HPB-Caves-3: Difference between revisions

But ''Sita-Rama'' – the play performed that evening – belongs to the category of mythological dramas-mysteries, something like the tragedies of Aeschylus<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeschylus Aeschylus] (525-456 BC) – an ancient Greek author of Greek tragedy, and is often described as the father of tragedy. – Ed.</ref>. Listening to this production of the remotest antiquity, the spectators are carried back to the times when the gods, descending upon earth, took an active part in the everyday life of mortals. Nothing reminds one of a modern drama, though the exterior arrangement is the same. “From the sublime to the ridiculous there is but a step,” and ''vice versa''. The goat, chosen for a sacrifice to Bacchus, presented the world tragedy (τράγος ὐδη)<ref>“Synonym to the word ᾠδή, which means ''song'' is τράγος – ''goat''; the whole phrase  [τράγος ὐδή] is translated as goat-song” (''The origin of drama: Primitive tragedy and the role of the goat in the history of its rise'' by N. N. Evreinov, 1921). – Ed.</ref>. The death bleatings and buttings of the quadrupedal offering of antiquity have been polished by the hands of time and of civilization, and, as a result of this process, we get the dying whisper of Rachel<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Félix Elisa Rachel Felix] (1821-1858) – a talented French actress, better know as Mademoiselle Rachel. – Ed.</ref> in the part of Adrienne Lecouvreur<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrienne_Lecouvreur_(play) Adrienne Lecouvreur] (1692-1730) – a leading French actress of the 18^th century, who became a main character in a play of the same name, dedicated to her in 1849. – Ed.</ref>, and the fearfully realistic “kicking” of the modern Croizette<ref>[https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Croizette Sophie Croizette] (1847-1901) – a French actress. – Ed.</ref> in the poisoning scene of ''The Sphinx''. But, whereas the descendants of Themistocles<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Themistocles Themistocles] (524-459) – an Athenian statesman, one of the "Founding fathers" of Athenian democracy, a commander who won several significant victories over the Persians at sea, his reforms significantly strengthened the weight of Athens in the ancient world. In 471 BC as a result of the intrigues of the Athenian aristocracy, Themistocles was ostracized, and eventually expelled from the city. After a long wandering, he fled to the Persian king, who, recognizing his talents, handed him over to management of a number of cities in Asia Minor. Apparently H.&nbsp;P. Blavatsky uses this reference to the great, but rejected by his Greek compatriots, as a reproach to her contemporary Greek theater. – Ed.</ref> gladly receive, whether captive or free, all the changes and improvements considered as such by modern taste, thinking them to be a corrected and enlarged edition of the genius of Aeschylus; Hindus, happily for archaeologists and lovers of antiquity, have never moved a step since the times of our much honored forefather Hanuman...

Legends of deep antiquity ...”<ref>A. S. Pushkin, “Ruslan and Ludmila”. – Ed.</ref>}}

The hall was full of natives. We four alone were representatives of Europe. Like a huge flower bed, the women displayed the bright colors of their garments. Here and there, among handsome, bronze-like heads, were the pretty, dull white faces of Parsee women, whose beauty reminds us of the beauties of the Georgians. The front rows were occupied by women only. It follows that the Parsee women could only be distinguished from their Hindu sisters by very slight differences. The almost white faces of the former were separated by a strip of smooth black hair from a sort of white cap, and the whole was covered with a bright veil. The latter wore no covering on their rich, shining hair, twisted into a kind of Greek chignon<ref>''Chignon'' is a roll of hair worn at the nape of the neck. – Ed.</ref>.<ref>Since the time when Alexander the Great destroyed the sacred books of the Gebars, they have constantly been oppressed by the idol worshippers. King Ardeshir-Babechan restored fire worship in the years 229-243 A.C. Since then they have again been persecuted during the reign of one of the Shakpurs, either II, IX, or XI, of the Sassanids, but which of them is not known. It is, however, reported that one of them was a great protector of the Zartushta doctrines. After the fall of Yazdegerd, the fire-worshippers emigrated to the island of Ormasd, and, 15 years later, having found a book of Zoroastrian prophecies, in obedience to one of them they set out for Hindustan. After many wanderings, they appeared, about 1,000 or 1,200 years ago, in the territory of Maharani Jayadeva, a vassal of the Rajput King Champanir, who allowed them to colonize his land, but only on condition that they laid down their weapons, that they abandoned the Persian language for Hindi, and that their women put off their national dress and clothed themselves after the manner of Hindu women. He, however, allowed them to wear shoes, since this is strictly prescribed by Zoroaster. Since then very few changes have been made. </ref> Their foreheads were brightly painted,<ref>In India it is quite easy to learn a person's religion, sect, and caste, and even whether a woman is married or single, from the marks painted in bright colors on everyone's forehead.</ref> and their nostrils adorned with golden rings. Both are fond of bright, but uniform colors, both cover their arms up to the elbow with bangles, and both wear alike ''saris'' (shawl). Behind them, in the stalls, there was ruffling a whole sea of ​​the most original turbans which can be found only in India. There were long-haired Rajputs with regular Grecian features and long beards parted in the middle, their heads covered with ''pagris'' (turbans) consisting of twenty arshins [15,56 yards] of finest white muslin, twisted with a rope around the head  with earrings and necklaces; there were Mahrata Brahmins, who shave their heads, leaving only one long central lock, and wear turbans of blinding red, decorated in front with a sort of golden horn of plenty. Next are Banias<ref>''Bania'' – The most influential trading and financial caste in north India. – Ed.</ref>, wearing three-cornered helmets with a kind of cockscomb on the top; Kachhis<ref>''Kachhi'' – a caste of gardeners. – Ed.</ref>, with Roman-like helmets; Bhillis, from the borders of Rajastan, whose chins are wrapped in the ends of their pyramidal turbans, so that the innocent tourist never fails to think that they constantly suffer from toothache; Bengalis and Calcutta Babus, bare-headed all the year round outside or inside a house, their hair cut after an Athenian fashion, and their bodies clothed in the proud folds of a white toga-virilis, in no way different from those once worn by Roman senators. Parsees, in their black (bishop) mitres; Sikhs, the followers of Nanaka<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Nanak Gurū Nānak] (1469-1539) – the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. – Ed.</ref>, strictly monotheist and mystic, whose turbans are very like the Bhillis', but who wear long hair down to their waists; and hundreds of other tribes.

Proposing to count how many different turbans are to be seen in Bombay alone, we had to abandon the task as impracticable after a fortnight – it is more easy to count stars in the sky. Every caste, every trade, guild, and sect, every one of the thousand sub-divisions of the social hierarchy, has its own bright turban, often sparkling with gold lace and precious stones, which is laid aside only in case of mourning. But everybody, even rich persons, the members of the municipality, merchants, brahmins, Rao Bahadurs<ref>''Rao Bahadur'' (Rai Bahadur) – a title of honor which the British colonial authorities bestowed upon the Indians for special merit. - Ed.</ref> and baronets created by the Government – everyone walk barefoot with legs naked up to knees and wear a dress of a kind of shapeless white loose overall, that semishirt-semicaftan, which can not be compared with anything. Some minister or rajah is sitting on the back of an elephant<ref>Elephants in Bombay, under the pretext that they frighten the horses of the British, are now banned, but in all other cities in the province there are a lot of them.</ref> – we used to see them in Baroda riding giraffes from the stable of Gaikvar's<ref>''Gaikvar'' – a common name or title for the Baroda princes.</ref> menagerie on the solemn days of their holidays –  sitting and chewing ''pansopari'' (betel)<ref>''Pansupari'' – a blend of spicy betel leaves with some pieces of Areca palm seed and a little amount of lime. – Ed.</ref>. Their heads drooping under the weight of the precious stones on their turbans, and each of their fingers and toes adorned with rich golden rings. While the evening I am describing lasted, however, we saw no elephants, no giraffes, though we enjoyed the company of Rajas and ministers. We had in our box the handsome ambassador and late tutor of the Maharani of Udaipur. Our companion was a Raja and a pandit. His name was a Mohanlal-Vishnulal-Pandia. He wore a small pink turban sparkling with diamonds, a pair of pink barege<ref>''Barege'' – a light silk, woolen or cotton fabric. – Ed.</ref> trousers, and a white gauze coat. His raven black hair half covered his amber-colored neck, which was surrounded by a necklace that might have driven any Parisian belle frantic with envy. The poor Rajput was awfully sleepy, but he stuck heroically to his duties, and, thoughtfully pulling his beard, led us all through the endless labyrinth of metaphysical entanglements of the Ramayana. During the ''entr'actes''<ref>''Entr'actes'' (Fr.) – intermission, a period of time between two acts in performance. – Ed.</ref> we were offered coffee, sherbets, and cigarettes, which we smoked even during the performance, sitting in front of the stage in the first row. We were covered, like idols, with garlands of flowers, and the manager, a stout Hindu clad in transparent muslins, sprinkled us several times with rose-water.