were delighted, and returned to their own abodes, relieved from all fear of mankind" From the Lainga Puran, Part II., Chap. 100. KALI CREATED. Suta thus spoke : :-"Formerly a female Asura,* named Daruka, had through devotion obtained such power, that she consumed like fire the gods and Brahmins. But, as she was attended by a numerous host of female Asuras, Vishnu, and all the gods, were afraid to engage in battle with her, lest they should incur the sin of feminicide. They in consequence proceeded to Shiva, and with laudatory strains entreated his assistance; and he then, regarding Devi, thus addressed her: 'Let me request, O lovely one! that thou wouldst now, for the benefit of the universe, effect the destruction of this Daruka.' Having heard these words, Parvati created from her own substance a maiden of black color, with matted locks, with an eye in her forehead, bearing in ner hands a trident and a skull, of aspect terrible to behold, and arrayed in celestial garments and adorned with all kinds of ornaments. On beholding this terrific form of darkness, the gods retreated in alarm. Parvati then created innumerable ghosts, goblins, and demons; and, attended by these, Kali in obedience to her order, attacked and destroyed Daruka, and removed the distress of the world." This legend concludes in the following singular manner: "Shiva also appeared as an infant in a cemetery surrounded by ghosts, and on beholding him Kali took him up, and, caressing him, gave him her breast. He sucked the nectareous fluid; but becoming angry, in order to divert and pacify him, Kali, clasping him to her bosom, danced with her attendant goblins and demons amongst the dead until he was pleased and delighted; while Vishnu, Brahma, Indra, and all the gods, bowing themselves, praised with laudatory strains the god of gods, Parvati and Kali.” From the Garura Puran. INVOCATION TO DURGA, OR KALI. "On the ninth of each half month invoke Durga with these words: Hrim, protect me, O Durga! O chief of the divine mothers! giver of blessings! accept these various offerings of flesh and my prayers.' On the third, also, of Margashirsha commence * Demon. the worship of Durga before her image having eighteen hands, and holding ir. them a mace, a bell, a looking-glass, an iron rod, a bow, a banner, a small drum, a battle-axe, a noose, a lance, a club, a trident, a disk, a shield, an ankush, a dart, a thunderbolt, and a skull; and address to her the following hymn: 'Om, praise be to thee, O Bhagawati, Chamunda! dweller in cemeteries, bearer of a skull, borne on a car drawn by ghosts, Kalarattri, large-mouthed, many-armed, sounding thy bell and drum, laughing terribly, gnashing thy horrid teeth loudly, clothed in an elephant's skin, with a body full of flesh and blood, and a tremendous tongue! Praise be to thee, O Kali! with terrific tusks and fear-inspiring eyes flashing like lightning, with a countenance dark with frowns, bearing the moon on thy matted locks, and on thy neck a string of skulls! Hram, Hram, O destroyer of difficulties! quickly accomplish this business! O delighter in flesh and blood be propitious, be propitious, and enter this place! Enter, enter! tread, tread! dance, dance! Why delayest thou to enter? O wearer of human heads and skulls! seize, seize! tear, tear! consume, consume! slay, slay! Hrum, Hrum, destroy, destroy! pierce, pierce with thy trident! kill, kill with thy thunderbolt! smite, smite with thy rod! cut off, cut off with thy disk! fell, fell with thy mace! strike, strike with thy axe! Come, come, O Maheshwari! come, O Kamarini! come, O Varahi! come, O Aindri! come, O Chamunda! come, O Kapalini! come, O Mahakali! come, O frequenter of Kailasa! enter, enter this place, O thou who executest the wrath of Rudra, and causest the destruction of the Asuras!'" The Introduction or Dedication of the Mahabarat. A HYMN OF PRAISE TO DURGA. Hail, greatest of goddesses, victory unto thee, In thy forehead thy red mark appeared so glowing, O Dabee! we tremble to see thee. At thy ears hang the gold rings so large and so brilliant; At thy nose is the rich gapamatee; Thy hands hold the cleaver, and trident, and blood-dish So dreadful appears Bhagabattee! Sixty-four times ten millions of witches and spectres, Thee their patroness and mistress attending. Thou art Loksmee, the primeval mother of all things, * Jewel. In each house dost thou enter, on holiness thinking; Thy sword Roktabija, the dread demon, laid low, The wife of Eswara, a strange, fearful demon, A ghost and the mother of all. Nineteen millions of devils, all females and fearful, From thy body came forth at thy call. With round eyes and flat forehead thou starest portentious, And utterest thy dread voice in thunder. With thy cleaver and blood-dish and bloody tongue quivering, Still with battle-field slaughter unfilled. How sweet is the blood of the good man unto thee! Still his gore from thy mouth is distilled. Thou rejoicest to hear the dread battle's loud slaughter, The chief of the holy, thy names, lady, are many, At the cry of Ra! Ra! swiftly flying. Nine hundred times counted, one thousand of witches, Of ghosts and of devils obey thee. In the silence of midnight, when dark, are thy witches A corpse for a vehicle using, When the fresh dead are lying, thou a feast gladly makest, With the green skulls thy fancy amusing. When the flames of the funeral gleam through the night's darkness, When the dead they are wont to consume, How swiftly thou runnest to snuff the rich odors ! To thee they are richest perfume. To thy timbrel's jingle, in the air ever sounding, Ghosts and devils innumerable dance; They share in thy honors and share in thy worship, As thy name and thy praise they advance. Thou art greater than Brahma, or Vishnu, or Shiva Translated by Rev. Charles Lacey, for Caleb Wright. From the Matsya Puran, Chap. 3, 4. BRAHMA'S INCEST. "Brahma next formed from his own immaculate substance a female, who is celebrated under the names of Shatarupa, Savitri, Sarasvati, Gayatri, and Brahmani. Then, beholding his daughter, born from his own body, Brahma became wounded with the arrows of love, and exclaimed, 'How surpassing lovely she is! But Shatarupa turned to the right side from his gaze, and, as Brahma wished to look after her, a second head appeared. and thus, as she passed, in order to avoid his amorous glances, to his left and his rear, two other heads successively manifested themselves. At length she sprang into the sky, and, as Brahma was anxious to gaze after her, a fifth head was immediately formed. Then Brahma thus called to his daughter: 'Let us generate all kinds of animated beings, men, Suras, and Asuras.'* On hearing these words she descended; and, Brahma having espoused her, they withdrew into a secluded spot, and there indulged in the delights of love for one hundred divine years." From the Vamana Puran, Chap. 6. "Then Hara, wounded by the arrows of Kama, [the god of love,] wandered into a deep forest, named Daruvanam, where holy sages and their wives resided. The sages, on beholding Shiva, saluted him with bended heads, and he, wearied, said to them, 'Give me alms.' Thus he went begging round the different hermitages; and, wherever he came, the minds of the sages' wives, on seeing him, became disturbed and agitated with the pain of love, and all commenced to follow him. But, when the sages saw their holy dwellings thus deserted, they exclaimed, 'May the lingam of this man† fall to the ground!' That instant the lingam of Shiva fell to the ground; and the god immediately disappeared. The lingam, then, as it fell, penetrated through the lower worlds, and increased in height until its top towered above the heavens. The earth quaked, and all things movable and immovable were agitated; on perceiving which, Brahma hastened to the Sea of Milk, and said to Vishnu, 'Say, why does the universe thus tremble?' Hari replied, 'On account of the falling of Shiva's lingam, in consequence of the curse of the holy and divine sages.' On hearing of this most wonderful event, Brahma said, 'Let us go and behold this lingam.' The two gods then repaired to Daruvanam; and, on beholding it without beginning or end, Vishnu mounted the king of birds and descended into the lower regions in order to ascertain its base; and, for the purpose of discovering its top, Brahma in a lotos car ascended the heavens. But they returned from their search wearied and disappointed, and together approaching the lingam, with due reverence and praises, entreated Suras are gods, and Asuras are demons. + Shiva was disguised, and the sages, therefore, did not know him. Shiva to resume his lingam. Thus propitiated, that god appeared in his own form, and said, 'If gods and men will worship* my lingam, I will resume it; but not otherwise.' To this proposal Vishnu, Brahma, and the gods, assented." + From the Bhagavat Geeta, p. 90. PART OF ARJOON'S DESCRIPTION OF KRISHNA, WHOM HE SAW IN A VISION. "The winds, alike with me, are terrified to behold thy wondrous form gigantic; with many mouths and eyes; with many arms, and legs, and breasts; with many bellies, and, with rows of dreadful teeth! Thus, as I see thee, touching the heavens, and shining with such glory, of such various hues, with widely-opened mouths, and bright, expanded eyes, I am disturbed within me; my resolution faileth me, O Vishnu! and I find no rest! Having beholden thy dreadful teeth, and gazed on thy countenance, - emblem of time's last fire, I know not which way to turn! I find no peace! Have mercy, then, O god of gods! thou mansion of the universe! The sons of Dhreetarashtra now, with all those rulers of the land, Bheeshma, Drona, the son of Soot, and even the fronts of our army, seem to be precipitating themselves hastily into thy mouth, discovering such frightful rows of teeth! whilst some appear to stick between thy teeth with their bodies sorely mangled. As the rapid streams of full-flowing rivers roll on to meet the ocean's bed, even so these heroes of the human race rush on towards thy flaming mouths. As troops of insects, with It is now the principal object of worship in more than half of the temples of India. "The lingam is formed of stone, and consists of a base three or four feet high, the top of which is surrounded by a raised rim; and in the middle is slightly excavated, and raised on a level with the rim, the figure of a yoni, (pudendum muliebre,) from the centre of which rises a smooth, round stone, slightly conical towards the top, of a foot and a half in height and about three inches diameter at the base. Major Moor has, therefore, very justly observed, 'It is some comparative and negative praise to the Hindus, that the emblems under which they exhibit the elements and operations of nature are not externally indecorous. Unlike the abominable realities of Egypt and Greece, we see the phallic emblem in the Hindu Pantheon without offence; and know not, until the information be extorted, that we are contemplating a symbol whose prototype is indelicate. The plates of my book may be turned and examined, over and over, and the uninformed observer will not be aware that in several of them he has viewed the typical representation of the generative organs or powers of humanity.'"- Ancient and Hindu Mythology, by Col. Kennedy, pp. 103, 104. |