, 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. When a person beholds his
dead ancestors while he is seated at ease, or lying in his bed, he soon
loses his reason, and the spirit which causes this illusion of sensible
perception, is called the ancestral spirit. The man who shows disrespect
to the _Siddhas_ and who is cursed by them in return, soon runs mad and
the evil influence by which this is brought about, is called the
_Siddha_ spirit. And the spirit by whose influence a man smells sweet
odour, and becomes cognisant of various tastes (when there are no
odoriferous or tasteful substances about him) and soon becomes
tormented, is called the _Rakshasa_ spirit. And the spirit by whose
action celestial musicians (_Gandharvas_) blend their existence into the
constitution of a human being, and make him run mad in no time, is
called the _Gandharva_ spirit. And that evil spirit by whose influence
men are always tormented by _Pisachas_, is called the _Pisacha_ spirit.
When the spirit of _Yakshas_ enters into the system of a human being by
some accident, he loses his reason immediately, and such a spirit is
called the _Yaksha_ spirit. The man who loses his reason on account of
his mind being demoralised with vices, runs mad in no time, and his
illness must be remedied according to methods prescribed in the
_Sastras_. Men also run mad from perplexity, from fear, as also on
beholding hideous sights. The remedy lies in quieting their minds. There
are three classes of spirits, some are frolicsome, some are gluttonous,
and some sensual. Until men attain the age of three score and ten, these
evil influences con