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CHAPTER IX.
ANIMAL WORSHIP
The following animals, birds and insects are gift of a cow along with its calf, to a Brahman. respected by the Hindas -The cow, bullock, The sight of a cow in the morning is believed she-buffalo, horse, elephant, tiger, deer, mouse, by all Hindus to be auspicious. goat, ants and alligators; and among the birds! The bullock is respected by the people as it the following are held sacred.-Peacock, swan, is the favourite vehicle of the god Shiva, and is eagie and kokil or cuckoo.
very useful for agricultural purposes. The Of all the animals the cow is considered to Nandi or bull is worshipped by Hindus. The be the most sacred by Hindus. It is generally
bullock is specially worshipped on the 12th worshipped daily in the morning for the whole
day of the bright half of Kártika. When year, or at least for the Cháturmás or four
performing the funeral rites of the dead, a bull months beginning from the 11th day of the
is worshipped and set free. The bull thus set bright half of Ashudha to the 11th day of the
free is considered sacred by the people, and is bright half of the month of Kártika; and a special worship is offered to it in the evening
never used again for agricultural or any other on the 12th day of the dark half of Ashwin domestic purposes. (October)
In order to avoid calamities arising from the The cow is believed to be the abode of all the influence of inauspicious planets, Hindus wordeities and rishis. It is compared with the ship the she-buffalo, and offer it as a gift to a earth in its sacredness, and it is considered that Bráhman. The she-buffalo is compared with the when it is pleased it is capable of giving Kál Purusha or the god of Death, the reason everything required for the maintenance of being that Yama is believed to ride a buffalo. mankind, and for this reason it is styled the
The Brahman who accepts this gift has to Kama Dhenu or the giver of desired objects.
shave his moustaches and to undergo a certain It is said that a person who walks round
| penance. The cowherds sometimes worship the the cow at the time of its delivery obtains the punya or merit of going round the whole
she-buffalo. As it is the vehicle of Yama, the earth. The cow is even worshipped by the
buffalo is specially worshipped by people when god Vishnu.
an epidemic occurs in a village. In certain The cow is considered next to a mother, as
villages in the Konkan districts the buffalo is little children and the people in general are worshipped and sacrificed on the same day. fed by the milk of a cow. Some women among
The horse is the vehicle of the deity Khanhigh class Hindus take a vow not to take their doba of Jejuri. It is worshipped on the Vijaya meals before worshipping the cow, and when Dashami or the Dasara holiday as in former the cow is not available for worship, they draw days, on the occasion of the horse sacrifice or in turmeric, white or red powder the cow's Ashwamedha, foot-prints and worship the same. At the completion of the row it is worshipped, and
The elephant is the vehicle of the god Indra then given as a gift to a Bráhman. It is con- and is specially worshipped on the Dasara day. sidered very meritorious to give a Gopradán- It is also believed that there are eight sacred
