Page:The Indian Antiquary Vol 2.djvu/169

 May, 1873.] NOTES AND MISCELLANEA. 151 NOTES AND MISCELLANEA. ON ATTRACTION AND REPULSION, From the Methnawy of JeUdl-al-dtjn Fumy : lsi Duftur No. I.

When a small sage professed the belief That heaven is an egg and earth its yolk, An asker asked: “ How does the earth abide In this great ocean of the firmament, A lamp suspended in the welkin vast P Does it slide neither down nor up at all ?” The sage replied : “ The attraction of the sky From all directions keeps it in the air; As dome of loadstone molten standing fair Holds iron with itself suspended high.” Tho man rejoining said : “ Can heaven pure Attract this sinful melancholy earth P It bo repels it from all sides alike To fix it amidst awful hurricanes!” Thus the aversion of the blessed saints In aberration fetters impious men In the repulsion of this world and next For either hopeful pledges they have none. You spite the servants of the Lord Most High Because they are aggrieved at your life. They possess the electrum and reveal itv Then they entice your straw, your nature vile; But when their grand electrum they conceal Your resignation quickly turns revolt! E. Rbhatsek. THE MAH JL MiG AM AT KUMBHAKONAM. The town of Kumbhakonam is the scene of one of the greatest of Hindu festivals, the ‘ Mahd Md - gam,’ which is celebrated once in twelve years, and to which people from all parts of India repair, to obtain remission of their sins by washing in the waters of the Ganges, which (according to Hindu legend) are brought, in some miraculous manner to the sacred tank on the south-east side of the great temple. This tank, which is known as the Mahd Mdgam tank, is supposed to possess miracu¬ lous virtues at this particular season, for the god¬ dess Gangd is said to visit the tank once in twelve years to cleanse herself from tho pollution con¬ tracted by her, in consequence of so many thou¬ sands of human beings bathing in her waters and leaving their sins behind them. The purifier comes here to be purified, and at the same timo to purify the multitudes of pilgrims and devotees who flock to Kumbhakonam on this auspicious oc¬ casion, that they may wash in the sacred stream and be clean. The legend given of the origin of this festival is briefly as follows :— The grandsons of a certain king of the solar race who reigned in the ancient town of Ayodhya were commanded by their grandsire to carry to the eight corners of the earth a horse which had been offered in sacrifice, according to the peculiar rites of tho Hindus appointed for the Asioamedha Yaj- na. The object in sending round this horse was, it would seem, that all the kings of the earth might do homage to it, such homage being reck¬ oned a token of submission to the great sove¬ reign of the solar race who had offored it in sacri¬ fice. During their journey tho horse was one night stolen from the princes by the god Indra, who concealed the animal in the lower world close by the spot where a Rishi was performing pen¬ ance. After a long search the princes discovered the horse where it had been concealed, and, ima¬ gining that the ascetic was the person who had made away with' it, they immediately attacked him, while he was still deep in his devotions. The ire of tho otherwise meek Rishi was roused by this sudden and sacrilegious violence to his person, and darting fire from his eyes ho consumed his ene¬ mies, reducing them to a heap of ashes. Through the intercession of the aged grandsire, and, subse-