The people, believing
the report, hasten to bring in their gifts and offerings. The god, on
beholding such proofs of their attachment to him, feels himself cured of
his disease, and immediately returns to his throne within the temple.
The Brahmins use another kind of deception, in order to procure
offerings for the temples. They declare that their gods are angry with
certain individuals who have offended them, and that they have sent some
evil spirit or devil to take possession of their bodies and torment
them. Accordingly, persons appear wandering about in different parts of
the country, showing, by their dreadful convulsions, their writhings
and twistings, every symptom of being possessed with the devil. The
people who see them are filled with dismay, fall down before them, and
offer gifts and sacrifices, for fear of being injured by them. Whatever
they ask is granted. The people give them to eat and drink abundantly;
and when they leave a place, accompany them with instruments of music,
till they arrive at some other place, where the same deception is
practised.
There are various other ways in which the Brahmins deceive the people;
but I have told you enough.
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