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OF THE HINDUS.
217
muttered recitation of his different names as the worshipper turns between his fingers the beads of a rosary, made of the seeds of the Rudraksha, or Eleocarpus. The fullest string contains one hundred and eight beads, for each of which there is a separate appellation, as Siva, Rudra, Hara, Sankara, Iswara, Maheswara, Súlapáni, Pasupati, and others. Amongst the latter are certain leaves and flowers, and fruits, and especially those of the bel-tree, as in the text“The Vilwa is the granter of all desires, the remover of poverty; there is nothing with which Sankara is more gratified than with the leaf of the Vilwa*.” The flower of the Dhattúra is another of his favourites, and a single presentation of it to a Linga is said to secure equal recompense as the gift of a hundred thousand cows. At the Sivaratri worship, the Linga may be crowned with a chaplet of Ketakí flowers, but only on this occasion. According to the legend, a Ketaki blossom fell from the top of the miraculous Siva-linga, already alluded to as having appeared to Brahma and Vishnu, and being appealed to by the former, falsely affirmed that Brahmá had taken it from the summit of the Linga. Vishnu, knowing this to be untrue, pronounced an imprecation upon the flower, that it should never more be offered to Siva.
* [सर्वकामप्रदं विल्वं दारिद्यस्य प्रणाशनम् ।
विल्वपत्रात्परं नास्ति येन तुष्यति शङ्करः ॥ The preceding quotations are from the Tithitattwa. See Sabdakalpadruma p. 5359. 60 and 63, 6.]
