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THE FOLKLORE OF GUJARAT
35
his posture in sleep, or is the result of a outbreak of fire, a revolution, or a great hair falling from the body of Shesha.? Some war. The phenomenon is, therefore, repeople say that ordinarily Shesha does not garded with great fear; and when it oecurs, feel the weight of the fourteen worlds on his people endeavour to avoid the contingent head : he bears the load as if it were only evils by such meritorious acts as the giving
single sesamum seed. But when too much of alms, and generally by leading a virtuous sin accumulates in any of the regions, the life.10 burden becomes unbearable for him: he The most popular of the holy rivers are begins to shake under it, and an earthquake the Ganges, the Jumnā (or Jaumnā), the occurs,
Narbadā, the Saraswati (near Sidhpur), the Some believe that there is a tortoise under Kaveri, the Godavari, the Gandaki, the the divine cobra who supports the world : Sarayu, the Damodarā, the Sindhu (or Indus) others go further, and add a frog below the the Mahanad, the Gomati (near Dwarka), tortoise :) and it is said that the slightest the Brahmaputra, the Sabarmati, the Ghels motion on the part of either the tortoise or (near Gaddheda), the Tungabhadrā, the the cobra is the cause of an earthquake. Suvarnabhadrā, the Bhadrashitā, the Jambu
Another belief is that earthquakes occur vati, the Phalaku (or Phalgo), the Kanshiki, whenever there is tyranny or injustice on the the Tamraparni, the Sita and the Alakapart of a king, or whenever immorality nandă. Any point where three rivers meet is spreads in society, because the earth is also a sacred place. Most of the holy rivers unable to bear the sin, and trembles at the are the subject of many traditions, and sight of it.
books have been written to celebrate their According to a different opinion, the carth is supported by the Pothia or the The Ganges, the Jumna, and the Godavari favourite bull of Shiva on one of his horns. are said to be the holiest of all rivers." An earthquake is caused whenever he trans- There are a number of beliefs about the fers the carth from one horn to another in origin of the Ganges. One of them is that order to relieve the former from the constant the Ganges is the stream caused by King pressure of the burden.7
Bali washing the feet of Vāman (the Dwarf There is also a belief that deities of some incarnation of Vishnu).11 Another story strange species reside in the nether regions, relates that the god Brahmă was exhausted and the earth is shaken whenever these be. by overwork at the time of the marriage of ings fight among themselves, 5
Shiva and Pärrati. The gods, therefore, According to the Varãea-sanhita, an earth- created water from their own lustres, and gave quake is always the precursor of some it to Brahmā in a gourd, to be used in a unprecedented calamity. The prevalent similar contingency. When Vishnu in his belief in the popular mind seems to be that Vāman avatar(or Dwarf incarnation) bestrode an earthquake is the result of immorality the heavens with a single step, Brahma washand sin, and further that it forebodes some ed his toe in the water from this gourd. A dire calamity, such as famine, pestilence, an stream was thus created called Swarga-ganga 1 Mr. Jethalal Devji, Bantwā.
Mr. G. K. Bhatt, Songadh. • Mr. D. K. Pandya, Dhhank, and Mr. M. M. Rana, Rajkot. • The Deputy Educational Inspector of Gohelwad.
Mr. Jairam Vasaram, Jodia. * Mr. K. P. Josi, Limbdi, and Mr. Raju Ramjee Kaujee Pathak Girls' School, Gondal * Mr. J. K. Upaddhyaya, Pātanvão. * Mr. Raju Ramjee Kanjee Pathak, Gondal.
• Mr. D. K. Pandya, Dhbank. 19 Mr. K. D. Desai.
11 Mr. M. M. Rana Rajkot.
