Indian Antiquary Vol 46

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 405

THE FOLKLORE OF GUJARAT
57
wind, and hence was called Väyusuta. From ant). On Bhima's request a further boon his childhood he was possessed of miraculous was granted to him that he should in strength, and had a voracious appetite. future be able to digest as much as he could Every day he consumed 12 kalashis* (or 192 eat without suffering discomfort. Hence maunds ) of corn, and as much oil as is the proverb: Bhima kkāve shakuni aghe. yielded by 13 ghānis.* He also required a It is said that Bhima once played at maund and a quarter of betelnuts after each narateri (lit. nine and thirteen), i.e., he dinner. These habits bad procured him the Aung into the sky nine elephants with his name of Vrikodara, i.e., wolf-bellied. He right hand and thirteen with his left. The played a very important part in the Great corpses of these animals were afterwards War, and on the last day of the battle smash- brought down to earth by Shukamuni to ed the thigh of Duryodhana with his ponder. expiate king Janmejaya's sin of Brahmahatya ous mace. In his early days he killed several (Brāhman-slaughter).? demons including Baka and Hidimba.
In his whole life-time Bhima is said to Bhima never took food without first wor- have fasted only on one day, which happened shipping Mahadev. On one occasion no to be the eleventh day of tbe bright half of temple of Shiva could be found within easy Jyeshtha and is now called Bhima-agiāras. distance, and in a rage, Bhima turned his On this day people who desire to be cured bowl cpside down and set it up as Mahādev of dyspepsia obserye a strict fast, taking Such was the first installation of Bhimanāth neither food nor water, and pass their hands Mahadev revered to this day by all Hindus. over their bellies repeating the name of
Once upon a time Bhima obstructed the Bhima and also offer cocoanuts to his image. stream of a river by laying himself across it, On the night of Bhima-agiaras, persons who when the river rose to the banks and sub
are anxious to obtain health, wealth and merged a teniple of Shiva near by. Shiva
victory over their enemies, bathe the image thereupon assumed the form of a lion and
of Bhima in water and panchämritt and pretended to chase Parvati in the guise of a
worship it according to the prescribed cerecow. Bhima, in his true Kshatriya spirit, monies. instantly rose from the water in order to In some places there are vāvs (or tanks) save the cow from the lion. But the latter called Bhima-vāvs which are said to have vave Bhima a blow on the shoulder with one been formed by the strokes of Bhima, of his paws, and instantly transformed him. I when plavin
when playing gilli-danda. self into a sage. After Bhima had fruit. There are huge images of Bhima on Mount lessly searched for the lion for a long time, Palitāni. There are many places in differhe was informed by the sage that it was he, ent parts of India which possess such images Shiva, who had assumed the form of a lion in and which are believed to have been visited order to rouse him from his position across the by the Pandavas during their exile from river. Shiva then favoured him with a boon Hastinapur. The Påndavas never attained that the half of his body which had received the status of gods and there is no systematic the blow would be turned into vajra (adam- form of worship for them.
IK. D. Desai.
The Schoolmaster of Aman. * The Shastri of Jetpur Páthashālā,
• The Schoolmaster of Rajpara. 6 The Schoolmaster of Kolki.
• The Schoolmaster of Ganod, * A ghani is that quantity of oil seeds which is put in at one time to be crushed in an oil mill.
A mixture of milk, honeycurds, sugar and ghi.