XIII. AN ACCOUNT OF THE PARISNATH-GOWRICHA WOR- TO WHICH Are added, A FEW REMARKS UPON THE PRESENT MODE OF By Lieutenant JAMES MACKMurdo. Read on the 28th July 1813. ABOUT 2,500 years from the first promulgation of the Parisnath worship, Heema Chaarge Juttee a follower of Parsow, much respected among the Shrawuks for his learning, and who had great authority in all matters concerning religion, resided in Puran Puttun†, a celebrated city in the district of Neherwalla, which was at that time governed by a Rajepoot raja named Goonmarpall, who lived about the year of Vikrimajut 1230 (or A.D. 1174). Heema Chaarge succeeded in converting the raja to the Shrawuk religion, and was of that sect who dress in clean clothes and keep their persons purified, and are called Oswall. After thirty years had elapsed, during the whole of which time Goonmur had acted as the disciple of Heema Chaarge, they on one occasion entered into a conversation upon the manner in which they worshipped their gods; and as they had acquired great celebrity for knowledge and sanctimony, they resolved to establish the worship of twenty-four idols, in the form of the twenty-four owtars of the Shrawuks; and having collected all the images of the country in one spot to perform their prutushta‡, from which they expected to derive additional fame ; As the first step towards their object, Heema Chaarge applied himself * This account of the Parisnath Gowdecha or Gowricha is taken from Hindu writings, in particular the Shrawuk Poostuck named Goonmarpall Sid-hant. The ancient capital of Guzerat. The ceremony of establishing a new idol for worship, or of removing it to a new temple. to the worship of four devees, who were supposed to be his council on all occasions. These were Pudmawuttee, Juggur Exhwuree, Kalicka, and Amba Matha*; they all advised Heema Chaarge to desist, and made it appear that his death would be the consequence of his persisting in the attempt. Notwithstanding these remonstrances they persevered in their design, and made a collection of 3003 idols illustrative of the twenty-four owtars, after which they waited for a fortunate moment to commence the prutushta. Two men were chosen to watch for the moment, one of whom was named Pall Chunder, a disciple of Heema Chaarge, the other was Ajeepall, the nephew (by the mother's side) of Goonmarpall; these two however mistook the time, and the prutushta was performed at an unlucky moment, of which circumstance they were informed by the devees, who also declared their days to be numbered, those of Heema Chaarge to three months, and those of the raja to six. At that instant, a Shrawuk merchant by name Gowridass, a native of Soigaum in the pergunnah of Rhaidenpoor, appeared, carrying an image of Parisnath, to which he requested they would at the same perform the ceremony of prutushta. Upon consulting the tables of calculation, the lucky moment had just arrived, and that Parisnath was regularly installed; after which Gowridass proceeded homewards with his idol. He was accompanied by a Coolee and a Soda Rajepoot, the latter of whom having occasion to turn out of the road, the Shrawuk sat down to the worship of his God; and being intent on prayer with his eyes shut, the Coolee, who was at hand, slew him for the sake of his property; but the Rajepoot returning to the spot was enraged at the cruel act, slew the Coolee,. and taking the property and image delivered them to the sons of Gowridass, who dwelt in Wallee Puttun, a city forty coss distant from Puranputtun; after which he proceeded to his home, which was in Parinuggur† in the district of Parkur, with the raja of which he was connected. * This devee is in very great repute in Marwar and its neighbourhood. The temples erected to her many centuries ago, are to be seen in the wildest parts of the high mountains with which Marwar abounds: the ruins are said to possess much beauty. Amba is a ferocious and bloody devee. + Once a flourishing city in the desert inhabited by rich Shrawuk merchants, whose Some years after this circumstance, the city of Wallaputtun was deserted and buried in the sand of the Desert. Thirty years after its destruction, there dwelt in Parinuggur two Shrawuk brothers, who were what are called Nuggur Seths, and at the same time transacted the business of the government; one of these was named Kajul, and the other Vijul. The deceased Gowridas, who is supposed to have become a yuksh or powerful spirit, appeared to Kajul in a dream, and told him who he was; that his dwelling had been buried in the sand at Wallaputtun, that he had now not a single relation on earth, nor was there a soul possessing a drop of his blood then in existence; but that a Parisnath had been overwhelmed in his house, which he desired might be searched for, and placed in a situation where it might be worshipped. He also charged Kajul, if he professed the Shrawuk religion, to convey the image to Parinuggur, and give it to the raja of that place, of whose cast and family the Rajepoot had been, who had conducted himself so faithfully when Gowridas was slain by the Coolee. The spirit directed Kajul to the town, which was again populated, where he would find a house inhabited by a Mahomedan directly over the spot where Gowridas's dwelling had formerly stood. Kajul was desired to give the Mahomedan nine hundred tunkas *, or 4500 rupees, for permission to dig for an image buried on that spot, which would be granted, as the Mussulman had been already warned that a person with a large zeeluk† on his forehead would come on this errand. The spirit further desired the Shrawuk to dig till he found a small pagoda forming part of the house, and in this pagoda he would find the image with lights burning as if the pooja was performing; he was then to remove the image as directed, and make it public under the name of Gowri ‡ Parisnath. temples are celebrated for their richness and elegance. Since the Scindians have become powerful it has been deserted, and is now reduced to the condition of a small and poor town. * An ancient coin of Guzerat. + Distinguishing mark of the Hindoos, painted after bathing. Gowricha. The termination cha is commonly used among the people of Scind, Kutch, Kajul did as he was desired, and conveyed the idol to the raja, who was given to understand that it would be of service to his family. The Shrawuk next dreamt that he ought to build a temple, and the spot which was pointed out in the dream was near two stone images, about one coss and a half from the city. He was first, however, desired in his dream to carry the Parisnath out, and it would of its own accord point out the spot*. The idol was accordingly put into a palkee and conveyed outside, until at a certain place the palkee broke, and Gowricha fell to the ground. Here it was determined to build the temple; but neither stone nor water were procurable in the vicinity. The spirit of Gowridas desired Kajul to dig twenty-one hands to the west in the furrow of a plough, where he would find a marble vein; twenty-one hands on another side, where some rice was scattered, he would find one of gold; and the same distance to the north, where there was a little vegetation, he would find a spring. After these discoveries, the pagoda was begun: but Kajul's brother, envious of his brother's fame and the credit which he had gained in this transaction, invited him to a feast, and it is said that Vijul's wife poisoned the victuals of Kajul, who died immediately. After this Shrawuk's death, his brother wished to perform the prutishta of Gowricha, but the son of the deceased would not admit of it; and being informed of Vijul having caused his father's death, a mortal enmity took place between the branches of the family, which coming to the ears of the raja, he caused the ceremony to be performed by Kajul's son: but the image never sat in the posture in which it was originally placed, its face being turned in the opposite direction. When the raja and the Shrawuk observed that the god was averse to his situation, they prayed that he would make known his wishes; and agreeably to Gowricha's desire, they made a couple of brass pots, in one of which he was placed and covered with the other, and in this state he Kattiwar, and Parkur. Thus Soomacha, the tribe of Sooma; Iharicha; and there is also a tribe in Scind called Goricha. * This mode of proceeding is followed in many instances, and there are few sacred places in the country that have not this origin attributed to them. |