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242
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(SEPTEMBER, 1906.
HINDUISM IN THE HIMALAYAS.
BY 2. A. ROSE. I. - Vaishnava Cults.
Hindu Oults in the Sirmar State, Panjab.
In the Sirmer State, Pañjáb, the Hindas have two chief cults, one Vaishnava, the other Saiva. The former of these two is represented by the cult of Paras Ram and bis derivative deities, which centres in Rainka-jio, in the Rainka tahsil of the State, at a great lake. Paras Râm's brothers are nsually supposed to have become water, but, according to one local variant, Jåmdaggan called his brothers cowards and turned them into women, so that now they are devis or goddesses, to wit: La Devi, Dormai, Bhadwachhri or Bhadarkali, and Kamli, all of whom have temples in the State. The local cult and ritual of Paras Râm are described in the forthcoming Gazetteer of Sermúr, and to that description may be added the following mantra or prayer, and the kabits or complets which are given below:
The Mantra. Sambhade Sri Ragunath sahansar nâm, jin ki kirpå 88 Hart gun gawên.
Om! Om! Om! Auukar ki nirmal jat! Nirmal jat se nabh; nâbh se kanwal; kanwal se Brahma otpati bhaê. Le dand karmandal ashnan ko gaê. Shankhâsûr Dånav otpath bhaê.
Brahmå tabân Vâd paphânê, tâ kâran Brabmå chalad Shivlok ko. "Shivji, ta hip Harta, tù Hin kartê, tủ hơn jânê Chân Ved kê mata.”
1 Compare from Vol. XXXII. p. 876, "Hindujam in the Himalayas."
? Jio is apparently an old form of jf, and the localized form of the legend runs that Jåmdaggan Risht used to practise susterities at a peak called Jambu-ki-Dhar, near Jamba, where & mari or temple still erista at the spot where the risht had his dhunt or fire. The pujari of Jambu stili visits this mari every Sunday and sankrant day to worship there. J&mdaggan's wifo, Rainki Ji, had a sister Baink& who was married to Raja Sahnsar-b.hu
lebrateda jag, Bainka saked Raink A to invite her to it. Bainka begged the rishf to do so, but at first he refused, because he could not afford to entertain ard and his queen. Ho yielded, however, to Raink's reiterated request and asked the god Indra to grant him Kim-dhan, the cow of plenty ; Kalp-brikhsh, the tree of paradise which yielded all manner of gifts; and Kaber, bhandari, the celestial steward who could supply all kinds of luxuries. When the rdj& arrived with all his court, the right was thus
A sumptuously, and the rdjd was so mystified as to the source of the riah' wealth, that he deputed his barber to find out whenoe it oame. Learning that Kim-dban was the main source of supply, the raja asked for the cow as a gift, which the risht refused, and so the rdja determined to take her by foroe, but the rishi sent her into the sky to Indra. Thereupon the raja shot an arrow at the cow and wounded her in the foot, so the cow returned and attacked him. Therlj, attributing this to the right's sorcery, put him to death and returned home. Rainka taking the rishi'body in her lap, was beweiling his death, when she was divinely told that Kuber, bhandars, had the amrit or elixir of life, and that a drop of it placed in the dead ris, month, would bring him back to life. So the rishi was restored to life and ordered his younger sons to kil Raink, thinking that she had instigated his murder with the intention of marrying Sahnser-bábu, but they refused. Then the right sunimonod Para Bam, his oldest son, who was then practising austerities in the Konkan, and who appeared in an instant. Paras Râm killed his mother, and then, in consequence of the divine ourse whioh fell upon him, went to the plains (des), and swore to kill all the Chhatrts and to swim in their blood, doeming Sabnar-bAhu the onse of all his misery Waging his war of extermination against the Chhatrts he had reached Kuro-kahetr, where Indrs learnt what blood-shed he was causing in fulfilment of his oath and sent rain until the water toue to the height of sman, and caneed the upper Ourrents to turn red. Meanwhile Jåmdaggaa had been searching for his son, and meeting him with his axe on his shoulder, was so pleased with his performances that he anked if he had any desire. Paras Lam in reply.begged his father to restore ble mother and brothers to life, and performed his mother's funeral rites. The riski roplied that his wife and sons had become jal sarup or water, and that the former was in the larger and the latter in the smaller of the tanks at Rainks.
