Travels in India (Tavernier) 121: CHAPTER VI Concerning Fakirs, or the professional Mendicants of India, and their penances.
Travels in India (Ball) 121
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CHAPTER VI Concerning Fakirs, or the professional Mendicants of India, and their penances.
121.1
The Fakirs, as I have just said, take their origin from Ravana, whom Rama despoiled of his kingdom, who on that account felt so much annoyance that he resolved to wander like a vagabond throughout the world, poor and bereft of all property, and likewise completely nude. He at once found many people who followed him in this kind of life, which afforded them all kinds of liberty. For being reverenced as saints, they had abundant opportunities of doing whatsoever evil they wished. These Fakirs ordinarily travel in troops, each of which has its Chief or Superior. As they go perfectly nude, winter and summer, always lying on the ground, and since it is sometimes cold, the young Fakirs and other idolaters who have most devotion, go in the afternoon to search for the droppings of cows and other animals, which are dried by the sun, with which they kindle fires. They seldom use wood through fear lest it may contain some living animal which would be killed — that which is used to burn the dead is a kind of drift-wood which does not engender worms. These young Fakirs, having collected a quantity of these droppings mingled with dry earth, make many large fires according to the size of the troop, and ten or twelve Fakirs seat themselves around each fire. When sleep overtakes them, they allow themselves to fall on the ground, upon which they spread ashes to serve as a mattress, and they have only the heavens for a covering.
121.2
As for those who perform the penances, of which I shall presently speak, when they lie during the night in the same position as one sees them during the day, fires are kindled for them on each side, without which they would be unable to withstand the cold; this will be seen at the end of this chapter in the illustrations which I give of the penances. Wealthy idolaters consider themselves happy, and believe that their houses receive the blessings of heaven, when they have as guests some of these Fakirs, whom they honour in proportion to their austerity; and the glory of a troop is to have some one in it who performs a notable penance, like those of which I shall hereafter speak. These troops of Fakirs together in numbers to go on pilgrimage to the principal pagodas, and to the public bathings which are held on certain days of the year, both in the river Ganges, which they specially esteem, as also in that which separates the territories of the Portuguese at Goa from those of the King of Bijapur. Some of the most austere Fakirs dwell in miserable huts near their pagodas, where they are given food, for the love of God, once in every twenty-four hours.
121.3
The tree, of which a picture will be seen at the end of this chapter, is of the same kind as that near Gombroon, and I have given a description of it also in the accounts of Persia. The Franks call it the tree of the Banians, because, in places where there are any of these trees, the idolaters sit under them and cook their food there. They reverence them specially, and generally build their pagodas either under or close to one of these great trees. The one which the reader will see depicted further on is at Surat, and in its trunk, which is hollow, a monster is represented like the head of a deformed woman, which is said to be the representation of the first woman, whom they call Mamaniva. Every day a large number of idolaters assemble there to adore this monster, near to which there is constantly some Brahmin detailed for its service, and to receive the offerings made to it of rice, millet, and other grains. On all those who have prayed in the pagoda, both men and women, the Brahmin makes a mark on the middle of the forehead with a kind of vermilion, with which the idol is also painted. With this mark on them they do not fear that the devil will injure them, because they are, as they say, under the protection of their God. I give here the explanation of the figures represented under the tree of the Banians, marked by the numbers 1, 2, 3, etc.
121.4
1. Is the place where the Brahmins dress up a representation of some one of their idols, as Mamaniva, SITA, Madedina, and other similar ones which are very numerous. 2. Is the figure of Mamaniva which is in the pagoda. 3. Is another pagoda close to the preceding. It has a cow at the door, and inside a representation of the god Rama. 4. Is another pagoda, where Fakirs betake themselves for penance. 5. Is a fourth pagoda dedicated to Rama. 6. Is the form of a grave, where several times during the year a Fakir withdraws, where he gets no light except through a very small hole. He sometimes remains there nine or ten days without drinking or eating, according to his devotion — a thing which I could not easily have believed if I had not seen it. Curiosity led me to go to see this penitent in company with the Dutch Commander of Surat, who ordered a watch to be set in order to see whether he did not receive anything to eat by day or night. The watch were unable to discover that he received any nourishment, and he remained seated like our tailors without changing his position either by day or night. He whom I saw was not able to remain more than seven days out of the ten which he had vowed to spend, because the heat stifled him on account of the lamp in the grave. The other kinds of penance, of which I am about to speak, would still further exceed human belief if thousands of men were not witnesses of them.
121.5
7. Is the position of a penitent who has passed many years without ever lying down either by day or night. When he wishes to sleep he leans on a suspended cord, and in that position, which is very strange and inconvenient, the humours descend to the legs, which become thereby swollen. 8. These are the positions of two penitents who, till death, keep their arms elevated in the air, so that the joints become so stiff that they are never able to lower them again. Their hair grows down below the waist, and their nails equal their fingers in length. Night and day, winter and summer, they remain quite naked in this position, exposed to the rain and heat, and to the stings of mosquitoes, without being able to use their hands to drive them away. With regard to the other necessities of life, as drinking and eating, they have Fakirs in their company who wait on them as required. 9. Is the position of another penitent, who stands for several hours daily on one foot, holding in his hands a chafing-dish full of fire, upon which he throws the incense which he offers to his god, having his eyes at the same time turned towards the sun. 10 and 11, These are the postures of two other penitents, seated, who have their hands elevated in the air. 12. Is the position in which the penitents sleep without ever lowering their arms ; this without doubt is one of the greatest torments which the human body can suffer.
121.6
13. Is the position of another penitent, whose weakness has caused his hands to fall behind his back, not being able to lower his arms, which are dried up from lack of nutrition. There are an infinity of other penitents, some of whom assume positions altogether contrary to the natural attitude of the human body, having their eyes always turned to the sun ; others who have their eyes directed to the ground, without ever looking at any one in the face, nor saying a single word ; and the diversity is so great that it would be sufficient to form the subject of a long discourse. In order to give more satisfaction to the curious, and to enable them to understand matters more distinctly, I shall add here other pictures of these same penitents, which I have had drawn, on the spot, after nature. Modesty has compelled me to conceal the parts which they have no shame about exposing to view, for at all times, both in the country and in the towns, they go about altogether as naked as they came out of their mothers’ wombs ; and although the women approach them out of devotion in order to do what cannot be named for shame, you do not see in them any sign of sensuality; but on the contrary, without regarding any one, and rolling the eyes terribly, you would say they are absorbed in abstraction.