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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MAT, 1896.
ruby, mauktika pearl, pravála coral, pacha emerald, pushkrája topaz, hiraka diamond, nila sapphire, gômédha amethyst, and lasunika cat's-eye-are specially valued by Hindus for their power in checking the evil influences of the navagrahas, or nine seizers, that is, the planets. Each of these nine jewels is assigned to a planet, and when any planet is unfavourable, the jewel which is sacred to the planet is either given as an offering to a Brâhman in the name of the unfavourable planet, or it is set in & gold ring and worn on the finger.77 A Gujarat Hindu, who is under the influence of Mercury, weare an emerald ring, and one under the influence of Gurú or Jupiter a topaz ring. The result of wearing a sapphire or nila ring, which is sacred to Sani or Saturn, is uncertain. The owner wears it on Saturday, which is sacred to Saturn, and lays it by till Tuesday. If on Tuesday no mishap has befallen him, he continues to wear the sapphire so long as the planet's influence is unfavorrable. Should any mishap befall him during the three days he gives the ring to a Brâhman.7" The first thing & Bombay Prabhu looks at on getting up, is a diamond-ring.90 In Gujarat, crystal is worshipped as the sun. Among Chitpåvan Brahmans, pañch ratnas or five jewels, generally diamond, gold, amethyst, emerald and pearl, are dropped into a pot when a girl comes of age.81 Gold and an emerald are laid in the dead Chitpêvan's mouth.82 In making the marriage booth the Velális, a Madras caste in Poona, bury under the chief pillar a pearl, a piece of coral, and a bit of some other precious stone.88 The Poona Râmôsis wear necklaces of the Sulaimani onyx to keep off spirits and the Evil Eye. A favourite offering to the Hindu gods are five jewels, generally gold, diamonds, rabies, sapphires and pearls. So in Násik, at the shrine of Pancharatnêsvara, that is the Five Jewel Lord, Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, is believed to have offered five precious stones.85 In a very old burial mound lately (1880) opened near Nasik, some child's bones and a piece of coral were found in an urn, the coral probably to keep evil spirits from lodging in the bones.86 The city of Kolhapur has & much valued Arab stone, which, when a woman is in labour, is washed, and the water is given her to drink.87 Pearls, precious stones, silver, gold, brass, and copper are dropped into the jars whieh are set before the Dharwår Lingayat couple at marriage.88 In Calcutta, in 1887, a ling was shewn made of a chrysoberyl cat's-eye set in a topaz. It was supported on a gold base encrusted with nine gems or charms. At the famous ling of Mahâbalêávar at Gokarn, in North Kinara, once in sixty years the ground near the ling is dug and strewn with powdered jewels and pearls." The Central American Chibchas bury gold and jewels in their sacred woods, and throw gold and jewels into their sacred lakes. They also fill with precious stones the bellies of some of their gods.1 In Kanara, quartz powder is rubbed on Virabhadra's face. Among the Nagpur Gonde the sánálk or spirit of the dead comes into the ministrant's hands in the form of grains of quartz like rice." In Southern India, rich people, instead of rice, sometimes throw pearls or precious stones over the bride and bridegroom. Brahmans hold that the lustre in stones and gems is the principle of light and life." Certain precious stones are worn by Hindus as amulets to keep off disease. On many great occasions it is common for Hindus and Pârsis to draw lines
T The ruby is sacred to the Sun, the pearl to the Moon, coral to Mars, the emerald to Mercury, the topas to Jupiter, the diamond to Venus, the sapphire to Saturn, the amethyat to Rahu, and the lasnika or cat's-eye to Ketu : (Information from Mr. P. B. Joshi). The alternative in the text in interesting. The sense is either to transfer the evil influenco into the soape-goat guardian, the Brihman, or to how the evil influence in the wing, and so either prison or please it.
Th From MS. Notes. Information from Mr. P. B. Josbi. Mr. K. Raghunath's Pataud Prabhu $1 Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. XVIII. p. 140.
12 Op. cit. Vol. XVIII. p. 148. * Op. cit. Vol. XVIII. p. 258,
14 Op. cit. Vol. XVIII. p. 413. * Op. cit. Vol. XVI. p. 565.
*6 Op. cit. Vol. XVI. p. 540. #7 Information from Mr. M. W. Barwe.
** Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. XXII. p. 118. * Times of India, 5th February 1887.
• Bombay Garetteer, Vol. XV. p. 291. 1 Descriptive Sociology, Vol. II. p. 24. Rislop's Aboriginal Tribes of the Contral Province, Ap. I. p. 1.
* Dubois, Vol. I. p. 912. This practice is also observed among Indian Muslims. Compare Jehingir's Memoirs, Persian Text, p. 186. It is called niedr or sacrifice, and is done with the object of making ill-luck pace from the person into the jewels
# Colebrooke's Miscellaneowe Essaye, Vol. I. p. 113. ^ Maurice's Indian Antiquities, Vol. VII. p. 63%.
