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ANNOTATIONS
ON THE

SACRED WRITINGS OF THE HINDUS

BEING AN EPITOME
OF SOME OF THE MOST REMARKABLE AND LEADING TENETS IN THE FAITH OF THAT PEOPLE
Illustrating their Priapic Rites

and Phallic Principles

BY

EDWARD

SELLON,

Author of " The Alonolithic Temples of India^* etc.^ etc.y and Editor of an English translation of the *' GitaRadhica-Krishna^** a Sanskrit Poem.

New

Edition.

LONDON
1902.

PRISTBD FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION.

Only i^o

copies of this

work have been

This
is

issued for private

circulation.

No

; ;

INTRODUCTION.

It has been suggested to the

following pages, to

Author of the
be an abridg-

compile a small treatise,

to

which, without

professing

ment of the Hindu Sacred Writings, should convey in a concise form an Epitome of the
information that has
spect
to

been obtained with re-

the leading dogmas of the Brah-

minical Superstition.

upon certain peculiarities of the Religious Worship practised by the Hindus on its great antiquity, on the fact, that two thousand years before the Christian asra
reflect
;

When we

it

was, as at the present day, in

it

full

force
fall

that

witnessed the
of

rise,

decline

and
the

of

the

Idolatry

Egypt,

and

of

great

Western Mythology of Greece and

that hitherto
it

Rome
of

has scarcely yielded in the

to

slightest degree

the adverse
race

influence

the
to

Mohammedan
European
it

on the one hand, or

dictation

on the

other

and
a

that

exercises,

by

its

system of

caste,

powerful control over the manners, customs,

iv.

costume and

social status of the entire

it

Hindii

community,

becomes a subject fraugiit with

mind, and offers

interest to every cultivated

an affecting but curious example of the power

of a hoary and terrible superstition in degrad-

ing and enslaving so large a portion of the

human The

race.

sources

from

whence

much

of

the

material in this

compilation are derived, are

acknowledged

numerous notes. It does not come within the compass of this sketch to enumerate all the theological
in

dogmas contained in the Sacred Writings those only have been seof the Hindus lected for annotation and remark which seem to have the most direct bearing on the object
;

in view, in the elucidation of the

worship of

Power

the

Gnosticism of India.

ANNOTATIONS
ON THE

SACRED WRITINGS OF THE HINDUS.

The origin of the Religious Worship of the Hindus is lost in remote antiquity. For many
aofes anterior to

the time of Menu, their

first

Lawgiver,
us by oral
hypothesis,

all

that has been handed

down

to

tradition

seems to

confirm the

that

they

were worshippers of

one

God

only,

whom

they designated Briihrn

:

" a spiritual Atma, Supreme Being, coeval with the formation of

" the Breathing Soul

the world, without end, everlasting, permeating

all

space,

the beneficent

disposer of events.

The worship of the Hindus at this period was probably simple, and their ceremonies
few.

In process of time, however, the date

of

which

cannot

be

correctly

determined,

they appear to have adopted a material type

or

emblem of
as

Briihrn: a rude block of stone

:

began to be set up
or,

this
it,

was the Phallus,

the

they

termed

Linqa.

This

emblem had

reference to the procreative

Power

seen throughout nature, and in that prima3\al

age was regarded wdth the greatest awe and

veneration.

To the

influence of this

image

was attributed the

fructifying

warmth which

brought to perfection the

fruits of the earth

and contributed to the reproduction both of man, animals, and everything that has
life.

This simple and primitive Idolatry came,

by degrees,
developed

to diverge into the

;

adoration of

the elements, particularly Fire

itself

and at length

by the

institution of

an emana;

tion from Briilim as

Atma

in his Triune capacity

Creator,

Preserver

or

Saviour,

stroyer.

These attributes were

deified

and Deunder
Siva, on

the names of Br^ahma, Vishnu and

whom
viz.,

were conferred three Gunas or

(passion). Sat (purity),

qualities,

Rajas

and Tuwas

(darkness).

This

is

the Trimurti*

The next step towards the formation of a

Pantheon was the
Avantaras,
tions
;

institution of

Avatas and
Incarna-

i.e.,

greater and

lesser

by which one or other of the Triad

(generally Bahurdurs

imparted a portion of his divine essence both

to to

men

or heroes) and
deify

brutes.

The tendency

to

heroes,
also

"Trimurti, 'three formed,' Murli signifying an Image.

Our

vital souls are,

according to

tlie

Vedanta,
Spirit."

no more than images or eidola of the Supreme

Afl.

Res., vol.

iii.

and

irrational creatures,

was not

peculiar,

howsame

ever, to the cans,

Hindus, for the Assyrians, Etrus-

Greeks

and

Romans

had

the

custom, as had also the Egyptians in a

much

more extended degree. This system of Avatas

an almost universal
every
recognised

was

followed by

deification,

not only of

the elements and the heavenly bodies, but of

attribute

of
;

the

Supreme
Anger,
until

Being, and
Beneficence,

the

Evil

Spirit

Omnipotence,
Vice,
form,

Virtue,
receive

Love,
the

Murder
at

all

a tangible

the

present
little

time
short

contains

Hindu Pantheon of a Million Gods and

however,
that

Demi-gods.
to

It

is

admitted,

many
It
is

of

these

they

pay

only relative

honour.

little

remarkable that of this host of

in

Divinities, especially

Bengal, Siva

is

the
to

God whom they

honour.
revels in
deity,

are

especially delighted

As

the Destroyer, and

one

who

cruelty and

bloodshed this terrible

who

has not inaptly been compared to

the

Moloch of Scripture, of all their Divinities suggests most our idea of the Devil. It may
therefore be concluded that the most exalted

notion of

worship

service of Fear.

among the Hindus is a The Brahmins say that the

is

other

Gods

are good and benevolent, and will

not hurt their creatures, but that Siva

power-

ful

and

cruel,

and that

it is

necessary to appease

him.

Although
in the

this deity is

sometimes represented
images,
frequently
it
is

human form
that

in his

not

thus

he

is

most

adored.

The most popular

representation of
;

him

is

unquestionably the Linga

rising out of another

a smooth stone
texture,

stone of finer
et

simulacrum memhri
liehre.

virilis,

pudendum Mu-

This emblem is identical with Siva in his capacity of " Lord of all."
It
is

necessary, however, to

observe here,

that Professor Wilson, while admitting that

**

the Linga

is

perhaps the most ancient object

in

of

homage adopted
to the ritual

India,"

adds,

subse-

quently

of the Vedhas, which was

fire.

chiefly, if

not wholly, addressed to the Ele-

ments, and particularly to

How
is

far the

worship of the Linga

is

authorised by
it

the

Vedhas

is

doubtful, but that

the main
there can

purport of several of the be no doubt."

t

Puranas*

The
India

universality of

Linga puja

(or worship)

at the period of the

is

Mohammedan
The
Idol

invasion of

well attested.

destroyed

by Mahoud of Ghizni, notwithstanding the

^Turanaa, the Modern Scriptures

of the Hindus, as

distinguished from the Vedhas or more Ancient Scriptures.

t Wilson on Hindiis Sects.

As. Res.,

vol. xvii.

remarkable stories related by the

chroniclers

of

colossal

image

Mohammedan of human

form which the Brahmins offered immense sums to save from destruction, but which

upon being shattered by a blow from Mahoud's mace disgorged a vast treasure of gold and and precious stones of inestimable value, the whole of which story Wilson proves is a pure fiction, was nothing more than one of

those mystical blocks of stone called Lingas.*

The worship
Linga
deity
is is

of Siva under the type of the

almost the only form in which that

Its prevalence

reverenced.
tract

throughout
as
far

the

whole

of

the

Ganges

as

Benares,
the

is sufficiently

conspicuous.
are

In Bengal
in

Lingam Temples
six,

commonly erected
on each

a range of

eight, or twelve

side

of a Ghautt leading to the river.

is

At Kalma

a circular group of one hundred and eight

temples erected by the Rajah of Burdwan.

These temples, and indeed

As. Res.,
vol. xvii.,

all

those found in
and 210.

pp. 208, 209

t Ghaut, " a high place," applied to a pass, such as the Laulpet pass, where the traveller ascends from the

campaign country to the table-land of the Deccan : also, and in this instance, signifying an artificial " high place," constructed either of stone or marble, with an immense There are flight of steps leading down to the river. numerous Ghauts, or Ghats, of this description on tlie banks of the Ganges, where the banks are too high to allow the people to approach the stream with safety.

lO

Bengal,

consist

of

simple

chamber of a
;

square form surmounted by a pyramidal centre the area of each

is

very small.

The Linga

of

black or white marble, and sometimes of alabaster slightly tinted and

gilt, is

placed in the

middle.

Speaking of Siva and Pawd,ti, M. de Langle

says,
**

Les deux

divinites dont

il

s'agit,

sont

tres souvent et tres pieusement adorees, sous

la figure

du Linga
se

(le

Phallus des anciens) et

de

I'yoni,

dans leur mysterieuse conjonction.

L'yoni

nomme

aussi

Bhaga (pudendum
et

muliebre),

Madheri douce,
divinity, tels

Argha, vase en
on
les

forme de bateau, dans

fleurs

lequel

offre

des

a la

sont
la

noma de

VAdhera-Sacti (energieje
fi^e

conception vivicette deesse est

par

le

Linga).

Quand
symbole
le

representee

par

le

que

je

viens

d'indiquer, elle

prend

nom

de Devi (divine)

plus

commun^ment que ceux de Bhavani,

Pracritri,
&c.

de

Suivant

les

theologians
entre

Hindous,

una vive
dieu),

discussion

s'^leva

Pavati (nde des

(le

montagnes) et

Maha-deva
apriis

grand

peu

do

temps
des

leur
la

mariage,

sur

I'infiuence
;

sexes

dans

production des etres

ils

convinrent de order

Bupardment une race d'individus.

de Mahadeva
furent

Les enfants
et
se
;

nombreux,
le

d6-

voubrent au culte de
il

divinitd

mdle

mais
et

iiianquoient

d'intelligunco

et

de force,

II

ils

^toient

mal conform es, ceux de Parvati

bien
faits

etoient

be^ux,
;

et

d'un excellent

naturel

cependant,

obs^des

par
ils

les

Lin-

gadja, ou enfants de Maha-deva,

envinrent

aux mains avec eux, et

deva
alloit
d'oeil les

les vainquirent.

Maha-

dans sa fureur aneantir d'un coupsi

Yonidja vainqueurs

Parvati ne I'eut

Les Brahmanes ofFrent aux Linga appaise. des fleurs, et ont soin quand ils font leurs
ceremonies d'allumer sept lamps,* lesquelles,
selon Mathurin, vessiere de la croze, ressem-

blent au chandelier a sept branches des Juifs,

qu'on voit a

Rome

sur Tare Titus.

Les femmes
;

portent des Lingas au cou et aux bras

celles

qui desirent devenir fecondes rendent a cette

idole

un

culte

tout particulier

elles

ont

il

d'autant plus de confiance dans ses pretres que

ceux-ci font voeu de chaste te."t

The

offerings are presented at the threshold.

is

Benares, however,

the peculiar seat of this

principal Deity, Siva,

form of worship.
there called
is

The

Viiveswarra, as observed already,

a Linga

and most of the chief objects of

jjilgrimage are similar blocks of stone.

No less

than forty-seven Lingas are

visited, all of pre-

'*

De Langle

is

in error here.

The Punchaty,

as its

name

implies, consists of five, not seven lamps.

t Monuments Anciens et Modems de I'Hindoustan. Par L. L. de Langle Paris, 2 vols, foho, 1810.
;

12

eminent sanctity
inferior note

but there are hundreds of

worshipped, and thousands

still

whose fame and fashion have passed away. It is a singular fact, that upon this adoration of
the procreative

and sexual Sacti

faith,

(or

power)

seen throughout nature, hinges the whole gist

of the

Hindu

and notwithstanding

all

that has been said by half-informed persons

to

the

contrary, this

puja does not appear

to be prejudicial to the morals of the people.

*'

Among

a people of such exuberant fancy as

is

the Hindus," says Sir William Jones, "it

natural that everything should receive form and

life.

It

is

remarkable to what a degree their

works of imagination are pervaded by the idea Indeed, it seems never to havel of sexuality.
entered into the heads of the
lators

Hindu Legis-

be

and people that anything natural could offensively obscene, a singularity which
all

pervades

their writings,

but

is

no proof

of the depravity of their morals, thence the

worship of the Linga by the followers of Siva,

and of the Yoni by the followers of Vishnu'' * We find amongst the sacred paintings of the

Hindus numerous representations of devotees,

both

male

and

female,

adoring
ii.,

the Linga,

Sir W. Jones's Works,

"It
is

vol.

p. 311.

unattended in Upper India by any indecent Wilson on Hindu Sects. As. or indelicate ceremonies."

Ree., vol. xvii.

13

and a description of one

will
suffice

of these

pictures

for

them
the
a

all.

temple,
placed,

in
is

which
a

The domestic emblem is usuallyderived

Deival,

term

from

Deva, a deity, and Havela, a house, i.e., the "house of God." Indeed, the natives have no such word as " Pagoda " for their temples, which are always called Dewals.

The worshipper
arrayed in
Ritual.
all

is

seated,

dressed,

and

her jewels, as directed by the

In her right hand she holds a Mala, or Rosary of one hundred and eight round beads, which is not visible, as her hand is placed within a bag of gold brocade

(Kamphah)
or

called

Gumuki, to keep
influence.

off insects

any
is

adverse

Her

langi

or

bodice
lin

yellow, her dress transparent

mus-

edged with gold (upervastra).

her are the
in
five

In front
or

of

lamps, called panchaty,

viz.,
;

used

this

Puja,

Jari,

spouted

vessel for lustral

water

the Dippa, or Cup,

to sprinkle the flowers which she has offered,

and

which

are

seen

on

the

Linga
bell,

and,
fre-

lastly,

the Gantha, or sacred

used

quently during the recapitulation of the prescribed Muntrus, or incantations.

Nearly
this

all

the Pujas are conducted

ringing of
bells,

with

the frequent
is

and the object of

twofold

first

to

wake

up the attention at
;

particular parts of the service

and secondly.

14

to

scare
;

away malignant Deivtas and

celebration of

evil

spirits

precisely, in fact, for the

same reasons

as they are used at the

in

Mass

Roman

Catholic countries.
are,

The Linga and the Earth

to

according

the Hindus, identical, and the mountain

of the Earth."
centre

Meru is termed the " Navel Meru is supposed to be the

of
universe, and
is

of

the

said to be 8,400 yojans high,

32,000 broad at the top, 16,000 at the bottom.

It
is

circular,

and formed
asserted

like

an inverted
earth
to

cone.
for

This notion was not confined to India,

that the
is

when Cleanthes
in the

was

shape of a cone,* this

be

understood only of this mountain, the

of India.

Meru
Meruof
"
is

Anaximenes f
(Pawati)
" This of

said that this

like

column

was

plain

and of stone, exactly

of

pargwette
Ceylon.J
entirely

the

inhabitants

mountain,"

says

he,

stone, 68,000

yojanas high, and

10,000
size

in

circumference,

and

of

the

same
insist

from the top to the bottom."

a drum,

In India the followers of Buddha

that this mountain
is

like

with a
in fact

swell in the middle, in the

same form
the
East.

as the

Tomtoms used
As. Res.,
viii.

in

In the

f Plutarch de

placit. philosoph.
vii.

% Joinvillo As. Ros,, vol.

Trailoyeya-Derpaua.

15

west,

formerly,

expressed
in

same opinion had been by Lucippus, and the Buddhists

the
that
sfiven

India

give
is

shape
as

also

to

islands.

This

fiofure

an

emblem
Linga
:

of

the
is

re-union of the powers of nature.

Meru
and
Yoni

the

sacred

and
is

primeval
the

the
ex-

earth beneath

mysterious

panded, and open like the

Padma
is

or Lotus.

The convexity
Vishnu,
their

in the centre

the navel of

and

the
is

physiological often

mysteries of

religion

represented
;

by

the

emblem of the
principles

Lotus

where

the

whole

flower signifies both the

earth and the

two
is

of

its

fecundation.

The germ

both

Meru and
are

the Linga

the petals and

encircle
Yoici.

filaments

the mountains which

also

Meru, and are

the

type of the

The

four

leaves

of the

Calyx are the four

vast regions turning towards the four cardinal

points.

According to the two geographical

of the
is

systems
ancient

Hindus,
set

the

first

or

more

(as

forth in

the Puran) the

Earth described as a convex surface gradually

sloping towards the
borders,

and surrounded

by the
system,

ocean.
is

The

second, and

more modern
consider the

that adopted by their astronomers.

of the

The

followers

Puranas

Earth as a
old

fiat

surface,

or nearly so, their

knowledge does not extend much beyond the

continent,

or

the

superior

hemisphere

i6

but astronomers being acquainted with

globular shape
of

the

the earth, and

of course

with an inferior hemisphere, were under the

necessity

of

borrowing

largely
fill

from

the

superior part in order to

one.

up the

inferior

The

leaves

of

the

Lotus

represent

the

different islands in the ocean

around Jambu,

and according to the Hindii system, the whole earth floats upon the waters like a boat. The

Argha*

of the

Hindus and the Cymbium of

the Egyptians are also emblems of the earth

The three words Amha, Ndbbi and Argha seemed have caused great confusion among the Greek mythologists, who even ascribe to the earth all the fanciful shapes of the Argha, which was intended at first as a mere emblem. Hence they represented it in the form of a boat, of a cup, or of a quoit with a boss in the centre, sloping towards the circumference, where they placed the ocean. Agathem. book i. c. 1.
*^*

to

Others described the earth as a square or parallelogram, and Greece was supposed to lie on the summit, with Delphi in the navel, or central part of the whole. Find. Pyth., 6. Eurip. Ion., v., 233.

sisted that the true navel of the earth

While the Jews, and even the early Christians, inwas Jerusalem, and
a type of the A'dhara-Sacti, or Power and vivified by the Linga or

the

Mohammedans, Mecca.

The Argha
of

is

Conception,
built,

exerted

one and the same with the ship Argo, which according to Orpheus, by Juno and Pallas, ac;cording to Apollonius, by Pallas and Argos, at the Orph. Argon., v., G6, Apoll., lib. ii., instance of Juno.
Phallus,

was and

5, 1190.

As. Res., vol.

iii.

17

and of the Yoni.

signifies a vessel,

The Argha,
cup or

or

Cymbium,
fruits

dish, in

which

or flowers are offered to the deities, and ought

to be in the shape of a boat
oval, circular, or
;

though many are

styled

even square.
Bacchus,
is

Iswarra,

or

Argha;

Nautha, or " Lord of the boat-shaped vessel " and Osiris the Istvara, or Bacchus of Egypt,
according to Plutarch, was

commander of the Argo, and was represented by the Egyptians

in a boat carried

on the shoulders of a great

ship

many men.

The

worshipped by

the

Suevi, according to Tacitus,

was the Argha, or

muliehre.

Argo, and the type of the

"

pudendum

The Agha,
is

or
all

Yoni,

with the Linga of

stone,

found

over India as an object of

it,

worship.

Flowers are offered to

is

and the

water, which
into the rim,

poured on the Linga, runs

also the fossa navicularis,

which represents the Yoni, and and instead of the

is

Linga,

Lswarra

sometimes

represented

standing in the middle, as Osiris in Egypt."*

Plutarch has

said of

the Egyptians, that

they had inserted nothing into their worship

without a reason,
nothing merely
fabulous,

nothing superstitious, as
their institutions

suppose, but have either a reference to

useful
in
life.

many

morals

or

something

The

* As. Res.,

viii.

i8

mass

of

mankind

lost

sight,

however,
rites,

of

morality in the multiplicity of

easier to practise ceremonies

as

it is

than to subdue
the ceremonies

passions

so it

was

in India

and Egypt.

In the course of
their

investisfatinof

of the Hindus, and in attempting to elucidate

meaning,

it

will

be found necessary to

draw an analogy between them and those of the Egyptians. The resemblance is very
striking,

they mutually serve to explain each

other.

When

the

Sepoys,

who accompanied

Lord Hutchinson in his Egyptian expedition, saw the temple at Hadja Silsili they were
very indignant with the natives of the place
for allowing
it
it

to

fall

into decay, conceiving

to be the
fact, to

temple of their own god, Siva,

it,

say the least of

no

less singular

than interesting.

The annihilation of the sect and worship of Brahma, as the Iswarra or Supreme
*'

Lord,"

is

described

at

large

in

the

Kasi-

ehandra
three

of

the

Scanda Puran, where the

as

powers are mentioned

Vishnu at
of
Siva,
last

contending

for precedence.

acknowledges

the

superiority

but

Brahma,

on
his

account of his presumptuous obstinacy, had

one

of his

heads cut

off

by Siva, and
Ih

puja, or worship, abolished.

The

intent

of this legend

evidently to
sect,

advance the claims of the Saiva

and

if

19

we

substitute

the

contending

facts

for

the

battle of the Deutas, or angels, the fable will

appear not quite destitute in historical

nor wholly without foundation.

fact,

The contention of schismatics from the same stock is always more inveterate than The sect of where the difference is total.

Brahma
the

claimed exclusive
of
their

pre-eminence for
as

object

choice

being

the

Creative Power, the Isivarra, or " Supreme

The two other sects joined against the followers of Brahma. The sect of Siva,
Lord."

being the most powerful, rendered theirs the

established religion, and claimed
his
for Siva^ in

turn,
sect

the
of

exclusive

title

of Isivarra,
at
in

The
with

Vishnu
its

emerged from
the

Heri obscurity, and

or
Sacti
(or

length
concert

adorers of

the

female

power), destroyed and abolished the sect and

worship
(or

of

Siva,

and

then
the
his

Vishnu,

Heri,
or

"

became Supreme Lord," and

Krishna)
established
religion. in

Iswarra,

worshijo

became
to

the

This
;

appears

have been the case

standing
that
all

Egypt

and notwith-

affinity

between the two

for

systems has of late years been so strongly

denied,
if

we
the

substitute Osiris

Horus
Isis

for

Vishnu, Typhon
Sacti
in

for

Brahma, Siva, and

the

for

(or

female

power),

narrative agrees

every respect.

20

Aofain,

the

Sun
;

is

one of the forms

Osiris

of

Vishnu
Sun.

(as

Heri)
to

and Horus are

the

both said

have been identical with

of

The
as

bull

Siva

same

the

bulls

Apis

(Nandi) is the and Mnevis of

Memphis and Thebes.

He
whose

(Nandi)
:

is

the

Vahan, or vehicle of
is

this divinity

the Bull
is

the type of justice,

Farameswarra, and whose whose three horns every joint is virtue are the three Vedhs, and whose tail ends The where Aaherma, or injustice, begins. of Osiris* was an object of worship, Phallus and is also the emblem of Siva. Bacchus or Osiris was represented by an equilateral triangle, and the sectarian mark
body
;

of the
glyphic.

worshippers

of

Siva
of
is

is

this

hiero-

The worship
that

Bacchus was the

paid
the
to

same had the

as

which

Siva,

it

same

obscenities,

same

cruel.

*"

Now

that Osiris

is

none other in

reality than the

great principle of fecundity is further evident from their manner of celebrating the Praraylia (a festival which has

been before observed

of the Greeks), in

to

which they carry about

bear a resemblance to the Priapeia in procession and

expose to public view a statue of the phallua, signifying hereby that ho is a

that every such principle,
faculty, inultipUes
it."

God with
first

a triple-

principle,
its

and

by means

of

generative

what proceeds from or

ot Oairides, xxxvi.

is

produced by

riutar. do Iside

21

bloodthirsty

rites,

and the same emblem of

to

the generative power.

The Hindii
are
thesis.

sacrifices

Durga, or Kali^

a striking exemplification of this hypo-

Mr. Patterson informs us that "

is

When

the stroke

given which severs the head of

its

the victim from

up,

body, the cymbals strike

beat,

the

tumtums
is

the

kranch,

or

buccinum,

blown, and the whole assembly,

shouting, smear- their faces with the

blood

they

roll

themselves in

it,

and, dancing like

demons, accompany their dances with obscene songs, allusions and gestures." *

The

Abbe

Pluche

mentions

the

same

particulars of the assistants in the

sacrifices

of Dyonisius or Bacchus.
Du7'ga,
Kali,

or

Maha
will

Kali as the Sactif

of Siva,

spouse

or

energetic

the

de-

structive power, bears

a remarkable analogy
well
as

with the Moloch of Scripture, as

of the West.
is

with Typhon, Saturn, Dis, Pluto, and other

divinities

She
often

is

eternity,

and

under this attribute

times in paintings

represented as
;

trampling her lord Siva under foot

some-

we

see

her sitting upon

him

in

the act of coitus, by which

we

are

to understand that his worship will only last to the

end of the world, and then to pass

*As.

Res., vol.

viii.

22

away
as

tor ever.

She
the

is

rej)resented

in

coitu

typical

of

creative

power

of

Siva

during the period of his administration, she

being the medium,
or
Sacti,

by

which

his

will is carried into operation.

Maha
cruelty,

Kali^^

delights

in

bloodshed

and

and human

sacrifices are

very acceptis

able to her.

In images and paintings she

pourtrayed as holding in her four hands the

heads of victims streaming with blood.

her shoulders
skulls.
is

Over

thrown a necklace of human

seated on the sacred

She

is

Padma,

or Lotus, and wears a golden tiara on her head.

terrible

Other representations there are of this

divinity,
in

which her features

fangs
project

are

distorted,

hideous

from

her

mouth
like

her fingers are armed with talons,

of prey, while
serpents.

a bird

her body

is

enis

twined
the

with
of

To Maha Kali
She
is

attributed pestilence, rapine, lust, murder, and

all
ills

humanity.

the pro-

tectress

of

murderers,
all
is

thieves,

prostitutes,

panders, and

evil doers.

Under the name

to her in

of Boivani she
Thugs,
t

the special patroness of the

is

The

bufialo

sacrificed

the

absence of a

human

victim,

while

the
is

^ Bhaifdnana, one of tho names of this Gbddess,

Baine as i'hu:be.

the

t Thugs Robbers who always previous to phmdering them.

:

strangle their victims

23

Brahminee

bull

and

cow

are

held

in

the

utmost veneration.

When

the attributes of the

in

Supreme Being
lio^ht

beofan to be viewed
individuals,

the

of distinct

mankind attached

themselves to

the worship of the one

sively,

or the other exclusects

:

and arranged themselves into

of

the

worshippers

Siva

introduced

the

doctrine of the eternity of matter.

to

In order
of
to

reconcile

the

apparent
of

contradiction
creation

assigning the
principle of

attribute

the

Destruction,

they

asserted that

the dissolution and destruction of bodies was

not real with respect to matter, which was in

itself indestructible,

although

its

modifications
;

were
the

in

constant succession of mutation

that the power must necessarily unite in itself

attributes
;

of

creation

and

apparent

destruction

that this power and matter are

two
the

distinct
;

and

co-existent

principles

in
;

nature

the

one active, the other passive

;

one male, the other female

and that
mysterious

creation

was

the

effect

of

the

union of the two.

This Union
of
is

worshipped under a variety

names

Bhava,
&c.

Bhavani,
the

Mahadeva,
attribute

Mahamaya,
creation

Thus

of

was usurped from Brahma, by the followers of Siva, to adorn and characterise
their favourite divinity.

24

This seems to
ship for

have been a popular" wora great length of time, out of which

sects
:

sprang two
dence

the

one

personified

the

whole Universe and dispensations

(in

of provi-

the

regulation

of

it)

under the
the
retains

name
Latin

of Prakriti,
call

and which we from

This
sect

nature.

the

Sacti only, and were the

originators

of the

Sactas sects, or worshippers of Power, before

and hereafter to be alluded

sect took for their

The other symbol the Male emblem

to.

(Lingo) unconnected
(or Yoni).

with the female

sect,

Sacti

There was also a third

to

who
and

adored both male and female.

According

Theodoret,

Arnobius,

Clemens of Alexandria, the Yojd of the Hindus was the sole object of veneration in
the mysteries of Eleusis.*
of

When
to

the people
goddesses,

Syracuse

were

sacrificing

they offered cakes in a certain form, called

mulloi
;

and

in

some temples,
credulous

where the
multitude
to

priestesses

were probably ventriloquists, they

to adore the

so

far

imposed on the

who came

Vulva^

as

make

them believe that it spoke and gave oracles. The Phallic rites were so well-known among
the

Greeks

that

metre

consisting

of

* Demosthenes of the Crown,

t Apuleiufl,
p. 802.

25

three torches
from.

only

derived

its

name

there-

In the opinion of those

Puranas, Phallus was
first

who compiled

the

publicly worshipped

by

the

name

of

Bdsewarra-Liiiga on
;

the

banks of the Cumudoati, or Euphrates

the Jews,
to

and
be
the

according

to

Rabbi Aeha, seem

idea,

have had some

such
is

as

may

collected
different

from
earths

what
which

said

regarding

formed the body of

Adam.*
* Gemara Sanhedrim,
If reference
c.

30, cited

by Ryland.
of Lewis's

be made to chap,

iv., vol. iii.,

curious information will be found regarding the " Idolatry of the Hebrews," which not only

Origines Hebrae,

much

shows that they adored Phallus, but goes far to confirm the hypothesis that the object of veneration in the Ark of the Covenant was the emblem itself, or a
plainly

type of

it.

At p. 23, vol. iii., we read that " The most ancient monuments of Idolatry among the Gentiles, were consecrated Pillars (Lingas?) or Columns, which the Hebrews were forbidden to erect as objects of divine homage and
Yet he adds, " This practice is conceived to from an imitation of Jacob, who took a stone and set it up," &c. Again, " This stone was held in great veneration in future times by the Jews and removed to Jerusalem." They were accustomed " to anoini this stone, and from the word Bethel, the place where the pillar was erected, came the word Baetylia among the Heathen, which signified rude stones which they worshipped, either as symbols of Divinity, or as tme gods animated by some heavenly power." Indeed, it would seem not improbable that the erection of the Pillar of Jacob actually gave rise to the worship of Phallus among some of the Pagan peoples. " For," says Lewis, " the
adoration."
arise

26

The
inof.

extraordinary

analogy

between
is

the

Sacti and Eleusinian mysteries

very strik-

There

is

a Greek Vase in the Hamilat

tonian

Collection

the

British

Museum,
of
Sacti

which represents the purification of a woman

who

is

a candidate for the

office

learned Bochart asserts that the Phoenicians

(at least

as the

Jews think)

first

worshipped

this very stone

which Jacob

anointed, and afterwards consecrated others," &c.

It is to little

purpose that we are reminded that the

Jews were forbidden by their law to " make unto themselves any graven image," for, as Lewis shows in the following
passage, there

may be

exceptions to this, as to every other

general rule.

"Notwithstanding," he says, " the severity of the Law against the making of Images, yet, as Justin Martyr observes in his Book against Trypho, it must be somewhat mysterious, that God in the case of the Brazen Serpent aliould command an image to he made, for which, he says, one of the Jews confessed he never could hear a reason

from any of their Doctors." The brazen serpent continued to be worshipped by the Jews, and to have incense offered to that Idol, till the reign of Hezekiah " For it being written in the Law of Moses, whosoever looks upon it shall live,' they fancied they might obtain blessings by its mediation, and therefore thought it worthy Our learned Dr. Jackson observes, to be worshipped. that the pious Hezokiah was moved with the greater indignation against the worship of this image, because in iruih it never ivas a type of our Saviour, but a figure of his
'

'

grand enemy,'

" &c.

Then wo

find the

Jews relapsing

into Idolatry

by the

adoration of the golden calf, set up too, not by u few HchiHinati(;8, l)ut by the entire poojilo, with Aaron at their
head.

The

calf superstition

was doubtless a

relic of

what

27

(to

use an

Indian word),

she

is

about

to

be initiated into the greater mysteries.

This

woman

is

naked and stands near a

font, in

which her right hand is placed, her body has already been washed with some soapy substance, and scraped with the stirgil, which

they had seen in Egypt in the worship of Apis and Mnevis. Next we have the golden calves set up by Jeroboam at Dan and Bethel. Then follows (Judges viii. 22, &c.) the worship of Gideon's Ephod. " The Ephod made by Gideon vnih. the spoil of the Midianites became after hia death an object of Idolatry." Ibid. p. 41. We have also Micah's Images and Teraphim. The Samaritan Temple upon Mount Gerizim. " The Jews accuse the Samaritans of two instances of Idolatry conamitted in this place the first, that they worshipped the other, that they paid divine the Image of a Dove adoration to certain Teraphims or Idol Gods that were hid under that mountain." Ibid. p. 55. We learn from St. Jerome (who received it by tradition from the ancient Jews, and indeed it is so stated in Numbers xxv. 1, 2, &c. xxiii. 28, and numerous other passages of the Old Testament), that the Jews adored Baal Phegor (Baal Pheor), the Priapus of the Greeks and Romans. " It was," he says, " principally worshipped by women colentibus maxime focminis Baal Phegor, ohohscceni magnitudinem, quern nos Fr'iapum possumus appellare." " The Adoration," Maimonides observes, " made to this
:

Idol called Pehor, consisted in discovering the

mens

veneris

before

it."

ceived the

Chemosh (probably the same as Baal Pheor) also rehomage of the Jews, as also did Milcom, Molech, Baal berith (or Cybele), and numerous others. From all this it will be seen that the Jews fell into

28

is

seen near her

feet.

The
his

priest

who

assists

has a palm branch in

hand, which was

the purifi-

sometimes of gold.
cation

He

finishes

by an

aspersion,

and a prayer adapted

in the

to the ceremony.

The painting on another Vase

same

and Phallic Idolatry too consequently there will not appear anything so very startling in the supposition that the Ark of the Covenant contained a Phallus. We have seen that the Stone of Jacob was held in peculiar " veneraIdolatry,
;

tion" was " worshipped " and " anointed ; " we know from the Jewish records that the Ark was supposed to contain a

and if it can be demonstrated that that stone and yet identical with the sacred name Jehovah, or Yehovah, which, written in unpointed Hebrew with four letters, is lEVE or IHVH (the HE being merely an aspirate and the same as E), this process leaves us the two letters I and V (or in another of its forms U). Then, if we add the I in the U, we have the " holy of holies," we also have the Linga and Yoni and Argha of the Hindus, the Iswarra or " supreme lord," and here we have the whole secret of its mystic and arc-celestial import, confirmed in itself by being identical with the Linyoni of the Ark of the
table of stone,
phallic,

was

Covenant.
effect that "

In Gregorie's Works,*' pp. 120-21, is a passage to the Noah daily prayed in the Ark before the Body of
i.e.,

Adam,"

before the Phallus

(Adam being

the primitive

Phallus, great Procreator of tlie human race). " It may possibly seem strange," ho says, " that this
orison should be daily said before the body of
*

Adam," but a moat confessed Tradition among the Eastern men that Adam was commanded by God that his dead body should be kept above ground till a fulness of time should
it is

Orogorie's " Notes and Obsorvations upon several passages in

Scripture." Vol.

i.,

4to.,

Loud., 1084.

29

collection

is

thus described by D'Hancarville

[vide

Plate 29 of his Edit, of

Etruscan
blesse

Vases] " La
et

Greek
on

and
voit

peinture de ce Vase

I'honnetete

la

pudeur,

representees

deux

Bacchantes

toutes

nues

come

to

commit

it

to the

middle of the earth * by a priest

of the Most High God." " This body of Adam

was embalmed and transmitted from father to son, till at last it was delivered up by Lamech into the hands of Noah." Again, " The middle of the Ark was the place of prayer, and made holy by the presence of

Adam's body." Ibid. p. 121. " And so soon day began to break, Noah stood up towards Adam, &c., &c., and prayed."

as ever the
the

body of
to the

To

return, however, to the tables of stone,

and

Our modern notion of their form is a Pillar of Jacob. diagram, or in other words, two head-stones placed side by
side.

Now

if

we

alter the positio n a little, allowing

one to

recline horizontally,

surmounted by the other perpendicular, we shall obtain a complete Linga and Yoni, the " sacred Name " of the holy of holies before mentioned, and the Pillar or Mast in the Argha or boat as represented in tlie

Ark

The treatment of the Wings of the of the Egyptians. supporting doves, on each side of this ark, conveys to us a pretty correct idea of where the Hebrews obtained their Cherubim or Seraphim only substituting a human head

and body

for the birds.

we

Hebrew dictionary of Gesenias word aroun and aron signifying an ark, a chest. In Genesis i. 26, the word is used as a mummy The ark of the chest, or cofl&n, for Joseph in Egypt. covenant might in the same way be called the Coffin. For the above reasons it is concluded that the object of veneration in the Ark of the Covenant, of the Jews, was
consulting the
shall find the

Upon

a Phallus.
*

Mount Moriah

the Meru of India.

30

du vin pour oindre leur corps et aupr^s d'elles un Ces deux femmes par Faune, or Sildne.
qui vout se laver prohahlement avec
cette preparation et cette

lustration prescrite

par

la

loi

se

disposent

peutetre a assister

aux mysteres de Bacchus.

terons
se

Nous ne

rappor-

pas

ici

les

indecences

lubriques

que

commetorient dans ces brutaux mysteres

qui

et

avex

fondement

on

6t6

reprochees

aux Gentils par

Chr^tienne."
It has

les apologistes

de la Religion

already

been

remarked
is

that

the

secret of the Eleusian Mysteries

supposed

to

have

consisted in the

adoration of the

Yoni;

and from the representations of the

just
cited,

initiation,

bearing

striking

analogy to " the

initiation,"

Sri chakra, the ring or full

as

prescribed

by

the

Tantra

referred

by Wilson, even to the washing of the body with wine, leaves but little
to
rites.

doubt of their identity of the

The probability that Isis was the Sacti (or Power) of Egyj^t * has already been shown and how far its adoration was known to the Assyrians is now to be considered.
*"Now Universal Nature, in It8 utmost and most perfect may bo considered as mnde up of these three things,
and of that which
is

extent,

of Intelligence, of Matter,

the result of

both these, in the Greek language called Koamoa

of these is the

tho

first

same with what Plato is wont

to call the Idea,

31

The numerous
in

terra-cotta figures

and images

which Layard has given the general name of Venus (Kiin), seem unquestionably to be an impersonation of Sacti, or the female power, as the Yoni is rather
ivory,

to

obtrusively

represented

in

many

of

these

statuettes, while the fissure

appendages

are

absent
is

in

and other natural In the others.

former not only

the yoni pourtrayed, but

a certain ornament on the

curled,

mons

veneris

is

precisely
as
is

in

manner

seen in

same conventional the beards of the Male

the
;

Statues in

the

Assyrian antiquities

while

in the latter, the true

Venus, the fissure and

the appendages are omitted.

name of

the Father ; to the second of them he has given the

the Mother, the Nurse, and the place and Receptacle of generation ; and to the latter of them that of the offspring

and the Production

so again with regard to the Egj'ptians,

Nature
to
;

there is good reason to conclude that

to liken this Universal

beautiful

and perfect Triangle

they were wont what they called the most the same as does Plato

himself in that nuptial diagram, &c.

Now in this Triangle,

is

which

is

rectangular, the perpendicular side

imagined

equal to three, the base to four, and the hypothenuse, which In this is equal to the other two containing sides, to five.

scheme, therefore,
is

we must suppose

that the Perpendicular

designed by them to represent the Masculine nature, the Base the Feminine, and that the Hypothenuse is to be looked upon as the offspring of both and accordingly the
;

first of

them
;

will aptly

enough represent
Isis,

Osiris, or the

prime cause
last,

the second

or the receptive
effect

power

the

Orus, or the

common

of the other

two."

Plutarch de Iside

et Oairides, Ivi.

32

One
in

is

therefore led to

believe

that the

adoration of Sacti

was a prominent feature

the Assyrian worship.

bas-relief

And

this idea is

confirmed by a

of clay

found

at

Susa, which gives a nude figure having the

yoni depicted, and holding in her hands the

The attitude of this figure, and the manner in which the Argha is placed
Argha.*
her
in

hands,

resembles

in

remarkable

manner the images of the

Devi.

Hindu goddess

Camala or Laksmi
and generally
be
draped.

is

the

Hindu Venus,

an

incarnation

Sacti

of

Krishna,

Radha, assumed to of Laksmi (but as the adored by the Sactas

is

Sects of Radhahallabhis)j

invariably nude,

with the Yoni uncovered.

For

representations

of

(what

may

be

thought to be) the Assyrian

the
reader
in

Sacti (or im-

personation of the female generative principle)

is

referred

to

collection

of

Images
British

the

Assyrian

department of the
typified
in its

Museum.
(or

The Linga of the Assyrians was

by a cone
puerile

the

Mombrum

Virile

form),

numerous specimens of which

were found projecting from the walls of the

* Origiaals in the DritiBh Museum.

33

Palace of Nimroud, of which

also be seen at the British

examples

may

Museum.
appear,

The
(like

Assyrians

do

not

however

the Linyonijas of the Hindus), to have

Sacti
in

worshipped the
it

union, as

we

find

taught

in

the

Tantras,

at

least

no de-

lineations of the

male and female conjunction

have been found as objects of ivorship. Gorius, in his splendid work on Etruscan
Antiquities,

gives

plate

of

two
of

phalli,

bearing

inscriptions,

the

form

which
but
yoni

objects resemble in too

remarkable a degree
;

the

Hindu Linga
rise
is

to

be omitted here
base

whether the

square
to

from which these

but the Hindii
the

emblems

be regarded as a
;

cannot readily be determined

Lingas are frequently

example)

(as

at Elephanta, for

mounted

on

square

base,

base being the Yoni.

Patterson has already been cited in confirmation of the assertion

that the excitation

object in

of " obscene mirth "

is

a principal

most of the Hindii Plays and Sacred Mysteries during the festival of Huli and the Dusserah ; and the numerous libidines interspersed amon.2f the engravings
carville's edition of

of d'Han-

the Hamiltonian Collection

of Vases, prove that such

in

was

also

the case

Greece and Etruria

but from the circumfirst

stance of Parrhasius

being the

painter

34

who

delineated

the

representations

called

lihidines in that part of the world,

and from

the pediments of

many
one

of the most antique

cave temples

of India,

containing sculpture
is

of this description,

led to the conclu-

sion that the practice arose in the East.

The clown and pantaloon

carnival

of the
are

modern
simply

and
are

our

pantomimes
:

modified relics of antiquity

characters

precisely similar

found depicted

on

vases
;

of

both Greek and Etruscan workmanship

to
suit

but

the taste of

that age these

actors

to their grotesque

masks and costumes added

an enormous phallus of red leather,* which

Suidas termed

ithiphalli.

The
stage

scenes
are

represented
to

on

the

ancient

continued

the

present

day
both

throughout the East.

The

pediments

of

their

temples,

ancient and

modern, and

their

sacred cars
of the com-

are loaded with lihidines,

many

binations being of a most debasing character.

must be borne in mind that these representations, whether of the character of

But

it

theatrical
ture,

performances or
regarded

in

that of sculpancients
it is

were

by

the

as

part of their religious system, as

now

accepted by the Hindus of the present day.

* ituber Porectua.

iior.

35

How
tone

far

the

general

character
will

and

moral

of the

Hindus

bear

comparison
the

with the dwellers in the capitals of Europe

is

a point which
of those

may

safely be

left

to

decision

travellers

an opportunity of visiting
both communities.*

who have had and residing among

it is

Of
more
nor

the practices of the Ancients

difficult
is it

now

to form an accurate judgment,

to

easy

determine

the

precise

period when, from the natural corruption of

human
known
writers

nature, religious observances gradually

licentious practices.

merged into
that
of

It

is

well

the

most

able

and eloquent
exactly
at

antiquity

flourished

that

period
;

when

these

innovations

had

crept in
in

and that they were most eloquent

denouncing them.
of the
are

Modern

notions of the

state

manners and customs of these

from
those very
will

times

mainly derived

denunciations,

and
from

such

corruptions

always form an integral part of our nature.

We

learn

the

Vedhas, the

most

our times, to
Dictionary,

^ One of the most accomplished Oriental scholars of whom the public is indebted for a Telugu

and a translation

of the Bible into the

same

language, a resident for thirty years in India, has recorded

judgment that, on the questions of probity and morality, Europeans (notwithstanding their boasted Christianity and morality), as compared with the Hindus, " have not
his

much

to

hoaat of."

36

ancient

and

authoritative

Scriptures of the

Hindiis, that " in the beginning the Breath-

ing
face

Soul
of
*'

(Brilhm-Atma)
waters."
'^

moved upon the

This
world,"

the

says

Menu, was a chaos, undiscernible altogether, when the Supreme Being, manifesting himself

in

five

elements

and
the

other

glorious

forms,

perfectly dispelled
is

gloom."

As
is

water

thus represented as the vehicle of

creation,

and

the

Padma
w^hich
will

or

Lotus

a
his

water
birth

plant

from
it
is

each be

god at

emerges,

seen

why

this

aquatic

weed
in
is

held
of

to

be

so

peculiarly

sacred

the
also

eyes
a

the
of

Hindus.

The

Lotus
night,

symbol
flower

reproduction

and generation,
silence,

the

of

concealment,

mystery,

and

regarded
as

with

nearly
itself.

the

same
the

veneration
poetical

the
of

Yoni
the

In

language
its

Hindus the Padma, under

lations, is frequently alluded

various appel-

to,

and

is

held

in peculiar

sanctity, not

only in Hindustan,

but in Thibet, Nepaul, Siam, China, Burmah,

and Ceylon, where temples and the images

of the gods are decked with
it.

The Hindus adore the Lotus

reasons
to
;

for

other
able

for

example,
itself

because
the

being

reproduce
the

without
it

assistance

of

male

pollen,

is

typo

of the

androgynous or hermaphroditic character of

37

the Deity.

was

also

For the same reason this plant held sacred by the Egyptian
account
says,

priests.

Payne Knight's*
is

of

the
lotus

Lotus
is

interesting.

He

"

The

the the

nelumbo
water,
forth

of

Linneus.
its

It

grows
of

in

and amongst
a flower, in

broad
centre

leaves

puts
is

the
vessel,

which
a
the

formed the seed

or

shaped

like

bell

inverted
little

cone,
cavities
;

punctuated
or
cells

in in

top
the
cells

with
seeds

which
these

grow
too
ripe,

the
to

orifices
let

of

being

small

the seeds drop out

when

they shoot forth into new plants

in the places

where they were formed

as
until

the
to

bulb of the vessel serving

nourish

a matrix

them
of

they

acquire

such
it

degree

magnitude as to break
they take

open
like

and release themselves.

other
aquatic weeds,

After which,

root where-

ever the current deposits them."

Twelve Lingas are particularly mentioned in the Kedotva Kalpct of the Nandi-upapuran, as being of peculiar sanctity. In
this

Purdn,

Siva
I

is

made

to

say,

" I

am

omnipresent, but

am

especially in

twelve

forms and places."

* A Dissertation on the Worship Payne Knight, Lond., 1786.

of Priapus,

by R.

38

These he enumerates as follows

1

Somanatha,

in

Samashtra,

i.e.,

Sural.

2 3 4

Malihijuna, or Sri Sola.

Mahakala, or Ougein.
Om'kala.

Shrine of Mahadeo (or Great

near

God, a name of Siva) at Om!kala Mayidatta.

5
Hill.

Amareswarra,
Vaidyanath,
at

in

Ujayai,

the

Deoghur,
in

in

Bengal.

(This

temple

is

still

existence,

and

celebrated place
7

of

pilgrimage.)

Ramdsa, at Sethuhandha, on the island Ramissaram, between Ceylon and the of (Here the Linga is fabled to Continent.
have been set up by Rama.)
is
still

This

temple
superb

in

tolerable
in

repair,

and one of the

with
a

most

magnificent

India,

gateway one hundred 8 Bhomasandkara,

in all

feet in height.*
in

Dakini,

which

is

same as Bhimeswarra, a Linga worshipped at Dracharam, in the Raja Mahcndri district, and there venerated
probability the
as

one of the chief of the twelve.

9

Not known. 10 Tryambaka, on the banks of the Gomati

?).

(Goomtee
11

Gantamessa

(site

uncertain).

For a

print of

it,

vide. "

Monuments do

I'Tlindonstaii,

par M. do Langlo."

AIbo, Daniol's Plates, Ind. Autiq.


39

12
laya.

Kedaresa, or Kedaranath

in the

Himavisited

The

last

has been frequently

by travellers. In each of
Siva
that
this

these temples the

only image of

From
doubt
of the

was a Linga. circumstance, and from what has

attracted devotees

already

been
that

adduced,

there

can

be

little

the

religion

of the

Saivas,

or

followers of Siva (comprising a large majority

Hindus of Bengal),
to
in

is

nothing more

than a regular system of Phallic idolatry.

According

his

followers

and

he

has

many even
or
faith,

the

Deccan

Baswd Basavd,
of

Baswapa, the supposed founder

it.

the

only restored the worship of Mahadeo,

and did not invent

his

This

man was

the

son of Madija Hdya, a Brahman, and Madevi

wife,

inhabitants of Hinguleswur-pavatiside of

Agraharam, on the west

and
both

Sri Saila,
of

devout

worshippers

Siva

{Mahadeo).

In recompense for their piety, Nandi, the Sacred Bull of Siva, was born on earth, as
their son,

becoming incarnate

in that

animal

by the command of Siva, who, on learning

from Nareda the decline of his religion and the neglect with which his Lingas were
treated,

manifested himself in
to

a miraculous

manner
in

these two devout persons.

form,

Siva

his

human

and

accompanied

by

40

Pmvati his Sacti, came forth from the great Sangameswarra Linga thus proving that his
;

divine

essence

even
time

dwelt

in

these

his

emblems.^

From
Linga,
into

this

the

adoration

of

the

which and

had
as

languished,

again

came
is

vogue,

and,

before

observed,
of

the
the

principal

most

venerated

all

Hindu Idols of Bengal. But it is not only the votaries of Siva who adore their God under the symbolic
form
of

the

Linga

the
use

Vaishnavas,

or

followers

of Vishnu,

the same medium.

of the essen-

They
tial

also

are Lingayetts, one

characteristics

of which

is

wearing the

Type on some part of their dress or person. The Linga is enclosed in a case either of
silver

or

copper,

and w^orn suspended from

the neck, or on the

arm

as a bracelet (cada). to

These

aumlets

are

intended

avert

the

bad influence

of the evil eye,

and

may

be

compared to the Fascinum of the Romans

and the Jettatura of Modern
* Vide Mackenzie's Collections,

Italy.

vol.

ii.,

Halukanara

MSS.
t " Sequuntur turpia atque obscena qucedara fascina quae Etruscae feminaj collo suspensa gerere consueverunt, ut sibi fecunditutein a Priapo Deo facilius
oxaero,

impetrarent.
:

Ea etiam persaepe taurius capiti adiiincta sunt quae etiam puororum collo tamquum remedium praebiuvo appcnderunt, loco amuleli el faacini, quod Plinius

41

The
sects.

Vaishnavas

are

divided

into

many

They comprise the Ghoculasthas, the

Ramani, and the Badha-hallahis.
both

Yonijas, the

The Ghoculasthas adore Krishna^ while the

Ramani worship Rama

branched
these
into

have

again
of

three

sects

one
of

consists

the exclusive

worshippers

Kj'ishna,

and

only

are

deemed

true

and orthodox

Vaishnavas.

Under the name

Krishna
ApollO;
is

of Gopala (the Shepherd),

doubtless the same as the pastoral

fed the herds

who

of Admetus, sur-

The denamed Nomios by the Greeks. struction of Python by Apollo signifies the purification of the atmosphere by the Sun
from mephitic exhalations consequent on the
deluge,

and

Krishna's

victory

over

the
in

noxious

Kalyanaga may

be

explained

the same manner.

In honour of his triumph,

games and sports are annually held in India [Huli\ as the Pythic games were at stated Like the Pythian times exhibited in Greece. serpent in the temples of Apollo, Kalya narga enjoys also his Apotheosis in those

infanlium custodcm adpellat [Hist. Nat. lib. xxviii. civ.] Horuin plane ingens numerus tota Etruria in Museis obviua est e quibus antiquis reliquiis, summam pudendamque fuisse veterum Etrusorum superstitionera, probe dignoscere Museum Etruscum exhibens insignia, dc, hy licet." Antonio Francisco Gorius, vol. ii., p. 141, a.d. 144.
:

42

dedicated
are

to

the worship

of Krishna.

Nor
for-

arguments
on

wanted
our

towards
sphere,

identifying

Serpentarius,

with his

midable
the

foe,

and the theatre of the warfare

with
are

river

Yamuna,

the

Via Lactea.
said

Apollo and Krishna

inventors of the
flute,

both
turned
Apollo.

to

be

one was disappointed

into

by

Daphne,

who

was

the

Laurus, hence

sacred to

Krishna's

coy nymph was

transformed into the Tulasi,

represented

alike sacred to him.

As Parameswarra, Krishna
of a black
or

is

dark

blue

colour.

Now
all

the

Tulasi

is

the black Ocymun, and

animals

or vegetables of a black or blue

colour are
is

sacred to
either

him.
or

His Linga
dark
blue,

also

always
thus

black

and

may

be
is

distinguished

from that of Siva,

which
Jagart-

generally white.

This divinity, as Parameswarra

is

nauth
verse,"

{Juggernaut), or

" Lord

of the Unihis

and

it

was under the wheels of

sacred car that so

many misguided

beings

annually immolated themselves.

Krishna,
pensities,
is

from

his

known amorous
favourite

pro-

a peculiar
;

with

the

Hindu women
description "

to

which
naive

M. de Langle
allusion,
in

makes the following

his
:

of the character of this divinity

Au

reste,"

he says, "on ne

peut

douter

43

de son extreme penchant pour

car,

le

beau sexe

outre

huit femmes, parmi

est

lesquelles

la

favorite

nominee Rddhd
et

c^lebre
il

par ses
16
mille
le

graces

par

sa

beaute,

eut

concubines
palais
t^tes,

trouv^es

toutes

vierges

dans
a

de
qu'il

Bhoum,

demon (dzoura)
ses

cinq

tua ^ cause de

innoubrable

forfaits.

Suivant quelques
est

theologiens Hin-

dous,

Radha,

une incarnation de Lakchmi

incarn^

femme de Vichnon,
le

lui-meme

sous

nom
To

de Krishna."^

return,

however,
their
sects

to

the

Vaishnavas.

Another of
his

adore Krishna and

mistress

Badha
all

united.

These are the

is

Lingionijas,

whose worship
the Pujas.

perhaps

the
the
to

most

free

of

third,

Radha - halluhhis, dedicate their Radha \ only. The followers of

^ Monumens Ancien

offerings

these last-

et

Modeme de

I'Hindoustan.

of Krislina,

f Radha, Radhiea, or Rukmeni, the favorite Mistress was one of the nine Gopia (Shepherdesses or

Milkmaids),

the inseparable companions of this Deity. an Avata, or incarnation of Laksmi or Camala, the spouse of Vishnu, the universal mother of Nature, and the impersonation of female beauty. She is the type of religion and spiritual love to the deity. Her characteristics are set forth in the Gita Govisida and Gita Radhiea Krishna, the latter Poem bearing a most striking resemblance to the

She

is

Canticles.

The loves of Krishna and Radha, which,

\n their emblematical

in the writings

of the Hindiis are constantly adverted to, are said to

mean,

theology, the reciprocal attraction

44

mentioned sects have adopted

practice

the

singular

of

presenting to a naked girl

for

the

oblation

intended

the

Goddess, constiimpersonation
is

tuting

her

the

living

of

Badha.
obtained
ings are

But when a female

for

not to be
offer-

this

purpose,

the votive

made
of the

to an image

of the Yoni, or

emblem

feminine Power.

These wor-

between the divine goodness and the human soul and are book of the Bhdgavat. In like manner is the Bhdgavat Geeta regarded by the Brahmins, though it apparently consists of a dialogue between Krishna and his ioWower Arjiln. We are informed that in this instance Krishna is to be regarded as the Supreme Being, Arjiin as the human soul. This mysticism abounds in all their It is questionwritings, but is not peculiar to the Hindiis. able whether any of their sacred writings contain one-half of the mysticism to be found in the Apocalypse of St. John.
;

told at largo in the tenth

" The separate Sects or religious systems among Hindus should never be confounded.

that honours Vishnu-Krishna as the

we find The creed Beneficent Power is

that

quite separate

from the demon worship in which Sivaadored and beyond this is the Tantra system Rukmeni is the wife, of Magic and the destroying Powers. not mistress, of Krishna. The wedding is described in the Bhdgavat, which is a canonical scripture. In a later age Radha, the miatreas, not wife of Krishna, is the heroine of a heretical work, the D6vi Bhdgavat, or Tale of the good

Mahadeva

is

Goddess
all

and

siie is

declared to be nature, the mother of

separate,

beings.

The naked worship is quite

Magic.

and apper-

tains to the Tantrica or Black

The Brahma Vai-

vartta Puran, the

Kalica Puran, and some others are dis-

owned by
j)in tlu'ir

the orthodox Hindus, as works of authority,

faith

who

Ail

tlio

on the BJidrrata, Bhdgavata, and Rdmdyan. other Puranasaro rejected."

45

shippers are called

tion

Yonijas, in

contradistinc-

to

the

Lingayats,

or

adorers

of

the

Krishna (Vishnu) Linga.

As
Siva

the

Saivas

are

all

worshippers
conjointly,

of
so

and

Bowanee
also

(Pavati)
offer

the Vaishnavas

up

their

prayers

to Lahsmi-Nayaraiia.

The

exclusive adorers

of this Goddess are the Sactas.

The
consists

cast

mark of the Saivas and Sactas

horizontal
lines
if

of three

on

the

forehead,*

with ashes obtained,

possible,

^--The

question of Sectarian Marks seems to have engaged

the attention of Maurice. as well as in India.

was another remarkable symbol of Taut, or Mercury, prevalent in Egypt

says,
It

He

" There

was the letter X> ^^ ^^ other words in which form we find many of the more ancient Pagodas of India, as Benares and Mattra, erected and many of the old Egyptian statues, as is well known to antiquaries, are represented bearing this symbol in their hand or on their breasts. D'Hancarville, and the generality of mythologists, explain this symbol as referring to the gross physical worship to which the ancients were so greatly addicted, and as an emblem of Jupiter Generator (or Priapus), or the deity in his creative capacity, in Ancient Egypt and India, and which Mr. Bruce frequently met with in his travels through the Higher Egypt and Abyssinia. I have elsewhere observed the very singular manner after which the Latin Vulgate, and, according to Louth, probably the ancient copies of the Septuagint, have rendered the original of that passage in Ezekiel ix. 4, " I will set a mark upon their forehead ; " rendering it in their version, " I will mark them on the forehead with the letter Tau; " which affords room to suppose it was a symbol of a more sacred
the cross, or

Crux Hermis,

(phaUic

?) import than is generally imagined," &c. Ind. Antiq., pp. 44, 45, Lond., 1801.

Maurice,

46

from the hearth, on which a consecrated

is

fir6

perpetually

maintained.
is

The

adoration

of the Sacti *

quite

in

accordance with

the spirit of the mythological system of the

Hindus.

It has been
in

computed that
at
least

of

the

Hindus

Bengal,

three-fourths
fourth,

are Sactas, of

the remaining

three

parts are Vaishnavas, and one Saivas.

Independently of the homage paid to the

principal
Deities,

there

are

a great variety

of of

inferior

beings,

Dewtas,
character

and

demi-gods
formidable
of

malevolent

and

aspect,

who

receive

the
of

worship
Siva,

the

multitude.

The

bride

however, in
t

one or other of her

many and

varied forms,

Sadya

Rites
to

According

among Mussulmans. Buckingham, " Between Zobaub and Ker-

manshah there are a people called Nessereah, who, like those of the same name in Syria, pay divine honours to tlio Pudendum Muliebre, and hold feasts resembling ancient mysteries of

Venus."

fin alluding to Bhavani (Pavati) as distinguished by a variety of names implying Nature, and among others using
that of Shacti (a
called Sacti),

word that

is

usually .and in this treatise

Voyages, p. 327, gives an " She account of the Magna Mater of the Hindus. changes," he says, "and transforms herself into a thousand shapes, and appears sometimes as a man and Homotimes as Her votaries paint the Medhra'' (in Bengal a woman.
Paolino in his
called yoni), " which is represented by two side strokes, and " This mark a red one in the middle " (on the forehead).

roprcHonts the

Paolino^a

womb

of /i/tauani," in its conventional form.

Voyage

to

Malabar.

47

is

by far the most popular goddess in Bengal and along the Ganges. The worship of the female generative
principle,

as to

distinct

from

the
in

Divinity,

appears

have

originated

the

literal

interpretation

of the

metaphorical

language

of
to

the

Vedhas, in
the

which
is

Willy or purpose

Create

Universe,

represented

as

originating from the Creator and

co-existent

with him as his bride, and part of himself

We
"

read

in

the

Kig-Veda the following

breathed without
afflais

That divine

spirit

tion, single,

with (Swadha) her

than
desire " First,

who
her

sus-

tained

within him, other

nothing

existed."
in

Again,
seed."*

was formed
original
also,

his mind,

and desire became the

productive

The
divine

Sdma-Veda
cause
of

speaking
says,

of

the
felt

creation,

"

He

not joy,

being

alone.

He

wished for another, and instantly the desire

was

gratified.

He

caused his body to part

in twain,

and thus became male and female.

and human beings were prothe mother of

They

united,

duced.!
Prakriiifl

gods

and men,

* As. Res.,
t Idem,

viii.

393.

viii.,

426.

X Prakriti is inherent beings." As. Res., xvii.

Maya, because

siie

beguiles

all

48

one

with

matter,

the

source
or

of

error,

is

identified

with

Maya

delusion,*'

and

co-

existent with the Omnipotent, and

his personified energy, his
bride.

his Sacti,

According

to Wilson, "these

mythological fancies have

principally been disseminated

by the Furanas,

and were unknown anterior to those writThe whole subject is given in ings "
extenso
(a
in

the

Brahma-Vaivaartta
is

Furan
in

Purana which
the

not considered orthodox),

Fi-akrita

under

head
of
is

of

Khanda,
to
principle

which the legends having reference

modifications
narrated.
It

the
are

the

female

further stated in this Furayi,

to

that

Brahma^ having determined

create

the universe, became androgynous, male and

female
of a

the right half having the sex and form

;

man
is

the
is

left,

that of a woman.

In his

images

he

sometimes

thus

represented,
" This
is

and

then
of

termed
one
as the

Ardnari.

Frakriti
illusion,

nature

with
is

Brahni
its

eternal,

soul so

active

On

the base of Minerva's statue at Sais,

whom

the

Egyptians regarded to be the same as Isis, a goddess who bears so striking an analogy to tiio ilindii Frakriti or nature, there was this inscription: "i am everything that haahcen, that 18, and that shall be : ncfr has any mortal ever yet been able to discover what ia under my vciV^ Plutar. do Iside

et Odiride,

u. ix.

49

energy,
fire."^^^

as

the

faculty

of

burning

is

in

In another passage of the Samia Vedha

is

it

said

that

Krishna, being alone

invested
all

with the divine nature, began to

things by his

create

own

will,

which became mani"

fest in Mula-Prakriti.

Wilson

asserted f

that

Krishna

is

un-

doubtedly a very modern intruder into the

Hindu Pantheon." In what " modern " is here used is

to

sense the term

impossible

now

determine, but
visited

the fact of

MegasthenesJ
this divinity,

having

temple

of

whom

he

calls

Hercules, at

Mathura on the
of

Jumna,
Divinity

the

Matura

Deorum

Ptolemy,
ante-

sufficiently

proves

that the

worship of this
years
is

was
that

instituted

many
It

cedent to the Christian

a3ra.

therefore

presumed
parative
as

Wilson spoke
with
other
for

in

the

comthe

degree, and intended to imply that,

compared

portions

of

Ritual, the

Vedas

example, the

deifica-

** Thus in the Kuma-Puran, c.xii.,we read, " His energy, being the universal form of all the world, is Maya, for so does the Lord, the best of males, and endowed with illusion cause it to revolve. That Sacti of which the essence is

illusion is

omniform and

eternal,

and constantly displays

the universal shape of Mahesa."

t As. Res., vol. xvii. 214220. % Vide Arrian Ind. Hist., c. viii., also Strabo.

50

tion

of Krishna
be,

is

modern.
which,

However
hke
that

that
of

may may

worship

Krishna, has existed for two thousand years,

be fairly regarded as

part of their

re-

Hgious system.

Although the
authorized
rites

adoration of
of
are

the

Sacti

is

by
a

some

the

Puranas,
clearly

the
set

and
in

formulae

more

forth
called

voluminous collection
the

of

books

Tantras.
in

These writings convey their

similitude

meaning
between

of

dialogue

Uma

(or Siva)

and Pavati.
profess

The
consider

followers

of the Tantras

to

them as a fifth Vedh, and them to equal antiquity and authority. The observances they
':

attribute

superior
prescribe
origi-

have
nal
is

in

Bengal almost superseded the

the
question
of their
obscurity.
in

Ritual, but

date

involved in considerable
practices

From
of

the

described

some
of

the

Puranas,
or rite

particularly

that

the

Diksha,

of initiation, from

the

Agni Purdn,

* Thus in the Siva Tantra, Siva is made to 8i\y, " The from my five mouths, atul wore the East, West, South, North, and llppcir those live are known There are many Seripas the patlis to final liberation. tures, but none are equal to tlio Upper Scripture." KulbJia Bhalta, commentating on the first verse of the
five scriptures issued
:

2nd

ch.

Menu,

says,
is

"The

Scruli

is

twofold,

Vaidika and

I'arUrika, that

Tantra,'*

51

from
prising

the

specification

of

formulae,

comthe

the
in
;

mystical that

monosyllables
other

of

Tantras,
pilations

and

similar

com-

and from the

that

citation of

some of
are

them by name
conclude

in different

puranas, we must
the

some

of

Tantras

prior to those authorities.

The Tantras are too numerous to specify them further, but the curious reader will find them under the heads of Syama Raliasya, Anandra, Rudra, Yamala, Mandra,
Mahodahi,
Tantras.*

Sareda,

Tilika,

and

Kalika-

Although any
objects

of the

goddesses

may be
the term

of the Sacta worship, and

Sacti comprehends of the Sactas

to
is

them

all,

yet the homage

almost restricted, in Bengal,

of
Siva.

the

consort

The
as
is

Vamis,
well
as

or
all

Vamacharis,
goddesses.

worship
Their

Devi

worship

derived

from

a portion of the Tantras.

According to the immediate object of the worshipper is the particular form of worship
;

but
all

all

the forms require the use of some or

five

of the

Maharas\

Mdnsa,

Matsya,

* Vide the Sanscrit copies of the Tantras in the British and Indian Museums.
t They
**

are

enumerated
are

in

the

Mudra and Maithuna

away
all sin."

the five-fold

Sydma Rahasya. Makdra which

takes

52

Madya, Maithuna, and Mudra

fish,

that

is,

flesh,

wine,

women,

and

certain

mystical

gesticulations with the fingers.

trus,

Suitable

mun-

or

incantations, are

also

indispensable,

according
ot

to

the

end
of

proposed,

consisting

various

unmeaning
letters,

monosyllabic
great

combi-

nations
efficacy.*

of

imaginary

When
an
pure adept

the object of worship

with,

is

to accquire
over,

interview
spirits,
is

and

control
is

im-

a dead body

necessary.

The

also

to be alone, at midnight, in a

cemetery

or

place

where bodies are burnt.

is

Seated on the corpse, he

usual offerings, and
or
disgust,
if

to perform

the

he do so without fear
Yoginis,

the

Dhutas, the

and
his

other male
slaves.

and female demons become

In
tised,

this

and many of the observances pracis

solitude

enjoined, but

all

the prin-

cipal

ceremonies comprehend the worship of

or Power, and require,
for

Sacti,

that purbeautiful

pose, the presence

girl,

of a

young and
is

as

the

living

representative

of the
cele-

goddess, t

This

worship

mostly

" It is the combination of H and S called Prdsdda Mantra, and described in the Kvldmava." Wilson, As.

RCB.

t The female thus worshipjwd is over after denominated Yogini, i.e., "attached." This Sanscrit word is in the

53

brated

in

mixed

society

the
or

men

of

which
the

represent

Bhairavas,

Viras,

and

women, Bhanravis and Nayihas. The Sacti is personified by a naked girl, to whom meat and wine are offered, and then distributed among the assistants. Here follows the chanting of the Muntrus and sacred
texts,

and

the performance of the

or

gesticulations

with with

the
orgies

Mudra, fingers. The

amongst
the
description.*

whole terminates
votaries

of

very
is

licentious

This ceremony

entitled

or PuRNABiSHEKA,
tion, t

THE

the Sri Chakra, RiNG or fuU Initia-

pronounced Jogi or Zogee, and is equivalent to a secular nun, as these women are subsequently supported by alms. The word from custom has become equivalent
dialects

with Sena, and thus

(doo-ty-car).

is

exactly the

same as Duti or Dutica,

The books

of morality direct a faithful wife

to

shun the

society of Yogini, or females

who have been

adored as Sacti.

The
reanism.

Sacti system bears a striking affinity with EpicuIt

of chance.

teaches Materialism and the Atomic system (Compare the Ananda Taiviram, c. xvii. with
iii.)

LucretiiLs, lib.

of women and the Sacta Ji'oma vidhi are grounded on passages in the Veda which orthodox Brahmins regard as of doubtful authority. (Vide Rig Vedam, Bk. ii. c. viii. sections 13, 14, 2nd attham, 8th pannam, ricks B. 14, which contain the Siicla Homa Mantram, &c.) * Wilson, on Hin. Sects, vol. xvii., As Res. t Ward, on the Vaisnavis, p. 309.

The worship

The leading
in the

rites of the Sakti Sodhana are described Devi Kadhaaya, a section of the Rudra Ydmala. It

54

This method of adoring the Sacti

questionably

is

un-

acknowledged
the

by

the

texts
for

regarded

by

Vanis

as

authorities

the impurities practised.

The members of the

secrecy,

sect

are

sworn to
years
this

and

will

not therefore acknowledge

in Sacta-Puja.

any participation
apfo,

Some

however, they began to throw

off'

reserve,

and at the present

very
little

dB,y

they trouble
their

themselves

to

disguise

initiation into its mysteries,

but they do not

divulge in what those mysteries consist.

The

Culanava

has
:

the

following

and

other similar passages

the Tantras abound

with them
"

Many

false

pretenders

to

knowledge,

is

therein stated that the objectof worship should be either

"

dancing

girl,

a female devotee, a courtesan, Dhohee

woman, a barber's wife, a female of the Brahminical or Sudra tribe, a flower girl, or a milk-maid. Appropriate muntniff are to be used. She is to be placed naked, but richly ornamented with jewels and flowers, on the left of a circle described for the purpose, with various muntrus and gesticulations, and it is to be rendered pure by the repedifferent fonnulas, being finally sprinkled over wine by the peculiar mantra. "The Hacti is now purified, but if not previously initiated, she is to be further made an adept by the communication of the Radical Mantra whispered thrice in her ear, when the object of the ceremony is complete. The finale is what might be anticipated, but accompanied throughout l)y muntriiH, and forms of meditation very foreign to the scene. " Wilson, As. Res., vol. xvii. 225, on Hiu. Sects.
tition of
ivith

55

and who have not been duly

tend
to
practise

initiated,
rites
;

preif

the

Caula

but

perfection

be

attained
is

by

drinking
;

wine,
virtue
carni;

then

every
in

drunkard
eating

a saint

if

consists

flesh,

then
is

every

vorous animal in
eternal happiness

the

world

virtuous

if

be derived from the union

all

of the sexes, then

to
it.

beings will be entitled

follower of the

Cula doctrine

is

blameless in
of

my

sight

if

he reproves those
established
sects

other creeds

who

quit their

observances.

Those of other
of the
to

who
shall

use

the

articles

Caula worship
are
hairs

be
as

condemned

a metempsychosis
as

during
of

many
body."

years

there

the

The Kauchiluas
Sactas sect
that
of
;

are another branch of the

their

worship

much
are,

resembles

the

Caulas.

They

however,
rite

distinguished

by

one

particular

not

practised by the others, and throw into confusion

all

the

ties

of

female

relationship

natural restraints are wholly disregarded, and

a community of
inculcated.*

women among

the votaries

* This sect appears in the Sankara Vijaya as

Uclichishtha Ganapati or
all

the

Hairamha

sect,

who

declare thai
their intervol.
ii.

men and

all

women

are of one caste,

course

is free

from

fault."

Vide Ward's Works,

and that

5,

on the above subject.

Wilson on Bin.

Sects, vol. xvii.

56

On

the

occasions

of the

performance

of

divine worship

the

women and

girls deposit

their julies, or bodices, in

a box

in

charge

of the Guriif or priest.

rites,

At

the close of the

the male worshippers take each a julie

from the box, and the female to

belongs,

whom

it

even were

she

his sister,

becomes

his partner for the

orgies."^

evening in these lascivious

Dancing formed an important part of the ceremonial worship of most Eastern peoples.

Dancing
temples
also,

girls

were attached to the Egyptian

told,

and to that of the Jews.

are
his

we
all

" danced before the

David Lord
troup

with

might."

And

to every temple

of any importance in India of

we

find a

Nautch or dancing

girls attached.

These women are generally procured when

quite young, and are
early initiated into all

the

mysteries of their profession.

in

They

are

instructed

dancing and vocal and instru-

mental music, their chief employment being

to

chant

the

sacred

hymns,
this

and

perform

nautches before the God, on the recurrence

of high festivals.
service

But

is

not the only

required

of them, for besides

mistresses

being
offici-

the

acknowledged

of

the

Yet these Saeteyaa (or adorers of Sacti) look upon but themselves as " pasu jana" mere brutes

all

57

ating priests,

it

is

their

duty
of

to prostitute

themselves in
all

the

courts

the temple to

comers,

and

thus

raise

funds

for

the

enrichment of the place of worship to which

they belong.

Being always women of considerable personal attractions, which are heightened by

all

the

seductions
art,

of

dress,

jewels,

accomreceive

plishments and
large

they

frequently

sums in return for the favours they grant, and fifty, one hundred, and even two hundred rupees have been known to be paid
to these syrens
in

one night.
at,

Nor

is

this

much to be wondered prise among their number, the loveliest women in the
very
It has been said
classes

as they com-

perhaps,
world.

some of

already that

among the
Sacti
is

from which a medium

is

for

selected,

the courtesan
are

and

dancing-girl

grade

they

indeed

more

frequently

chosen for this honour than the others before

enumerated.

Nautch woman esteems

the
office

it

a peculiar privilege to become

Radha
indeed

Dea

on such occasions.
adepts

It
are,

is

an

which these

on every account,
with satisfaction to
require their aid,

better calculated to

fulfil

the sect of Sacteyas

who

than
girl.

more innocent

and

unsophisticated

The worship

of Sacti (as already observed)

58

is

the

adoration

of

Power,*
Yord,
or

which

the

womb, the by the leaves and flowers of certain plants thought to resemble it. Thus in the Anandra Tantram, c. vi., verse we find an allusion to the 13,

Hindus typify by the

or

Argha

Vulva,

and

Aswattha,

or

sacred

fig-tree

(the

leaf

of

which
to
"

is

in the shape of a heart,

and much

resembles the conventional form of the Yoni,

which

it is

compared).
aadnisam
Yonideidram
rachitam
cha

A&waUha

patra

hhdjdnam.

Tdmra,

riipya,

awoaruaistu

tal

pra-

saayate."

In Ananda
mala.

Tantram,

cap.
is

vii.

148, to

and

other passages, reference

made

Bhaga^
i.e.,

She appears to be the

goddess who
the
per-

presides over the

deified
sonified.

pudendum
and the

muliehre,
is

Vulva

Sacti

thus

In the mental adoration of Sacti a diagram

is

framed,
inside

and the figure imagined

the
Vulva.
face,

to

be

seen

This
i.e.,

is

the Jldha-

mukham,

or

lower

the

Yoni,

Beth, "

we learn that Typho sometimes bore the name by which they mean tlio Tyrannical and overhearing Power, or, as the word frequently signifies, the Power that overturns all things, and that overleaps all bounds." Plutar.

* In Egypt

de laido

ot Osirides, xxxvi.

59

wherein

the

worshipper

is

to

imagine

(mantapam) a chapel
use
of some
or
all

to be erected.*

All the forms of Sacti Puja require the

of

the five

Makaras t
and

Mansa,

Matsya,
is,

Madya,
twistings

Maithuna,
wine,
or

Mudra
certain

that
are

flesh, fish,

women, and

mystical
fingers.

gesticulations

with the

Such
which,

some

of

the peculiar features of

(or

the worship of

Power

Gnosticism),^ and

combined with the

of
Phallus),

Linga Puja
at

(or

adoration

constitutes

the

present day one of the most popular dogmas

of the Hindus.
*

Amanda Tantram.

" Mudra t They are enumerated in the Syama Rahaaya. and Maithuna are the five-fold Makdra, which takes away
all sin."

Gnosticism, he
true creed.

Simon Magus is supposed to be the founder of Western it was who corrupted the Nicolaitanes [vide Apocalypse, ii. 6, 15]. They held sensual pleasure to be the
:j:

In the Foreign Quarterly Review, p. 159, 580, the following passage occurs " The grand object of the magic of the Christians in the middle ages was to obtain the command over the services of demons such were the pursuits of witches. But these were always looked upon as criminal.
:

The

belief that men possess the power to control spirits was not peculiar to the Gnostick Christians. The liturgies of the Roman and Greek churches contain several rules on

these subjects."

The Memoirs
remarkable

of Scipio di Ricci, of Pistoja, reveal

some

demonstrating that Sacteya ideas had found their way into the monasteries and convents of
facts, plainly

Italy in the latter part of the last century.

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