Volume 1

Rambles and recollections of an Indian official / [Sir William Henry Sleeman].

  • William Henry Sleeman
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Rambles and recollections of an Indian official / [Sir William Henry Sleeman]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    After returning from the groves, I had a visit after break- fast from a learned Muhammadan, now guardian to the young Raja of Uchahara,^ who resides part of his time at Jubbulpore. I mentioned my visit to the groves and the curious notion of the Hindoos regarding the necessity of marrying them; and he told me that, among Hindoos, the man who went to the expense of making a tank dared not drink of its waters till he had married his tank to some banana-tree, planted on the bank for the purpose.- “ But what,” said he with a smile, “ could you expect from men who believe that Indra is the god who rules the heavens immediately over the earth, that he sleeps during eight months in the year, and during the other four his time is divided between his duties of sending down rain upon the earth, and repelling with his arrows Raja Bali, who by his austere devotions {tapasya) has received from the higher gods a promise of the reversion of his domin- ions? The lightning which we see,” said the learned Maulavi, they believe to be nothing more than the glitter- ing of these arrows, as they are shot from the bow of Indra upon his foe Raja Bali.” ® “ But, my good friend, Maulavi Sahib, there are many good Muhammadans who believe that the meteors, which we call shooting stars, are in reality stars which the guardian angels of men snatch from the spheres, and throw at the devil as they see him passing through the air, or hiding him- * A small principality west of Rlwa, and no miles north-west of Jubbulpore. It is also known as Nilgaudh, or Nilgod. ^ Compare the account of the marriage of the tulasi shrub {Ocynium sanctum) with the salayrdm stone, or fossil ammonite, in Chapter XIX, post. ^ There is a sublime passage in the Psalms of David, where the lightning is said to be the arrows of God. Psalm Ixxvii :— 17. “The clouds poured out water : the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. 18. The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven ; the lightnings lightened the world : the earth trembled and shook.” [\V. II. S.] The passage is quoted from the authorized Bible version ; the Prayer Book version is finer.
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