Indian Antiquary Vol 25

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 22

18
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JANUARY, 1896.
Even the wicked Punscbali was able to ascend in a vaimán to Vaikunth, because she
taught her parrot to utter thy name. You ate the impure berries, and in consequence Savaria was enabled to enter paradise. 390 Because Vibbishan bowed his head to your feet, you made him the monarch of Lanka. You gave absolation to the fisherman and his family, and he was granted immunity from
a second existence on earth. Thus have you helped your worshippers in their difficulties. You saved the elephant from
the clutches of the sea-mouster.5 You appeared on earth in the shape of a dwarf,6 and but for you the seat of Indra would
have been lost, You took the grief of the queen of Papchala (Draupadi) to heart and replaced her clothes
as they were removed from her. 395 You gave Pârath victory over Kuvrav, and you even stooped to drive chariots in the
battlefield of Kurukshetra. You gave absolution to Rukmangad, and you rushed to the help of Harichandra.? You saved the Rajkumar Chandrabase on three occasions, because he worshipped (you)
with the conch-shell. You saved Sudhanvå from being burnt, although his own father had thrown him into a
cauldron of boiling oil. Even though Maradhvaj was sawn to death, he wept not and was granted salvation
(by your mercy). 400 You saved the birds daring the fire in the forest of Khaqqat by throwing the elephant
bell over them.” You ate the vegetables placed before you by Vidur,le because he had pleased you with
his devotion. You took the rice from the hand of Sudâmî and in reward gave him the nine priceless
jewels.11 You defeated the pride of Madhav's13 heart; and held up the Mount Govardhan as if
in play.18
Once when Vishnu was wandering in the desert he met a Bhil.woman. She had been expecting the great god to pass by her door, and as she had nothing in the way of food to place before the Lord, she went to the woods and collected bare (a kind of berries) and kept them ready. However, as a precaution against their being found sour by the god, the poor woman had bitten each berry and tasted it. Vishņu knew this and should not have eaten the impure fruit, but he did not like to damp the arcour of the poor womn. Ho partook of the berries, praised the woman for her devotion and rewarded her by granting her absolution from her sins.
Ayana, but ho had befriended Sita during her captivity, and had impressed on Ravans the necessity of submitting to the will of Rama (another inoarnation of Vishņu). As a reward Rama, after killing Råvana, set him upon the throne of Lanka.
• This fisherman had borne Råma and Lakshmana over the waters of the Gang& when they were banished from Ayodhya
This is a reference to a famous fight between a monster elephant and the sea-nonster Griba. 6 Reference to the Vamana, or dwarf, avatára. 1 Reference to the legends of Rukmiņt and Harichandra. * Allusion to the romantic legend of Chandraba. • These birds used to worship Krishna. 10 A very poor but sincere adorer of this god.
11 Sadêma was a poor Brahman; he was devoted to Krishna, and once when he went into his presence at Dwarka he had nothing with him to offer the god, but some parched rice. The Lord received him kindly and respected him on account of his learning. SudAma hesitated to place the rice before the god, but he said: "Hast thou brought no offering? From such a one as theo I would acoept even a trifte," and with his own hands pulled out the bundle of rice from Sudima's clothes. Then in reward for his modesty and learning, Krishna turned him into a rich man and gave him other gifta bodily and mental, nine gifts or "jewels" in all.
13 Madhava had displayed his mighty bow that no earthly youth could wield. Krishụa, when he saw it, broke it in two.
15 When Indra sent heavy rain into Vrindavana, through jenlousy that all worship was given to Krishna, the cowherds and cowherdesses went and asked the boy Krishna for redress. He laughed, and lifting up the mountain Govardhana from the ground, held it over Vrindrana, so that Indra was baffled.