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OCTOBER, 1887.]
RESCUING THE SUN AND MOON.
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spirits.
forces of gods and demons for the great danger proceeded to churn the ocean with enterprise that they were to enter upon. They renewed efforts. The nine famous gems-so brought all kinds of drugs from all over the called for their excellence-were thus obtained earth and cast them into the great Sea of Milk. from the ocean. Mount Mandara was fixed upon as the churn- The gems are : staff, and Vasuki, the serpent-king, consented i.-Surabhi, the divine cow. to become the churn-rope provided that he ii.-Uchchaishấravas, the heavenly horse. should share the precious drink with gods. üi.-Airavata, the four-tasked white ele
Now began the churning of the ocean, the phant. gods and demons did their best to uphold the iv.-Parijata, the heavenly tree that gives prodigious churn-staff, but it was too heavy, everything wished for. and began to sink into the fathomless Sea of V.-Apsaras, the dancing-girl of the im. Milk. Vishņu seeing the difficulty, took at mortals. once the form of a great turtle, dived in the vi.-Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity. ocean and supported Mount Mandara from vii.-Vâruņi, the goddess of wine and beneath to the great joy of the churners. By and by, when all the drugs were dissolved viii.-Dhanvantari, the divine physician. in the milk, a quantity of deadly poison ix.-Amrita, the drink that makes mortal began to gather on the surface of the sea; beings immortal. the very smell of which was sufficient to kill People differ as to the number of the all mortal beings. Millions of gods, demons, sea-born gems. In Southern India it is and men fell down dead unable to bear the invariably believed that they were fourteen. dreadful odour. The inhabitants of the three There the five other gems, are : worlds seeing the calamity, went in a large body i. Poison, first in order, because it was the to meet Samkara and besought him to rescue first to come out of the sea. them from the danger. Siva was as good as ii. The Moon. his name signifies, and benevolently offered to iii. Kaustubha, the famous jewel that adorns consume the poison after consulting his equally | Vishņu's neck. good consort Parvati. All mortal beings iv. Alakshmi, goddess of poverty and were thus gladdened and saved by Siva, who misery, and elder sister of Lakshmi. took the poison into the palms of his hands v. Samkha, the favourite conch-shell of and drank the burning liquid as if it were Vishnu. delicious wine. Although Siva was powerful The Marâthâs say, it was not the Samkha enough to consume the poison without being but the Whip that came out last of all. This killed by it, it did nevertheless affect him not powerful gem is well-known as the Foura little. He could not digest it, it began to burn teenth Gem throughout the Maratha country him from within, and rose into his throat, mak- and naughty children become quite quiet at the ing it look black and blue, whence he is called bare mention of its name! Nilakantha, which title, ugly as it sounds, is The gods and demons began to seize the more glorious than all the exalting appella- gems as fast as they could, both parties got a tions in heaven and earth put together, few, but at last the vessel containing Amrita because he got it for his self-sacrificing the nectar) was carried off by the powerful charitable deed. Siva sought to cool himself demons. They did not drink the precious by wearing the moon-the coldest thing-on liquid at once, but began foolishly to quarrel his forehead.
among themselves about who should have more The gods and demong, being now free from or less.
It is in remembrance of this, Siva's good deed, that many women in Southern India, especially Among Maraths, have a crescent tattooed on the lower part of their forehead, but soaroely any one seems to know the meaning. The crescent-like mark made with either sandal-wood paate or ashes on the foreheads of men,
worshippers of Siva, is also in commemoration of his benevolent deed.
It should also be remembered that when Sive was drinking the dreadful liquid; # few drops fell down from the hollow of his palm, which were consumed by snakes, scorpions, &c. : that is why they are venomou to this day!
