Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 13

JANUARY, 1875.]
TREE AND SERPENT WORSHIP.
TREE AND SERPENT WORSHIP.
BY CAPT. J. S. F. MACKENZIE, MAISUR COMMISSION. Round about Bangalor, more especially to- By the common people these two are supposed wards the Lal Bagh and Perú, - as the native to represent man and wife. town is called, -three or more stones are to be The reason given to me for the niab and bil. found together, having representations of ser- patrá trees being selected as witnesses proves pents carved upon thein, and of which the ac- that the Saivite religion is in some mannercompanying sketch will give some idea. These and this is further borne out by the lingam stones are erected always) under the sacred fig. being engraved on a and b-connected with tree by some pious person, whose means and this form of tree and serpent worship. piety determine the care and finish with which The fruit of the nib and bilpatrd is the they are executed.
only one which in any way resembles a liūgam, Judging from the number of these stones, and by placing the frait of either of these trees the worship of the serpent appears to be more on the leaf of the pipal, which represents the prevalent in the Bangalor district than in yoni, you hava a fair representation of an other parts of the province. I have seen entire liigam. stones like No. 16 in other parts of Maisur, but The custom among Brahmaņs, still acted up their appearance would lead one to think that to, that under Curtain circumstances men must in the present day they are not worshipped, marry plants, is curious. If a Brahman is while those in the immediate vicinity of Ban- desirous of taking to himself a third wife, he goes galor are often adorned with saffron; &c. I have
through the marriagecəremony correctly, but abbeen able to learn but little aboat these stones. breviated in details, with a yekke gidu (AristoloNo priest is over in charge of them. There is chit indica). This is looked upon as the third no objection to men doing so, but, from custom marriage; after the ceremony has been com, or for some reason-perhaps because the ser- pleted the yekke gile is cat down and burut. pent is supposed to confer fertility on barren The man is now free, without fear of evil conwomen-tho worshipping of these stones, which sequenca, to wel the woman who is nominally takes place during the Gauri feast, is confined his fourth wife. to women of all Hindu classes and creeds.
This custon owes its origin not to treeIn fig. 1, a represents a seven-headed cobra* worship, but to the belief that the number three and is called Subramanya. b, a female, is an unlucky on. By burning the third wife the lower portion of whose body is that of all bad luck is averted. a snake. She is called Muda ma, and is It sometim3 happens that the elder brother, the principal and most important figure in the not having come across a suitable wife, is still group. b represents two serpents entwined, unmarried when the youngar brother wishes to the children of c. These three representations get married. Before the younger can do so, are necessary to a complete and orthodox group. however, the elder goes through the ceremony of
These stones, when properly erected, ought to marriage with a plantain tree, which is afterwards be on a built-up stone platform facing the cut down, and the younger is then free to wed. rising sun; and under the shade of two pipel The privileges of chewing betel-nut, wear. (ficus religiosa) trees-a male and female ing flowers in the hair, using sandalwood paste growing together, and wodded by ceremonies on the body, and tying up the cloth behind in a in every respect the same as in the case of particular manner, are confined to married men human beings -close by and growing in the only. By going through the ceremony of marsame platform a niinb (margosa) and bilpatrát riage with a plantain tree, the unfortunate (a kind of wood-apple), which are supposed to bachelor who cannot get a wife is entitled to be living witnesses of the marriage. The expense exercise all the coveted privileges. of performing the marriage ceremony is too
NOTE BY THE EDITOR. heavy for ordinary persons, and so we generally | All over Western and Southern India we find find only one pipal and a ning on the platform. the serpent more or less venerated, and a collec• This stone was about 4, feet high.
+ Cratova religiosa P-ED.