Indian Antiquary Vol 57

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 28

INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(JANUARY, 1928
in the north-west ; and pious persone, such as much safer to be a saint than to be a god." Sir Brahmans, Yatis, and Siddhas in the north. Ono George gives many instances, and the whole subject wonder if the close association of officers and is of great interest, as explanatory of much that is liquor-bellers was based upon practical experience. still to be found in Indian legends. It is also of All Indian towns of to-day are characterised by interest in relation to the possible origin of a great house-grouping and mahallas or quarters, inhabited deal in the Hindu religion that is non-Aryan and by distinct castes or classes ; and this arrangement presumably Far Eastem. Werner, in his authori evidently dates back to early ages.
tative Myths and Legends of China, claims that the fr. Dutt discusses the plan of the Indo-Aryan Chinese legends are indigenous, and not connected village, which was often a town in miniature and with the rest of the world. I have had reason to bore little or no resemblance to the village of modern study his book from end to end, and find much in Bengal : he enumerates certain ancient building it that it is difficult to believe is not Indian or Cenrules; and ho deals with many other points of tral Asian or even Near Eastem. However that interest. I am a little doubtful whether he is may be, the Chinese Myths are full of immortals quite correct in his statement that Vijayanagar who are gods and immortals who are saints, followed ancient Aryan traditions of town-plan- and the power of the one differs not at all from the ning: for Vijayanagar was emphatically a Dravidian power of the other. They can all knock each other city, the product of Dravidian culture, and govern- about. The question then is : where did the Indian ed according to Dravidian cultural ideas. Another ideas of the power of the saint come from? Was suggestion of the author, which is likely, in my it introduced into the Indian Aryan, i.e., Hindu opinion, to be challenged is that, if Indian civilization mind by contact with Far Eastem races from beever breaks down, the Europeenised or Westernised yond the Northem and Eastern boundaries ? Indian will in time become the Panchama class of Leaving this question there, we find a most in. the Christian community, just as the aboriginal teresting development of the idea of incarnation. tribes of South India became the untouchables Instance after instance is given of the incarnation of of Hindu society. The stalwarts of the modern an immortal in a mortal body as the result of a Saint's councils and assemblies, who wear English dress, etc. curse. Apparently incarnated immortals are all "fal. will hardly swallow this proposition with equanimitys len angels." NÄrada himself--a distinguished saintly and personally, I do not believe that the denations- curser-is so far human as to be jealous of a celestial lised Indian will ever suffer any such fate. Such musician Tumburu, the Gandharva, and has a bal things can only happen under the aegis of an un- time of it, which he richly deserved. controlled priesthood.
Various stories as to Sitâ's origin are told in the
Adbhuta-Ramdyana, in the true folktale fashion found Apart from these minor matters, which bear
all over the world. Indeed, the more one dives into little upon the general tenour of the book,
the tales about any popular hero or heorine, the more Mr. Dutt has written an erudite and intereeting
incompatible they become, but it is an odd view to work, which throws much light upon a hitherto
represent Sitä as more powerful than her husband. little known branch of Indian antiquities.
Lastly, Sir George points out that this book is "an S. M. EDWARDES.
attempt to introduce the terrible cult of Saiva Sak
tism into the altogether alien soil of Vaishnavism. ON THE ADBRUTA RAMA YANA, by SIR GEORGE
Its chief value is as a store-house of folk-legends." GRTERSON, 1926.
We have also in the Adbhuta-Ramdyand a story This is another of Sir George Grierson's invaluable of the pregnancy of Mandödari, the wife of Råvana, pamphlets. It deals with one of the Ramdyanas with Sita, which is worth drawing attention to. current in Northern India and attributed to Valmiki,
Mandodari, out of jealousy, determines to kill her. being supplementary to his other well-known work self. “With this object, she drinks the contents of the same name on tho Rama Legend. It greatly of the jar of Risis' blood, which [her husband] differs from the main work and gives accounts Råvana has told her is a deadly poison. Instead of of "episodes that find no place " in it. It is also dying, she immediately becomes pregnant with a Sakta work, and Sita the gracious became a Sakti Lakshmi [Sit&], who has been installed in the sprinand is turned into Davi the Terrible. It contains in kled milk by the power of Gritsamada's Mantras." fact " a mixture of Bhakta teaching with Saivism, Is such a story of Aryan origin? Or is it an abin which the salient features of both schools are sorption from Indian aborigines? The question combined "in equal proportions.
is asked, because it has been observed that pregSir George points out “the extraordinary power nancy amongst some savagee is still not connected attributed to Indian Saints, such as Närada," and with sexual intercourse. The story looks as if there that as a Saint's curse "can never be in vain " were once the same disability to connect cause and "the Supreme Deity has to accept the conse- effect in India, and it seems hard to believe that so quen pee with a smile." And it must be said that intelligent a people as the ancient Aryan-immi. the 'Hindu Saints were very free with their curses. I grants could have had such a disability. "In fact, in those mythical times, it must have been
R. C. TEMPLE.