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20
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
twenty-seven daughters in marriage to with a goat tethered near her. If the Chandra, who was inspired with love for one droppings of the goat were to fall on earth, of them only named Rohini, the most departed souls would return to the earth. beautiful of them all. The slighted twenty- It is said that a child and a tree are six sisters complained to their father, never seen to grow except during the night. Daksha, of Chandra's preference for Rohini. Such growth is therefore held to be due to Daksha in anger cursed Chandra to bc lunar rays, 19 As all trees, plants, etc.. attacked by consumption (which is supposed thrive owing to the influence of the moon, to be the reason of the waning of the moon) the moon-god is called the lord of herbs. and his face to be marred by a stain. 1 The moon is also a reservoir of nectar and is
The curse of Gautama and the curse of called Sudhakar, i, e., one having nectaDaksha are also supposed to be reasons of rine rays, 11 As the lord of herbs, the moonthe waxing and the waning of the moon, god is supposed to have the power of remov
Another belief regarding the moon-spots ing all diseases that are curable by drugs, is that when the head of Ganapati was and of restoring men to health,12 severed by Shiva's trident, it flew off and Persons suffering from white leprosy, fell into the chariot of the moon. The black leprosy, consumption and discases of spots are either the head itself or are due the eyes are believed to be cured by the to .drops of blood fallen from the flying observance of the Bij and Punema vows, 13 severed head 3
Consumption in its incipient and latter stages The spots are also said to be explained by is also said to be cured by exposure to the the fact of the image of god Krishna or rays of the moon.14 Constant glimpses of Vishnu* residing in the heart of the moon the moon add to the lustre of the eyes, 13 who, as a devotee of Vishnu, holds his image On the Sharad-Punema, or the 15th day of dear to his heart."
the bright half of Ashvin (the last month of The moon is often called mrigānka (lit. the Gujaratis and the 7th month of the deer-marked) and mriga-lānchliana (lit Deccani Hindus), tailors pass a thread deer-stained); and a further explanation of through their needles in the belief that they the spots in this connection is that the moon- will thereby gain keener eyesight.16 god took into his lap a strayed deer, out A cotton-wick is exposed to the moon on of compassion, and thus his lap became Sharad-Punema, and is afterwards lighted in stained, Jains believe that in the nether oil poured over the image of Hanāmān, The parts of the moon's viman or vehicle, there soot, which is thus produced, if used on the is an image of a deer whose shadow is seen Kali-chaudas day--the fourteenth day of the in the spots.
dark half of Ashvin-is said to possess much Some persons declare the spots to be a efficacy in strengthening the eyesight and shami tree (prosopis spicigera). The also in preserving the eyes from any disease belief of the masses in Gujarat is said to be during the ensuing year.17 that the spot on the moon's disc is the seat Sweetened milk or water is exposed to of an old woman who sits spinning her wheel moonlight during the whole of the night of
1 The Schoolmaster, Rajpara,
The Schoolmaster, Dadvi. The Schoolmaster, Lilapur. Throughout the Hindu Scriptures, Visbnu and his incarnations are described as being of Shyama. varna or dark complexion. -Mr. K. D, Desai.
The Schoolmaster, Dadvi. The Deputy Educational Inspector, Halar. Mr. K. P, Josbi, Limbdi. + The Schoolmaster, Lilapur. Mr. Nandlal Kalidas, Chhatrasa.
Mr. M. P. Shah, Zinzuwada. 10 The Mistress of Rajkot Civil Station Girls' School.
11 Mr. Nandlal Kalidas, Chhatrasa. * Rao Saheb Shelke and the Shastri of Bhayavadur.
13 The Schoolmaster, Rajpara. • The Schoolmaster, Dhhank, He refers to the books Vratarāj and Pathyapathya on this point, 15 The Deputy Educational Inspector, Halar, and the Schoolmaster of Cbauk, Kolaba. ** The Schoolmaster, Jodia.
11 The Schoolmaster, Kolki.
