And that mother of the
Gandharvas takes away the foetus, and for this reason, conception in
woman turns out to be abortive. The mother of the _Apsaras_ removes the
foetus from the womb, and for this reason such conceptions are said to
be stationary by the learned. The daughter of the Divinity of the Red
Sea is said to have nursed Skanda,--she is worshipped under the name of
Lohitayani on Kadamva trees. Arya acts the same part among female
beings, as Rudra does among male ones. She is the mother of all children
and is distinctly worshipped for their welfare. These that I have
described are the evil spirits presiding over the destinies of young
children, and until children attain their sixteenth year, these spirits
exercise their influence for evil, and after that, for good. The whole
body of male and female spirits that I have now described are always
denominated by men as the spirits of Skanda. They are propitiated with
burnt offerings, ablutions, unguents, sacrifices and other offerings,
and particularly by the worship of Skanda. And, O king, when they are
honoured and worshipped with due reverence, they bestow on men whatever
is good for them, as also valour and long life. And now having bowed
down to Maheswara, I shall describe the nature of those spirits who
influence the destinies of men after they have attained their sixteenth
year.
"'The man who beholds gods while sleeping, or in a wakeful state soon
turns mad, and the spirit under whose influence these hallucinations
take place is called the celestial spirit.
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