Storia do Mogor 281.22
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 281.22
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- English
281.22.1
By everything relating to this marriage that I have just recounted, you can see to what point complaisance for these Christians is carried by the reverend Jesuit fathers, for I can assure you it is everywhere the same. The judicious Christian reader can pass judgment better than I can on this indulgent attitude, and decide what harm it must have done to our holy religion. I have not proposed to myself anything beyond a statement of the bare facts, and on these each man can make his own reflections. Let those who can and ought to apply a remedy do so according as they may judge best, but I pass on to other things which will not be found any less strange. Since first the Christian religion was established in the world, it has till now been a thing unheard of to have nocturnal processions. But the reverend fathers have begun this novelty, making no scruple, from their first occupation of the cure of Pondicherry, to imitate the Hindus in this matter ; I give here a description of one held in the night between the 14th and the 15th of the month of August [1701] on the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin.
281.22.2
It began a little after nine o'clock in the evening without any preceding form of devotion. It had more the style of a play, as have all the processions and marriages of the Hindus and Mahomedans, and was not at all like a devout Christian function. A new spectacle was afforded us : Christian piety changed into cries, into torch illuminations, into rockets and other fireworks made with powder of sulphur and 'chanffre.' It is true that the cross was in the first place, but so smothered in flowers that it was impossible to see it. To this I must add that in the previous year it did not appear at all, probably not to shock these recent Christians of new manufacture. The statue of the Virgin was in the procession, but surrounded by parasols, while several persons fanned it, and drove off the flies with handkerchiefs. A number of Christians and Hindus followed, just as you see them follow in a marriage, and in no order. The former (the Christians) joined because they had no real devoutness ; the latter (the Hindus), because they held the image to be that of Bagavaty (Bhagavati) and of Ram. As to the history of these gods, the reader will be pleased to learn something, however ridiculous it may be.
281.22.3
Bhagavati was the daughter of a queen who, after she had lost her husband and her children [68], had communication with a young girl, and, conceiving, bore Bhagavati. She bears various names, such as Bangavaty (? Bhanumati), Dessarota (? Durga), and others. But the most remarkable is Parmansuer (Paramesvari), which is special to her ; just as that of Permansuer (Paramesvara) is to the Supreme Being. Thus just as ' Paramesvara ' means ' god,' so does ' Paramesvari ' mean ' goddess.' The history of this goddess is such a tangle, and so strongly opposed to common-sense, that it is a difficult matter to put it clearly and into such order as would be desirable. For they relate that she married, that she became with child by a shower of gold, and that she brought forth Ram. Some say Vishnu came down from heaven in the shape of this shower, then changed himself into an infant, and entered her womb. In short, somehow or other this child when born was named Ram, and these idolaters have such respect for him that his name is oftener on their lips than that of Jesus upon those of the devoutest of Christians. Their usual salutation on meeting is ' Ram, Ram.'
281.22.4
They depict this pretended goddess with a child in her arms ; they celebrate a festival, and hold a procession in her honour. It takes place wherever her idols are worshipped in the month of Baderca [Bhadraka], which corresponds to the moon of September, the date on which the Assumption Festival is celebrated, as everyone knows. This is the reason that these Hindus, seeing this image carried at night in procession with the same ceremonial as they observed themselves, concluded readily enough that it was that of their Bhagavati, and turned out to take part and do her honour.
281.22.5
The reverend fathers, to whom I return, are not satisfied with imitating these idolaters in their processions ; they have gone farther, for they have forced the Christians to make use of certain ashes made of cow-dung. This product is much revered by Hindus, and for this reason they call it ' holy ashes.' They attribute to it various virtues which I will not detail, since I have spoken of them before (III. 114 ; IV. 66). Suffice it to say that their reverences not only approve of, but insist upon, their disciples making use of these ashes just as the idolaters do. All the same, it is necessary for me to add that these holy men observe great precautions against any accusation of indifference or weakness they might be reproached with in regard to Hindu superstitions. The fathers see that when the Christians go to the market to buy the ashes (where they are ordinarily on sale) their blessing is said over them before the converts use them. To this may be added that when anyone is to use the ashes, the fathers take the express precaution of forbidding the invocation of any false god, as is done by Hindus [69]. Still, that does not hinder the Hindus from seeing these Christians displaying these ashes just in the way they do themselves, and thus they really believe them to be of their religion and to hold the same opinions as themselves.
281.22.6
The ashes of which I speak are something extraordinary, and in spite of what I have just been saying, I will not set out all their virtues according to the belief of the Hindus. Yet I find some points so singular that I believe they will interest my readers. First of all, you must know that the Hindus in this country are divided into several sects, and that each sect has its sign or mark to distinguish it from the others. In short, this mark is applied on the forehead, on the arms, and on the abdomen, et cetera. They are just like, in that respect, to anti-Christ, of whom there is mention in the Apocalypse as bearing the mark of the Beast. In the same way these idolaters bear according to their different sects the mark of their beast, which is the Cow, an animal which they venerate so deeply that they believe the dung, the urine, the milk, the buttermilk, and the butter produced by it, when mixed together and drunk, to be sufficient to wipe away all sin. Thus it is on the pretended virtues and merits of this beast that they place all their reliance and confidence. This is the reason that they call the ashes which they obtain from its burnt dung 'holy ashes.' They use them in different ways, but here are the different devices and their names. These are impressed or marked upon them with the said ashes: Lalati [Lalati] I Ordepound [Ordhpund] V Tripound [Tripund] = Bandouki [Binduka] O
281.22.7
Lalati (Lalat), I, is the distinctive sign of those who worship Roudra (Rudra) and his son Seti (Sati). This Rudra is, these madmen say, the God of life and death; thus he subjects everyone to either whenever he wishes, and creates or kills whom he will. He is the third person of their false Trinity, according to some. But others say that it is Siva. This mark is imprinted or placed on the forehead, arms, breast, elbow, abdomen, thighs, and knees, invoking each time the name of Rudra and Sety (Sati). Ordepound (Ordhpund), V, is the distinctive mark of the worshippers of Vishenou, or Visnu (Vishnu). They profess to represent thereby a very disgraceful thing, to name which modesty forbids. It is impressed on their foreheads while they invoke Vishnu. Sometimes they insert a red dot in the middle.
281.22.8
The Tripound (Tripund), [symbol], is the distinctive sign of those who worship equally all the false gods. They rub the ashes on their hands [70], and then apply them to their heads. One hand has the three middle fingers bent with the thumb and the little finger extended; the other hand is held open. They repeat the words Naroutchi hersu, which means [blank in text]. They join their hands, and make the tripund with either three or four fingers, as they please, saying Nettrichada Chivon (Netti + Chutti + Sivam)—that is, 'To the head come Chiva or Siva.' This is one of the gods of their pretended Trinity. According to some accounts they next apply the ashes to their breast, saying Marphou majesserent—that is to say, 'Let Rudra be on my breast.' This, too, is, as some state, another person of their false Trinity, the one who presided over death.