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Another means of acquir<strong>in</strong>g the goddess' benevolence is to offer a water buffalo to her. It is<br />
drowned <strong>in</strong> the lake. Many village temples have their unroofed seat for the worship of the god of<br />
the High Mounta<strong>in</strong> flanked <strong>by</strong> one for the Goddess of the Lake.<br />
ASTUPUNGKU [25] is the name of a long and complicated mantra dest<strong>in</strong>ed to counteract all<br />
k<strong>in</strong>ds of dangers. It is certa<strong>in</strong>ly old, and as it is known to all priests dist<strong>in</strong>guished <strong>by</strong> a sufficient<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g of the memory, we may expect that the most numerous but less tra<strong>in</strong>ed category, that of<br />
the pamangku, will use parts of it. It consists of n<strong>in</strong>e sections of unequal length, assumedly of<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependent orig<strong>in</strong>, but spoken always <strong>in</strong> the same sequence and expected to be useful under all<br />
circumstances. As the composition <strong>in</strong>to a n<strong>in</strong>e fold formula may have taken place <strong>in</strong> a brahman<br />
griya, where everybody is conversant with litanies directed towards the four directions, the four<br />
between them and the center, this navaratna, 'n<strong>in</strong>e fold jewel', may participate <strong>in</strong> the same trend<br />
of thought.<br />
1. Deals with the numerous dangers to which are exposed those born <strong>in</strong> a certa<strong>in</strong> week.<br />
2. Enumerates the fifteen cases <strong>in</strong> which the composition of the family is om<strong>in</strong>ous.<br />
3. Consists of threats emanat<strong>in</strong>g from fire, water, lightn<strong>in</strong>g, but also Durga, Earth, the<br />
Guardians of the Directions and Guru Paduka, the Supreme God Teacher.<br />
4. Enumerates the 30 names of the seven day week; the mean<strong>in</strong>g must be to rem<strong>in</strong>d that<br />
each of them has its om<strong>in</strong>ous days accord<strong>in</strong>g to wariga, astrological table<br />
5. Here one is 'the victim of' numerous mishaps. It beg<strong>in</strong>s with a seem<strong>in</strong>gly harmless th<strong>in</strong>g:<br />
when a small house lizard falls on thee', but it ends with the calamity of the collaps<strong>in</strong>g of<br />
a rice granary.<br />
6. Consists of an enumeration of configurations of the ground and of special spots from<br />
which emanate lethal <strong>in</strong>fluences which, after consult<strong>in</strong>g a geomancer should be avoided<br />
(z).<br />
7. Enumerates the mortal danger aris<strong>in</strong>g from curses, treachery, stratagems, temptations,<br />
seduction, evil words and evil deeds, hidden power and prohibitions.<br />
8. Deals with dangers emanat<strong>in</strong>g from the acts of evildoers, from their poison and sorcery.
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