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14
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
In difficult labour cases, chakrāvā water T he figure Swastika (literally auspicious), is sometimes given to women. The cha- drawn as shown below, is an auspicious krävā is a figure of seven cross lines drawn on a bell-metal dish, over which the finest white dust has been spread. This figure is shown to the woman in labour : water is then poured into the dish and offered her to drink. The figure is said to be a representation of chitrangad. It is also believed to be connected with a story in the Mabābhārata.3 Subhadrā, the sister of god Krishna and the wife of sign, and is believed to be a mark of good Arjuna, one of the five Pandavas, conceived
luck and a source of blessings. It is one a demon, an enemy of Krishna. The demon
of the sixteen line-marks on the sole of the would not leave the womb of Subhadrā even lotus-like feet of the god Ishwar, the twelve months after the date of her concep- Creator of the Universe. The fame of the tion, and began to harass the mother.
good effects of the Swastika figure is said Krishna, the incarnation of god, knowing of to have been first diffused throughout society the demon's presence and the cause of his by Närad-Muni, as instructed by the god delay, took pity on the afflicted condition of | Brahma." his sister and read chakrävä, (Chakravyuba) 1 Various conjectures have been made cona book consisting of seven chapters and | cerning the origin of this figure. The fol explaining the method of conquering lowing explanation is found in a work named a labyrinthine fort with seven cross-lined Siddhāntsar, The Eternal Sat or Essence, forts. Krishna completed six chapters, and that has neither beginning nor end nor any promised to teach the demon the seventh,
maker, exhibits all the religious principles provided he came out. The demon ceased in a chakra or a wheel-form. This round troubling Subhadra and emerged from
shape has no circumference; but any point the womb. He was called Abhimanyu.
in it is a centre ; which being specified, the Krishna never read the seventh chapter
cxplanation of the whole universe in a circle for then Abhimanyu would have been is easy. Thus the figure o indicates the invincible and able to take his life. This creation of the universe from Sat or Essence. ignorance of the seventh chapter cost Abhi- The centre with the circumference is the manyu his life on the field of Kurukshetra womb, the place of creation of the universe, in conquering the seven cross-lined laby. The centre then expanding into a line, the rinthine forts, As the art of conquering | diameter thus formed represents the male a labyrinthine fort when taught to a demon principle, linga-rup, that is the producer, in the womb facilitated the delivery of through the medium of activity in the great Subhadra, a belief spread that drinking womb or maha-yoni. When the line assumes in the figure of the seven cross-lined the form of a cross, it explains the creation labyrinthine fort would facilitate the of the universe by an unprecedented combidelivery of all women who had difficulties in nation of the two distinct natures, animate child-birth.
and inanimate. The circumference being
* Mr. D. K. Shah, Charadwa.
1 Mr. R. B. Pandya, Jetpur Sanskrit School.
Mr. K. D. Desai, • Mr. D. K. Pandya, Schoolmaster, Dhhank.
* Mr. N. D. Vora, Schoolmaster, Rajpara.
