Chapter I (4)

The Shastras have enjoined the worship of certain higher-grade deities, and have prescribed certain ceremonials for the purpose. But women are not authorised to make use of these ceremonies. The reason is that the Shastras regard women as inferior to men and do not grant them the privileges given to the latter. They are not allowed to learn the Vedas nor can the Gayatri-mantra be taught to them. The result is that women are not qualified to perform the ceremonial worship of such higher-grade deities as Vishnu, Shiva, Durga, Ganpati, and Hanuman; [578] similarly the sacrificial rites of Vishnuyag, Shaktiyag, Ashvamedha, Raja-yajna, and Gayatri-purashcharan can only be performed by men. [579]

It is the duty of men only to worship the shami tree (prosopis spicegera) on the Dasara day, and the Hutashani fire on the day of Holi.

Women are not allowed to worship the god Kartikey, who is said to shun women, and to have pronounced a curse against all who visit his image.

The fifteenth day of the bright half of Chaitra is the anniversary of the birth of Hanuman, and a vrat called Hanuman-jayanti is observed on this day. This vrat, [580] as well as the Ganesh-chaturthi-vrat [581] are meant only for men.

The ceremonies of Shraddha [582] and the Baleva [583] ceremonies can be performed by men only. The duty of giving agni-sanskar to corpses, i.e., of performing the necessary rites at a funeral, is also laid on men.

People who practise the art of attaining mastery over spirits and fiends, usually remain naked while they are engaged in the performance of their mysterious rites. There are many branches of this black art: for instance, Maran, [584] Uchchatan, [585] Lamban, Vashikaran, [586] Mohan, [587] Stambhan, [588] etc., and although the meli vidya (sacrilegious art) is not held in respect by high-class Hindus, it is popular among the lower classes. There is a belief that knowledge of this art dooms a person to hell; but it secures to those who master it a position of much importance, and therefore finds many followers. The art consists in the knowledge of certain mysterious incantations, which enable a person to influence the spirits and to bring about certain results through their agency. Not only has every person when learning this art, to remain naked, but all those who make prayogas or experiments in it afterwards must observe the same precaution. The night of Kali-chaudas or the 14th day of the dark half of Ashvin, is considered to be the most favourable time for the sadhan or accomplishment of this secret art of remaining naked. [589] On this day, it is the custom of those who exercise the art, to go stripped to a cemetery in the dead of night, and to cook food in a human skull as an offering to the spirits residing in the neighbourhood. On the same night, some sorcerers, after stripping themselves, are said to ride round the village on some mysterious conveyance. [590]

A practice is noted among low-class people of performing a sadhana before the goddess Jhampadi for the sake of progeny. The man who performs the sadhana, has first to go naked to a cemetery on a Sunday night, and to fetch therefrom the ashes of a corpse. At the time of the sadhana, the man takes his seat on a corpse, fills a madaliun or hollow bracelet with the ashes brought from the cemetery, and puts it on his arm above the elbow. [591]

Dhobis, Malis, Valands and other low-caste people remain naked while worshipping Bhairav. [592] In the performance of the anushthan (propitiation) of such deities as Kal-Bhairav, [593] Batuk, Mani, [594] Griva, etc., the devotees keep their persons uncovered. The worshippers of the goddess Jakshani also remain naked when they attend upon her. [595]

Persons who practise the art of curing men from the effects of serpent-bites by means of incantations, have to sit naked under water in order to gain efficacy for their mantras.

Followers of the Devi-panth, Shakti-panth and Aghori-panth sects remain naked while worshipping or offering victims to their gods. [596] Vama-margis worship a nude image of the goddess Digambara.

The hook-shaped instrument, known as ganeshio, which is used by thieves in boring a hole through the walls of a house, is sometimes prepared by a blacksmith and his wife on the night of Kali-chaudas, both being naked at the time. Instruments prepared in this fashion are believed to secure success for the thief, who scrupulously sets aside the first booty acquired by the help of the ganeshio for the blacksmith as a reward for his services. He does not grudge the reward however large the booty may be.

In making dice according to the directions of Ramalashastra, the workers should remain naked.

There is a belief that granulations in the eyes of a child are cured if the maternal uncle fetches naked the beads of the Arani tree, and puts a circlet of them round the neck of the child. [597]

If a person uncovers himself on hearing the screech of an owl, and then ties and unties seven knots in a piece of string, repeating the process twenty-one times, the piece of string is believed to possess the virtue of curing Taria Tav or periodical fever. [598] Another remedy for the same ailment is to go to a distance of three miles from the village and there to eat food which has been cooked in a state of nudity.

In the preparation of Nargudikalpa [599] or Gujakalpa, some drugs have to be procured by a naked person. [600]

It is considered meritorious by some persons to rise early in the morning and to bathe naked on the Makar Sankranti day. [601]

A Brahman boy must be naked at the time of the performance of his thread investiture ceremony. After the ceremony, the maternal uncle of the boy presents garments to him, which he thereupon puts on. [602]

In Gujarat, for the most part, the people seem to be unacquainted with the belief that certain stones possess the virtue of influencing the rain. Some persons however attribute this quality to the stones on such sacred mounts as Girnar, Abu, and Pavagadh. [603] There is a point called Tonk, on mount Girnar, of which it is said that rain is certain to fall whenever anyone succeeds in climbing it. [604] There is also a common belief that arasi marble if heated has influence over rain. [605]

It is a common practice to submerge the image [606] of Shiva in water with the object of bringing rain. Similarly the image of the goddess Harshadh is sometimes bathed when rain is desired. [607] The bhuva or the bhui, i.e., the male and the female attendants of the goddess are at the same time given a bath, and an offering of Khir [608] is made to the goddess.

There are two goals which a pious Hindu tries to attain by leading a life of purity and virtue, viz., (i) moksha or final emancipation, merging into the Eternal Spirit, and (ii) swarga (heaven or paradise) where meritorious persons enjoy pure pleasures unalloyed by earthly cares. The stars are the spirits of so many righteous persons who are translated to swarga for their good actions, and are endowed with a lustre proportionate to their individual merits. But every moment of enjoyment in swarga diminishes the store of merit: and those whose whole merit is thus exhausted, on receiving their proportionate share of pleasures, must resume their worldly existence. The Bhagavad-gita says: "ksine punye martyalokam visanti" i.e., "they enter the mortal world when their merit is expended." Meteors are believed to be spirits of this description who fall from their position as stars, to live again on this earth. [609]

Another explanation of meteors is that they are the sparks produced when the vimans (or vehicles) of celestial people clash against each other. [610]

Meteors are also held to be the agar or charak (i.e., excreta) dropped either by a curious water-bird, or by Garud, the favourite eagle, and vehicle of Vishnu, [611] or by a fabulous bird Anal. [612] The latter is said to fly at an immeasurable height from the surface of the earth, and to take food only once a day. It is almost impossible to catch the charak when it falls to earth: but if ever it can be secured, the application of it to the eyes of a blind man will restore his eyesight. It also furnishes an effective remedy for leprosy, and gives a golden lustre to the body of a person suffering from that disease.

Some declare that meteors are stars which fall owing to the curse of Indra, and subsequently assume the highest human form on earth. [613]

It is also said that the stars descend to earth in human form when sins accumulate in the celestial world. [614]

The influence of meteors on human affairs is treated at length in the Varahasanhita. [615] The phenomenon is popularly regarded as an evil omen: it is supposed to portend devastation by fire, an earthquake, a famine, an epidemic, danger from thieves, and storms at sea. [616] The appearance of a bright shooting star is supposed to foretell the death of some great man; [617] and on beholding one, it is customary to repeat the words 'Ram Ram' [618] several times. [619] A shower of meteors is believed to presage some civil commotion or a change in the ruling dynasties.

Some persons, however, regard the appearance of meteors as auspicious or baneful, according to the mandal or group of stars, from which they are seen to fall. Meteors from the Vayu-mandal, (or the group of stars known by the name of Vayu) portend the breaking out of an epidemic: those from Varuna-mandal, are believed to be favourable to human happiness; if they fall from Indra-mandal, they forebode danger to all kings; those from Agni-mandal, threaten war between nations. [620]

During the monsoons, rain is believed to fall in that direction in which a meteor is seen to shoot. [621] A meteor in the west is ominous to kings, and if it falls into the sea, it forebodes evil to the dwellers on earth. [622]

The appearance of a comet is believed to portend some dire calamity to the king and the nation. It is said that if a heavenly body is seen, chhogalo, [623] chhogala kings (i.e., great and celebrated kings) are in danger of their lives. [624] A comet is also believed to threaten all tailed animals with destruction.