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192
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JULY, 1873.
house, for detecting a thief, for summoning | Come, Brahmachari ! three times in my media the gods, for enchanting a person, for closing the tation I have called thee, praying with revemouths of snakes and dogs, and for curing snake- rence. With my dread invocation I have shaken bite. The meaning is always obscure, and in and moved the circle of the heavens. Come! I many cases quite unintelligible, but some of have called many times. Make no answer but them seem to have more connection than others break thy doors, goddess, and come. and admit of translation. They are written in I cannot doubt that the "Meri" invoked in the worst possible Bengali, with numerous pro- this mantra is our “Mary"—the allusion to vincial words, so that the task of translating
riding on an ass seems to prove it satisfactorily. them has been by no means an easy one. I I presume the name must have been picked have given rough translations of two as spe- up from some Roman Catholic Missionary. cimens.
It is curious to note how the mountain tribes The first seems to have been used to drive the Mech, Kochh, and Bhatiyas are regarded as away evil spirits, and is as follows.
a species of evil spirit and pat in the same cateListen, Meri, my mother! attend on my gory with a Dakini. The word I have transmeditation whilst I play my play.
lated "pure " is wiranjan : it appears to mean I salate black Kali with her tawny locks; here without colouring matter,'' puro essence;'
From time to time my mother assumes divers but I know of no parallel. dresses.
The next mantra is one used by snake-charmListen, Meri! &c.
ers. It is supposed that when a person is sufferI salute the Dakini of the Dak quarter ; the ing from snake bite it is necessary to discover Mechini of the Mech quarter; I salute the what kind of snake has bitten him before he Bhutani of the Bhutia quarter; the Kochini of can be properly treated. The snake-charmers the Koch quarter.
use a peculiar kind of cowrie for this purpose, Listen, Meri! &c.
called gátiya: it is distinguished from the comThy father rode on an ass, thy mother on a mon kind by its wrinkled shell. This cowrie is she-ass. You cannot bear the sound of the name supposed to move under the influence of the manof Brahma.
tra quoted below, and to go to the place where Listen, Meri! &c.
the snake is. The mantra is as follows :The Dakini repeats the name of Brahma, The bird speaks, listening to the voice of his. calling Brahma ! Brahma !
mate. The old Rakshasas say, Gosain, forbear to He has flown away to the city of Kama repeat the name of Brahma.
ksha (Kamrup). Listen, Meri ! &c.
The bird, &c. You cannot bear the influence of the name of
He has flown away to the southern city. Brahma. By repeating the name of Brahma,
The bird, &c. the great name, I moved the heavens. The seats
He has flown away to the eastern city. of the gods moved in heaven.
The bird, &c. Listen, Meri ! &c.
He has flown away to the western city. From the race of Brahma you are sprung: Leaving all sadness, he mounts up to heaven. with Brabma you live. Leave heaven and come
When he reached heaven he drank poison; down, goddess : appear in the sky.
When he had drunk six chittaks of poison, Listen, Meri! &c.
Tumbling, falling, he falls on the ground; Where do you linger, goddess ? In what are
Falling on the ground he flutters; you entangled ? Cut the fastening, cut the
He returns to the city whence he came. knot, and come quickly.
Like a golden doll he rolls in the dust; Listen, Meri! &c.
He walks on foot but cannot go forward; The name of Brahma is pure, his body is a He walks with his hands but cannot move; cypher. Brahmachâri, club-bearing ! come run- He makes lamentation and beats his forening swiftly.
head;
.
• But conf. Ind. Ant. anto, p. 160, and the Maru-devi of the Jains.-ED.
