DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0361
Worship of Mountains, Rocks, and Stones. 349
process. As these rivers often pass through wild country,
the pilgrims who perform such tasks are exposed to many-
hardships. Of course, the merit accumulated is in proportion
to the time occupied in the pilgrimage and the difficulty of
the ground traversed.
The sea is also held sacred, and on special occasions pro-
pitiated. When any one is compelled to take a voyage, it
is not uncommon for his nearest relatives to throw milk into
the sea as an offering to the waves.
Worship of Mountains, Rocks, and Stones.
With regard to the worship of immovable objects, many
mountains and hills are holy ground. Of course the Hima-
laya takes the lead. It is personified and extolled as
a god. (See, in reference to this point, the first verses of
Kalidasa's poem, the Kumara-sambhava.) Among other
hills regarded as consecrated ground are Citra-kuta (com-
monly called Chateerkot), in the Banda district, Mount Abu,
and Girnar in Kathiawar \
There are some sand-hills in the Satpura range dedicated
to Mahadeva, supposed, as Mahakala, to preside over destruc-
tion. From a rock on these hills many youths have pre-
cipitated themselves, because their mothers, when childless,
dedicated their first-born sons to the god. This mode of
suicide is called Bhrigu-pata, 'throwing one's self from a
precipice.' It was once equally common at the rock of
Girnar, and has only recently been prohibited.
Particular rocks all over India are treated as divine. They
are not only pervaded by the divine soul of the Universe
which permeates all nature, God is specially present in them,
just as he is in the Sala-grama pebble found in the Gandaki
1 (f itra-kuta was the first residence of Rama-candra after his banish-
ment. Abu (corrupted from Sanskrit arbudd) and Girnar are hills more
particularly celebrated for their Jaina temples.
process. As these rivers often pass through wild country,
the pilgrims who perform such tasks are exposed to many-
hardships. Of course, the merit accumulated is in proportion
to the time occupied in the pilgrimage and the difficulty of
the ground traversed.
The sea is also held sacred, and on special occasions pro-
pitiated. When any one is compelled to take a voyage, it
is not uncommon for his nearest relatives to throw milk into
the sea as an offering to the waves.
Worship of Mountains, Rocks, and Stones.
With regard to the worship of immovable objects, many
mountains and hills are holy ground. Of course the Hima-
laya takes the lead. It is personified and extolled as
a god. (See, in reference to this point, the first verses of
Kalidasa's poem, the Kumara-sambhava.) Among other
hills regarded as consecrated ground are Citra-kuta (com-
monly called Chateerkot), in the Banda district, Mount Abu,
and Girnar in Kathiawar \
There are some sand-hills in the Satpura range dedicated
to Mahadeva, supposed, as Mahakala, to preside over destruc-
tion. From a rock on these hills many youths have pre-
cipitated themselves, because their mothers, when childless,
dedicated their first-born sons to the god. This mode of
suicide is called Bhrigu-pata, 'throwing one's self from a
precipice.' It was once equally common at the rock of
Girnar, and has only recently been prohibited.
Particular rocks all over India are treated as divine. They
are not only pervaded by the divine soul of the Universe
which permeates all nature, God is specially present in them,
just as he is in the Sala-grama pebble found in the Gandaki
1 (f itra-kuta was the first residence of Rama-candra after his banish-
ment. Abu (corrupted from Sanskrit arbudd) and Girnar are hills more
particularly celebrated for their Jaina temples.