06-24-2008, 02:22 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Jun 24 2008, 01:15 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Jun 24 2008, 01:15 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->what is the difference between a vaitAla and a pishAcha? can any pretAtmA get transformed into these?
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A "preta" is the form the jIva takes right after death. It is basically the person without his annamaya-kosha (physical body), but still quite close to the physical realm. The preta has the prANamaya kosha as well as the higher kosha-s. During the shrAdhha period, the preta needs to be satiated with the "piNDa-dAna", since in the new existence it lacks any means of supporting its prANamaya kosha and is generally bewildered. After the shrAddha period, the jIva moves away from the physical realm and moves into some vital worlds. Where it stays till the vital-sheath (prANamaya kosha) decays. The so called heaven/hell (svarga/naraka) are the vital-worlds where the jIva is stationed temporarily. Then it moves on to some mental-world, and stays till its mind-sheath (manomaya kosha) decays. Then it moves to the realm of rest between the births and rests there till the next birth.
The pishAcha-s are vampire like beings that have a prANamaya-kosha. They are primarily vital beings that latch onto humans to drain them of their vitality. Instead of merely latching onto a human, a pishAcha can also come to possess the human. The pishAcha-s are often portrayed as eternally hungry beings, who can't find their sustenance otherwise, and latch onto humans for replenishing their vitality (prANa).
A pishAcha doesn't necessarily have to be from a preta, but if the shrAddha-karma is not perfomed, or if the jIva has a strong attraction to physical world and can't move on, then a preta can become like a pishAcha. But such preta-s can always be released from their pishAcha like existence and made to move on. True blue pishAcha-s are on the other hand typal beings of the vital world, and they don't move-on.
The vetAla-s are also like pishAcha-s, i.e. vital beings, which can animate dead bodies. And they can also be preta-s who have become like pishAcha-s. Instead of latching on to or possessing living humans, vetAla-s try to reanimate freshly dead corpses. The vetAla-panchviMshatI" stories of king vikrama deal with such a vetAla that possess dead bodies.
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A "preta" is the form the jIva takes right after death. It is basically the person without his annamaya-kosha (physical body), but still quite close to the physical realm. The preta has the prANamaya kosha as well as the higher kosha-s. During the shrAdhha period, the preta needs to be satiated with the "piNDa-dAna", since in the new existence it lacks any means of supporting its prANamaya kosha and is generally bewildered. After the shrAddha period, the jIva moves away from the physical realm and moves into some vital worlds. Where it stays till the vital-sheath (prANamaya kosha) decays. The so called heaven/hell (svarga/naraka) are the vital-worlds where the jIva is stationed temporarily. Then it moves on to some mental-world, and stays till its mind-sheath (manomaya kosha) decays. Then it moves to the realm of rest between the births and rests there till the next birth.
The pishAcha-s are vampire like beings that have a prANamaya-kosha. They are primarily vital beings that latch onto humans to drain them of their vitality. Instead of merely latching onto a human, a pishAcha can also come to possess the human. The pishAcha-s are often portrayed as eternally hungry beings, who can't find their sustenance otherwise, and latch onto humans for replenishing their vitality (prANa).
A pishAcha doesn't necessarily have to be from a preta, but if the shrAddha-karma is not perfomed, or if the jIva has a strong attraction to physical world and can't move on, then a preta can become like a pishAcha. But such preta-s can always be released from their pishAcha like existence and made to move on. True blue pishAcha-s are on the other hand typal beings of the vital world, and they don't move-on.
The vetAla-s are also like pishAcha-s, i.e. vital beings, which can animate dead bodies. And they can also be preta-s who have become like pishAcha-s. Instead of latching on to or possessing living humans, vetAla-s try to reanimate freshly dead corpses. The vetAla-panchviMshatI" stories of king vikrama deal with such a vetAla that possess dead bodies.