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174
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
appurtenances of ornaments, amulets, &c. for Devaki in the shape of a cow-stall, or rather shepherd-house (? gokulavat), filled with shepherdesses. In the centre a couch (paryanka) on it an image of Devaki as just delivered, slumbering, with Krishna likewise sleeping as a suckling on her breast. Also Yasodâ is to be represented as just delivered of a beautiful girl (prasútám varakanyakám). Gods and genii of every kind are to be represented as soaring in the air. Vasudeva armed with sword and shield stands at hand; likewise singing Apsarasas and dancing Ganlharvas. Also the snake Kaliya is to be pourtrayed in its Yamuna bed. Then follows an adoration of Devaki (vv. 38 seq.) with fumigation, fruits, delicacies, and flowers, whilst certain formulas are recited, which are omitted when the celebration is carried on by women or Sûdras. According to the view of some (vv. 43 seq.), an honour-gift (argha) to the moon is added to this, when it rises, and is offered to it after prefatory name-prayerst and consecrated presents to Hari (Vishnu), with a consecrating formula invoking the moon in connection with Rohini (v. 52). At the same time the god himself (i.e. Hari, strictly Krishna), the moon with Rohini, the parent-pairs Deva k îVasudeva, and Yasoda-N anda, as well
According to C. Sa also the sleeping watchmen of Devaki, the servants of Kausa, are to be represented, as well as the various Danavas, whom, according to the legend, the child Krishna had vanquished.
Name-prayers (nimamantra) are repeated by mentioning a deity's name followed by an exclamatory salute to the same. The consecrated gifts here consist of bath-water (snana), of the honour-gift (argia), flowers, &c., sandal. wood, incense-victuals (naived yo), and couches (ayana) S., vậy a, ()
It is to be made one hand high and quadrangular (sk.). On the ere tion thereof by means of the pañcha bhûsimskarás, see G. bhila I. 1. 9. 10, and Stenzler, De Domesticis Indorum Ritibus, pp. 12 seq. (Bresl. 1860).
$ Vasordhárd means literally "a pouring of riches." A ceremony of this name plays a special part in the Vedic itual, namely in the Sotorulriyan belonging to the ani rayanm. The offering above is evidently an imitation of it just as the form of some of the mantras also is adapted that of the mantras of the Satirudriyam).
il Vardhapanain is used here in the text itself (OC. 10b. 11a. B. 8) in this general signification: yasmin dine praAte 'yam Devak toh janardana tad dinam dehi vaikuntha kurmo vardhapanamh tava sa. 9 has in the last pád-kurmas tutra mahotsavam. According to Chamhers, 362 (Verz. d. Berl. S. H. p. 314), vardhápanam is the name for a certain benedictory ritual of the birthday (janmadinakrityam), which is in the first year to be performed very month, but after that every year; conf. the detailed description in K6. III. 1, fol. 326, where it is explained as Ayurabhioridahyarthan earsheriddhikarm. R p. 27, lastly, explains the word. but probably erroneously, directly hy nádichhedanam (so also the Sk.) by which evidently he cutting of the navel-string is meant. of Manu, II. 29, pran nabhivardhanat punso játskarma vidhiyate: also NC.
[JUNE, 1877.
as Baladeva (Krishna's brother), are placed on a sacrificially arranged spot, namely a heap of earth, sthandila, and worshipped. At midnight, the moment when Krishna's birth took place, a ghi-present, called vasordhárá, is sacrificed§; next follows the birth-ritual, called vardhápanam, the adoration of the goddess Shashṭhi, and also in the night the ceremony of giving the name. Then at the break of day on the ninth, in breaking the fast, just as great a feast (mahotsava) as to "me" (Krishna) is to be offered to Bhagavati (Devaki), in connection with abundant feeding and largesses to the Brâhmans, who are afterwards to be dismissed with prayers to Krishna. The conclusion (beginning from v. 60) consists of high promises to those who thus understand how to celebrate the mother and the son, and who hold the Janmashtami either themselves in their own houses, or at least participate in its celebration by others.
(2) Chambers 7934 (B.), in 87 verses. The beginning (to v. 10) agrees essentially with the Oxford text (as far as v. 14).* But in place of immediately entering on the description of the festival, Krishna here first premises (vv. 1i-36) a condensed history of his birth, and of the events following thereon, till the death of Kansa. Then follows the special statement
in their prose portions place a particular stress on the nálacheda.
Shashchi is the tutelary goddess of the sixth day, which. is particularly critical for infants,-see Ind. Stud... IX. 100; Verz. der Berlin sansk. H. p. 314; Wilson, Posth. Works. ed. Rost. II. 192,-A passage quoted after Apararka from the Brahma Pur. conceives the name quite differently, namely, as "the sixth" of the so-called junmada devatás, the birth-protecting goddesses: the four first are the four phases of the moon under their feminine names: Ráka. Anumati, Sinivdit, Kuhú; the name of the fifth is said to be Våtaghni, removing disorders from wind. This is probably an erroneous idea; the passage is kanyá chatasro RAkadya vataghni chiva pañchimi | kridanártha cha bAlandi shashthi cha sisurakshint.
The MSS. correspond with each other as follows0. B. 0. B. 0 B. 1 6 4 10b, 11a 8 26 7a 5a 136, 14h 9 31 86, 9 6 14a 10
1
"The gods, vexed by Kansa, came (for me) to Vaikuntha, and brought information about his keeping his sister Devaki imprisoned, who was married to Vasudeva son of the sari Yadava, and that he had, on the strength of a prophecy that her eighth child would kill him, slain already six. Here on I resolved to enter into Devaki's lap myself, and ordered Mâyâ to take birth in Yasoda, the wife of the cow herd Nanda. After my birth in the eighth month I showed myself first to my astonished parents ia my true Vishnu form, and then ordered Vasudeva to exchange me for the girl just born on the other side of the Yamuna in Nanda's ahepherd-house (gokula). The watchmen became insensible. The bolts of the apartment opened spontaneously, the Yamuna allowed Vasudeva to pass through her waters. After the exchange, the girl, now reposing on Devaki's couch, cried loudly. The watchmen awoke. Kansa arrived.
2a
4a
