Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajput States of India v3.c43.t1.37

v3.c43.t1.37

Shrine of Sukhdeo. Human Scapegoats.—By the stupidity of my guide, and the absence of the indefatigable Balgovind, my Brahman antiquarian pioneer, I lost the opportunity of seeing the shrine of Sukhdeo, situated in a dark cleft of the rock, not two miles from the pass where I ascended. In excuse, he said he thought, as my camp was near, that it would be easy to descend to the shrine of the “ease-giving” god, Sukhdeo (from sukh, ‘ease’);² but revocare gradum was an evil which, added to the necessity of extracting all the information I could from some of the opium-growers in attendance, deterred me. The abode of Sukhdeo is in a deep recess, well-wooded, with a cascade bursting from the rock near its summit, under a ledge of which the symbolic representative is enshrined. Around it are several guphas or caves of the anchorite devotees ; but the most conspicuous object is a projecting ledge, named Daitya-ka-har, or ‘ Giant’s-bone,’ on which those who are in search of “ ease ” jump from above. This is called the Vira-jhamp, or ‘ warrior’s-leap,’ and is made in fulfilment of vows either for temporal or future good.¹ Although most of the leapers perish, some instances of escape are recorded. The love of offspring is said to be the principal motive to this pious act of [629] saltation ; and I was very gravely told of one poor woman, whose philoprogenitive bump was so great, that she vowed to take the leap herself with her issue ; and such, says the legend, was her faith, that both escaped. A Teli, or oilman, was the last jumper of Sukhdeo, and he was no less fortunate ; to him the ‘ giant’s-bone ’ was a bed of roses. So much for the faith of the oilman of Jawad ! There are many such Leucotheas in this region of romance :² that at Omkar, on the Nerbudda, and the sacred mount Girnar, are the most celebrated.