Indian Antiquary Vol 15

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 85

MARCH, 1886.]
THE NRISIMHATAPANIYA UPANISHAD.
69
under the Baron Ladoucette, left memoirs village and announce that the festival is about to behind him, which have caused some persons commence, by sounding pipes and trumpets. They to doubt the genuineness of Baron Ladoucette's then go to the house of the oldest inhabitant account"; and he added, "M. Farnaud possibly in the place, who under the title of Le Vénérable
this in order to gain for himself the has to preside at the ceremony of saluting the reputation of a bel esprit." In his memoirs the return of the sun. Councillor states that it was he who imagined At 10 AM, all the inhabitants, each provided and caused this festival to be performed, and did with an omelette, assemble on the Place of so in order to impose upon the credulity of Baron the village. A deputation, preceded by the Ladoucette, who, he knew, was then compiling his shepherds, then goes to fetch Le Vénérable, and work. This version of what was, if committed, a aucompany him to the place of meeting. On his cruel practical joke, has been accepted by two arrival he is received with acclamations. Le antiquaries of Dauphiné, M.M. Chaper and J. Vénérable then places himself in their midst, and Roman; the latter, however, qualifies his accept- announces to them the object of this festival, and ance by adding that the oldest inhabitants of then, each holding his plate of omelette they Les Andrieux are convinced that their ancestors form a chain and dance a ferandole round him." always celebrated this fate, and that of those 1. As soon as the dance is at an end L. Vénérable with whom he spoke many were alive in the gives the signal for departure, and preceded by time of M. Farnaud, and would in consequence the shepherds, all follow him to the stone bridge have been perfectly competent to state whether which is at the entrance to the village.” On this ceremony only took its rise under his reaching this spot, each lays down his omelette administration. Elisée Reclus, in his Universal on the parapet of "the bridge, and then all go Geography, speaks of this festival as very into a meadow close by, where ferandoles are ancient one.
again danced till the sun appears. As soon as Baron Ladoucette's story is as follows:
this moment arrives each person goes and takes "On the banks of the River Severaise, in that up his omelette which he offers to the sun, and portion of the High Alpe which was formerly Le Vénérable, bare-headed, holds his own up called the Godemar valley, is a little hamlet called also. Les Andrieu.
As soon as the solar rays illumine the whole During the space of one hundred days in win. village, all return thither, accompanying Le ter the inhabitants of this valley are deprived of Vénérable as far as the latter's house. They the light of the sun. It is only on the 10th of then return to their homes, where they eat their February that this orb is seen by them again, respective omelettes. therefore on this particular day, as soon as the This festival laste the whole day, and somedawn appears, four shepherds go round the times extends into the night."
THE NRISIMBATAPANIYA-UPANISHAD.
BY LIEUT. COLONEL G. A. JACOB, BOMBAY STAFF CORPS. It is impossible to collate the existing printed | fessor Ramamaya Tarkaratna, in the Bibliotheca texts of the Upanishads with the manuscripts Indica series, in the year 1871, I have used the which of late years have come to light, without following MSS. belonging to the Deccan seeing how much yet remains to be done College :in this department of Sansksit literature. In A. One of the set No.10 of 1882-83. It is the footnotes to his translation of some of the a fairly good copy of the text, though not proUpanishads, Professor Max Müller has suggested perly corrected. It was purchased in Gajarát. many improved readings of the texts ; but B. No. 1 of 1882-83. It lacks the first as the Nrisishhatápani has not yet been taken 3 khandas of the first Upanishad, and has not in hand by him, I venture to lay before the been corrected. Still it is a valuable manapublic some of my own notes on the various soript of the text, and has been of great use to readings of this Upanishad. In addition to me. This also is from Gujarft. the text and commentaries published by Pro. 1. C. No. 145 of 1879-80. A beautifully written
An Intelligent bookseller at Grenoble, when I naked him what sort of dance the forandola ww, said, that apy joyous movement executed by peasants in the open sir was styled forandole in that part of the country.
A correspondent from Grenoble tells me, that this bridge, now in ruins, still preserves the diamo of Pont de l'Omelette.