DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.641#0187
180 THE HINDOO MYTHOLOGY.
fit of passion, kicked the god Vishnoo on the breast4.
Richeeku, for the sake of a subsistence, sold his son for a
human sacrificeu. Doorvasa, a sage, was so addicted to
anger, that he was a terror both to gods and men x. Ourv-
vii, another sage, in a fit of anger, destroyed the whole race
of Hoihtiyu with fire from his mouth y; and Doorvasa did
the same to the whole posterity of Krishniiz. Javalee, an
ascetic, stands charged with stealing cow's flesh at a sacri-
fice : when the beef was sought for, the saint, to avoid de-
tection, turned it into onions ; and hence onions are for-
bidden to the Hindoos3. The pooranus, indeed, abound
with accounts of the crimes of these saints, so famous for
their religious austerities: anger and lust seem to have
been their predominant vices.
As it respects the modern devotees, none of them expect
absorption: they content themselves with performing the
popular ceremonies, and thus fall under the censures of
Krishnu, who says, ' Numbers prefer a transient enjoyment
of heaven to eternal absorption.' It is true, now and then
a poor wretch is seen, naked, covered with ashes, and his
hair clotted with dirt, whose vacant, brutish looks indicate
that he is approaching a state of complete abstraction, and
that he may soon hope to enter into this perfect state, viz.
to live in a world full of wonders, without a single passion
left to be affected by them. Yet even this abstraction, or
contempt of the world, if it can deserve such a name, is
brought on by shunning the presence of man, and conti-
nually smoking intoxicating herbs.
* Sbree-bhagfiviitu. * Ramayiinu. * Ibid.
* Raraayuni'i. » Shree-bhaguviitu. '» Ibid.
fit of passion, kicked the god Vishnoo on the breast4.
Richeeku, for the sake of a subsistence, sold his son for a
human sacrificeu. Doorvasa, a sage, was so addicted to
anger, that he was a terror both to gods and men x. Ourv-
vii, another sage, in a fit of anger, destroyed the whole race
of Hoihtiyu with fire from his mouth y; and Doorvasa did
the same to the whole posterity of Krishniiz. Javalee, an
ascetic, stands charged with stealing cow's flesh at a sacri-
fice : when the beef was sought for, the saint, to avoid de-
tection, turned it into onions ; and hence onions are for-
bidden to the Hindoos3. The pooranus, indeed, abound
with accounts of the crimes of these saints, so famous for
their religious austerities: anger and lust seem to have
been their predominant vices.
As it respects the modern devotees, none of them expect
absorption: they content themselves with performing the
popular ceremonies, and thus fall under the censures of
Krishnu, who says, ' Numbers prefer a transient enjoyment
of heaven to eternal absorption.' It is true, now and then
a poor wretch is seen, naked, covered with ashes, and his
hair clotted with dirt, whose vacant, brutish looks indicate
that he is approaching a state of complete abstraction, and
that he may soon hope to enter into this perfect state, viz.
to live in a world full of wonders, without a single passion
left to be affected by them. Yet even this abstraction, or
contempt of the world, if it can deserve such a name, is
brought on by shunning the presence of man, and conti-
nually smoking intoxicating herbs.
* Sbree-bhagfiviitu. * Ramayiinu. * Ibid.
* Raraayuni'i. » Shree-bhaguviitu. '» Ibid.