Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
- CHAP. I OF GOD
- CHAP. II OF THE GODS
- CHAP. III OF THE GODDESSES
- CHAP. IV INFERIOR CELESTIAL BEINGS OBJECTS OF WORSHIP
- CHAP. V OF THE TERRESTRIAL GODS
- CHAP. VI TERRESTRIAL GODDESSES
- CHAP. VII DEITIES WORSHIPPED BY THE LOWER ORDERS ONLY
- CHAP. VIII WORSHIP OF BEINGS IN STRANGE SHAPES
- CHAP. IX WORSHIP OF HUMAN BEINGS
- CHAP. X WORSHIP OF BEASTS
- CHAP. XI THE WORSHIP OF BIRDS
- CHAP. XII THE WORSHIP OF TREES
- CHAP. XIII THE WORSHIP OF RIVERS
- CHAP. XIV THE WORSHIP OF FISH
- CHAP. XV THE WORSHIP OF BOOKS
- CHAP. XVI THE WORSHIP OF STONES
- CHAP. XVII A LOG OF WOOD WORSHIPPED
CHAP. VI - TERRESTRIAL GODDESSES
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 October 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
- CHAP. I OF GOD
- CHAP. II OF THE GODS
- CHAP. III OF THE GODDESSES
- CHAP. IV INFERIOR CELESTIAL BEINGS OBJECTS OF WORSHIP
- CHAP. V OF THE TERRESTRIAL GODS
- CHAP. VI TERRESTRIAL GODDESSES
- CHAP. VII DEITIES WORSHIPPED BY THE LOWER ORDERS ONLY
- CHAP. VIII WORSHIP OF BEINGS IN STRANGE SHAPES
- CHAP. IX WORSHIP OF HUMAN BEINGS
- CHAP. X WORSHIP OF BEASTS
- CHAP. XI THE WORSHIP OF BIRDS
- CHAP. XII THE WORSHIP OF TREES
- CHAP. XIII THE WORSHIP OF RIVERS
- CHAP. XIV THE WORSHIP OF FISH
- CHAP. XV THE WORSHIP OF BOOKS
- CHAP. XVI THE WORSHIP OF STONES
- CHAP. XVII A LOG OF WOOD WORSHIPPED
Summary
SECT. I.—Sēēta
This is the image of a yellow woman, covered with jewels: it always accompanies and is worshipped with that of her husband.
Sēēta was the daughter of king Jŭnŭkŭa, whose capital was Mit'hila. Her history, after her marriage with Ramŭ, will be found in the account of that god.
SECT. II.—Radha
Radha was the wife of Ayŭnu-ghoshŭ, a cowherd of Gokoolŭ, where Krishnŭ in his youth resided: through Vŭraee, a procuress, he seduced Radha, and led her into the forest near the river Yŭmoona, where they continued till Krishnŭ left her to begin the war with Kŭngsŭ.
This mistress of Krishnŭ has been deified with her paramour. Her image is set up in temples with different forms of Krishnŭ, and worshipped at the festivals of this god. The act of looking upon these images together, is declared by the shastrŭs to be an act of peculiar merit!
If a Hindoo be charged with any particular act of which he wishes to express his abhorrence, he exclaims, ‘Radha-Krishnŭ!’ Many persons repeat ‘Ramŭ! Ramŭ! Ramŭ!’ on such occasions, but no one says Sēēta-Ramŭ; yet when Krishnŭ's name is to be repeated, they always join to it that of his mistress Radha.
One of the Hindoo learned men has written a work (the Radha-tŭntrŭ) to prove that Radha was an incarnation of Bhŭgŭvŭtēē; and this opinion is quoted by the Hindoos of the present day to cover this abominable transaction.
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- A View of the History, Literature, and Religion of the HindoosIncluding a Minute Description of their Manners and Customs, and Translations from their Principal Works, pp. 229 - 231Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1817