DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0327
Worship of Animals. 315
the exception, perhaps, of Naga—are not generally applied to
human beings. It seems to me more probable that Indian
animal-worship is to be accounted for by the working of
one or other of the motives, gratitude, fear, or awe, operating
separately, in separate cases.
For instance, a Hindu worships a cow because he is pro-
foundly sensible of the services it renders him; he worships
a serpent because he dreads its power of destroying him by
the slightest puncture; and he worships a monkey because
he stands in awe of the marvellous instinct it displays. In
short, his zoolatry is simply the expression of an exaggerated
or intensified feeling of admiration for the three qualities,
utility, brute strength, and instinct, manifesting themselves in
animal nature. It must not be forgotten, too, that with a Hindu
all organic life is sacred. Even plant-life is to be respected,
and must not wantonly be destroyed.
Without doubt this feeling is strengthened by the intense
hold which the doctrine of metempsychosis has on the
Hindu mind. It is difficult, as we have already seen, for
any believer in Hinduism to draw a line of demarcation
between gods, men, and animals. If men depend on animals,
so also do the gods; if men are associated with animals, so
also are the gods. Brahma is carried on a goose (hansa);
Vishnu on an eagle (Garuda), which is also half a man;
Siva on a bull (Nandi).
Other deities are associated with other animals1. Nor
must we forget that Vishnu's first three incarnations are
zoomorphic. He infuses his essence into the fish, the tor-
toise, and the boar (see pp. 107-109), with the object of
delivering the world, or aiding it in certain special exigencies.
This seems absurd to our ideas, but not to a Hindu who
1 The association of great heroes and saints with animals is not
confined to India, for we find three of the Evangelists (St. Mark,
St. Luke, and St. John) associated with a lion, ox, and eagle, respec-
tively.
the exception, perhaps, of Naga—are not generally applied to
human beings. It seems to me more probable that Indian
animal-worship is to be accounted for by the working of
one or other of the motives, gratitude, fear, or awe, operating
separately, in separate cases.
For instance, a Hindu worships a cow because he is pro-
foundly sensible of the services it renders him; he worships
a serpent because he dreads its power of destroying him by
the slightest puncture; and he worships a monkey because
he stands in awe of the marvellous instinct it displays. In
short, his zoolatry is simply the expression of an exaggerated
or intensified feeling of admiration for the three qualities,
utility, brute strength, and instinct, manifesting themselves in
animal nature. It must not be forgotten, too, that with a Hindu
all organic life is sacred. Even plant-life is to be respected,
and must not wantonly be destroyed.
Without doubt this feeling is strengthened by the intense
hold which the doctrine of metempsychosis has on the
Hindu mind. It is difficult, as we have already seen, for
any believer in Hinduism to draw a line of demarcation
between gods, men, and animals. If men depend on animals,
so also do the gods; if men are associated with animals, so
also are the gods. Brahma is carried on a goose (hansa);
Vishnu on an eagle (Garuda), which is also half a man;
Siva on a bull (Nandi).
Other deities are associated with other animals1. Nor
must we forget that Vishnu's first three incarnations are
zoomorphic. He infuses his essence into the fish, the tor-
toise, and the boar (see pp. 107-109), with the object of
delivering the world, or aiding it in certain special exigencies.
This seems absurd to our ideas, but not to a Hindu who
1 The association of great heroes and saints with animals is not
confined to India, for we find three of the Evangelists (St. Mark,
St. Luke, and St. John) associated with a lion, ox, and eagle, respec-
tively.