22 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 8o 



fixedly at him; then he abandons the body of Ajjunae, and returns to his own 

 place with the mace. Ajjunae falls to the ground, but on recovering himself, 

 accompanies Sudaiiisane and likewise takes the vows. 



Here we find both the cult, patron-saint, and possession features 

 well displayed ; it is also clear that the Jakkha shrine is a building 

 with doors, and it is of interest to note that the statue is of wood, 

 and that it is provided with a club (cf, pi. 12, fig. 3). It is hardly 

 necessary to point out that the statue is not the Jakkha ; the latter 

 appears suddenly, and carries off the club with which the statue is 

 provided. The name Moggara-pani signifies, of course, " Club- ' 

 bearer." The antiquity of the shrine and simple nature of the cult 

 remain, and so, too, the fact that the worshipper regards the Jakkha 

 as his natural protector ; but the Jakkha is represented as a fierce 

 creature, without the sense to know when to stop — rather like the 

 giants of European fairy-tales. But he is easily subdued by the new- 

 made Jaina monk ; and from the Jaina point of view the story is a 

 highly edifying one. 



A characteristic and almost essential feature of Hindu and Buddhist 

 shrines is an enclosing wall or railing {prakara, vcdika, etc.). The 

 following story related in the DJimmnapada Atthakathd (Burlingame, 

 E. W., Buddhist legends, H. O. S., Vol. 28, p. 146) refers to the 

 building of such an enclosure in the case of a tree worshipped with 

 desire for children : 



At Savatthl, we are told, lived a householder named Great-Wealth Maha- 

 Suvanna. He was rich, possessed of great wealth, possessed of ample means 

 of enjoyment, but at the same time he was childless. One day, as he was on his 

 way home from bathing at a ghat, he saw by the roadside a large forest tree 

 with spreading branches. Thought he, " This tree must be tenanted by a 

 powerful tree-spirit." So he caused the ground under the tree to be cleared, 

 the tree itself to be inclosed with a wall (p&kara), and sand to be spread within 

 the inclosure. And having decked the tree with flags and banners, he made 

 the following vow : " Should I obtain a son or a daughter, I will pay you great 

 honor." Having so done, he went on his way. 



Another story, in the Kah-gyur (Schiefner, Tibetan tales, IX) re- 

 lates how 



a childless Brahman had recourse to the deity of a great nyagrodha-tree 

 (banyan), near the city called thence Nyagrodhika. He caused the ground 

 around it to be sprinkled, cleansed, and adorned. He then filled the space with 

 perfumes, flowers, and incense, and set up flags and standards. Then, after 

 having entertained eight hundred Brahmans and bestowed upon them material 

 for robes, he prayed to the tree-haunting deity, " Be pleased to bestow on me a 

 son." In case the request were granted, he would continue to offer the like 

 honors for a year, but if not, he would cut down the tree and burn it. The tree 

 deity, who was in favor with the Four Great Kings, betook himself to the 

 Maharaja Rastrapala, Virudhaka, Virupaksa, and Vaisravana; and the matter 

 was ultimately arranged by the aid of Sakra and Mahabrahma. 



