The abstinence from liquor enjoined by modern Hinduism to the higher
castes of Hindus has unfortunately not extended to the harmful drugs,
opium, and ganja [284] or Indian hemp with its preparations. On
the contrary ganja is regularly consumed by Hindu ascetics,
whether devotees of Siva or Vishnu, though it is more favoured by
the Sivite Jogis. The blue throat of Siva or Mahadeo is said to be
due to the enormous draughts of bhang [285] which he was accustomed
to swallow. The veneration attached to these drugs may probably be
explained by the delusion that the pleasant dreams and visions obtained
under their influence are excursions of the spirit into paradise. It
is a common belief among primitive people that during sleep the soul
leaves the body and that dreams are the actual experiences of the
soul when travelling over the world apart from the body. [286] The
principal aim of Hindu asceticism is also the complete conquest of all
sensation and movement in the body, so that while it is immobile the
spirit freed from the trammels of the body and from all worldly cares
and concerns may, as it is imagined, enter into communion with and be
absorbed in the deity. Hence the physical inertia and abnormal mental
exaltation produced by these drugs would be an ideal condition to the
Hindu ascetic; the body is lulled to immobility and it is natural that
he should imagine that the delightful fantasies of his drugged brain
are beatific visions of heaven. Ganja and bhang are now considered
sacred as being consumed by Mahadeo, and are offered to him. Before
smoking ganja a Hindu will say, 'May it reach you, Shankar,' [287]
that is, the smoke of the ganja, like the sweet savour of a sacrifice;
and before drinking bhang he will pour a little on the ground and say
'Jai Shankar.' [288] Similarly when cholera visits a village and
various articles of dress with food and liquor are offered to the
cholera goddess, Marhai Mata, smokers of ganja and madak [289] will
offer a little of their drugs. Hindu ascetics who smoke ganja are
accustomed to mix with it some seeds of the dhatura (Datura alba),
which have a powerful stupefying effect. In large quantities these
seeds are a common narcotic poison, being administered to travellers
and others by criminals. This tree is sacred to Siva, and the purple
and white flowers are offered on his altars, and probably for this
reason it is often found growing in villages so that the poisonous
seeds are readily available. Its sanctity apparently arises from the
narcotic effects produced by the seeds.
The conclusion of hostilities and ratification of peace after a
Bhil fight was marked by the solemn administration of opium to all
present by the Jogi or Gammaiti priests. [290] This incident recalls
the pipe of peace of the North American Indians, among whom a similar
divine virtue was no doubt ascribed to tobacco. In ancient Greece the
priestesses of Apollo consumed the leaves of the laurel to produce the
prophetic ecstasy; the tree was therefore held sacred and associated
with Apollo and afterwards developed into a goddess in the shape
of Daphne pursued by Apollo and transformed into a laurel. [291]
The laurel was also considered to have a purifying or expiatory
effect like alcoholic liquor in India. Wreaths of laurel were worn
by such heroes as Apollo and Cadmus before engaging in battle to
cleanse themselves from the pollution of bloodshed, and hence the
laurel-wreath afterwards became the crown of victory. [292]
In India bhang was regularly drunk by the Rajputs before going
into battle, to excite their courage and render them insensible to
pain. The effects produced were probably held to be caused by divine
agency. Herodotus says that the Scythians had a custom of burning the
seeds of the hemp plant in religious ceremonies and that they became
intoxicated with the fumes. [293] Ganja is the hashish of the Old
Man of the Mountain and of Monte Cristo. The term hashshash, meaning
'a smoker or eater of hemp,' was first applied to Arab warriors in
Syria at the time of the Crusades; from its plural hashshasheen our
word assassin is derived. [294]