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THE FOLKLORE OF GUJARAT
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kettledrums-beaten by the gods in delight that Vijli is a goddess who rests upon at the sight of rain. There is also a winds, fire, and rains : that Vijli is but the popular belief in the Surat district that an thunderbolt of Indra:7 that lightnings are old hag causes thunder either when she the flashes of the bright weapon of Indra:8 grinds corn or when she rolls stones in the that lightning is the lustre of the fireworks clouds
and the lamps lighted by the gods in honour The prevalent belief about lightning seeins of the nuptials of Indra :. that lightning is to be that it is the girl whom Kansa tried to produced by the sparks caused by the friction dash against a stonc,' but who escaped and of the gedi and the dändå of Indra when the went up to the sky. Kansa, the tyraat king god plays the game, 40 Vijli is also known of Mathura, was informed by a heavenly as Saudamini, i.e., one residing on Mount voice, by way of prophecy, that a son would | Sudāma, 11 be born to his sister who would cause his The occurence of thunder and the appear. destruction, Kansa thereupon confined his ance of lightning on particular days and in sister Devaki and her husband Vasudeva in particolar directions are regarded as signs of prison, loaded them with fetters, and kept the the abundance or scarcity of rain during the strictest watch over them. He took from season, Devaki, and slew, every child of hers as soon Thunder during the Rohini nakshatra is as it was born. In this way he disposed of a bad omen: it foreshadows either a her first six children. On the seventh famine, 12 or a Boterun, i, e., complete cessaoccasion, however, on which Devaki gave birth tion of rains for seventy-two days after the to a son named Krishna, a girl was born at thunder-claps are heard. According to the same hour to Nanda in Mathurā ; and another view, if the Rohini nakshatra lasts Vasudeva secretly interchanged the two for a fortnight and if the sky is clear during children in spite of the vigilance of Kansa, the period and yet lightning and thunder When Kansa knew of his sister having been occur, & Boterunt will be the consequence; but delivered, he seized the infant girl and tried if lightning and thunder were to accompany to dash her against a stone. The little one the clouds in the same nakshatra heavy and immediately flew away to the skies, where plentiful rains may be confidently expected, 13 she still dwells in the form of Vijli or light- Lightning without clouds in the same nak. ning."
shatra is believed to be the cause of what is The shastras describe l'ijli as the distinc- popularly called Rohini.dasi, i.e., the burning tive weapon of Indra, just as pashupalākā is heat of Rohini, 14 peculiar to Shiva and the Gandiva bow to Some persons expect & Boterun after Arjuna.
kadakas or crashing thunder. Others appreOther beliefs about lightning are that hend a famine if they hear thander on the Vijli is the sister of Megharāji, the god of second day of the bright half of Jyeshtla rains, and appears to announce his approach: (the eighth month).
Mr. H. M. Bhatt, Ganod.
* Mr. K. D. Desai. The Schoolmasters of Dhhank, Sanka, Limabdi, and Sultanpur. • Mr. M. M. Rana, Rajkot.
• The Schoolmaster of Lilapur. • The Schoolmaster of Charadwa.
* The Schoolmaster of Surela. • Mr. N. M. Dave, Sanka.
. Mr. N. D. Vora, Rajpara. ** The Schoolmaster of Kolki.
11 The Schoolmaster of Gondal. Mr. D. K. Pandya, Dhank.
15 Mr. B. K. Dave, Kotda-Sangani e Schoolmaster of Dadvi. • 1 c., the period for which the Rohini nakshatra lasts.
