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OCTOBER, 1877.]
The texts run as follows:-Sb., in the first place, has only
ON THE KRISHNAJANMASHTAMI.
sampádya 'rchanasadhanam mandapam sobhanam kritvd phalapushpádibhir (pushpamála Vr.) yutam |
Se. sauvarnt pratima karya padyárghyacha maniyakam | pátránt (pátram Vr.) sampadya vidhivat pújopakaranam (Vr., jyo° Sa) tatha || 6 || gocharmamátram samlipya madhye mandalam ácharet | brahmddyd devatás tatra sthdpayitvá prapujayet || 7 ||
mandapam rachayet tatra kadalistambhamanditam chaturdvárasamopetam (sic!) phalapushpadisobhitam || 8 ||
vitánam tatra vadhníydd vichitram chaiva bobhanam
Vi 2.: suchau dese tu samsthapya gomayena vichakshaṇaḥ | maṇḍalam kárayet tatra pañchavarnena sobhitam || 14 || navanabham sa-'ravindam sarvatobhadra-samjnitam; | mandalam kárayen madhye manohládakaram param || 15 || évetatandulapishtena pañchavarnena bhúpate; | mandapam kárayet tatra autoranasamanvitam || 16 ||
|| 55 ||
chaturdváránvitam hy etat sthápayet teshu devaidḥ | prathamadváradese tu varunam sthdpayet tataḥ || 17 ||
("Kuvera at the second, Devendra at the third, Gananayakam at the fourth door:" vv. 18-20) Ud. sarvatobhadramandalam kartavyam.
After the erecting and decorating of the sûtikágriha, in the manner described above, the placing of the pictures of the gods to be worshipped at the approaching festival is to be taken in hand. In the first place a picture of Devaki, made of gold, silver, copper, brass, clay, wood, or jewels, or only painted with colours, is to be placed in the middle of
*A marginal note has only shoḍaśáram likhech chakraris tanmadhye cha 'shtapankajam
† According to Sk. by śrivatsa is to be understood a row of white hair (vakshahstha-suklavirna-dakshinávartalomávall) found on the breast, towards the right side, which is regarded as the characteristic of a maha purusha; Krishnadisa understands by it an amulet Thritsamjatamaniviseshal) to be worn on the heart after the manner of the kaustubha. Mallinatha in Raghuv. xvii. 29 explains Srivatsa by grihavisesha (1). Might not perhaps the older form of the word be érivriksha? Compare Varahamih. xxxiii. 10 in Kern (who puts frivakshas as the original form: compare however sk.: śrivrikshakal, pum, asvasya hriddvartaḥ, iti Trikanlaseshaḥ, as well as Wilson, sub voce, and my treatise on the Bhagavatt, II. 312). The employing of śrivatsa as a sign of happiness comes down from early times, probably from the Buddhists aud Jains (see again Burnouf, Lotus, pp. 608-9, 617); after all, the proper meaning of it, as well as its most ancient form and date, is still undetermined: a reference to the sign of the Cross, and to the Agnus Dei, as I have conjectured in the Zeitung der Deut. Morgenl. Gesellschaft, VI. 94, does not appear to be contained in it.
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the sutikágriha. This represents Devaki as endowed with all the characteristics of beauty, as half asleep, as radiant as burnished gold; moreover in company with her son,-as having in fact just given birth to him, and being rejoiced in consequence of this moment (of the pain overcome ?) while the sleeping child, lying at her side, is drinking at her breast, his own breast furnished+ with the holy śrivatsa sign, and the colour of his skin like the leaves of the blue lotus.
Here again is something very surprising about this representation. For while the legend throughout informs us that at Krishna's birth there was danger in delay, that his father Vasudeva had to carry the newly-born child threatened him, the above representation, which immediately away, to escape the dangers that shows us the mother and child (the former, too, "joyfully moved") slumbering beside each other on a couch, presents a picture of undisturbed repose, and stands therefore in such direct contrast to the legend that it is difficult to suppose that both representations have grown up on the same ground. The representation in this place appears as foreign as the difference discussed above (p. 283) in reference to the locality of Krishna's birth.
Now the texts relating to this now are--First in 00 Sa K, as follows :
tanmadhye pratimá sthdpyá (karyd B.) § sá chá 'py ashṭavidha smrita (káñchanddivinirmitá R.) || 29 || káñchaní rájati támri paittali mrinmayi tatha TI dáretmanimayt chaiva varnikálikhita 'pi vatt || 30 || sarvalakshanasampanna (sampúrná 0. Sa K.) paryanke cha 'rdhasuptikᇇ | prataptakanchanabásá maya saha tapasvini §§ || 31 || prastuta cha prasútá cha TT tatkshandch cha praharshitamam cha 'pi (tatra Sa K.) balakam sup
And v. 296, 30 also in B; 296, 316, 326, 33a, also in R. § Some of the various readings given by Dr. Weber are omitted.-ED.
T paiti O., pitali na panas tatha B. (!)
vrikshi Sa, vårkshi sv. 1 N. K, manomayi, manimayî 0, lohi va mrinmayi karya B.
tt 'thava O K, varpakair likhitâ tatha sa. N., varnikâlikhitakshara B.
kam O., p. sarvaguptikâ C., p. châ 'shtasalyake Sa., p. cha patâvrite, K.
§§ bhasar maharha sutapasvini sa (hâm susutasvinin So 1), Devaki sutapasvini R. The whole hemistich is wanting in K. where we have: Devakim tatra chaikasmin pradese sûtikagrihe| which is perhaps deutorology of the account further on of Yasoda: see below.
TTP prasuth châprast& vân C. O (but both times cha), prastutâm (praari" su 1) cha prasuptâm cha sa, prastutam cha prasûtárn cha K.
takshanach cha C, tatkshanâd brahmaharshita O (for tatkshanat, see O v. 55), sthåpayen mañchakopari sa. K.
