Legend
< The Divine Afflatus of the Hindoos (continued from page 8-242) >
times, morning and evening, and daily bathing in sea water, a broad foundation for the cure seems to be laid in nature, before the supernatural is called in to crown the work with faith and complete the miracle.
It is chiefly in those cases which are classed under the general head of “Pishachu-oopudruvu,” or devil-injury, that a pilgrimage to Hur-hureshwuru is considered efficacious: under this head are to be classed all those states, which have been formerly noticed under the section on demoniacal possession—epilepsy, catalepsy, many cases of mental derangement, and all shades of hysteria, chorea saltatoria, and similar? nervous affections to which females are so subject.
After a residence on the spot of sonic days, they are subjected to the ceremonial routine, which, commencing in exercise and salt bathing, terminates in an administration of the usual stimulants to excite the imagination and overcome the nerves: the dazzling glare of flaming camphor—the scent of sickly flowers—overpowering clouds of stupefying incense, and the maddening dissonance of bells and cymbals, gongs, drums, and conch shells, all jangling, clashing, clattering, booming, blaring together, with intense rapidity and deafening loudness. The epileptic or hysteric patient succumbs under the influence, and a state of artificial epilepsy or hysteria is established, which is considered as the presence of the afflicting demon, summoned by the authority of the priest, who, invested with the commanding afflatus of Bhuiroba, now commences the task of the exorcist. He questions the evil spirit and commands its exit. The latter cowers under his authoritative voice and glance—answers his questions according to impressions imbibed from infancy—prays perhaps for some favour—stipulates to be allowed to quit his citadel with the honours of war—some ritual observance—but eventually promises to depart; and the patient falls senseless on the ground, and rises, apparently unconscious of the late scene, and, in many cases at least, completely cured.
The following narrative will give a general idea of the scenes which occur at Hur-hureshwuru. It is drawn up by a young Hindoo friend, who holds a responsible office under our Government, and whom an English education has raised far above the popular superstition and demonology of his fellow-countrymen. As it gives a very curious insight into n facts as well as opinions, we give it in his own words: the lady who is the subject of the narrative is a near relation of his own:—
“A Hindoo girl was married to a widower, who had lost his p first wife in the prime of her youth. When she came to be u about fourteen years old she became subject to fits, which gradually increased in their severity and duration; she fell senseless on the ground, foam issued from her month, and the joints of her limbs became stiff. While suffering from these fits, whose duration varied from twelve hours to two or three days, she neither ate nor drank anything. One of the I most remarkable things about her when in this state was that she then always imagined herself to be the former wife of her husband, spoke of matters which occurred in her time, and complained of the present wife (i.e., of her real self) as having j supplanted her. Several Bhuktus (exorcists) were called; but none succeeded in curing her. She suffered from these attacks for about six or seven years, during which period she was in a very sickly state of health, and bore no child to her husband. At the end of this period she was taken by her friends to Hur-hurcshwuru, a place celebrated for curing patients of her description. On her arrival at that place a day was fixed by the priest for consulting the oracle. On the appointed day she was made to bathe herself in a Koondu, or small tank, which is so near the sea that at high tide it is covered with salt water. She was then taken to the temple and made to stand in front of the image. The knot of her hair was then untied; some buds of flowers, taken from the image, were placed on her head; ungara, or ashes, were rubbed by the priest, with his thumb, upon her forehead, between the eyebrows; as also upon her hands and feet, commencing at the shoulders and ending at the soles of her feet; while some of the ashes were blown over her. She was then directed to fix her eyes and attention on the image, and stand still, without allowing her mind to wander from it. All this time frankincense was burnt before her, emitting volumes of smoke that perfumed the whole of the temple; a very large nugara (big drum) was beaten louder and louder at every call of the priest. This process was repeated day after day: on the fifth day her -whole body became tremulous, and her breathing hurried. She bent herself backwards and forwards, and sat down upon the floor, just in the same way as a person under the influence of a Waren would. The priest then addressed her, or rather the evil spirit in her and the following dialogue took place:—
“Question.-—‘Who are you? what is your name? why do you annoy this lady?’
“Answer.—‘I am her (moaning the girl’s) Suwutu or cowife (i.e., her husband’s former wife); I was cut off from my husband in the prime of my youth; and, not having enjoyed all the pleasures and comforts of this life, my soul was entangled in them, and I have consequently remained here, and entered her (the girl’s) body, whom I envied very much; for she enjoyed all the pleasures which had been destined for me, and from which I was suddenly cut off. I am, however, quite tired of this life now, and would rather have Gutec (or departure), if you will please to help me, by performing the necessary ceremonies.’
“ Q.—‘Do you require anything?’ (Such as a cocoanut, or other offering or bribe, usual in such cases.)
“A.—‘No, I require nothing.’
“ Q.— ‘What should be given to the Bramhins to eat?’
“A.—‘Nothing.’ (This answer was very unusual, and surprised every one.) ‘I go voluntarily: only perform the ceremonies of Gutee.’
“The friends of the girl said, ‘Well, if you leave this girl we shall perform all the ceremonies of Gutee.’ She replied, ‘Very well, I go,’ and instantly fell senseless on the ground. She recovered after a few seconds, and seemed to be greatly exhausted, and was quite unconscious of what had passed. She was taken home, and, after two or three days, brought back to Bombay. From the day of leaving Hur-hureshwuru up to this time, now nearly five years, she has had none of her former attacks, has been quite healthy, and has borne two or three children to her husband.”*
Among the Sanatory Warens may be mentioned Nursobachee Wadee, on the banks of the Krishna, near Kooroondvudu, the fame of which exceeds that of anyplace I know of. The chief temple is that of Shreepudu Swamee, supposed to be an incarnation of Duttatruyu, the son of Uttri, himself a manifestation of the three principal objects of Hindoo worship. The regimen prescribed is—bathing in the river, perambulating round the temple, and thirdly, reading, hearing, and believing the Gooroo-churitru, a book containing an account of the miracles performed by Shreepudu Swamee. The spirits manifest themselves in the evening, at the time of the Dhooparutee, or burning incense and beating drums. The whole I consider as another clear illustration of the principles attempted to be established.
The possessed fem-de becomes so excited and insensible that she does not cease blowing and waving her hands until others hold her down by force, in order to bring her to a state in which she can be consulted. A great deal no doubt depends upon the peculiarity of her constitution, for only particular females arc possessed, and those who arc disposed to the afflatus are said to have a visitation of some sort on that night, if they have no opportunity of attending the party.
Mesmerism.—Mr. D. Younger, of I, Sandy Hill, Woolwich, in the course of a letter, says:—“In reply to your quotation from the Medical Press and Circular, headed ‘Spiritualistic Quackery,’ I beg you will grant the privilege of being heard to one who has made mesmerism his study for thirty years. During that time I have become acquainted with, and through mesmeric agency performed, many astounding cures of the most obstinate and complicated diseases, some of them after being pronounced incurable by what the Medical Press calls ‘the profession.’ 1’or these cures I never received any payment, but the satisfaction of doing good. I have cases in hand at the present time, and have just finished with a ease of long-standing ague, thoroughly cured by four treatments. Such, sir, has been my success, that it inspires me with confidence sufficient to ask any of ‘the profession’ to put their powers to the test in parallel eases with their most celebrated remedies. I will volunteer to substantiate the superiority of mesmerism.”
*The singular imagination, which possesses Hindoo women, under the influence of a Hedulee or female devil, that they arc the deceased wives of their husbands, and the vindictive and angry feelings which their words manifest towards the living wives (that is, towards their own sane, healthy selves), have been already noticed in our introductory paper. The foregoing narrative offers an instance of this peculiarity. A much stronger and more singular example of the same anomaly is exhibited by n Hindoo lady in Bombay at the present time (1 49). This lady has for some time past been in the last stage of decline, given over by her physicians and friends, and unable to leave her bed, or speak above a few words at a time. Sim is subject, however, to periodical visitations of a Hedulee, and while this possessing daimon is upon her she rises and walks about, and talks for hours with the greatest energy, and without exhibiting the slightest tense of weakness or fatigue; mentioning past events and family matters which occurred during the first wife’s lifetime, and could, it is supposed, only be known to her; and denouncing the present wife (that is. her own sane self), and the present wife’s (that is, her own) child and her husband for ill-treating and not protecting what, imagining herself to be the spirit of the deceased wife, she. calls her little one—that is, the child left by the former wife! Is this mere madness, or the parrot-like repetition of ideas with which, from infancy, she was familiar, or is it an avenging Nemesis within the conscience itself?
Mesmerism
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Editor's notes
- ↑ Mesmerism by unknown author, Spiritualist, The, May 30, 1879