________________
162
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(SEPTEMBER, 1926
He, the lion whelp of Yayodai of the long and beauteous eyes, He, dark as a cloud, fiery-eyed, with countenance effulgent with the lastre of sun
and moon, That Narayanan Himself, shall upon us bestow " Service unto Him";"
Come, let us go to bathe that the world may praise us.8 El Or, Our Lady. 2. O ye who dwell prosperously on earth, hark yo the ceremonies
Which we perform for our Lady. After hymning The Supreme who within the sea of milk softly slumbereth. We will not take ghee, we will not take milk. After bathing at dawn, We will not paint our eyes (with collyrium), we will not bind our hair with flowers. Things not meet to be done we will not do. We will not go astray to talk evil of others. Charity and alms we will tender to the utmost of our ability,
And take joy in meditating upon the Way of Life. El Or, Our Lady. 3. It, chanting the name of the Best who towered aloft and measured the earth
And in the name of our Lady, we do bathe, Without fail over all the land thrice a month the showers will fall; In the midst of the tall, big, tawny rice the carp will leap; In the opening buds of the blooming kuvalai the mottled bees will aleep; From the great cows of generous yield we shall receive milk in potfuls, 10 When their dripping teats are pressed by tireless hands;
Unending prosperity we shall be endowed with. El Or, Our Lady. 4. O Kanna (Krishna) controlling clouds charged with heavy rain, abate not in your
generosity. Let the rain-cloud plunge into the Deep, suck and drink up and rise again, Grow dark of body as the form of the Primal First, Like the war-quoit in the hand of broad-shouldered Parpanában (Padmanabha) Flash, like his right-handed-conch reverberate, Like the rain of arrows unceasingly discharged by the Sarngam (the bow of Vishņu), Pour down upon the earth and make it prosper. We, too,
Shall rejoice in the Mårgali bath. El Or, Our Lady. 5. The Great Enchanter, the son of abiding northern Madura,
The Lord of the pure, great waters of the Yamunai ghất, The jewelled lamp which shed lustre on the herdsmon's caste, Damodaran, who illumined his mother's womb, Him, if we in purity approach and worship with scattering of pure blossoms, If we unto Him sing with the mouth and upon Him meditate with the mind, Sins already committed and those to which the roads of entry lie open Will verily be as cotton in fire. Do ye therefore recite His name. El Or, Our Lady.
• The face had the brillingos of the fun, and the pleasant light of the moon.
The word paroi is not here the drum. It is a derivative meaning from the original "announce ment by boat of dram", bere promise of salvation, or whatever oleo may be desired by the devotee.
• The idea underlying the whole is that the bathing and worship of the image of the goddess is intendod m . prayor for rain. In the guise of Delebrating this festival the young maidens of the cowherd settlemont pray for the attainment of the company of Krishna. This old festival is device, by which the authores exhibits her devotion to Krishna and enjoys in imagination the company of, and service to God.
. The word Barri implies giving the name of the Supreme to the image as an excuse, and has the sense of reciting the holy scriptures on festivals as the finishing ceremony. "Dedicate" would perhaps como nearest in tense.
10 The first two words of line 6 have to be construed with drawing milk.
