CHAPTER VII.KARTIC, OCTOBER.
“The Lamp in the Air.”—The Goddess Kallee.—Torch-Festival.—Red Marks on the Door-Post.
It has been observed before that the Brahmuns attach some degree of sacredness to the months of April, October, and January. The month at hand is October, and is a sacred one, and we will see how the Hindoos observe it. There are a great many common religious ceremonies which are not of much consequence; hence I will omit them, and direct my attention to the four marked ones which are the subjects of this chapter.
From the first to the last of this month, a lantern is lit and sent aloft on the top of a bamboo, or a high pole of any other kind of wood. As each house thus lights a lantern in the air, the number becomes very large in populous places, and it is amusing to see them burn like stars in the lower firmament.
The goddess Kallee. As I have determined to treat of the origin of, or the causes which gave rise to, the Hindoo worship, I will briefly describe the legend respecting the goddess. She is the wife of Shiba in another incarnation of Doorga.
Under different circumstances, or to accomplish some personal or universal good, Doorga the “great mother” appeared in various incarnations. The legend tells us thefollowing. There were two Oshoor brother-rulers[23]of a kingdom. The world in their time suffered much.
Of all the worldly riches which allure the selfish adventurers, and cause them to explore the uttermost parts of the earth, there was something very peculiar which these two princes were wont to seek after. Neither the burning gold, nor glittering jewels, nor the absolute sway over the world was the object of their ambition. Human beings whom some people call their “property” were the objects of their ambition, and upon them the attention of these princes was fondly directed. By their craving human beings, I do not mean that they used to send a ship somewhere to the coast of Africa which would import human “property” for their farm or plantation. No! Their ambition was romantic, although not without sin. The fairest women, whom the poets describe as the gems and the life of society, were the tempting treasure to the eyes of these Sovereigns. It was a fixed determination in them to place the most handsome female on the throne as queen. They had servants to explore the vales and the groves of the female world, in search of such flowers. Wherever an accomplished female could be found, her parents would be requested to give her up to the throne, either shining gold or reeking sword being offered as an inducement. First persuasion, then violence were the methods to which they resorted to secure their end. Discontent grew up and was universally felt.
The poor, insulted parents, unable to cope with the tyranny of these wicked kings, appealed to the goddess Doorga, the great Mother. She took pity upon these sufferers, promised them relief, and determined to put a stop to thewicked life of the kings. Agreeably to her promise, the goddess descended from her Koylas. In order to encounter the servants of the King Shumbhoos, who were in a certain place in quest of handsome females for their masters, she betook herself to a grove which they must pass by on their way home. A Hindoo poet describes her beauty in the following way. As she entered the grove her divine presence, her unrivalled charms, her sweet graces, filled the place with solemn grandeurs. The bees and the butterflies forsook the flowers, and, taking her for a blooming lotus, began to hover round her person. The members of her body created discontent among the inmates of the forest. The white, fragrant lotus, hitherto the pride of the flowers, seeing itself surpassed in beauty by the goddess, fled with shame to lodge in the water forever. Her delicate, graceful neck drove the swans away into the ponds, lakes, and rivulets. The pearls finding their pride sadly broken by the bright teeth of the goddess, hid themselves in their shells at the bottom of the oceans. The wild deer ran frantic to see her eyes far superior in grace to its own.
In the ecstacy of his poetical imagination, the poet thus describes the countenance of Doorga; that the Bromho, desiring to imitate her face, created the full moon, and finding it, when ready, not half so handsome as the face of the goddess, broke it into pieces in fifteen days! Vain labor; he forms and breaks the full moon all the time! Hence are the phases of the moon.
It happened as she expected, that the messengers of the king came that way and were surprised to see the grove dazzling with her beauty. They approached near, and asked: “Thābee! may we know whether a god or an angel is mourning at thy absence? Is it a region in the sky which is dark, being deprived of thy radiance? Who artthou that walkest alone in these groves, fearless as a lioness, free as air, sweet as roses, and mild as the moon? Or is it possible that thou art here, forsaking the airy regions, to shine upon the earth for a season?” Thus the goddess replied: “Noble friends! you are welcome in your kind inquiries. Indeed, my address will surprise you more than anything else in the world, for it is so singular, so romantic, so noble, and so bold. Formerly I was a great princess, now an orphan, poor and helpless, having no place where to go, and no kind friend to stand by me.”
The messengers here interrupted her, when they knew the object of their earnest search was before them; for the goddess declared herself an orphan, poor, and helpless, and they hoped she would accept their invitation, and become their queen. Again, her helplessness made them sure of success, for if she did not comply with their request, they would take her by force. “Thābee,” said they, “thy night of sorrows is spent. Behold, the dawn of happy day is breaking upon thee! Follow us to the throne of mighty Shombhoo, and thou wilt be the mistress over his empire.” “I thank you for the generous invitation,” she replied; “I wish I could accept it; but there is a great difficulty in my way. I cannot offer my hands to any until a condition is fulfilled. In the name of Truth, I have sworn to marry him only who would be able to excel me in martial exercises. This is the solemn oath I have taken, and I will observe it as long as I live.” It is impossible to describe the surprise of the king’s servants, when they heard a young, weak, delicate female challenge the mightiest king of the world. In vain they attempted to convince her that such a daring, foolish oath would bring her to shame, and make her surrender even to a man of common ability; that if this was her condition, one of them could take her in a minute. Findingher firm in her position, they one by one engaged in a duel with the goddess, who killed them all. As the military custom in India is to spare the life of those who bear news, she suffered one to tell his king what had happened. Enraged at the news, the king came out to meet the heroine in the grove, begged her to surrender, promised her his love, but all in vain. She remained where she was. A fearful battle was there fought between them; the king had his troops, horses, and elephants, while the goddess, in a moment, changed her mild appearance, became “Dic-ambonee,” naked, and astonishingly fearful. Shiba, her husband, finding the world could not bear her fury, came to pacify her and make her desist. But she was so much excited, that she could not recognize him at all, and mistaking Shiba, who had fallen at her feet, for an enemy, stood right upon his bosom. Hence the image of Kallee is represented as follows: She stands on the bosom of Shiba, has four hands, three eyes, and dark complexion. In her two left hands she holds, triumphantly, a sword and the head of Shombhoo, whom she killed; and by her two right hands she offers relief to her poor children. Her necklace is composed of the heads of her victims who had fallen in the battle.
The intelligent reader can easily find out the meaning of such representations. Taking the fact narrated above to be a true one, we clearly see that Kallee was a great warrior, a woman of unspeakable ability, of generous heart, whom time and ignorance have deified. Again, interpreting it allegorically, we see that the mercy of God unto the helpless, and his wrath unto tyrants, have been beautifully personified. The image of Kallee is a Hindoo illustration of the doctrine of retribution. While two of the hands of the goddess are punishing sin, the other two, at the same time, are offering peace to the deserving.
The worship takes place in the night of Omabushai,—total darkness,—and on the next morning the idol is thrown into water, as usual. The buffaloes and he-goats are cut by the neck as sacrifices.
In the evening of the day on which Kallee is worshipped, the children amuse themselves with torches. The white sticks of flax are tied up into bundles, and each boy takes one in his hand, lights it in the fire, and runs furiously in every direction. Boys strike each other’s burning torches, and frequently get burned. This has its origin in a belief that the light of these torches pierces the darkness of hell, and helps its inmates to come out to receive the homage which their descendants on earth pay on that day. “Fourteen lamps are lighted” and put in different places round the house. Some red circular marks, made with Shindoor, a kind of red powder, are made on the head of the outside door.
The image of Kartic is worshipped, also. He is the son of Doorga, very handsome in his appearance, and rides on the back of a peacock. Those who wish to have some children born unto them, offer homage to him; but as they rarely meet with success, they are told that Kartic will bear witness of their religious deeds, and stand in place of their children! However, they do not worship him a great many years,—only four in succession, hoping to have offspring during that period.