ANIMAL WORSHIP.
The following animals, birds and insects are respected by the
Hindus:--The cow, bullock, she-buffalo, horse, elephant, tiger, deer,
mouse, goat, ants and alligators; and among the birds the following
are held sacred:--Peacock, swan, eagle and kokil or cuckoo.
Of all the animals the cow is considered to be the most sacred by
Hindus. It is generally worshipped daily in the morning for the whole
year, or at least for the Cháturmás or four months beginning from the
11th day of the bright half of Ashádha to the 11th day of the bright
half of the month of Kártika; and a special worship is offered to it
in the evening on the 12th day of the dark half of Ashvin (October).
The cow is believed to be the abode of all the deities and rishis. It
is compared with the earth in its sacredness, and it is considered
that when it is pleased it is capable of giving everything required
for the maintenance of mankind, and for this reason it is styled the
Káma Dhenu or the giver of desired objects. It is said that a person
who walks round the cow at the time of its delivery obtains the punya
or merit of going round the whole earth. The cow is even worshipped
by the god Vishnu.
The cow is considered next to a mother, as little children and the
people in general are fed by the milk of a cow. Some women among high
class Hindus take a vow not to take their meals before worshipping
the cow, and when the cow is not available for worship, they draw in
turmeric, white or red powder the cow's foot-prints and worship the
same. At the completion of the vow it is worshipped, and then given
as a gift to a Bráhman. It is considered very meritorious to give a
Gopradán--a gift of a cow along with its calf--to a Bráhman. The sight
of a cow in the morning is believed by all Hindus to be auspicious.
The bullock is respected by the people as it is the favourite vehicle
of the god Shiva, and is very useful for agricultural purposes. The
Nandi or bull is worshipped by Hindus. The bullock is specially
worshipped on the 12th day of the bright half of Kártika. When
performing the funeral rites of the dead, a bull is worshipped and set
free. The bull thus set free is considered sacred by the people, and
is never used again for agricultural or any other domestic purposes.
In order to avoid calamities arising from the influence of inauspicious
planets, Hindus worship the she-buffalo, and offer it as a gift
to a Bráhman. The she-buffalo is compared with the Kál Purusha or
the god of Death, the reason being that Yama is believed to ride a
buffalo. The Bráhman who accepts this gift has to shave his moustaches
and to undergo a certain penance. The cowherds sometimes worship the
she-buffalo. As it is the vehicle of Yama, the buffalo is specially
worshipped by people when an epidemic occurs in a village. In
certain villages in the Konkan districts the buffalo is worshipped
and sacrificed on the same day.
The horse is the vehicle of the deity Khandoba of Jejuri. It is
worshipped on the Vijaya Dashami or the Dasara holiday as in former
days, on the occasion of the horse sacrifice or Ashwamedha.
The elephant is the vehicle of the god Indra and is specially
worshipped on the Dasara day. It is also believed that there are
eight sacred elephants posted at the eight directions. These are
called Ashtadik-Pálas, i.e., the protectors of the eight different
directions, and they are worshipped along with other deities on
auspicious ceremonial occasions, like weddings, thread-girding, etc.
The deer and the tiger are considered to be holy by Hindus, and
their skins are used by Bráhmans and ascetics while performing
their austerities. The deer skin is used on the occasion of thread
girding. A small piece of the deer skin is tied to the neck of the
boy along with the new sacred thread.
The mouse, being the vehicle of the god Ganpati, is worshipped along
with that deity on the Ganesh Chaturthi day, the fourth day of the
bright half of Bhádrapada.
The goat is believed to be holy for sacrificial purposes. It is
worshipped at the time of its sacrifice, which is performed to gain
the favour of certain deities.
The ass is generally considered as unholy by the Hindus, and its mere
touch is held to cause pollution. But certain lower class Hindus like
the Lonáris consider it sacred, and worship it on the Gokul Ashtami
day (8th day of the dark half of Shráwan).
The dog is believed to be an incarnation of the deity Khandoba, and
it is respected as the favourite animal of the god Dattátraya. But
it is not touched by high class Hindus.
It is considered a great sin to kill a cat.
All domestic animals are worshipped by the Hindus on the morning of
the first day of Márgashirsha (December).
On this day the horns of these animals are washed with warm water,
painted with red colours, and a lighted lamp is passed round their
faces. They are feasted on this day as it is considered to be the
gala day (Diváli holiday) of the animals.
Hindus consider it meritorious to feed ants and fish, and to throw
grain to the birds. Ants are fed by the people scattering sugar and
flour on the ant-hills. It is believed that, by feeding the ants with
sugar or flour, a person obtains the Punya or merit of sahasrabhojan,
i.e., of giving a feast to a thousand Bráhmans.
Alligators are worshipped as water deities by the Hindus.
The peacock is the favourite vehicle of Saraswati, the Goddess of
Learning, and it is therefore respected by the people.
The swan is the vehicle of Brahma, the god of creation.
The eagle is the vehicle of the god Vishnu, and is a favourite devotee
of that deity. It is therefore held sacred by Hindus.
The cuckoo or Kokil is believed to be an incarnation of the goddess
Párwati. This bird is specially worshipped by high caste Hindu women
for the period of one month on the occasion of a special festival
called the festival of the cuckoos, or Kokila vrata, which is held
in the month of Ashádha at intervals of twenty years.
The crow is generally held inauspicious by Hindus, but as the manes or
pitras are said to assume the form of crows, these birds are respected
in order that they may be able to partake of the food offered to the
dead ancestors in the dark half of Bhádrapada called Pitrupaksha.
It is necessary that the oblations given in performance of the funeral
rites on the tenth day after the death of a person should be eaten
by the crow. But if the crow refuses to touch these oblations, it is
believed that the soul of the dead has not obtained salvation; and
hence it is conjectured that certain wishes of the dead have remained
unfulfilled. The son or the relatives of the dead then take water in
the cavity of their right hand, and solemnly promise to fulfil the
wishes of the dead. When this is done, the crow begins to eat the food.
The harsh sound of a crow is taken as a sure sign of an impending
mishap.
The dog, cat, pig, ass, buffalo, rat, bhálu, an old female jackal,
lizard, and the birds cock, crow, kite, vulture, owl, bat, and pingla
are considered as unholy and inauspicious by Hindus.