740 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. 



and the dorje (the ludian I'iajra or Indra's thunderbolt). Next in impor- 

 tance to thera come the holy-water vase {biimha), the mirror {me-long)^ 

 the triang-ular nail {purbn), and tlie skull bowl {fUdpa). 



On pi. 40, iiji-. 2 is shown a damaru, made of two skulls attached 

 together by a wooden disk cemented to them. Heads of devils and 

 skulls are painted on them in red and blue. A small cotton band 

 covers the disk between the two heads and projects a few inches, so 

 that the person nsiiigthe drum may hold it in his hand, his thumb and 

 forefinger being- placed around the disk of wood :;etween the drum- 

 heads. There are two small knobs covered witli cloth depending from 

 this band by short strings of such length that when the drum is twirled 

 sharply around they strike the heads. This damaru was collected by 

 Kev. C. H. A. Dall. 



The other figure on the same plate re])resents a damaru rather smaller 

 than the preceding' one. The skulls of which it is made are not deco- 

 rated, but the band by which it is held in the hand is of embroidered 

 satin decorated with elaborately knotted silk tassels of Chinese make. 



The bell [dril-bu) of the lamas is of bronze and usually about 2f inches 

 in diameter. In pi. 41, fig. 4 is shown a bell having on its outer 

 surface near the handle certain mystic syllables, eight in number. On 

 the interior surface are three mystic syllables and a 7-petalled flower 

 in the dome. The handle is cylindrical and has a head of Dharmasiiv- 

 mounted by a dorjc. This bell was made in Derge, whudi country is 

 famous for the clear toned bells cast there. 



Similar to tlie preceding, except that the head of Dharma does not 

 appear in the handle, which is only a half dorje, is the bell shown in 

 fig. 5. This bell comes from the famous lamasery of Dolon nor, in 

 eastern ^Vlongolia. 



The usual position in which the bell is held is in the left hand, the 

 opening- of the bell pointed towards the body, the thumb against the 

 handle and the fingers around the body of the bell. (For description 

 of lamaist bells see Alex. Cunningham, Ladak, p. 373.) 



The dorje, or thunderbolt, is generally used with the bell, it being 

 customary to hold it in the right hand between the thumb and index, 

 the other fingers extended. It was looked upon in early times in India 

 as a sacred symbol of Indra, and in Nepal it has become symbolical of 

 the Buddha and his religion. Possibly this symbolism is known to the 

 Tibetans, but I have not seen it mentioned in any of their sacred books 



The Nepalese scriptures say that a contest once occurred between Bnddha and 

 Indra, in which the latter was defeated, and had wrested from him his chief and 

 pefuliar instrument of power, the vajraor thuuderl)olt, which was appropriated as a 

 trophy by the victor, and has ever sime been adopted by his followers as the favorite 

 emblem of their religion. * * ** 



The Vajra and the ghanta or bell have a peculiar symbolic meaning attached to 

 them by Buddhists, similar to that attached by Hindus to the Linga and Yoni. The 

 Vajra represents linddha and corresponds to the Linga; the ghanta represents 

 Prajna Devi or Dharma. whose head is often figured on its handle, and corresponds to 

 the Youi. (H. A. Oldtield, Sketches from Nipal, ii, 199—200.) 



