“_Guru._”—A Hindu spiritual director or guide. It is a Sanscrit word and
was originally applied to a saint or holy man. The disciples of a “Guru”
are termed “Chelah,” also a Sanscrit word, and meaning pupil, servant,
slave.
Amongst the Mahomedans a “Guru” would be termed a “Pir,” a Persian word,
and in some parts “Murshud,” from the Arabic, and their disciples
“Mureed,” also from the Arabic.
All communities, either Hindu or Mahomedan, have their “Gurus” or
“Pirs.” The disciples usually attend their “Gurus” to the Shrines in the
case of Hindus, and to the Mosques and Shrines in the case of Moslems.
“_Clump of Trees._”—It is usual round good sized towns to build walls,
and outside the walls to plant groups of trees, and to cultivate
gardens, and to provide wells for general use.
“_Kotwal._”—An important Officer, holding in native towns authority
under the Rajah; and the idea conveyed by the name is that of an
official appointed to look after others and to see that they obey the
laws. It is a Persian word, and the office is of ancient date, but owing
to British intercourse is now almost superseded by the term Chief of
Police.
“_Police._”—In days long gone by it was customary for native kings and
princes to attend executions, and the word translated Police here was in
the original “Burkundaz,” literally, a match-lock man, because these men
had charge of prisoners in native States.
“_Kuttan._”—This is a Sanskrit word, and literally means a dagger with a
protected handle. Another name, from the Persian, is “Peshkubz,” but the
handle is different.
The sacrifice of human life to the gods prevailed amongst the early
Aryans of India, and there is evidence of expiatory sacrifices to
“Chandika” to save the life of a king. In this Folk Tale it is the King
who gives his life, in hope of reward from the gods.
—_Temple_, _Frere_, _Crooke_.
“_The number Five._”—Amongst the Ghazi folk there is no actual popular
superstition as to this number being lucky or unlucky; but they glory in
the fact that they were born in the country of the Five Rivers, or
Punjab, these rivers descending from the Himalayas and on into their
parent river, the Indus. Some Mahomedans set rather a special value on
the number Seven, possibly from the number of points that the body
touches the ground in prostration in prayer, viz., the forehead, the
elbows, the knees, and the feet.
In China both the figures Five and Seven are in everything felicitous.
They say that all the forces and phenomena of Nature are based upon the
number Five (their primitive idea).
Hence, Five active organs of the body: the stomach, the lungs, the
liver, the heart, and the kidneys. Five primary colours: red, yellow,
green, black, and white. Five varieties of taste: sweet, acrid, sour,
bitter, salt. Five elements: earth, metal, wood, fire, and water. Five
primary planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Five regions
of the heavens: Centre, North, South, East, and West.
Similarly, as sounds belong to the phenomena of Nature, they must
invariably resolve themselves into Five.
“_Dennys’ Folk-Lore._”
_Note._—In the sacred poetical writings in the Sanskrit tongue
(“Purana,” literally old) “Siva” as the third person in the Hindu Triad
is the “Destroyer,” as “Brahma” was the “Creator,” and “Vishnu” the
“Preserver.” Siva is always represented with a third Eye, and the number
“Five” is a mystical and powerful number with him.
_Note._—Again, all initiated Sikhs who have taken the oath, or pahal,
have Five Kukkahs, or conventional marks of distinction, viz.—
Kukkah Kase The long hair.
Kukkah Kurd The small iron knife kept in
the hair.
Kukkah Kurrah The iron bangle.
Kukkah Kunghah The comb kept in the hair.
Kukkah Kachah The loose drawers to the knee.
_Note._—Also the native jury of Hindu communities is confined to Five,
and is called a “Punchayet.” Indeed, the number is very generally met
with in India as of special significance, both with Mahomedans and
Hindus.
_Note._—In dealing with these numbers our thoughts will naturally recur
to the well-known sayings in the Scriptures:
“Five of them were wise, and Five of them were foolish.” And again, in
the religion of the Jews, how the number Seven is used as a number of
perfection; and again, the number Five in the appeal of Abraham, “Wilt
thou destroy all the city for lack of five?”
_Note._—Sectarian marks are usual amongst Hindus: It indicates
difference of religious sects, not of castes. These are daily renewed on
the forehead after the bath. The worshippers of Siva are known by the
horizontal position of the mark, the worshippers of Vishnu by the
vertical. The customary substances used are earths or white ashes from a
sacred fire, saffron, sandal-wood, and white clay. Circlets are also
used to distinguish sects as alluded to in Ezekiel ix. 4. Rosaries are
universally used in India and elsewhere among Hindus and Moslems, and
are composed of various kinds of wild seeds as “rudrakhs,” or of glass
and amber, and with the Hindus pictures of Vishnu and Siva are often
held in the hand with the beads to be counted.
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