Page:Works of Tagore from the Modern Review, 1909-24 Segment 1.pdf/109

Rh shadowy ideal image of his heart had come out of it and was steadfastly gazing at his face in the hour of death.

The lady spoke, "I am the Princess Invicta!"

With a supreme effort the poet sat up in his bed.

She continued,—"The king has not done thee justice. Thine is the victory, poet. Lo! I have come to give thee the victor's garland."

So saying she took off from her person a flower-garland of her own weaving, and placed it round the poet's neck. The death-stricken poet sank down on his bed.

2em

N the mass of literature called the Puranas, hundreds of myths are embedded which pass unknown to all but the inquisitive, amongst the Hindus of today. Yet each one of these must have had importance at the time of its origin, and by careful examination might be induced to yield up its historical secret. One such curious legend concerns Saturn or Shani. At the birth of Ganesha, eldest son of the Mother of the Universe, his cradle was visited, it is said, by gods, and demi-gods. Only one exception was there. Shani did not come. At last this fact was noticed by the Great Mother, and She enquired the reason of his absence. She was told that he feared to harm Her child, since it was matter of common knowledge that the head of one on whom Shani looked, was like to be burned to ashes at his glance. With easy pride, the Mother smiled, and assuring him that Her son could not be subject to his power, sent him a message of warm invitation and welcome. Accordingly, Shani came. But what was the horror of all present, when he looked at the babe, and instantly its head disappeared in a flame. How much greater was Shani than anyone had suspected!

At this catastrophe the Mother was profoundly disturbed, and commanded Her guest, somewhat sharply, at once to restore the head of Her child. But Shani smiled pleasantly, and pointed out that the head, as such, no longer existed. It lay in ashes before them. "Then send forth a servant, and let him bring Me the head of the first one he meets!" commanded the Mother, in effect and Shani had no option save to obey. Only one who is in fault can be subject to Shani, and his emissary found none inadvertently doing wrong, till suddenly he came upon an elephant sleeping with his head to the north. This trifling fault brought him under the jurisdiction of Shani, and hastily the servant cut off his head, and returned to put it on the infant's body. It is for this reason that Ganesha wears an elephant's head.

Two or three points are noteworthy here. The intention of the story is of course to show the power of Shani, and consequently the necessity for his propitiation. But as usual, in obedience to the Indian instinct for synthesis, the new claimant to more or less divine honours is also made to explain some anomaly in the faith that preceded him. And the faith with which Shani is thus connected, the tree on which the new belief is grafted, is the worship of Ganesha, perhaps the oldest of organised and sacerdotalised popular worships in India. This fact alone is eloquent of the antiquity of the propitiation of Shani. It is interesting also to see that the very point in the image of Ganesha that is so anomalous and tantalising to ourselves, was held similarly inexplicable at the time of the incoming of Saturn, and the. other planets. Whatever piece of symbolism this white head on the red body originally expressed, whether it was the setting sun beneath the clouds, or what not, was now long ago