DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.640#0175
58 THE HINDOO MYTHOLOGY.
little soothed tvhen she saw her son with an elephant's
head: to pacify her, Brumha said, that amongst the wor-
ship of all the gods that of Guneshu. should for ever bear
the preference. In the beginning of every act of public
worship therefore, certain ceremonies are constantly per-
formed in honour of Gun^shuz. Not only is Gune'shu. thus
honoured tn religious ceremonies, but in almost all civil
concerns he is particularly regarded: as, when a person is
leaving his house to go a journey, he says, 'Oh ! thou work-
perfecting Guneshu, grant me success in my journey ! Gu-
neshu ! Guneshu! Guneshu!'—At the head of every letter,
a salutation is made to Guneshu3. When a person begins
to read a book he salutes Gune'shu; and shop-keepers and
others paint the name or image of this god over the doors
of their shops or houses, expecting from his favour protec-
tion and success.
No public festivals in honour of Guneshu are held in
Bengal. Many persons however choose him as their guar-
dian deity, and are hence called Ganuputyus.
At the full moon in the month Maghu, some persons
make or buy a clay image, and perform the worship of Gu-
neshu; when the officiating bramhun performs the ceremo-
nies common in the Hindoo worship, presenting offerings
to the idol. This god is also worshipped at considerable
length at the commencement of a wedding, as well as when
the bride is presented to the bridegroom. Great numbers,
especially from the western and southern provinces, ce-
* It will occur to the reader, that in all sacrifices among the Romans
prayers were first offered to Janus.
* Guneshu is famed as writing in a beautiful manner: so that when a
person writes a fine hand, people say,' Ah! he writes like Guneshu.' This
god is said to have first written the Muhabharutu from the mouth of Vy-
asftdevu.
little soothed tvhen she saw her son with an elephant's
head: to pacify her, Brumha said, that amongst the wor-
ship of all the gods that of Guneshu. should for ever bear
the preference. In the beginning of every act of public
worship therefore, certain ceremonies are constantly per-
formed in honour of Gun^shuz. Not only is Gune'shu. thus
honoured tn religious ceremonies, but in almost all civil
concerns he is particularly regarded: as, when a person is
leaving his house to go a journey, he says, 'Oh ! thou work-
perfecting Guneshu, grant me success in my journey ! Gu-
neshu ! Guneshu! Guneshu!'—At the head of every letter,
a salutation is made to Guneshu3. When a person begins
to read a book he salutes Gune'shu; and shop-keepers and
others paint the name or image of this god over the doors
of their shops or houses, expecting from his favour protec-
tion and success.
No public festivals in honour of Guneshu are held in
Bengal. Many persons however choose him as their guar-
dian deity, and are hence called Ganuputyus.
At the full moon in the month Maghu, some persons
make or buy a clay image, and perform the worship of Gu-
neshu; when the officiating bramhun performs the ceremo-
nies common in the Hindoo worship, presenting offerings
to the idol. This god is also worshipped at considerable
length at the commencement of a wedding, as well as when
the bride is presented to the bridegroom. Great numbers,
especially from the western and southern provinces, ce-
* It will occur to the reader, that in all sacrifices among the Romans
prayers were first offered to Janus.
* Guneshu is famed as writing in a beautiful manner: so that when a
person writes a fine hand, people say,' Ah! he writes like Guneshu.' This
god is said to have first written the Muhabharutu from the mouth of Vy-
asftdevu.