Myths & Legends of NEPAL

The Children's Guardian Angel (Harati Maa)

Once there lived a couple in the land of demons. The husband's name was Unmantak Bhairav and his wife's Harati. They had altogether 500 children, of whom six were kept by the mother and the rest were in the land of the gods.

             The demoness used to fly about in the sky with the children on her back. Whenever she came across other children, she snatched them and fed them to her own offspring. In this manner, many children were lost and their parents, in their helpessness, appealed to the king for protection. Failing to find a solution, the king went to the Buddha and spoke to him about the missing children.

            One day the Buddha went into the place where the demoness had left her children. He got hold of her youngest child, a girl named Jilam Mayaju, and kept her hidden under his alms bowl.

In the evening when the demoness discovered her own loss, she was drowned in sorrow, and in her distress she cried loud and long as if she had suddenly gone mad.

           The Buddha then appeared before her and asked, "What makes you cry?"

The demoness told about her missing daughter.

           The buddha assured her that her child was safe. But would she, he asked in future, regard all children as her own and not only do no harm but protect them.

           Knowing full well a mother's sorrow at the loss of her child, the demoness promised the Buddha to regard all children as her own. Since then she was allowed to dwell close to the stupa of Svayambhu and people visited her with offering for her children. In course of time the fact that she was once a demoness that devoured children was forgotten and she came to be regarded as the guardian angel of  children and affectionately called Ajima Dyah-The Goddess Grandmother.

HARATI MAA

-Niraj Man Singh

william.newrose@gmail.com

6, Aug 2013

 THE ORIGIN OF ALCOHOL 

In ancient times when a man's time on earth was up, Death came openly for him. Everyone was very much aware of the coming of Death.

     There lived in those days a blacksmith, who, loathing dying, planned to cheat Death. He dug a long tunnel and within it, he constructed seven rooms in a row, one room leading to another. He lined the walls thick plates of iron and he made seven strong locks for the seven rooms.

     When Death finally arrived to take him away, the blacksmith was found in the innermost room in the tunnel. "Come,' said Death to the man. 'You have lived long enough.'

     'Oh, sure,' replied the smith. "But could you please wait just a moment right here, I'll return at once.'

With these words, the smith left the room.As he walked out. he locked the rooms one after another until Death was imprisoned in the tunnel, behind seven locked doors. Then men did not die any more. The great Shiva was worried.One day Parvati spoke to her spouse:

     "You seem very worried. Tell me what is wrong, My dear.'?

'Ah, there is much to worry about in the world.' Lord Shiva replied. 'Right now there is a very serious problem. People are not dying any more. Can you imagine a greater misfortune than this?'

     'Why. where is Death?' asked Parvati.

     'That is what I'd like to know,' said Lord Shiva.

     'Ah, do not too much.' said Parvati.'I'll find it out.'

Soon afterwards, Parvati appeared on earth as an ordinary woman. She found herself a house to live in. She bought grain from the market. She made a mash of the grain and distilled spirit from it. She then set up a shop and coaxed people to drink the sprite.

     Not many people wanted to drink at first, but very soon. even thought she warned that the drink could cause death, the people crowded the shop every day.

   Under the power of the drink, the men felt relaxed. They unloosened their tongues and they bragged. Sometimes they quarreled among themselves. They just loved to drink all the time.

    One day, the blacksmith came to the shop for a drink.

    ' Don't drink too much,' Parvati warned him. "You may die".

    At this the man laughed aloud: "Oh . don't worry about me,' he said. I'll not die. I have Death behind seven locks.'

After this disclosure, it did not take long for Parvati to set Death free. From that time Death came upon men stealthily, often taking them by surprise.And from that time men have made their own drinks.

-Niraj Man Singh

william.newrose@gmail.com

6,Aug 2013

DAKSHINKALI

Dakshin Kali Maa

About eighteen kilometers south of Kathmandu city, situated in a small clear water valley surrounded by the evergreen forest hills, is a beautiful golden shrine popularly known as Dakshinkali where every Tuesday and Saturday (besides on other special occasions too) lots of devotees go to worship Kali, the terrifying goddess of time or death, make animal sacrifices to her and celebrate themselves having feast and fun to the full satisfaction of their religious sentiments.

      Kali , who is said to be the blood-thirsty wife of Lord Shiva, represents the destructive aspect of cosmic energy or shakti . In the representation of arts, she is generally shown being black with long disheveled hair, having four hands and standing almost naked on a dead human body (sometimes on lord Shiva Himself). Her being black is believe to symbolize the immeasurable depth of ever-watching time. She is also regarded as a great holder of time cycle. which she is to keep moving without any shop. Her being depicted as standing up in restless mood with long unkempt hair is to signify her non-stop activity. Her favourite jewellery is the garland of human heads, which she always wears.Her four hands symbolize her power spreading in all four directions. One of her hands holds the severed head of a human being and the other hand holds a drawn sword. However, two of her other arms indicate the gesture of boon giving and assurance for protection to her devotees.

Dakshin kali Temple

They symbolize the primordial energy, which Kali particularly represents. It should be remembered in this context that Kali is both the act and the agency of transformation. Her chopping of the human head symbolizes the compulsory sacrifice that must be made by every matter form (mortal being) to be transformed into its supreme reality. The sharp sword that she holds signifies the supreme knowledge, which is free from pride and prejudice and every cut of this divine sword, stands for her great act to keep the world moving.

   According to an esoteric shakti cult, humans have five most undesirable demerits (anger, lust, stupidity, apathy and timidity) which are represented by water buffalo, goat, sheep, duck and rooster, respectively. To get rid of these five strong weaknesses, in order to retain the perfect stage of self-realization, sacrifices are made to Kali.

     People usually choose the animals for sacrifice depending upon their status and wishes. Sometimes, the rich Hindu families bring all five kinds of animals and have their family priests perform the long ritualistic worship which is locally known as the Panch Vali Puja. Otherwise, the commonest animal for sacrifice is the rooster, and then the goat. The sheep and the ducks are sacrificed only in rare cases. However, those who cannot afford any of these sacrifice animals never forget to bring raw eggs, which are also believed to symbolize the live animals.

Animals  Sacrifice

     It is interesting to note that before the sacrifice starts, animals are taken down to the stream for purification bath and worshiped and fed with little bit of all the foods prepared for the occasion. After that the sacrificer undergoes the resolve rites with the priest seated right across and eventually sprinkles the holy water over the animal and wait till the animal gives a thorough shake. This kind of ritual shake is regarded as mandatory and a wishful consent of the animal for the sacrifice. Soon after the head of the animal is chopped off, a small piece of its tail is immediately tucked in its mouth, which is to signify that its beastly nature is now gone for ever. The sacrificers also set the animal head right in front of the Kali images and light the ritual lamp atop the head which is said to signify that the animal is now all enlightened. In any case, the worshipers always make a big feast out of the sacrificed animals and enjoy themselves.

-Niraj Man Singh

Kirtipur-3, Kathmandu, Nepal

william.newrose@gmail.com

6, Aug 2013