Part 5 (1/2)
Images of this form of Siva were not made in Bengal, but a pan of water, or an unadee-linga, was subst.i.tuted, before which b.l.o.o.d.y sacrifices were offered, and other ceremonies performed, in the month Kartiku, at the new moon.
In the month Phalgoonu, every year, the Hindoos made the image of Siva, and wors.h.i.+pped him for one day, throwing the image the next day into the water. This wors.h.i.+p was performed in the night, and was accompanied with singing, dancing, music, feasting, &c. The image wors.h.i.+pped was either that of Siva with five faces or that with one face.
In the month Maghu a festival in honour of Siva is held for one day, when the image of this G.o.d, sitting on a bull, with Parvutee his bride on his knee, is wors.h.i.+pped in the princ.i.p.al towns in Bengal.
Siva had two wives, Sutee and Parvutee. Sutee was the daughter of king Dukshu, and Parvutee the daughter of the mountain Himaluyu.
The fourth chapter of the Shreebhaguvutu, contains the history of Dukshu, the son of Brahma; of his daughter Sutee, who was married to the G.o.d Siva; of the abuse of Siva by Dukshu; of Siva's cursing Dukshu; of the grand sacrifice of Dukshu; the G.o.ds all arrive at this sacrifice; the daughters of Dukshu are also present; Sutee wishes to go, but is forbidden of Siva her husband; Siva, however, at last consents to her going; she goes, and while her father is abusing her husband, she dies of grief; Siva on hearing of the death of his wife, was transported with rage, and taking his juta from his head, threw it on the ground with great force, and up sprang a monster, in the form of a sunyasee, covered with ashes, having three flaming eyes, with a trishoolu in his hand, wearing a tiger's skin, and a necklace of human bones; and having a round red mark like a ball betwixt his eyebrows; this monster asked Siva why he created him; Siva ordered him to go and destroy Dukshu; this monster then took along with him armies of pratus, bhootus, yukshus, pishacus, etc. (wandering spirits), and destroyed Dukshu's sacrifice; Siva's great sorrow at the loss of Sutee; the G.o.ds come to comfort him; Sutee is again born; her father's name Heemaluyu, her mother's Manuku; Dukshu, after repairing the injuries which Siva's juta-formed monster had made, completes his sacrifice, etc.
A number of stories are contained in some of the Hindoo books respecting the quarrels of Siva and Parvutu, some of them arising out of the revels of the former, and the jealousy of the latter. These quarrels resemble those of Jupiter and Juno. The chief fault of Juno is said to have been jealousy. When Siva and Parvatu quarrelled, she frequently upbraided him with his filthy condition as a yogee. When they were about to be married, the mother of the girl, and the neighbours poured the utmost abuse on Siva: the neighbours cried out, ”Ah! ah! ah! this image of gold, this most beautiful damsel, like whom there is hardly such a beauty in the three worlds, to be given in marriage to such a fellow-an old fellow with three eyes; without teeth; clothed in a tiger's skin; covered with ashes; encircled with snakes; with a necklace of human bones; with a human skull in his hand; with a filthy juta, viz., a bunch of hair like a turban, twisted round his head; who chews intoxicating drugs; has inflamed eyes; rides naked on a bull, and wanders about like a madman. Ah! they have thrown this beautiful daughter into the river!” In this manner the neighbours exclaimed against the marriage, till at last, Narudu, who had excited this hubbub, settled the matter, and the wedding was consummated.
On a certain occasion Siva ordered his servants Nundee and Bhringee to prepare his bull that he might go a-begging; he himself bound the rag round his loins, twisted snakes as ornaments round his wrists, made a poita of three other snakes; put a tiger's skin on his back, a drum and a trident in his right hand, and in his left a horn; his body was covered with ashes. Thus arrayed he mounted his bull, Nundee going before and Bhringee behind, and went into different places begging from door to door. Where-ever he went, he saw the people happy and contented, enjoying all the pleasures of life. At the sight of all this happiness, Siva was full of grief, and said in his mind, ”All these people are surrounded with their friends and children, and are happy; but after marrying, I have obtained nothing. I beg for my daily bread.” Having collected a little rice, etc., Siva returned home, full of vexation. Doorga, his wife, gave him water to wash his feet, and Siva ordered her to prepare an intoxicating beverage called siddhee, and asked her whether she had prepared his food? She told him that she had not yet kindled the fire. ”What!” said Siva, ”it is now two o'clock in the afternoon, and you have not begun to prepare the dinner?” Filled with anger, he began to use the most violent language: ”How is this? I have married a wife dest.i.tute of fortunate signs, and I spend my life in misery. I see other families have bathed and sit down to dinner by noon. I beg three times a day, and yet I cannot obtain sufficient to support nature. It has always been said in the three worlds, that he who obtains a lucky wife, will through her become rich; through a lucky husband, sons are born. See now (addressing himself to those present), I have two sons; but where are the riches which a fortunate wife procures? I suppose that in marrying the wife of Himaluyu (a mountain) every one is become hard as the rock towards me. In constantly begging I have obtained the name of Shunkuru, the beggar. A person marrying a lucky wife sits at his ease in his house, and eats excellent food, and I go a-begging, and yet starve. Narudu has given me such an unlucky wife, what shall I say to him, a fellow without ancestry? He is not content unless he insult the dead. I can no longer support my family by begging. I can support myself, but how can I provide for so many?”
Doorga, hearing all this, was full of sorrow, and began to utter her grief to her two maids Juya and Vijuya: ”Hear! without thought, why does he abuse me in this manner? If he call me an unlucky wife, why did he marry me? When a person's fate is bad, they say his forehead is on fire. Why does he call me unlucky? Is not his own forehead on fire, and are we not suffering through his bad fate? True, I have neither a beautiful form, nor excellent qualities, nor conduct, nor honour, nor wisdom, nor learning, nor property, nor race, nor brother, nor friend, nor father, nor mother, nor relations, nor ornaments; but, look at his form; he covers himself with the ashes of the dead; at his qualities; he is known as the smoker of intoxicating herbs (the drunkard); at his conduct; he resides in cemeteries, and dwells with the bhootus;-at his wisdom: amidst the a.s.sembled guests at his wedding he sat naked; rides on a bull, and is hooted at by the children in the streets as a fool;-at his learning; he does not know the names of his father and mother; at his property, he owns a bull, a drum, and a tiger's skin;-at his ornaments: he is covered with snakes;-at his honour: at the time of marriage he was not able to obtain anything richer than a tiger's skin for a garment, though he begged for something better. It is true he has had two sons born, and on this account, I suppose, he is filled with pride. But such sons, in the three worlds, were never born before, and I hope will never be born again. Behold his eldest son Kartiku, he drinks intoxicating beverage like his father; he is full of rage if his food be delayed but a moment; what his father begs, he, with his six mouths, devours; the peac.o.c.k that carries him devours the snakes with which his father clothes himself; his other son Gunashu has four arms, an elephant's head, and eats like an elephant; he is carried by a rat, which steals and eats the unsh.e.l.led rice brought by Siva. Thus the children and the father are equally forsaken of fortune. The companions of Siva are either ghosts or bhootus.”
As soon as Siva had mounted his bull to go a-begging, Doorga said to Juya and Vijuya, ”I will stay no longer here. He tells me to keep my hair clothed with dirt, and to cover my body with ashes. I will go to my father's house, come along.” The maids endeavoured to pacify her, and to shew her the danger of leaving her husband. After a number of expostulations, she was persuaded to a.s.sume the form of Unnu-poorna, by which means the wealth of the whole world flowed into her lap. She gave a splendid entertainment on mount Koilasu to all the G.o.ds, at the close of which Siva arrived from a begging journey. Struck with astonishment at what he saw, he was wonderfully pleased, and ate for once till he was nearly surfeited. When he and Doorga were sitting together on the evening of this feast, he apologised to his wife for the unkind language he had used towards her, to prevent which in future, he proposed that they should be united in one body. Doorga at first strongly objected, but was at length persuaded to consent, and Siva and Doorga became one, the right side (white) being Siva, and the left side (yellow) Doorga. In this form an image is annually wors.h.i.+pped in Bengal.
Other stories are told of Siva's descending to earth in the form of a sunyasee, for the preservation of some one in distress, or to perform religious austerities.
Amongst the fanciful names (a thousand in number) belonging to this G.o.d, are the following:-Siva, the benefactor-Muhashwuru, the great G.o.d-Ceshwuru, the glorious G.o.d-Chundrushakuru, he on whose forehead is seen a half-moon--Bhootashu, he who is lord of the bhootus-Miriru, he who purifies-Mirityoonjuyu, he who conquers death-Krittivasa, he who wears a skin-Oogru, the furious-Shree-kuntu, he whose throat is beautiful-Kupalubhrit, he whose alms dish is a skull-Smuruhuru, the destroyer of Kama-davu, the G.o.d of love-Tripoorantuku, he who destroyed an usooru named Tripooru-Gungadhuru, he who caught the G.o.ddess Gunga in his bunch of hair-Vrishudhwujn, or he who rides on a bull-Shoolee, he who wields the Trident-St'hanoo, the everlasting-Survu, he who is everything-Gireeshu, lord of the hills-Undhuku-ripoo, he who destroyed an usooru named Undhuku-Sunkurshunu, he who destroys the world-Trilochunu, the three-eyed-Ruktupu, the drinker of blood-Siddhusavitu, the drinker of an intoxicating beverage called Siddhe.
The work called Krityu-tuttwu describes the heaven of this G.o.d as situated on the mountain Koilasu, and called s.h.i.+vu-pooru. It is said to be ornamented with many kinds of gems and precious things, as pearls, coral, gold, silver. On the mountain reside G.o.ds, the heavenly choristers, dancers and courtezans, G.o.ds who act as servants to the other G.o.ds, sacred sages, divine sages, great sages, and a number of moonees. These persons constantly perform the wors.h.i.+p of Siva and Doorga, and the upsurus are continually employed in singing, dancing, etc. The flowers of every season are always in bloom here, the winds shvityu, sangundu, and mandyu-gentle winds accompanied with coolness and sweetness-always blow on these flowers, and diffuse their fragrance all over the mountain wherein many birds are constantly singing and repeating the names of Doorga and Siva, where the waters of the heavenly Ganges pa.s.s along in purling streams, where the six seasons-the spring, the summer, the rainy, the sultry, the dewy, the cold-at once exist, and where on a golden throne, adorned with jewels, sit Siva and Doorga, holding conversation, in which Doorga asks questions of her husband.
When the mountain Mervuva was whirled about in the sea, the motion produced a foam which was like the cradle of a beautiful woman named Latsami. This second Venus was bestowed on Vishnvu, preferably to the Devetas, who were all in love with her. The Seivias, who a.s.sert that Eswara is the sovereign G.o.d, say also, that he has a wife called Parvati. They tell us that she had a double birth; first she was daughter to Datsja, son of Brahma, and of Sarasvati his wife. Her father gave her in marriage to Eswara, and some time after intended to perform a Jagam or sacrifice, to which he invited the Devetas, such as Deuendre, the Sun, the Moon, and the rest, but neglected Eswara, his son-in-law. Parvati told him he should also have invited him, but he, instead of agreeing with her, made her the following injurious answer:-Eswara, says Datsja, is not worthy of that honour, he is a fellow that subsists only on alms, and has no clothes to put on. We are to suppose that Eswara was at that time _incog._, and veiled under such a shape as made him unknown to all. Parvati inflamed with rage, cried out to her father, I myself am therefore not worthy to a.s.sist at it; and saying these words, she leaped into the fire that was prepared for this solemnity. Eswara, exasperated in the highest degree at this unhappy accident, was all over in a sweat, and one of the drops of it happening to fall on the earth, Virrepadra sprung from it, who immediately asked his father what commands he had for him. Eswara bid him go and destroy the Jagam of Datsja, and was obeyed; for he killed some of the guests, drove away others, cut off Datsja's head, kicked the sun, and broke all his teeth, so that he had not one left, and drubbed the moon so heartily, that her face was covered all over with the marks of the blows he gave her, which continue to this day. The Devetas implored Eswara's mercy, and obtained it; he was softened by their entreaties, and restored Datsja to life, on whose body he fixed the head of a he-goat instead of his own. Parvati being consumed in the fire into which she had thrown herself, was indulged a new birth, and was daughter of the mountain Chimawontam, who married her to Eswara. Her husband was so pa.s.sionately in love with her, that he gave her half his body, so that she became half man and half woman; for which reason the Brahmins call her Andhanari-Eswara, a name implying such an union.
These people are of opinion, that both Vishnu and Eswara can procreate children without the commerce of the other s.e.x, since they ascribe to them a power of getting them by the bare act of the will, so that they suppose they only have them for dalliance sake. Eswara is represented in the temples under a very immodest shape, expressing by an action, the union of both s.e.xes. This is grounded on a tradition which the Brahmins themselves are partly ashamed of, and is as follows: It fell out one day that a Moniswara came to visit Eswara in a place where the latter used to caress Parvati. The Moniswara came at a very unseasonable hour; in vain the porter shut the gate upon him, and even told him the reason why he could not be admitted; for the Moniswara was so enraged to find he must be forced to stay till Eswara should please to shew himself, that he broke out into an imprecation, which he immediately repented of. Eswara had overheard him, but pardoned him when he found he was sorry for it. The Moniswara, not satisfied with being pardoned for his offence, requested that all who should wors.h.i.+p the image of Lingam-the figure representing the union of the s.e.xes in the manner above mentioned, should reap greater advantages from it than if they were to wors.h.i.+p Eswara when represented with his whole body. He obtained his desire, and it is to this circ.u.mstance that those scandalous images under which Eswara is wors.h.i.+pped in the PaG.o.ds, owe their original.[9]
[9] Picard, Ceremonies et Coutumes Religieuses.
Mahadeu signifies the sovereign G.o.d. He is represented under the shape of a pillar which diminishes insensibly from its base to its extremity at top. It is evident that this figure is the same as the Priapus of other nations; and that the modern Indians, as well as those of antiquity, have equally considered it as the G.o.d of Nature. Pictures which have reached us from India exhibiting the interiors of the PaG.o.ds of Mahadeu reveal beyond all doubt the nature of this pillar; it cannot be mistaken for any else than what we have just suggested, viz., the male organ of generation. It is of gigantic size, rising many feet from the floor, and the most profound veneration is rendered to it by the wors.h.i.+ppers who completely uncover their feet before pa.s.sing the threshold.
Ixora (Mahadeu) bears also the name of Lingam. The Jogins wear the Lingam about their necks; but it would be impossible for fancy, says Picard, to invent anything more obscene, than the posture in which they represent this double figure, to whom they a.s.siduously offer the first fruits of their meals. We ascribe to the notion the Indians entertain that everything is formed by generation, the blind devotion they pay to this Lingam, in which they confound the agent with the means he employs. It will be impossible to justify them in any manner on this head, but by considering it as a type or symbol, which still cannot but be shocking to decency and good manners; some, however, cannot help thinking that those who first invented these figures, were naturally inclined to satiate by l.u.s.t, what they exhibited for the emblem of a Deity.
”It cannot be denied, but that the wors.h.i.+p which is paid to nature, may have migrated from the east into the west, together with the symbolical figures under which they represented it; we are therefore not to wonder, that the same idea should have discovered itself under different names, to people who live at a great distance one from the other; since, as they both received the object of their wors.h.i.+p from the same source, they were under a necessity of receiving the same images with the same ceremonies. To do these people justice, nothing can better express the fruitfulness of nature than the union of both s.e.xes, and the vigour of Priapus, whose name is very expressive; however, it is surprising that men, who, if we except some of the most brutal savages, have always paid some regard to decency, should be so lost to all sense of it, as to carry in procession with great pomp and solemnity, those parts of the body, which ought never to be revealed but in cases of the highest necessity; and expose them publicly in the roads, in houses and temples, as is the custom in India.”[10]
[10] Picard, Ceremonies et Coutumes Religieuses.
Pietro Dello Valle, observes, that the G.o.ds of the Indians are always represented naked, and that several figures in very indecent postures are seen in the paG.o.ds; undoubtedly he saw the Lingam above-mentioned there. The other figures might possibly represent the vows or homages of the devout Indians, among whom the women do not scruple to prost.i.tute themselves in honour of the G.o.ds. Husbands behold with the most profound humility these meritorious prost.i.tutions, which so often revive what we in Europe look upon as the greatest injury and affront; so true it is, that false principles in religion easily destroy those of common decency, and even frequently change the very ideas which nature has implanted in us. As a husband is fully persuaded he has been cuckolded by a G.o.d, he is therefore very well satisfied. The Jognis is the idol's curate, and performs the ceremony in quality of his proxy, while the devoutly patient husband, in the meantime, washes the saint's feet, and pays him the utmost veneration. The people of the house withdraw, and leave the lady to the saint's embraces. When this inst.i.tution was made, the crafty Indians undoubtedly insinuated some hopes of future felicity at the same time. When we have once found out the secret of gaining an ascendant over people's minds, can it be a difficult matter to a.s.sure the female devotees, that,
_Si quelque chose les empeche D'aller tout droit en paradis, C'est d'epargner pour leurs maris, Un bien dont ils n'ont plus que faire, Quand ils ont pris leur necessaire._
La Fontaine dans ses Contes.
The sense of which is,
_If anything prevents their being immediately wafted to Paradise, 'tis to reserve for their husbands a pleasure which they have no farther occasion for, when they have had their quantum of it._
We mention an instance which manifestly shews, that the Indians look upon the obscene devotions just alluded to, as highly meritorious.