Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 23
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 29
________________ JANTARY, 1891.] THE DEVIL WORSHIP OF THE TULUVAS. 23 Then they out the branches of a tree, formel a rough litter with them, bore him to a house, and they seated him there. He caught cold and suffered from fever. "Bring me a man that knows medicine and charms," said the Dala!. Tlen Ammanna Bannayya asked Birmaņņa Baidya to treat the Ballal, in the latter came immediately and gave him medicine, and uttereil some charms. When he luullone this, the cold, the fever, and the swelling in the foot) rapidly increased lay ly clay and became very large. The Balla! could not taste his food, and conld not sleep, and so he asked whether any other physicians or magicians cuid be found. He was told that there was one Sayina Baidya, who knew medicine and magic. The Balla! then asked that Sayina Baidya might be sent for, for a bandage. Accordingly Charadi Saikayya and Badi Bommayyû went to him, and asked him to treat the Balli! with medicine and with charms. I cannot bring medicine from the forest, as I am quite blin. I have a sister Deyi, who cooks food for one Kantanna Baidya and cats with him. Go there. She knows everything," said Sayina Baidya. They went to her house and called ont her name. She came out, leaving the call, and enquired who it was that called her and what was their object. They replied, "We are only the servants of a Ballal, who las ordered us to ask you to como and adminster medicine to him and utter charms." " I would have come, but I am fally pregnant," answered the woman. On hearing this answer they returned to the Balla!'s house. The Balla! was eagerly expecting their return, and they said to him) : "She says that she wonld have come, but she is pregnant. She says that she is acquainted with medicines, but that she cannot walk, because she cannot see her feet, for her womb has become very heavy." Then the Ballal ordered his litter to be adorned and carried to her house. His servants accordingly alorned the litter, and bore it to her house and placed it at the gate. They asked hier to come to him, and then she said : "He has sent me a thing that is quite useless to me," and having said this, she went to seven different forests, and brought handfuls of seven kinds of leares. After fetching these, she went to three other forests, and brought handfuls of three kinds of roots. Then she went home and fetched a cocoanat from upstairs and placed it in the litter as an offering to the litter! She also put the medicine into it and walked on beside the litter. As she was approach ing the gate of the house, the Balla! was calling out :- "Has Deyi come ? Has Degi come ?" She walked gently and with great modesty, and the Ballal was told that sbe was deeply blushing, he said : "Let her not be ashamed nor afraid, but let her come with straight-forwardness." She came and sat down. - Protect my single life from the grasp of death. Formerly my (Balla!'s) mother gave birth to a son like the god Rama. This day I am to be born from thy womb. If you protect my single life, I shall feed and clothe you for ever," said the Balla! to her. On hearing this, the ointment, which Ammanna Baidya had formerly applied, she washed away from his body, and applicd a new medicine herself. She attered some charms, and struck his heart with the loaves. Then, day by day and minute by minute the discase in the neck descended to the waist; what was in the waist came down to the legs; what was in the lege descended to the feet ; what was in the feet fled to the eartlı! The Ballaj could now taste his food; he could now sleep with case.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 ... 412