Sani, or Shunee, the planet Saturn. Sankara, a form of Siva, assumed by him to overthrow the Buddhas. Sanyasis, religious mendicants of the sect of Siva. Sasin, a roe, a fawn, or antelope; the vahan of Chandra. Satkara, a deity worshipped by the Sauds. (See Sauds, p. 241.) Satyavama, one of the wives of Vishnu ; also in his avatar of Krishna. Satyavrata, one of the seven Menus; and the holy king to whom Vishnu appeared in the first or Matsya Avatar, p. 14. Sauds (The), p. 241. Savitri, a name of Surya; also of Suraswati, the Sacti of Brahma. Some singular stories are related of the curse of Savitri on the gods, in consequence of Brahma being united to Gayitri, which caused the worship of Brahma but once in a year; the distresses and wanderings of Indra; the avatars of Vishnu; the loss of Siva's virility; the destructive power of Agni or fire, which devours every thing, clean or unclean, that it touches; the inconstancy of Lakshmi or fortune; and, above all, the dreaded Hindu curse of barrenness upon all the goddesses. Gayitri, however, although she could not avert, rendered innocuous the curses of Savitri by countervailing boons; thus, those who did worship Brahma obtained the blessings of this world, and beatitude hereafter. Indra, although often oppressed and driven from his heaven, was restored to enjoy it in peace and security. Vishnu gave, by his avatars, tranquillity, happiness, and vir tue to mankind; the Linga became of extensive worship; and Lakshmi, although inconstant, was always received, wherever she appeared, with smiles and welcome. Sectarial Marks, p. 162, pl. 2. Sects. These I have noticed and referred to under their respective heads in my account of Brahm (p. 1). In addition, however, to the six sects there described, it is to be observed, that the Vishnaivas are divided into two branches, the Goculast'has, and the Ramanuz: the first the worshippers of Krishna, the latter of Rama Chandra. These again are subdivided, one part of the Goculast has worshipping Krishna alone; a second worshipping him in conjunction with his mistress Radha; and a third (called Radhaballabhi) who adore. Radha only, considering her as the active power of Vishnu in the eighth avatar. The followers of the last-mentioned sects have adopted the singular practice of presenting to their own wives the oblations intended for the goddess; and those among them. who follow the left-handed path (there being in most sects a right-handed or decent path, and a left-handed or indecent. mode of worship), require their wives to be naked when attending them at their devotions. Among the Ramanuz some worship Rama only; others Rama and Sita. The Saivas worship Siva and Bhavani conjointly, and adore the Linga or compound type of their god and goddess. (See Linga and Yoni.) The exclusive worshippers of Siva are the Lingis or Gymnosophists. Those of Bhavani, or any other of the female energies, are the Sactas, whose emblem is the Yoni. Seeloochuna, the affectionate wife of Megh 396 nad (son of Ravan), who after his overthrow and death, performed suttee with his head, and ascended to heaven. Sequani, a Japanese deity, p. 341, pl. 38. Sesha, or Ananta, the thousand-headed serpent, emblematical of eternity, on which Vishnu reclined on the primeval waters. (See Vishnu, p. 11.) Seta, or Sita, the wife or sacti of Rama, p. 23. Shaman Religion (The), p. 370. Shatukratu, or Shatkratu, a name of Indra. Shri, or Sri, a name of Laksmi. Silvanka Yoni, p. 174. This, like other forms of the Sacti of Sintiphos (The), p. 326. Skanda, a name of Siva. Sootar (or the carpenter), a name of Viswakarma. S'radha, p. 162. Sruva. Lustral spoons. (See fig. 8, 9, and Stones. Certain stones are held sacred by the Subha, a portico of a Hindu temple. Subramanhi, a name of Kartikeya in the Sudras, the tribe of husbandmen of the Hin- Sugrivu, king of Karnata, who received and Sukra, p. 134. Sumatra, p. 360. Sindhu, one of the sacred rivers of the Hin- Sumudra, or Samudra. The sea; is wor dus. Singhu Vahini, a form of Durga or Parvati. shipped (says Mr. Ward) by the Hindus when they visit the sea, as well as at the different festivals, and on the sixth day after the birth of a child. Surabhi, the boon-granting cow: one of the articles produced at the churning of the ocean. (See Kamdenu.) Suradevi, the goddess of wine, one of the good things produced at the churning of the ocean. After having taken so much trouble to bring her from the fathomless deep, it might have been expected that more respect would have been paid to her. She is, however, at present wholly neglected, whatever value may have been assigned to her heretofore. It has been concluded that, although the Hindu religion has restrained the use of spirituous liquors, the earlier inhabitants of India had no objection to it. Suras, children of Aditi. (See Diti.) Suraswati, see p. 9; also one of the sacred rivers of the Hindus, which rises in the north, and is supposed, after losing itself under ground, to join the Gunga or Ganges near Allahabad. Surpanukha, the sister of Ravan, whose nose and ears were cut off by Lakshman. (See p. 24.) Suti. (See Parvati, p. 79.) Suttee, p. 166. The sketch from which the small representation in fig. 2, pl. 28, is taken, is by an eye witness of a suttee, which took place on the banks of the Hooghley, at Choikdho, near Suk Saugor, a few miles from Calcutta, in December 1829. In this instance, as in that related in p. 169, every exertion was made to save the female from self-immolation; but to every remonstrance that could be urged she answered calmly, but determinedly, that her god called her and she must burn. Swadha, the goddess of funeral obsequies, termed by Mr. Colebrooke the food of the manes. The word appears to possess a mystical meaning. Swaha, the sacti of Agni (the Vesta of the Romans). Her name is repeated at burntofferings and other ceremonies of the Hindus. (See Agni, p. 115.) Swanareta, one of the Adityas, a name of the sun. (See Adityas.) Swardevi, a benevolent name of Bhavani or Parvati. Swarochesha, one of the seven Menus. Swayambhuva, the first Menu, considered by Sir W. Jones to have been synonymous with Adam. Swerga, or Sorgon, the heaven of Indra on Mount Meru. Sydeva, one of the five Pandu brethren. (See Pandus.) T. Tag Bahadur, one of the ten leaders of the Shikhs, p. 227. Tamasa, one of the seven Menus. Tapyasa, or Tapass, p. 165 and 251, fig. 8, pl. 26, and fig. 3, pl. 28. Tara, a form of Durga or Parvati, a variety of Kali painted black. (See Kali and pl. 19.) Tarika, a demon destroyed by Kartikeya, P. 75. Tee, the umbrella which crowns the top of a Burman praw or pagoda, without which it is not considered to be sanctified. In restoring that of the Shoe Dagon at Ran $98 goon, which had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1769, the King of Ava attended with an army of 50,000 men. Temples, p. 155, Teyo-ke-o-dae-sin, the creator of the Japanese, p. 332. Ten-seo-dae-sin, the principal goddess of the Japanese, p. 332. T'hakur, or T'akur, a name of Vishnu. Tila Sesamun, used in puja, or worship. Tookia, a deity worshipped by the Koom- Traga, an abominable practice in use among the Kattees, the object of which is similar to the d'herna, but more barbarous, P. 281. Trees and plants. The bilwa, tolusa, and Trilu, a Brahman, who cursed Siva to de- days and Mondays, and to the southward on Thursdays. Trivena, or three plaited locks, allegorical of the holy rivers Gunga (or Ganges), Yamuna (or Jumna), which join near Allahabad, and the Suraswati, which is also supposed to join the other two under ground. A person dying near the imagined confluence of the three streams, or even those of the Gunga and Yamuna, attains immediate beatitude; consequently self, or selfpermitted, immolation, suttees, &c. are meritorious on this peculiarly holy spot. Trivikrum or the three-stepper, a name of Vishnu. (See fifth avatar.) U. Uma, a name of Parvati. Under this name the goddess was surprised by the Rishis in the forest of Gauri, in the embraces of Siva; in consequence of which that deity condemned every male who should, from that period, enter the forest, to a change of sex. This story has been also attributed to Rohini, the wife of Soma or Chandra, who surprised her in a similar situation with Siva, who accordingly transformed the unfortunate husband into a female. Hence the moon, which was before a male, became of the female sex. (See Chandra, p. 131.) Unee and Unkpan, chiefs in the army of Ravan. Ungad, a general in Sugrivu's army, attached to Rama Chandra in the war of Lanka. On one occasion, when Ravan pressed powerfully upon the gods, Ungad seized him by the leg and pulled him down. Upanishad, a portion of the Vedas. (See Vedas.) Uttama, one of the seven Menus. V. Vagiswari, the goddess of eloquence. Vahan, a vehicle allotted to each of the gods. Brahma has the Hanasa, a goose or swan. Vishnu, Garuda, half man half bird; Siva, the bull; Indra, the elephant ; Ganesha, a rat; Kartikeya, a peacock; Agni, a ram; Pavana, an antelope; Yama, a buffalo; Mungula or Mars, a sheep; Budh, a lion; Shunee or Sani, a vulture; Rama, a monkey; Kama Deva, a parrot ; Durga or Parvati, a lion and bull, and the other goddesses the vahans of their respective lords. Vaidya-nath, a form of Siva. Vajra-pani, he who holds the thunder-bolt; a name of Indra. Vaikontha or Vaikuntha, the heaven of Vishnu, p. 12. Vaishnaivi or Vishnaivi, a name of Lakshmi. Vaishnaivas or Vishnaivas, the worshippers of Vishnu. Vaiswadeva, the gods collectively. In the performance of a Sradd'ha, or ceremonies in honour of departed ancestors, the officiating priest thus invites and welcomes the Vaiswadeva. He places cushions for them, made of cusa grass, and thus invokes them: "Assembled gods! hear my invocation; come and set down on this holy grass." After scattering barley on the same spot, he meditates this prayer, "Assembled gods! listen to my invocation! ye who reside in the sky, and ye who abide near us, (on earth) or far off (in heaven); ye whose tongues are fire, and ye who defend the funeral sacrifice, set on this grass and be cheerful."-Asiatic Researches. Vaisyas, the merchant tribe of India produced from the thighs of Brahma. Vaitarini, the Styx of the Hindus. Vamuna, a dwarf; a form assumed by Vishnu to destroy Maha Bali in the fifth avatar, P. 18. Varaha, an avatar of Vishnu in the third or Varuna, the god of the waters, p. 135. Vasanta (The spring), the friend of Kama the seven Rishis; also one of the seven Brahmadicas. Vasu (A), one of the deities who forma Gana, which is composed of eight. There are nine Ganas, whose principal is Ganesha; hence his title of lord of the Ganas. Vasudeva, the father of Krishna, p. 35. Vasuki, the venomous serpent used as a rope by the Suras and Asuras, at the churning of the ocean, p. 15 and 254, plate 6. The pestilential breath of this enormous reptile was such, as to cause the gods to resort to a stratagem to induce the demons to change sides with them, the former taking the tail, the latter the head part. Siva swallowed a portion of the poison, which changed his throat to a blue colour; hence his appellation of Nilakantha, or blue throat. Vauk, devotion offered by the audible effusions of speech. Vayu, a name of Pavana. Vedas (The), the earliest sacred writings of the Hindus, p. 137. |