Bad dreams are a common problem. While there are bad dreams which haunt during sleep which affect
the person concerned, there are worse ones happening when awake which could not only be catastrophic
for the individual but also for the society at large. Rishi Yama and Rishi Pracheta have this to say about
the origin of these and the ways to combat them.
6.45.1 What wrongdoing of treachery may have been done, may such unpleasant acts be cleared from us.
(Angira Pracheta)
6.46.1 Hey dream! you are neither real nor unreal but you are the foundation of rejuvenation of senses.
Night is your mother and day is your father but you cause much trouble. (Angira Pracheta)
6.46.2 We know your birth place. You are the purifier of the ways of the senses. You are the destroyer.
you are the cause of death. We know you well that way. So, save us from the bad thoughts during dreams.
(Angira Pracheta)
16.5.1 Hey dream! we know your roots, you are the son of body pains and joint pains; you are a killer.
16.5.3 We know you well, you save us from bad thoughts during bad sleep.
16.5.4 We know you well you dream! you are the son of mental and physical decay.
16.5.5 Hey dream! we know you well, you are the son of poverty.
16.5.6 Hey dream! we know you well, you are the son of shortage.
16.5.7 Hey dream! we know you well, you are the son of defeat.
16.5.6-16.5.10 Hey dream! we know you well, you are the son of intoxication, you a killer.
16.6.1 Now we have overcome the problems, we have become free of our deficiencies. (thereby
eliminating our bad dreams).
16.6.2-16.6.3 Hey Usha! may the bad dreams which we fear go far away from us; may they go to those
who curse and hate (wake up early, do not hate or curse so as to avoid bad dreams)
16.6.5-16.6.6 May Ushadevi and Vakdevi be together. (wake up early and study and recite mantras or sing
or talk sweetly so as to eliminate bad dreams).
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