḍā! Make the male or female child free. Accept the offering! Be victorious! Be victorious! Dwell! Dwell! This mantra that protects is read in all instances of offering being made. May (the gods) Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, Skanda, Gaurī, Lakṣmī, and the Gaṇas protect and release the child from the affliction due to burning sensation.