Storia do Mogor 252: CHAPTER V · BELIEFS OF THE HINDUS ABOUT THE PLANETS
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 252
- Language
- English
CHAPTER V · BELIEFS OF THE HINDUS ABOUT THE PLANETS
252.1
These people accept the twelve celestial signs, and with them the twenty-seven fixed stars, to which they give proper names in their language. They assert in their astronomical treatises that the sun moves above the earth at a distance of six hundred and twenty-five thousand leagues, and the moon is raised above the sun a similar distance. This is the reason, so they say, that eclipses are not caused by the interposition of the moon between the earth and the sun. But here follows what they declare to be the cause. When the gods and the giants were removing the butter from the milky ocean, Vishnu, when he interfered with the giants, gave a feast at which this nectar was served out to all the gods invited by him. But the snake Sesham, whom they call one of the principal gods, was not present at this banquet. Sun and Moon, whom they style the most luminous of the gods, were most greedy, and ate the snake's portion. On his subsequent arrival the snake missed his share. The other gods informed him that the Sun and Moon had eaten it, when the snake, filled with rage and wrath, swore to make them find it a bitter morsel ; when he found it convenient, he meant to swallow them and punish them for their greediness.
252.2
If he spoke well, he acted still better. When he swallows the sun, that planet is in eclipse ; and when it is the moon he swallows, the moon is eclipsed. But in order that the world be not left in an unending night, the gods, the Brahmans, and others, never fail to bathe at these conjunctures, and offer up prayers, not only with fasting, but with the shedding of many tears. They ardently implore the snake that he be pleased to release the sun or the moon, according to which of them is in eclipse. Such is their persistence in these prayers, that for one day before the completion of the eclipse they neither eat nor drink, they cook nothing, and allow no food to be in their houses. They declare that the eclipse only ends because the snake Sesham, being affected by so many prayers, releases those two great planets that he had already swallowed.
252.3
With regard to time, they divide it into four parts, which they call Nerutavigam (Krita-yugam), Duabraingam (Dwapara-yugam), Terridasugam (Treta-yugam), and Calvigam (Kali-yugam). Their belief is that the first three ages of the world have passed, and that those were true golden ages, not only in length, but in their nature, owing to the good fortune and the pleasant lives which all the world had and enjoyed. In the third age lived a king, the father of Rama, of whom I spoke in the life of Vishnu. This man lived sixty thousand years without having issue. Then in his old age and decrepitude he had a son. This vingano (yugam), or age of the world, has not had, according to my authors, any beginning or end, nor do they state any principle of its age or being.
252.4
As for the fourth age, the one now in existence [no], it is, they say, an iron age, both for the misfortunes and hindrances men undergo in it, and for the short duration of their lives. They suppose that this age began four hundred thousand four hundred and forty-eight years ago. In spite of the lapse of such a long period, there are still many more years to come than the number already past before it will come to an end. They say that what has passed is in comparison with what is to come, as is a mustard-seed to a pumpkin. In this fabulous account the Hindus are divided into two contrary opinions. Some say that at the end of this fourth age of the world there will be no subsequent age. The others assert that the world is to endure for ever, and on the conclusion of this iron age, the vanished golden ages will arise anew and begin their course once more.
252.5
Although the four ages spoken of above are celebrated among these idolaters, they relate also, in a book they call the 'Chronicles of the World,' that preceding these four ages there had been fourteen others. The first of these, they say, lasted one hundred and forty millions of years ; the second, one hundred and thirty ; the third, one hundred and twenty ; the fourth, one hundred and ten ; the fifth, one hundred million years ; the sixth, ninety millions ; the seventh, eighty millions ; the eighth, seventy millions ; the ninth, sixty millions ; the tenth, fifty millions ; the eleventh, forty ; the twelfth, thirty ; the thirteenth, twenty ; the fourteenth, ten millions of years ; the fifteenth, nine millions and sixty thousand years ; the sixteenth, seven millions five hundred thousand and three hundred years ; the seventeenth, five millions and nine hundred thousand years ; the eighteenth, four millions five hundred thousand and three hundred years. To this fable of the age of the world, which by computation comes to 1,076,960,600 years, they add the total length of the planets' existence, which they consider to be animated by a reasoning soul. Nay, they insist that they are gods, that they are married, and have many children.