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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1893.
the Lord Rama, cast alms to me, a murderer.' Tul'si, hearing the well-beloved name, called him to his house, gave him sacred food which had been offered to the God, declared him purified, and sang praises to his beloved deity. The Brahmans of Banaras held an assembly, and sent for the poet, asking how this 'murderer's sin was absolved, and how he had eaten with him. Tul'si replied, 'Read ye your Scriptures. Their truth hath not entered yet into your hearts. Your intellects are not yet ripe, and they remove not the darkness from your souls.' They replied that they knew the power of the Name, as recorded in the Scriptures, but this man is a murderer. How can he obtain salvation?' Tul'si asked them to mention some proof by which he might convince them, and they at length agreed that, if the sacred bull of 'Siva would eat from the murderer's hand, they would confess that they were wrong, and that Tulsi Das was right. The man was taken to the temple and the ball at once ate out of his hand. Thus did Tul'si teach that the repentance of even the greatest sinner is accepted by the Lord. This miracle had the effect of converting thousands of men and making them lead holy lives. The result enraged the Kaliyuga? (the present age of sin personified), who came to the poet and threatened him, saying, "Thou hast become a stumbling block in my kingdom of wickedness. I will straightway devour thee, unless thou promise to stop this increase of piety.' Full of terror, Tulisi Das confided all this to Hanumat, who consoled him, telling him he was blameless and advising him to become a complainant in the court of the Lord himself. Write a binay-pattrika, a petition of complaint, and I will get an order passed on it by the master, and will be empowered to punish the Kaliyuga. Without such an order I cannot do so, for he is the king of the present age. According to this advice the poet wrote the Binay Pattrika.
The book is in the form of a series of hymns, adapted to singing, and addressed to the Lord, as a king in a court. According to earthly custom, the first hymns, or petitions, are addressed to the lower gods--the door.keepers, ashers, and courtiers as it were, of heaven, and then the remainder of the book is devoted to humble petitions to the Lord Rama himself. Thus,-He first addresses Ganesa (the door keeper) (1), then the Sun-god (2), Siva (3--10), Bhairava ('Siva, the protector of Banaras) (11), "Samkara (12), 'Siva (13), Siva and Pârvati in one (14), Pârvati (15, 16), the Ganges (17—20), the Yamuna (21), the Kshetra-påla of Banaras (22). Chitrakața (23, 24), Hanumnt (25—36), Lakshmana (37, 38), Bharata (39), Satrughna (40), Sita (41–43). With the 44th hymn the petitions to Rama begin, and are continued to the 277th. In the 278th the poet addresses the whole court, and the 279th, and last, hymn records the successful result of his petitions.8
The following are specimens of this work:Bin. 149.
Kahan jaun, ka saun kahaun, aura thaura na méré Janma ganwayê têre-i dváré kinkara têrê ll 1 1 Main tau bigari, nátha, só sváratha k& linhé ! Tohi kripá-nidhi kyaun banai meri si kinhé il 2 II Dina duradina, dina duradasá, dina dukha dina dúkhana 1 Jaun laun tún na bilôkihai Raghubansa-bibhúkhana 11 3 11 Dai pithi bina dithi haun, bisva-bilochana TS 8ôn tu hii, na dúsarô, nata-sócha-bimochana 11 4 11 Parádhina, déva, dina haun, svadhina gosdir! Bólanaharé số karai, bali, binai ki jhanin 11 5 1 Åpu dekhi, mohin dekhiye, jana jániyê sáncho 1 Badi 6fa Rama nama, ki jehin lai sô bancho il 6 il Rahani riti Ráma rávari nila hiyê hulasi hai Jyaua bhávai tyann karu kripala têrô Tulasi hai II 7 11
Kaliyuga, as a person, may practically be translated by the devil' of Christianity. (For Kaliyuga's doing when personified as a god in popular poetry, see Legends of the Panjab, Vol. II. p. 239 ff.-ED.)
• Some editions make 280, not 279 hymns.
