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THE INDIAN ANTIQUABY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1903.
The followers of Bawa Barób keep a jhoir(cloth which the latter struck him with his hand and bag), an iron chain, kharwan (sandals), and a chou | turned him into stone. or shirt, in their houses.
A few days later a Bhåţ Brahman became Grain is usually offered at the shrine, with four, possessed and saw all that had occurred. So ghi and gur for the bullock (there appears to be a temple was erected and the place called Birág an image of a bullock also). If a he-goat is sacri (Gosain) Lok (corrupted from úlop, disappearficed, the skin and a hind-leg are offered up, the ance). As Birág Lôk had been a herdsman be rest being eaten by the játri on his way home. became peculiarly the god of cattle and fulfils Sometimes a kudni, or living he-goat, is
vows made regarding cattle. The fair is on Har
3rd. He-goats and corn are offered. In this Sidhoffered, as the substitute for a life in case of sick
temple there is also an image of Gorakhnath, ness, or by one who is childless. Women can
placed therein by a Golêria Mian in the Sikh enter the shrine.
times. The stone idol of the boy has disappeared. III.
The followers of the shrine regard the gosáfi as
Gorakhnath himself. The keepers of the shrine The Shrine of Birag Lok, near Palampur. are (Gir) Gosains and Bhất Brahmans. The founder of the shrine, when a boy, once,
IV. when herding cattle, met & gosafi, who told him
Bawa Fathu's Bhrine, noar Raniwal. never to disclose the fact of their friendship or
300 years ago a Brahman of the Bhari ildqa in he would no longer remain in his place. Keeping Rawalpindi District asked Bedi Bawa Parjapati the secret however made him ill, and so at last for a charm, as his children had all died, and vowed he told his parents all about the good fri. Tbeyl to give his first-born to him. The Brahman had gave him sattu for the holy man, but when about five sons, but failed to keep his word, so two of to cook it, the boy complained that he had no them died. Thereupon he brought one of his sons, water. whereupon the goedis struck the ground Fatha, to the Bedi who kept him with him. So with his gaja (an iron stick) and a spring appeared, Båwå Fatha became a sadhu, and people began to which still exists. The go sáfa did not eat the pay him visite. The Brahmans of the shrine are food, saying his hunger was satisfied by its emell. descendants of Båwå Parifpati, a Bhagat of Guru The boy then caught the gosíti by the arm, upon | Nknak. The fair is held on 1st Baisakh.
NOTES AND QUERIES. ÇIYA SAVED BY A SPIDER ON HIS FLIGHT. An analogous story is told about an escape by
Robert Brace, and I am informed likewise of (1 Query by Prof. Iudwig.)
King David in a Midrai, vis., that he was saved VEMANA (the Telingana poet; age P) alludes by the intervention of a spider, which sprend its to such a story in his Padyamulu (Book III, net across the opening of a cavern, where he had strophe 159)
sought and found a temporary refuge. In neither
of these two instances I am able to furnish the pura Harunakts néta purugu td nêrina
exact references, although the facts themselves sthiramu galgu jitánajtvama' yye
are well known. nétake'mivacce ? nijabhakti hétuvu,
Although it is pity to risk that future fugitives formerly for Haral's benefit) a web the spider may fail to derive advantage from well-intentioned himself weaving. permanent-become knowledge- spiders by giving greater publicity to these soul obtained having (having obtained soul stories, it would be interesting to learn whether endowed with true knowledge) - for the weaving the story about Çiva is of exclusively South Indian what came (what of this reward was the quota for origin or is known in the North or any other part the weaving) (nothing; for) true (inborn) faith of India also. I do not remember to have met (or devotion) (alone was) the motive (for the with it in the course of a tolerably extensive reward)."
reading 15 These nsages point to some ceremony of initiation. Gorakhnath himself. Can anyone say what is the The followers of the god have the devotee's jhal, but belief anderlying these legenda P the meaning of the iron chain, oto, is obscure.
10 An instance of worship being transferred from the These stories point to some allegorical meaning god of the shrine to a person vowed to him and so made underlying the popular legend. The goods is said to be holy or nourst.
