Indian Antiquary Vol 03

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 46

36
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1874.
four- and five-celled examples. Three-celled ex- amples to complete the series may be presumed to exist, and may perhaps be heard of in Mr. Breeks's book. Cells more numerous than five can hardly be looked for. Major Ross King
thinks these carved stones belong to the Kotas, "seeing that they are the only hillpeople acquainted with the use of tools;" but in this view I am, for many reasons, unable to concur.
، يا علي يا علي | كل هم و غم ستلجي ، بتولايتك
for] مظهر العجايب
[ناد علي یا علی ، نا على تجده عونا لك في النوايب .
1.
AN ARABIC TALISMANIC CUP, USED CHIEFLY IN CASES OF PARTURITION.
BY E. REHATSEK, M.C.E. This cup, apparently of brass, but said to this has four compartments with the following consist of a mixture of all metals, is a talis- four inscriptions - manic vessel from which pure water is to be sipped by a person in sickness or even in the agony of death; but the chief use it is put to, is to procure a happy delivery in childbirth. The cup is also at present, although not as "Every care and grief will disperse ; under much as formerly, in great demand, and is said thy patronage, O A'ly, 0 A'ly, O A'ly; invoke to be used not only by Hindu, Muslim, and A'ly the manifester of wonders; thou wilt find Parsi, but also by European women in Bombay, him an aid to thee in calamities." and to be a very effective talisman, inasmach There are twelve circles which intersect each as all the confinements where it has been used other in such a manner as to form twelve are stated to have been happy ones. The present almond-shaped segments, and also twelve inowner of this cap, Mr. Bahmanji Jehangir termediate compartments. The segments are Lamna, who kindly allowed me to make drawn to be read first, and the intermediate compartings of it, and at whose nouse in Girgam, ments afterwards; the former consist of a porBombay, it may be seen, informs me that his tion of the Surah Ya sin which it is customary grandfather, Mr. Dadabhai Jijibhai Lamna, who to read to persons in the agony of death, as traded to the Persian Gulf, brought it thence follows: as part-payment of a large sum of money due to him by a Persian merchant who had become 10- UU insolvent, and among whose assets this cup had been valaed at a fabulous price on account of its miraculous efficacy, and that ever since then, some fifty years ago, it had remained in the Lamua family.
As the interior is extremely crowded with writing, I have given no facsimile of it here, but only of the exterior one, which is in some respects the most interesting since it contains a beantiful circular inscription in large characters, and a very curious representation of the twelve
"In the name of God the merciful, the clesigns of the Zodiac, each of which is enclosed in
ment! Ya sin! † And by the wise Qorân! a separate medal. I here give, however, the de
Verily thou art one of the messengers on the scription of the concave side:
straight way! This is a revelation from the The smallest circle contains the words she
mighty, the merciful (God); that thou mayest u duro four times and is the invocation :- warn a people whose fathers were not warned, " A'ly! O Muhammad !" The circle adjoining and they are careless. Sentence has justly been • This word is derived from it being an article of as well m of others prefixed to various Sunshs of the
Qorin, is mysterious and has not been satisfactorily ex. the Shiah Faith that "Ally is the vely of God," i.e. chief plained by any one.-On the cup the vocalisation is entirely director of EslAm on the part of Allah.
omitted, but I give all the marks for every word taken The meaning of the two letters Ya Sin in this place, from the Qorån.
لیگیم
insolvent, and among whose assets thin cup ba بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم-يص والقران الحكيم |
صراط متقيم تنزين ك بين المرسلين على
e
eu mo ba o rato me
ty or
willes ut