Ezourvedam: A French Veda of the Eighteenth Century

Post by **admin** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 2:58 am

Chapitre troisieme

Chapter Three

Biach. vous m'avez nommé differens noms qui conviennent a Dieu, mais ces noms ne peuvent pas être repandus dans les differentes parties de la terre, et comment le seroient ils, puisque les langues sont si differentes?

Biach. You have named me different names which suit God, but these names cannot be spread throughout the different parts of the earth, and how would they be, since the languages are so different?

Chumantou. Les noms qu'on donne a dieu sont les expressions de ce que nous connoissons de ses grandeurs. Dieu fut toujours le même et est le même partout, chacun, donc, peut exprimer dans sa langue ce que nous connoissons de ses qualités et de ses grandeurs. Et qu'importe après tout de quel terme on se serve, pourvû qu'on y attache la même idee. Les noms qu'on donne a Dieu doivent servir a le faire connoitre et a exprimer, autant que nos foibles lumieres peuvent nous le permettre, sa nature et son essence, aussi pour connoitre quel est le Dieu que chaqué nation adore, il suffit de sçavoir quels sont les noms dont elle se seit, quand elle parle de la divinité. il n'en est que trop [de nations] qui abandonnent le vrai Dieu, pour se forger de nouvelles divinités, qui meconnoissent l'auteur de toutes choses et vont prostituer leur encens a des hommes pecheurs teis que sont Chib Vichnou &c. Je te l'ai dit plusieurs fois et je te le repete. il n'y aura jamais de salut pour des hommes aussi criminéis et il n'est que des flammes eternelles qui puissent venger Dieu de l'outrage qu'on luy fait. Leur perte est d'autant plus assurée, qu'outre le crime enorme qu'ils commettent en cela; toutes les ceremonies exterieures auxquelles ils s'attachent et qui sont inseparables du culte qu'on rend a ces fausses divinités étouffent dans eux tout sentiment de pieté, éteignent jusqu'au souvenir même du vrai Dieu et rendent par la leur retour et leur penitence tout a fait impossibles, n'est ce pas lå, cependant, la conduite que tu as tenu jusqu'icy.

Chumantou. The names given to god are expressions of what we know of his greatness. God was always the same, and is the same everywhere. Everyone, therefore, can express in his language what we know of his qualities and his greatness. And what does it matter what term one uses, as long as one attaches the same idea to it? The names that we give to God must serve to make him known, and to express, as far as our weak lights can allow us, his nature and his essence. Also, to know who is the God whom each nation adores, it is enough to know what are the names they call him when they speak of the divinity. There are too many [nations] who abandon the true God, and forge new divinities, who disregard the author of all things and prostitute their incense to sinful men such as Chib, Vishnou & c. I have told you this several times, and I will repeat it to you. There will never be salvation for men so criminal, and there are only eternal flames that can avenge God for the outrage that is done to him. Their loss is all the more certain, that besides the enormous crime which they commit in this, all the external ceremonies to which they are attached, and which are inseparable from the worship that they render to these false divinities, stifles in them all feeling of piety, extinguishes even the memory of the true God, and by their return and their penance make everything impossible. Isn't this, however, the conduct you have held so far?

Biach. vous avez dit, Seigneur, que de reconnoitre Chib et Vichnou pour des divinités, et de leur offrir des sacrifices étoit non seulement une chose inutile, mais même criminelle. nombre de penitens et moy, l'avons fait jusqu'icy et il n'est guêre possible de nous en departir, ne pourriez vous pas au moins me passer le Linguam. ce ne peut pas être un crime de luy sacrifier, puisque Bramma et Vichnou qui recoivent eux mêmes les sacrifices des hommes sacrifient a cette divinité et que Chib a prescrit luy même tout le ceremonial qu'on doit observer dans ce sacrifice, d'ailleurs le Dieu dont vous me parlez est invisible. Le Linguam, au contraire, est une chose sensible qu'on touche et qu'on voit. Or, les hommes trouvent plus de goût a sacrifier a une chose qui tombe sous les yeux qu'a un être qui leur est invisible et qui ne tombe point sous les sens. De plus, Bochisto et tout ce qu'il y a eu de fameux penitens ont adoptes cette divinité et luy ont offert des sacrifices. Les peuples a leur exemple en ont fait autant, ils y ont pris gout aujourd'huy et il ne seroit pas possible de le leur arracher et de les detromper. voila par ou les hommes ont commence a oublier le vrai Dieu.

Biach. You said, Lord, that to recognize Chib and Vishnu as gods, and to offer them sacrifices, was not only a useless thing, but even criminal. A number of penitents and average people, have made sacrifices to them so far, and it is hardly possible to part with it. Could you not at least pass me the Lingam. It cannot be a crime to sacrifice to him, since Bramma and Vishnu, who themselves receive the sacrifices of men, sacrifice to this divinity, and even prescribed all the ceremonies that must be observed in this sacrifice. The God you tell me about is invisible. Lingam, on the contrary, is a sensitive thing that we touch and see. Now men find more taste in sacrificing to a thing they can see, than a being which is invisible to them, and which does not fall under the senses. Moreover, Bochisto, and all the famous penitents, adopted this divinity and offered it sacrifices. The people, following their example, have done the same. They have taken a liking to it today, and it would not be possible to snatch it from them and to deceive them. Here is where men began to forget the true God.

Post by **admin** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 3:10 am

Chapitre quatrieme

Chapter Four

Chumantou. Je vois ce que tu veux me dire, et que tu veux me parler de cette oeuvre informe qui sera pour jamais l'opprobre de la raison humaine. ou a tu donc pû puiser de pareilles abominations; et comment des hommes, doués de raison, se sont ils laissés fasciner, jusqu'à les adopter et y prendre goût? Je veux bien que tu me raconte ce que tu leur a dit a ce sujet mais souviens toy de ce que tu me dois et garde toy bien de manquer a la bien-seance.

Chumantou. I see what you want to tell me, and that you want to tell me about this shapeless work which will forever be the reproach of human reason. Where have you been able to draw such abominations, and how did men, endowed with reason, allow themselves to be fascinated to the point of adopting them, and taking a liking to them? I want you to tell me what you told them about it, but remember what you owe me, and beware of missing out on good things.

Biach. Bramma et Vichnou accompagnés d'un nombreux cortege de Brammes furent autrefois sur la montagne Keilassan rendre a Chib une visite, ils le trouverent joûissant de sa femme. Leur arrivée ne l'engagea pas a discontinuer. il les vit; mais sans [leur] dire un mot ni leur faire la moindre politesse. La fureur de sa passion, enflammée par l'yvresse ou il etoit plongé l'avoit mis hors de luy même et il n'étoit plus capable ny de honte ny de pudeur. a cette vuë quelques uns de ceux qui composoient cette illustre assemblee, entfautres, Vichnou ne firent qu'en rire et eurent honte pour luy. d'autres, outrés de depit et de colere en temoignerent toute leur indignation et le chargerent d'injures. non, tu n'es qu'un demon, luy dirent ils, et pire même qu'un demon tout livre a la passion, tu en porte la figure et tu en as le jeu, puisque tu n'es pas même susceptible de honte en presence d'une aussi illustre assemblee. Tous egalement indignes tinrent [enfin] le même langage et entrerent dans les mêmes sentimens. L'amitié que nous avions pour luy, dirent ils, tous unanimement, nous avoit conduits dans sa maison pour luy rendre une visite et nous ne trouvons dans luy qu'un homme tout livre a la passion et a l'yvresse, qui ne fait aucun cas de nous, et qui continue ses infamies même en nôtre presence, qu'aucun homme vertueux n'ait, donc desormais, aucun commerce avec luy et que ceux qui le frequenteront soient regardes comme des insensés et comme des hommes indignes de toute société avec d'honnêtes gens, ay ant dit cela, ils se retirerent tous, chacun chez soy. Chib peu de terns aprés, étant revenu a luy même, demanda a ses gardes qui etoient ceux qui etoient venu chez luy. C'est Bramma et Vichnou, luy dirent ils, accompagnés d'une nombreuse troupe de penitens; mais, vous ayant vu dans cet etat, ils vous ont chargés de maledictions et d'injures et se sont retires. Ces paroles furent comme un coup de foudre qui penetra jusqu'au coeur de Chib et de Dourgua. Ils en moururent l'un et l'autre et moururent dans la même posture ou ils avoient été jusqu'alors. Chib a voulu que cette action qui avoit fait sa honte fut celebrée parmy les hommes, voicy comment il s'en est luy même exprimé. La honte m'a fait mourir, mais elle m'a donné une nouvelle figure et cette nouvelle figure est le Linguam. vous, demons mes sujets, regardez le donc comme un autre moy même. il en est en effet une partie. Je veux de plus, que tous les hommes offrent au Linguam leurs sacrifices. Ceux qui m'honoreront sous cette figure obtiendront surement l'objet de [tous] leurs voeux et une place dans le Veikuntam. Je suis l'être suprème. Mon Linguam l'est aussi. luy rendre donc les honneurs dús a la divinité est oeuvre de vertu; et on ne sçauroit faire ríen de plus utile, ny ríen de plus meritoire. L'arbre de Marmélle, est de tous les arbres, celuy que j'aime le plus. Si on veut me plaire on doit m'en offrir les fieurs, les feuilles et les fruits. Ecoutez de plus ce que j'ai a ajouter. ceux qui jeuneront le 14. de janvier a l'honneur du Linguam et qui la nuit suivante luy offriront le sacrifice, luy presenteront des feûilles de l'arbre Marmelle, s'assureront par lå une place dans le Keilassan. Ecoutez encore, demons; si vous avez quelqu'envie de devenir vertueux, apprenez quels sont les fruits qu'on doit retirer des honneurs qu'on rendra au Linguam. ceux qui en feront la figure avec de la terre et luy sacrifieront, recevront leur recompense, ceux qui la feront sur de la pierre, meriteront sept fois plus et ñe verront jamais les portes de l'enfer. ceux qui la feront sur de l'argent, meriteront sept fois davantage et sur de l'or, encore sept fois plus, que mes ministres aillent enseigner cette verité aux hommes et les engagent a l'embrasser. ils Tont fait en effet et tous les peuples en ont été instruits. quelques uns Tont adopté et offrent aujourd'huy leurs sacrifices au Linguam. d'autres n'ont point voulu y ajouter foy et n'en ont fait aucun cas. d'autres enfin, Tont regardé comme une infamie et n'ont point voulu en entendre parler. pour moy, je sais, depuis longtems et je suis pleinement convaincû que le Linguam est Chïb luy même et par consequent l'être suprème. Je vais donc en designer la figure telle que je Tai tracé aux hommes, pour leur en donner une idee, je leur ai dit, que ce Linguam etoit de couleur blanchåtre, qu'il avoit 3 yeux 5. visages et qu'il se plaisoit a se couvrir de peau de tigre, qu'il etoit avant le monde, qu'il etoit le principe du monde, qu'il dissipoit nos craintes et nos frayeurs et nous accordoit toujours l'objet de tous nos veux. Bramma luy même, luy a offert des sacrifices dans le Keilassan. Les Brames, les penitents, les Rois, les marchands, les Choutres ne reconnoissent point d'autre dieu que Chib, il re^oit seul leurs hommages et leurs voeux. Je viens de vous faire un court abregé de l'histoire du Linguam, de ce qui y a donné occasion; et comment son culte s'est propage, dites moy maintenant ce que vous en pensez. Je ne connois personne plus éclairé que vous. continuez donc a lever mes doutes, et détruire mes erreurs, afin de me sauver?

Biach. Bramma and Vichnou accompanied by a numerous cortege of Brammes were formerly on the mountain Keilassan to visit Chib, they found it enjoying his wife. Their arrival did not urge him to stop. he saw them; but without saying a word to them or giving them the slightest courtesy. The fury of his passion, inflamed by the drunkenness into which he was plunged, had knocked him out of himself and he was no longer capable of shame or modesty. at this sight some of those who made up this illustrious assembly, among others, Vishnu, only laughed and felt ashamed for him. others, outraged with annoyance and anger, testified to all their indignation and charged him with insults. no, you are only a demon, they said to him, and even worse than a demon who gives everything to passion, you wear the face and you have the game, since you are not even susceptible to shame in the presence of such an illustrious assembly. All equally unworthy [finally] held the same language and entered into the same sentiments. The friendship we had for him, they said, all unanimously, had taken us to his house to pay him a visit, and we only find in him a man completely devoted to passion and drunkenness, who no case of us, and who continues his infamies even in our presence, that no virtuous man has, therefore from now on, any trade with him and that those who will frequent him be regarded as fools and as men unworthy of any society with honest people, having said that, they all retired, each to soy. Chib shortly after, having returned to himself, asked his guards who were those who had come to his house. It is Bramma and Vishnou, they said to him, accompanied by a numerous troop of penitens; but, seeing you in this state, they loaded you with curses and insults and withdrew. These words were like a thunderbolt which penetrated to the heart of Chib and Dourgua. They both died and died in the same posture they had been in until then. Chib wanted this action which had made him shame to be celebrated by my men, this is how he even expressed it. Shame made me die, but it gave me a new figure and this new figure is the Lingam. you, demons my subjects, look at it therefore as another means itself. it is indeed a part of it. Moreover, I want all men to offer their sacrifices to Lingam. Those who honor me under this figure will surely get the object of [all] their wishes and a place in the Veikuntam. I am the supreme being. My Lingam is too. Therefore, to render him the honors of the divinity is a work of virtue; and we could not do anything more useful, nothing more meritorious. The tree of Marmélle, is of all trees, the one I love the most. If they want to please me, they must offer me the flowers, the leaves and the fruits. Hear more what I have to add. those who will fast on January 14th in honor of the Lingam and who the following night will offer it the sacrifice, will present it with leaves from the Marmelle tree, and will ensure a place in the Keilassan. Listen again, demons; if you have any desire to become virtuous, learn what are the fruits that should be derived from the honors that will be paid to Lingam. those who make it out of earth and sacrifice it, will receive their reward, those who make it out of stone, will merit seven times more and will never see the gates of hell. those who will do it with silver will deserve seven times more and on gold, seven times more, that my ministers go and teach this truth to men and urge them to embrace it. indeed they did and all peoples were instructed. some have adopted it and are offering their sacrifices to the Lingam today. others did not want to add foy to it and did not consider it. others, finally, have regarded it as an infamy and refused to hear about it. for me, I have known for a long time and I am fully convinced that the Lingam is Chïb himself and therefore the supreme being. So I am going to design the figure as I traced it to men, to give them an idea, I told them, that this Lingam was whitish in color, that he had 3 eyes 5. faces and that he liked to cover himself with tiger skin, that he was before the world, that he was the principle of the world, that he dispels our fears and our fears and always grants us the object of all our wishes. Bramma himself offered him sacrifices in Keilassan. The Brames, the penitents, the Kings, the merchants, the Choutres recognize no other god than Chib, he alone receives their homage and their wishes. I have just given you a short summary of the history of Lingam, of what gave rise to it; and how his cult has spread, tell me now what you think. I don't know of anyone more enlightened than you. therefore continue to remove my doubts, and destroy my errors, in order to save me?

Post by **admin** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 3:11 am

Chapitre quatrieme

Chapter Four

Chumantou. Je vois ce que tu veux me dire, et que tu veux me parler de cette oeuvre informe qui sera pour jamais l'opprobre de la raison humaine. ou a tu donc pû puiser de pareilles abominations; et comment des hommes, doués de raison, se sont ils laissés fasciner, jusqu'à les adopter et y prendre goût? Je veux bien que tu me raconte ce que tu leur a dit a ce sujet mais souviens toy de ce que tu me dois et garde toy bien de manquer a la bien-seance.

Chumantou. I see what you want to tell me, and that you want to tell me about this shapeless work which will forever be the reproach of human reason. Where have you been able to draw such abominations, and how did men, endowed with reason, allow themselves to be fascinated to the point of adopting them, and taking a liking to them? I want you to tell me what you told them about it, but remember what you owe me, and beware of missing out on good things.

Biach. Bramma et Vichnou accompagnés d'un nombreux cortege de Brammes furent autrefois sur la montagne Keilassan rendre a Chib une visite, ils le trouverent joûissant de sa femme. Leur arrivée ne l'engagea pas a discontinuer. il les vit; mais sans [leur] dire un mot ni leur faire la moindre politesse. La fureur de sa passion, enflammée par l'yvresse ou il etoit plongé l'avoit mis hors de luy même et il n'étoit plus capable ny de honte ny de pudeur. a cette vuë quelques uns de ceux qui composoient cette illustre assemblee, entfautres, Vichnou ne firent qu'en rire et eurent honte pour luy. d'autres, outrés de depit et de colere en temoignerent toute leur indignation et le chargerent d'injures. non, tu n'es qu'un demon, luy dirent ils, et pire même qu'un demon tout livre a la passion, tu en porte la figure et tu en as le jeu, puisque tu n'es pas même susceptible de honte en presence d'une aussi illustre assemblee. Tous egalement indignes tinrent [enfin] le même langage et entrerent dans les mêmes sentimens. L'amitié que nous avions pour luy, dirent ils, tous unanimement, nous avoit conduits dans sa maison pour luy rendre une visite et nous ne trouvons dans luy qu'un homme tout livre a la passion et a l'yvresse, qui ne fait aucun cas de nous, et qui continue ses infamies même en nôtre presence, qu'aucun homme vertueux n'ait, donc desormais, aucun commerce avec luy et que ceux qui le frequenteront soient regardes comme des insensés et comme des hommes indignes de toute société avec d'honnêtes gens, ay ant dit cela, ils se retirerent tous, chacun chez soy. Chib peu de tems aprés, étant revenu a luy même, demanda a ses gardes qui etoient ceux qui etoient venu chez luy. C'est Bramma et Vichnou, luy dirent ils, accompagnés d'une nombreuse troupe de penitens; mais, vous ayant vu dans cet etat, ils vous ont chargés de maledictions et d'injures et se sont retires. Ces paroles furent comme un coup de foudre qui penetra jusqu'au coeur de Chib et de Dourgua. Ils en moururent l'un et l'autre et moururent dans la même posture ou ils avoient été jusqu'alors. Chib a voulu que cette action qui avoit fait sa honte fut celebrée parmy les hommes, voicy comment il s'en est luy même exprimé. La honte m'a fait mourir, mais elle m'a donné une nouvelle figure et cette nouvelle figure est le Linguam. vous, demons mes sujets, regardez le donc comme un autre moy même. il en est en effet une partie. Je veux de plus, que tous les hommes offrent au Linguam leurs sacrifices. Ceux qui m'honoreront sous cette figure obtiendront surement l'objet de [tous] leurs voeux et une place dans le Veikuntam. Je suis l'être suprème. Mon Linguam l'est aussi. luy rendre donc les honneurs dús a la divinité est oeuvre de vertu; et on ne sçauroit faire ríen de plus utile, ny ríen de plus meritoire. L'arbre de Marmélle, est de tous les arbres, celuy que j'aime le plus. Si on veut me plaire on doit m'en offrir les fieurs, les feuilles et les fruits. Ecoutez de plus ce que j'ai a ajouter. ceux qui jeuneront le 14. de janvier a l'honneur du Linguam et qui la nuit suivante luy offriront le sacrifice, luy presenteront des feûilles de l'arbre Marmelle, s'assureront par lå une place dans le Keilassan. Ecoutez encore, demons; si vous avez quelqu'envie de devenir vertueux, apprenez quels sont les fruits qu'on doit retirer des honneurs qu'on rendra au Linguam. ceux qui en feront la figure avec de la terre et luy sacrifieront, recevront leur recompense, ceux qui la feront sur de la pierre, meriteront sept fois plus et ñe verront jamais les portes de l'enfer. ceux qui la feront sur de l'argent, meriteront sept fois davantage et sur de l'or, encore sept fois plus, que mes ministres aillent enseigner cette verité aux hommes et les engagent a l'embrasser. ils Tont fait en effet et tous les peuples en ont été instruits. quelques uns Tont adopté et offrent aujourd'huy leurs sacrifices au Linguam. d'autres n'ont point voulu y ajouter foy et n'en ont fait aucun cas. d'autres enfin, Tont regardé comme une infamie et n'ont point voulu en entendre parler. pour moy, je sais, depuis longtems et je suis pleinement convaincû que le Linguam est Chïb luy même et par consequent l'être suprème. Je vais donc en designer la figure telle que je Tai tracé aux hommes, pour leur en donner une idee, je leur ai dit, que ce Linguam etoit de couleur blanchåtre, qu'il avoit 3 yeux 5. visages et qu'il se plaisoit a se couvrir de peau de tigre, qu'il etoit avant le monde, qu'il etoit le principe du monde, qu'il dissipoit nos craintes et nos frayeurs et nous accordoit toujours l'objet de tous nos veux. Bramma luy même, luy a offert des sacrifices dans le Keilassan. Les Brames, les penitents, les Rois, les marchands, les Choutres ne reconnoissent point d'autre dieu que Chib, il re^oit seul leurs hommages et leurs voeux. Je viens de vous faire un court abregé de l'histoire du Linguam, de ce qui y a donné occasion; et comment son culte s'est propage, dites moy maintenant ce que vous en pensez. Je ne connois personne plus éclairé que vous. continuez donc a lever mes doutes, et détruire mes erreurs, afin de me sauver?

Biach. Bramma and Vichnou, accompanied by a numerous cortege of Brammes, were formerly on the mountain Keilassan to visit Chib [Siva]. They found him enjoying his wife. Their arrival did not urge him to stop. He saw them, but without saying a word to them, or giving them the slightest courtesy, due to the fury of his passion, and inflamed by the drunkenness into which he was plunged, had knocked him out of himself, and he was no longer capable of shame or modesty. At this sight, some of those who made up this illustrious assembly, among others, Vishnu, only laughed, and felt ashamed for him. Others, outraged with annoyance and anger, testified to all their indignation, and charged him with insults. "No, you are only a demon," they said to him, "and even worse than a demon, who gives everything to passion. You wear the face, and you have the game, since you are not even susceptible to shame in the presence of such an illustrious assembly." All equally unworthy [finally] held the same language, and entered into the same sentiments. "The friendship we had for him," they all said unanimously, "had taken us to his house to pay him a visit, and we only find in him a man completely devoted to passion and drunkenness, who takes no notice of us, and who continues his infamies even in our presence. Therefore, no virtuous man, from now on, has any trade with him, and those who frequent him will be regarded as fools, and as men unworthy of any society with honest people." Having said this, they all withdrew, each at soy.

Chib, a short time later, having returned to himself, asked his guards who were those who had come to his house. "It is Bramma and Vishnou," they said to him, "accompanied by a numerous troop of penitents; but seeing you in this state, they loaded you with curses and insults and withdrew." These words were like a thunderbolt which penetrated to the heart of Chib and Dourgua. They both died, and died in the same posture they had been in until then. Chib wanted this action which had made him experience shame to be celebrated by men. This is how he expressed it: "Shame made me die, but it gave me a new figure, and this new figure is the Lingam. You, demons, my subjects, look at it therefore as another means itself. It is indeed a part of it. Moreover, I want all men to offer their sacrifices to Lingam. Those who honor me under this figure will surely get the object of [all] their wishes and a place in the Veikuntam. I am the supreme being. My Lingam is too. Therefore, to render it the honors of the divinity is a work of virtue, and you could not do anything more useful, nothing more meritorious. The tree of Marmélle is, of all trees, the one I love the most. If they want to please me, they must offer me the flowers, the leaves, and the fruits. Hear more what I have to add. Those who will fast on January 14th in honor of the Lingam, and who the following night will offer it the sacrifice, will present it with leaves from the Marmelle tree, and will ensure a place in the Keilassan. Listen again, demons. If you have any desire to become virtuous, learn what are the fruits that should be derived from the honors that will be paid to Lingam. Those who make it out of earth and sacrifice to it, will receive their reward. Those who make it out of stone, will merit seven times more, and will never see the gates of hell. Those who make it with silver will deserve seven times more, and with gold, seven times more. My ministers, go and teach this truth to men, and urge them to embrace it."

Indeed, they did, and all peoples were instructed. Some have adopted it and are offering their sacrifices to the Lingam today. Others did not want to add foy to it, and did not consider it. Others, finally, have regarded it as an infamy, and refused to hear about it. For me, I have known for a long time, and I am fully convinced, that the Lingam is Chïb himself, and therefore the supreme being. So I am going to design the figure as I traced it to men to give them an idea. I told them that this Lingam was whitish in color, that he had 3 eyes, 5 faces, and that he liked to cover himself with tiger skin; that he was before the world, that he was the principle of the world, that he dispels our fears, and always grants us the object of all our wishes. Bramma himself offered him sacrifices in Keilassan. The Brames, the penitents, the Kings, the merchants, the Choutres, recognize no other god than Chib. He alone receives their homage and their wishes. I have just given you a short summary of the history of Lingam, and of what gave rise to it, and how his cult spread. Tell me now what you think. I don't know of anyone more enlightened than you. Therefore continue to remove my doubts, and destroy my errors, in order to save me.

The Vedas and the Upanishads

The word lingam does not occur in the Rig Veda (RV), the most ancient Hindu text (c. 1500 BCE), nor does the god Shiva. But the deity Rudra, in many ways an antecedent of Shiva, does make a brief appearance, and the male organ, by another name (kaprith, perhaps meaning "expanding" or "extending pleasure"), also appears in the Veda, in an obscene hymn about a sexual competition between a male monkey and the god Indra (RV 10.86.16-17; Doniger O'Flaherty 1981: 257-63). (The term also occurs at Rig Veda 10.101.12; Doniger O'Flaherty 1981: 66-67.) Indra is a virile god, a distant cousin of Zeus and Jupiter, who bequeaths to Shiva some aspects of his mythology, including myths of castration (Doniger O'Flaherty 1973, 85-86, 130-135). The male organ also appears, by yet another name (shishna, "piercer" or "tail"), in two Vedic hymns imploring that same god, Indra, to strike down "those whose god is the phallus" or "those who play with the phallus" (shishna-devas) (RV 7.21.5, 10.99.3). Some scholars have suggested that this phrase may refer to an "early Indus cult" of the lingam (Hopkins 1971:9-10). But there is no evidence that the Indus Valley people had such a cult, let alone that the people who composed the Rig Veda knew about it, or that they disapproved of it instead of assimilating it to their own worship of their own phallic god, Indra -- no lawyer would go into court with such shaky evidence.

The word lingam appears in the Upanishads (mystical texts from around 600 BCE) only in its general sense of a sign, as smoke is a sign of fire. But the male organ does appear, under still yet another name, in one of the oldest Upanishads, which calls it "the Thing" (artha) (BA 6.4.11). The same text also describes the female organ in considerable detail, analogizing the Vedic oblation of butter into the fire to the act of sexual procreation (BA 6.2.13, 6.4.3). The worshipper in a sexual embrace with his wife imagines each part of the act as a part of the ritual of the oblation, while presumably anyone making the offering into the fire could also imagine each action as its sexual parallel. This is a very early instance of the interpretation of human sexual matters in terms of nonsexual, sacred matters (or, if you prefer, the reverse).

The Mahabharata

Gradually the word lingam took on the more particular meaning of a sign of gender, then the sign of the male gender, and finally the sign of the male gender of the god Shiva. In the Mahabharata, the ancient Sanskrit epic (c. 300 BCE to 300 CE), we first encounter the word lingam unequivocally designating the sexual organ of Shiva:3 [Shiva in this text is called Harikesha (the Tawny-Haired), the Lord of the Mountain, the Eldest, the Lord Rudra, Bhava, and the Guru of the World; I have simplified the text by calling him Shiva throughout, and I have also condensed it somewhat, but added nothing.]

The creator, Brahma, wishing to create creatures, said to Shiva, the first being, "Create creatures, without delay." Shiva said, "Yes," but seeing that all creatures were flawed, he who had great ascetic heat plunged into the water and generated ascetic heat. Brahma waited for him for a very long time and then created another creator, a Prajapati ("lord of creatures"). The Prajapati, seeing Shiva submerged in the water, said to his father, Brahma, "I will create creatures, if there is no one who has been born before me." His father said to him, "There is no other male (purusha) born before you. This is just a pillar (or, Shiva who is called The Pillar) submerged in the water. Rest assured, and do the deed." And so the Prajapati created creatures. They were hungry and tried to eat the Prajapati, until Brahma provided them with food, plants, and animals, and then they began to procreate and increased in number.

Then Shiva stood up from the water. When he saw those creatures of various forms, increasing by themselves, he became angry, and he tore off his own lingam and threw it down on the ground, where it stood up just as it was. Brahma said to him, hoping to conciliate him with words, "What did you accomplish by staying so long in the water? And why did you tear out this lingam and plant it in the ground?" Then Shiva, becoming truly furious, said to Brahma, "Since someone else created these creatures, what will I do with it? The creatures can go on recycling forever, eating the food that I obtained for them through my ascetic heat." And Shiva went to his place on the mountain, to generate ascetic heat (M 10.17.10-26 [parentheses added]; see also Doniger O'Flaherty 1973: 131).

The "flaw" in the creatures seems to be their need for food, though later retellings say that Shiva hoped to produce, through his ascetic heat, creatures who would never die; to that degree, his powerful asceticism makes him more, not less, creative. What is significant for our question here is the ambiguity of the word for pillar (sthanu): it is a name of Shiva, signifying the immobile, ascetic, desexualized form of the lingam: but it also designates an inanimate pillar, which is what Brahma implies in his answer to the Prajapati, not exactly lying but drawing on the wrong meaning of the word in order to avoid admitting that there is, in fact, already another creator at work, precisely what the Prajapati did not want. Shiva in this myth is both a potentially procreative phallus (a fertile lingam) and a pillar-like renouncer of sexuality (an ascetic lingam). The word lingam has the same double edge as the word "Pillar."

The Gudimallam Lingam

A lingam (see figure 3) that scholars generally regard as the earliest physical depiction of the god Shiva was made sometime between the third and first centuries BCE in Gudimallam in southeastern Andhra Pradesh. Its anatomical detail is highly naturalistic (apart from its size: just under five feet high), and on the shaft is carved the figure of Shiva, also naturalistic, two-armed, holding an axe in one hand and the body of a small antelope in the other. His thin garment reveals his own sexual organ (not erect), his hair is matted, he wears large earrings, and he stands upon a dwarf. The details of its carving define this image unequivocally as a iconic representation of the male sexual organ; the hypothesis that it is a form of the god Shiva is suggested by the iconography of the axe, antelope, matted hair, and dwarf, and supported by the three horizontal lines, the sign of Shiva, that were painted on it some time after its original creation. Visitors to the Gudimallam lingam in the early twenty-first century noted that while the large lingam as a whole remains entirely naked, with all its anatomical detail, a chaste cloth was wrapped around the small image of the naked Shiva on the front of the lingam, a kind of loincloth (or fig leaf) simultaneously covering up the middle of the figure in the middle of the lingam and the middle of the lingam itself. Here is a tradition driving with one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake.

Stories about Shiva-Lingams in Later Sanskrit Texts

There is convincing textual evidence that people in ancient India associated the iconic form of the lingam with the male sexual organ. A verse from the "Garland of Games" of Kshemendra, a Brahmin who lived in Kashmir in the elventh century CE, refers to the human counterpart of the divine Shivallingam: "Having locked up the house on the pretext of venerating the lingam, Randy scratches her itch with a lingam of skin" (Narmamala 3.44). The first lingam in this verse is certainly Shiva's, and there is an implied parallelism, if not identity, between it and the second one, which could be either a leather dildo (of which a number are described in the Kama-sutra, the great third-century CE Indian textbook of eroticism (KS 5.6.2-5, 7.2.4-13]) or its human prototype.

The human and divine levels of the lingam were explicitly compared in a rather different way in a Sanskrit text that argued that all creatures in the universe are marked with the signs of the god Shiva and his consort, since all females have pindis (the term for the base in which the sculpted form of the lingam is set) and join with males, who have lingams (like the Shiva-lingam set in the pindi) (SP 1.8.18-19; Doniger 2000: 397). In a sixteenth-century Marathi text, the Kali Yuga (the embodied spirit of the present Dark and Evil Age) grasps by one hand his lingam (representing unrestrained sexuality, a synecdoche for wrong action of all kinds) and by the other hand his tongue (symbolic of lascivious speech), and he says, "I will be defeated only by those who guard this lingam and their tongue."4 [Verse 2.82 of the Gurucaritra of Sarasvati Gangadhara, c. 1550 CE, composed in Marathi Ovi verse in Ganagapura, a partially marathi-speaking area of Northern Karnataka, Gulbarga district. I am indebted to Jeremy Morse for this text and translation.] The nineteenth-century sage Ramakrishna used to worship his own male organ because, he said, it reminded him of the Shiva-lingam; he had learned this "jivantalingapuja," or worship of the living lingam, from his guru (Kripal 1995: 159-163).

The many Sanskrit myths that explain the origin of the worship of the Shiva-lingam can be divided into those that do regard the lingam as part of the god's sexual anatomy and those that do not. Of the texts in which the lingam is obviously the phallus of Shiva, like the myth about the Pillar that we have already considered, some -- most, but not all, told by worshippers of Shiva -- regard the lingam as an entirely glorious form in which Shiva appears and accepts worship. But other texts -- some, but not all, told by worshippers of gods other than Shiva, particularly Vishnu -- regard the lingam as an object of scorn and shame (Doniger O'Flaherty 1975: 137-53; 1990: 85-87). These texts are early evidence of the discomfort caused by the phallic meaning of the symbol, though they do not yet attempt to deny that meaning.

That discomfort can be traced back to ascetic and renunciant traditions that began in the Upanishads, alongside the very passages that praised the sexual act as inherently sacred. And this ascetic strain, often misogynist, often expressing a deep anxiety about the human body, challenged the other sort of Hinduism, the one that gloried in the body both for its fertility and for its eroticism. The two traditions remain in tension to this day.

The stories of Shiva in the Pine Forest occur in two sets of variants along this divide. In both sets, Shiva enters the Pine Forest naked, often "with his seed drawn up" ("upward seed," a variant of "upward-phallus"), either in order for his seed not to fall down in the act of procreating, or in order to procreate, or both at once -- another striking instance of the sort of ambiguity that haunts this debate. The women of the Pine Forest fall madly in love with him, which infuriates their husbands, and Shiva's lingam falls to the ground. But sometimes it falls as a result of the sages' curse (when the text regards the lingam as shameful), and sometimes through Shiva's own volition (when the text regards the lingam as a source of desirable power). In both cases, dire consequences follow, and the sages, having learned their lesson, agree to worship the Shiva-lingam forever after (Doniger O'Flaherty 1973: 172-209; 1990: 87-91; Shulman 2004).

Lingam-worship is cast in a definitely negative vein in a group of stories in which the sage Bhrigu visits the gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva in turn; the first two welcome the sage, but Shiva happens to be alone with his wife and refuses to be disturbed. The furious sage curses Shiva to be worshipped in the form of the thing that he seems to care most about, the lingam (PP 6.282.20-36; Doniger O'Flaherty 1973: 305-6). But lingam-worship is a positive factor, and Shiva is superior, rather than inferior, to Brahma and Vishnu, in another myth in which the lingam does not seem to have anything at all to do with any part of the male anatomy. In this myth, usually called "the ephiphany of the lingam" (lingodbhava), Shiva appears in the form of a pillar in the water, the form that he takes in the Mahabharata story of self-castration, and indeed this episode of the epiphany is often told as a direct sequence to that story of self-castration (Doniger O'Flaherty 1973: 130-32). While Brahma and Vishnu are arguing as to which of them fathered the other, Shiva appears before them as a pillar of light and flame, infinitely high and infinitely deep. The two gods try in vain to find its top and bottom, Brahma in the form of a goose and Vishnu in the form of an aquatic boar, and sometimes Brahma lies and says he's found the top when he hasn't, for which he is cursed never to be worshipped in India any more (see figure 4). Then Brahma and Vishnu humbly protrate themselves before Shiva, recognizing that he had created both of them, as well as everything else in the universe (Brahmanda Purana 1.2.26.10-61; Doniger O'Flaherty 85-87). There is nothing sexual about this lingam, though it is perhaps significant that it is the star witness in a debate about fatherhood.

The Lingam in Vernacular Texts

Later Sanskrit and vernacular texts depict the Shiva-lingam alternatively, and in combination, as a part of his body and as an abstract symbol of the god, worshipped with offerings of fruits and flowers. Hindus for many centuries have seen their god simultaneously in two forms: the true form of god is without any qualities (nir-guna), unimaginable; but out of compassion for us, and so that we can love him, the god also manifests himself in a form with qualities (sa-guna), perhaps as a human with two arms, or with particular features (a blue skin for Krishna, a third eye for Shiva). Each is real in its own way; sometimes you reach for one, sometimes for the other. In this way, too, many Hindus have regarded the lingam as both abstract, without (sexual) qualities, and particular, with (sexual) qualities.

The lingam can also be real, and human, and particular, without being sexual. A number of South Indian texts in Tamil tell of a miracle: a stone image of Shiva, with a face, bleeds in response to, or to test, the devotion of a pious worshipper. Some versions of this story refer to this image simply as "the Lord," that is, Shiva, but other versions assume that what is meant is a statue of the Lord, a lingam. The many representations of this episode in both paintings and sculpture depict the form of a Shiva-lingam with a face and eyes. Such an image seems to be assumed, but never named as such, in this story about Shiva told in the Periya Puranam, a popular South Indian Tamil text from the twelfth century:

One day, Kannappar, the chief of a tribe of hunters, found Shiva in the jungle. Filled with love for the god and pity that he seemed to be all alone, Kannappar resolved to feed Shiva. He kicked aside the flowers that a Brahmin priest had left on the head of Shiva and gave him the flowers that he had worn on his own head. His feet, and his dogs' paws, left their marks on Shiva. He stayed with him all night, and left at dawn to hunt again.

In order to demonstrated to the Brahmin priest the greatness of Kannappar's love, Shiva caused blood to flow from one of his eyes. To staunch the flow, Kannappar gouged out his own eye with an arrow and replaced the god's eye with his. When Shiva made his second eye bleed, Kannappar put his foot on Shiva's eye to guide his hand, and he was about to pluck out his remaining eye when Shiva stretched out his hand to stop him, and placed Kannappar at his right hand (Periya Puranam 16; McGlashan 2006: 71-86).

Since at least the seventeenth century, the common Tamil term for Shiva's lingam has been kuRi (mark, or sign), a direct translation of the original, nonsexual meaning of lingam. (An-kuRi and peN-kuRi -- "male sign" and "female sign" represent the Sanskrit pum-lingam and stri-lingam). The term kuRi is still common today as a respectable or medical term for the sign of sex. But this text never uses the term lingam (or KuRi) at all, merely saying, "The eyes of the Lord were bleeding." Nevertheless, many scholars subsume the Kannappar story under the category of bleeding lingams (Ferro-Luzzi 1987; Cox 2005), and the Tamil tradition assumes that the stone has the form of a lingam. Yet that stone has nothing to do with any part of Shiva's body but his eyes. (Of course, Freud would have something to say about the upward displacement of the genitals to the eyes, as in the blinding of Oedipus -- standing in for his castration -- but we need not follow there.)

-- God's Body, or, The Lingam Made Flesh: Conflicts over the Representation of the Sexual Body of the Hindu God Shiva, by Wendy Doniger

Post by **admin** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 7:33 am

Chapitre cinquieme.

Chapter Fifth.

Chumantou. ce que tu viens de dire met le comble a tout ce que tu as deja dit. J'ai beau refléchir et rever je ne sais plus comment m'y prendre pour te rendre
raisonnable et te faire reconnoitre les erreurs monstreuses ou je te vois plongé. un homme qui a donné dans des erreurs passageres mais, qui n'a point le coeur tout a fait corrumpû est encore capable de gouter une raison et de s'attacher a la verité, des qu'on la luy montre, mais celuy qui a tout a la fois l'esprit et le coeur corrompus, en est tout a fait incapable. II est par lå des lors impossible de luy faire connoitre la verité, encore moins de la luy faire aimer, il en est de luy, comme d'un bois sec, on peut le rompre, mais on ne sçauroit le faire plier. tu as dit d'abord que Chib etoit l'être suprême, [mais] comment, aprés tout ce que tu viens de dire de luy, peut-il même t'en venir la pensée. on regarderoit dans le monde comme vil et meprisable, celuy qui se livreroit aux femmes jusqu'a ne pouvoir plus s'en separer, tel est le personnage que tu luy fais faire, un pareil nom et une pareille conduite peut elle donc convenir a celuy qu'on regarde comme l'être suprême et qu'on adore comme son dieu. Dieu est essentiellement heureux, il l'est souverainement. il ne peut donc rien desirer hors de luy même et tout ce qui luy est exterieur ne peut en rien contribuer a son bonheur ni a sa felicité, et en effet, lorsque tu donne a Chib le nom d'etre suprême, tu nous le represente plongé dans l'yvresse et tout livré a une femme dont il joûit sans interruption. S'il étoit, en effet, l'être suprême, devroit on voir des hommes qui dependent en tout de luy comme ses créatures se laisser enflammer de colere sur luy et luy en faire porter les effets. est il possible que tu ne senté pas [toute] l'indécence d'une pareille conduite; ne vois tu donc pas ce qui se passe sous tes yeux. un Roy vient a faire une faute, verroit on un esclave l'aller charger d'injures et de maledictions, apprends de lå que le Dieu qu'on reconnoit pour maitre et qui l'est en effet, est au dessus de la colere des hommes et qu'il ne dut point en porter le poids ny en ressentir les effets. tu ajoute que Bochisto et les autres penitents ont offert au Linguam leurs hommages et l'ont honoré, comme une divinité. qu'est ce que cela prouve? qu'ils ont été les uns et les autres aussi pervers, aussi corrompus que toy et rien de plus. Les hommes les plus vertueux ne possedent Dieu, que par leurs desirs et il n'est donné qu'aprés la mort de le voir etile joûir de luy. La maison de Chib est toujours pleine de demons, sa suite en est toute composée. Les demons doivent ilsdonc joûir d'un privilege qui n'est pas accordé a ce qu'il y a même de plus vertueux. Dieu n'a point de corps, Chib en a certainement un et son plaisir est de se couvrir d'une peau de tigre. Dieu ne desire rien hors de luy même et tout l'esprit, tout le coeur et toute l'attention de Chib est tournee sur une femme, comment donc peux tu les confondre et leur donner le même nom. Dieu d'un acte de sa volonté a cree le monde, aussi nous luy donnons [tous] le nom de pere et le reconnoissons pour tel et il n'y a que Kartiko et Gonecho qui donnent ce nom a Chib et qui reconnoissent être ses enfans. Tu as dit dans d'autres occasions que Bramma et Vichnou etoient des hommes eclairés, et des hommes vertueux. mais s'ils l'etoient en effet, diroient ils des injures a celuy qu'on doit regarder comme l'etre suprême, lanceroient ils sur luy leurs maledictions? voir Dieu, jouir de luy, c'est la recompense de la vertu, c'est le comble du bonheur. voir Chib et le frequenter est un crime, parce qu'on ne voit dans luy qu'un monstre sans honte et sans pudeur. tu dis que Chib au moment de la mort, resta sous la figure du Linguam. tu as tort d'abord de le faire mourir, puisque Dieu est éternel et ne meurt point, mais d'ailleurs n'y avoit il point dans le monde de figure plus decente et qui put mieux convenir a la divinité. tu vas conter ees fables a un peuple ignorant qui est a peine en état de distinguer sa main gauche de la main droite: mais ne manquant point toy même de lumieres, peux tu porter jusqu'à ce point la fourberie et la mechanceté. tu n'ignore pas ce qui est excellent de sa nature et au dessus de tout ne peut point se transformer en ce qu'il y a de plus vil. tu n'ignore pas, non plus, qu'on ne doit offrir le sacrifice qu'à l'etre qui est au dessus de tout, comment donc, malheureux que tu es, peux tu te resoudre a engager les peuples a honorer par cet acte de religion ce qu'il y a de plus meprisable, ce qu'il y a de plus vil? Le Linguam est la partie honteuse du corps, tous les hommes la cachent par pudeur, et toy, malheureux, tu porte l'infamie jusqu'a les engager a luy offrir leurs sacrifices et a luy rendre les honneurs qui ne sont dûs qu'à la divinité. que te sert il de venir t'instruire, auprés de moy, de la verité? a quoy aboutissent toutes les peines que je puis prendre moy même, puisque tu es encore capable de pareilles infamies et de pareilles abominations, si tu veux queje continue a t'instruire, quitte donc, pour jamais, une erreur aussi monstreuse. J'ai beau te le dire, je prévois que tu n'en fera ríen, un esprit gate par l'impureté qui ne se nourrit que d'idees impures, doit, en effet, se faire des dieux de cette espece. un coeur tout a fait corrompû, tout livre au peché doit, consequemment, offrir son encens a des objets vils et meprisables et rien ne doit luy paroïtre en être plus digne que ce qui sert d'instrument a la volupté. Je ne cesserai, cependant, de te repeter et de te dire que Bramma n'est point un Dieu, que Vichnou n'en est point un, qu'Indro non plus que tous les autres å qui tu prodigue ce nom ne sont point des dieux, que Chib, enfin, n'en est point un, encore moins le Linguam.

Chumantou. What you just said is the crowning achievement of everything you have already said. No matter how much I think and dream, I don't know how to go about making you reasonable, and make you recognize the monstrous errors in which I see you plunged. A man who has given in to passing errors, but who does not have a completely corrupt heart, is still capable of tasting reason, and clinging to the truth as soon as it is shown to him. But he who has both a corrupt mind and heart are quite incapable of it. It is therefore impossible to make him know the truth, even less to make him love. It is with him, as with dry wood, that you can break it, but you cannot make it bend. You first said that Chib was the supreme being, [but] how, after all you have just said about him, can it even occur to you? One would regard the world as vile and despicable, if the supreme being would give himself up to women until he could no longer part with them. Such is the character that you make him have. Such a name and such behavior cannot therefore suit him that we regard as the supreme being, and that we adore as our god. God is essentially happy. He is sovereign. He can therefore desire nothing outside of himself, and all that is external to him can in no way contribute to his happiness or his felicity. Indeed, when you give Chib the name of being supreme, you represent him to us immersed in drunkenness, and delivering everything to a woman whom he enjoyed without interruption. If he was, in fact, the supreme being, we should see men who depend on him, like his creatures, let themselves be inflamed with anger, and make him bear its effects. Is it possible that you did not feel [all] the indecency of such conduct? Don't you see what's going on in front of your eyes? If a Roy makes a mistake, we would see a slave going to load him with insults and curses. Learn from this that the God whom one recognizes as master, and who is in fact above the anger of men, does not have to bear the weight or feel the effects of his actions. You add that Bochisto and the other penitents offered the Lingam their homage, and honored him like a deity. What does this prove? That they have both been as perverted, as corrupt, as toy, and nothing more? The most virtuous men desire only to possess God, and only after death are we are allowed to see him and enjoy him. Chib's house is always full of demons. His suite is made up of them. The demons must therefore enjoy a privilege which is not granted to even the most virtuous. God has no body. Chib certainly has one, and his pleasure is to cover himself with a tiger skin. God does not desire anything outside of Himself. All of Chib's mind, heart and attention, is on a woman. How can you confuse the two and give them the same name? God, by an act of his will, created the world, so we [all] give him the name of father, and recognize him as such. It is only Kartiko and Gonecho who give this name to Chib, and who recognize being his children. You have said on other occasions that Bramma and Vishnu were enlightened and virtuous men. But if they were indeed, would they curse someone who must be regarded as the supreme being? Would they throw curses at him? To see God, to enjoy him, is the reward of virtue. It is the height of happiness. Seeing and hanging out with Chib is a crime, because all you see in him is a shameless monster. You say that Chib, at the time of death, remained under the figure of Lingam. You are wrong at first to put him to death, since God is eternal and does not die. But besides, there was no more decent figure in the world which could better suit the divinity. You are going to tell these fables to an ignorant people who are hardly able to distinguish their left hand from their right hand. But lacking even in light, can you carry deceit and wickedness to this point? You are not ignorant of what is excellent in God's nature, and know, above all, that he cannot be transformed into what is most base. You are not unaware, either, that one should offer the sacrifice only to the being who is above all. How then, unhappy that you are, can you resolve to engage the people to honor by this act of religion what is most despicable and most base? The lingam is the shameful part of the body. All men hide it out of modesty. And you, unhappy man, you carry infamy to the point of urging them to offer it their sacrifices, and to pay it the honors which are only due to the divinity. What use is it to instruct you in the truth? To what end are all the pains that I take upon myself, since you are still capable of such infamies and such abominations? If you want me to continue to instruct you, leave therefore, forever, such a monstrous error. No matter how much I tell you, I foresee that you will do nothing. A spirit spoiled by impurity feeds only on impure ideas, and must, in fact, make gods of this species. A heart completely corrupted, surrendered to sin, must consequently offer its incense to base and contemptible objects, and nothing should appear to him to be more worthy of it than that which serves as an instrument of pleasure. I will not, however, stop telling you that Bramma is not a God, that Vishnu is not a God, that Indro is not a God, nor all the others to whom you lavish this name, and that Chib, finally, is not a God, still less the Lingam.

Sir John Marshall began it all. In 1931, in his magisterial three-volume publication, Mohenjo Daro and the Indus Civilization, which devotes five pages of a long chapter entitled, "Religion," to Seal 420: "There appears at Mohenjo-daro a male god, who is recognizable at once as a prototype of the historic Siva .... The lower limbs are bare and the phallus (urdhva-medhra) seemingly exposed, but it is possible that what appears to be the phallus is in reality the end of the waistband" (Marshall 1931: 52-56) (see figure 2). Urdhva-medhra ("upward phallus") is a Sanskrit term for an erect phallus, like the Greek-based English term "ithy-phallic." The mute image on the seal suggested to Marshall an early form of the Hindu god Shiva, because both Shiva and the figure on the seal are seated in a possibly yogic posture and have horns, multiple faces, surrounding animals, and an erect phallus. Marshall's suggestion was taken up by several generations of scholars, who made much of this tiny bit of soapstone; the millimeter of the putative erection on this seal (the whole seal is barely an inch high) has, like the optional inch of Cleopatra's nose, caused a great deal of historical fuss...

British historiographers made much of the Muslim destruction of Hindu temples and lingams in order to claim that the British had rescued the Hindus from oppression by Muslims. And many of the British in India, particularly at the start, in the eighteenth century, appreciated all forms of Hindu culture, including its art forms and its eroticism. But the puritanical Protestant ministers who evangelized India after 1813 were not amused by the copulating couples on the walls of the temples of Khajuraho (built between 900 and 1100 CE in Madhya Pradesh), and they mocked what they regarded as the erotic excesses of the god Krishna. A Supreme Court ruling from 1862 states that "Krishna ... the love hero, the husband of 16,000 princesses ... tinges the whole system [of Hinduism] with the strain of carnal sensualism, of strange, transcendental lewdness" (Bombay [Presidency] Supreme Court 1862: 213).

The British missionaries most despised what they regarded as the obscene idolatry of the lingam. The British in general, who were of course Victorian in every sense of the word, regarded the Hindus, as they regarded most colonized people of color, as simultaneously over-sexed and impotent, and the British presence had a negative effect on the self-perception that Hindus had of their own bodies (Nandy 1983). For, still reeling from the onslaught of the Muslim campaigns against lingams, the Hindus who worked with and for the British internalized their colonizers' scorn. Thus the British taught the Hindus to be ashamed of the more sensual aspects of their own religious literature, particularly of the sexual meanings of the lingam.

-- God's Body, or, The Lingam Made Flesh: Conflicts over the Representation of the Sexual Body of the Hindu God Shiva, by Wendy Doniger

Post by **admin** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:10 am

Chapitre sixieme

Chapter Six

Chumantou. tu as parlé de la naissance des géants. tu as fais leur histoire, quel mensonge a tu debité sur leur compte?

Chumantou. You spoke of the birth of giants. You made their story. What lie did you create on their account?

Biach. J'ai dit que le Brame Kochiopo habitoit le Chuarguam et qu'il eut deux femmes, Tune appellée Diti, l'autre Oditi. ce Kochiopo etoit un homme vertueux qui se retiroit tous les soirs dans un endroit solitaire pour y consacrer un certain temps a la priére et a la meditation. Diti fut un jour l'y trouver pour luy faire part de ses chagrins et de ses peines. il y a déja longtems, luy dit elle, que je vous ay pour epoux et je n'ai point encore conçuë, une femme sterile est regardée, de tout le monde, comme un meuble inutile et en est méprisée. Delivrez moy de cet opprobre et donnez moy la consolation de mettre au monde des enfans. vous aurez ce que vous souhaitez, luy repondit Kochiopo, mais ce ne sera point a present; le tems ou vous êtes venu me trouver, est un terns consacré a la priere. retournez dans vôtre appartement et soyez sur que dans peu vos voeux seront accomplis; ce fut en vain que Kochiopo chercha a se deffendre et voulut se retirer pour eviter ses importunités. Elle le saisit par les habits et exigea que ce fut dans l'instant même qu'il luy accorda sa demande et mit fin a sa douleur. Kochiopo qui savoit ce qui devoit en arriver le decouvrit a sa femme et luy dit: Si tout ce que j'ai pû vous dire n'a pû vous engager a condescendre a ma volonté, que la crainte de ne mettre au jour que des géants vous fasse rentrer en vous même et moderer pour quelque tems le desir désordonné que vous avez de concevoir. Diti n'ecouta rien et ne suivit que sa passion. Kochiopo fut obligé de la satisfaire. Elle conçut et mit au monde deux géants, comme son mary le luy avoit prédit. a peine furent ils né qu'ils jetterent partout la crainte et la terreur. egalement ennemis des dieux et des hommes ils firent egalement la guerre aux uns et aux autres, et ne vecurent que pour faire du mal aux hommes et blasphemer les dieux. quelque tems, aprés leur naissance, ils furent trouver Bramma a 4. visages, luy rendirent leurs hommages, celebrerent ses loûanges et luy demanderent une grace. Bramma charmé des eloges qu'on venoit de luy donner, leur dit, qu'ils n'avoient qu'à demander et qu'il etoit prêt a leur accorder tout ce qu'ils pourroient souhaiter. Rendez nous immortels, luy dirent ils, puisque rien ne vous est impossible. hè bien, repondit Bramma, vous aurez au moins en partie ce que vous souhaitez. ni les dieux, ni les hommes, ni rien de tout ce qui a vie ne pourra vous mettre a mort. vous ne mourrez point, non plus, [ni] sur la terre, ni dans l'eau. Les géants fiers de la grace qu'ils venoient d'obtenir, ne firent qu'augmenter leur turannie. Ils inonderent la terre de sang et n'epargnerent ni les penitents ni les dieux. L'être suprême touché des maux des dieux et des hommes, voulut les en delivrer. Il prit pour cela une figure toute extraordinaire et parut sous la forme de monstre, moitié homme, moitié lyon. La seule vuë inspiroit de la terreur et de la crainte. il tenoit tantot la gueule ouverte, tantot il rugissoit et grinçoit des dents.

Biach. The Brame Kochiopo lived in Chuarguam and had two wives, one called Diti, the other Oditi. Kochiopo was a virtuous man who retired every evening to a solitary place to devote some time to prayer and meditation. Diti found him there one day to share her sorrows with him. "It has been a long time," she said to him, "that I have been married to you, and yet I have not conceived. A sterile woman is regarded by everyone as a useless piece of furniture, and is despised because of it. Deliver me from this opprobrium, and give me the consolation of bringing children into the world." "You will have what you want," Kochiopo replied, "but it will not be now. The time now is a time devoted to prayer. Return to your apartment, and be assured that soon your wishes will be fulfilled." It was in vain that Kochiopo sought to defend himself, and he wanted to withdraw to avoid these importunities. She grabbed him by the clothes, and demanded that this very instant he should grant her request and put an end to her pain. Kochiopo, who knew what was to happen, said to his wife, "If all that I have been able to say to you has not been able to encourage you to condescend to my will, but has only caused the fear of bringing to light giants, look inside yourself and think for some time about the disordered desire that you have to conceive." Diti listened to nothing, and only followed her passion. Kochiopo was obliged to satisfy her. She conceived and gave birth to two giants, as her husband had predicted. Scarcely were they born, when they threw fear and terror everywhere. Enemies of gods and men, they also made war against each other, and lived only to harm men and blaspheme the gods. Some time after their birth, they found Bramma with four faces, paid him homage, celebrated his praises, and asked him for a pardon. Bramma, charmed by the praise which had just been given to him, told them that they had only to ask, and that he was ready to grant them whatever they could wish. "Make us immortal," they said, "since nothing is impossible for you." "Well," replied Bramma, "you will have at least part of what you want. Neither gods, nor men, nor anything that has life, can put you to death. Neither shall ye die, either on earth, or in water." The giants, proud of the grace they had just obtained, only increased their tyranny. They flooded the earth with blood, and spared neither the penitents nor the gods. The supreme being, touched by the evils of gods and men, wanted to deliver them. For this he took on a very extraordinary figure, and appeared in the form of a monster, half man, half lion. The sight alone inspired terror and fear. Sometimes he held his mouth open, and sometimes he roared and gnashed his teeth.

Chumantou. Quel est le nom de ces deux geants? quel est celuy qui a pris cette figure monstrueuse dont tu viens de parler et comment l'a t'il prise?

Chumantou. What are the names of these two giants? Who is he who took this monstrous figure you just mentioned, and how did he take it?

Biach, L'ainé de ces deux géants s'appelloit Hironnio. le second Hironnio Kochiopo. cet Hironnio Kochiopo eut un fils a qui il donna le nom de Prolado. Celuy-ci fut aussi vertueux que son pere etoit méchant et fut en particulier le dévot declaré de Chrixnou. son pere s'en etant apperçu, en fut outré de colere. qu'est ce donc que ce Chrixnou, luy dit-il, dont je t'entend sans cesse repeter le nom et quel est le lieu de sa demeure? ce Chrixnou dont vous me parlez, avec mepris, luy dit Prolado, est l'être suprême, il est repandu partout. qui t'a donc si mal instruit, luy repondit son pere, ce Chrixnou n'est qu'un pecheur, qui a été elevé dans la maison d'un berger. es tu donc tout a fait devenu fou, et ne faut il pas l'etre, en effet, pour offrir ses hommages a un homme pecheur? puisque tu es si fort porté pour luy, tu sçais, sans doute, le lieu ou il fait sa demeure. montre la moy et s'il vit encore, tu verras quej'en aurai bon marché. Cessez, mon cher pere, luy repondit Prolado, sans perdre le respect, cessez de blasphemer ce St. nom. Chrixnou est encore une fois, l'être suprême, le maitre du monde et il est repandu partout, quoy que nous ne l'y voyons pas. sans doute qu'il sera aussi dans cette colonne, reprit Hironnio Kochiopo en fureur, je vais donc en faire l'epreuve et prenant une hache, il la fendit par le milieu. aussitôton vit en sortir cet Etresuprême, sous la figure queje vous ay dépeinte et sous le nom de Niringuo. il saisit Hironnio Kochiopo, le mit sur sa cuisse et le dechira par morceaux.

Biach. The eldest of these two giants was called Hironnio. The second Hironnio Kochiopo. This Hironnio Kochiopo had a son to whom he gave the name of Prolado. He was as virtuous as his father was wicked, and was in particular the avowed devotee of Chrixnou. His father having noticed it, was outraged with anger. "What then is this Chrixnou," he asked him, "whose name I hear you repeat over and over, and where does he live?" "This Chrixnou of whom you speak to me with contempt," said Prolado, "is the supreme being. He is widespread everywhere." "Who taught you so badly?" his father asked. "This Chrixnou is only a sinner who was brought up in a shepherd's house. Have you therefore completely gone mad? And why would you, in fact, offer homage to a sinful man? Since you are so fond of him, you no doubt know the place where he makes his home. Show the average, and if it still lives, you will see that I will have cheap." "Stop, my dear father," replied Prolado without losing respect, "stop blaspheming this holy name. Chrixnou is, once again, the supreme being, the master of the world, and he is spread everywhere, so we do not see him here." "No doubt he will also be in this column," replied Hironnio Kochiopo in a fury, "so I am going to test it." And taking an ax, he split the column in the middle. Immediately, he saw this Supreme Being come out under the figure I have described to you, under the name of Niringuo. He grabbed Hironnio Kochiopo, put him on his thigh, and tore him to pieces.

Chumantou. pourquoy donc ce monstre moitié homme, moitié lyon, mit il le géant sur sa cuisse?

Chumantou. Why did this monster, half man, half lion, put the giant on his thigh?

Biach. j'ai dit, s'il vous en souvient, que Bramma a 4. visages, avoit accordé une grace a ce géant qui consistoit en ce que, ni les dieux, ni les hommes ne pourroient le mettre a mort, ni sur la terre ni dans l'eau. c'est pour cela que Vichnou prit cette figure extraordinaire pour le faire perir.

Biach. I said, if you remember, that Bramma has 4 faces, and had granted a grace to this giant which was that neither gods nor men could put him to death, not on earth or in water. That is why Vishnu took this extraordinary figure to make him perish.

Chumantou. tu ne cherche dans tout ce que tu dis, qu'à precipiter les hommes dans de nouveaux pechéset tout ce que tu leur presente n'est qu'un poison deguisé qui a, d'autant plus, son effet qu'ils l'avalent sans le connoitre et sans s'appercevoir que c'est en effet du poison. ecoute donc, homme pervers, la verité que je t'annonce, et cesse de perdre les hommes et de les tromper. Il ne fut jamais nécessaire a celuy qui est en effet l'être suprême de quitter le lieu de sa demeure et de descendre sur la terre pour faire périr un géant. Les géants, comme le reste des hommes, sont ses créatures, illes a créés de ríen et par un seul acte de sa volonté, il peut les derruire de même; et si tu voulois le faire incarner pour cela, tu eus dû, au moins, luy faire prendre une figure moins monstrueuse et moins indigne de luy. mais ríen ne t'effraie et ne te deconcerte. Tu fais de tes dieux des monstres, tu en fais des menteurs et des fourbes. tu fais ressusciter des hommes déja morts, tel que Chrixnou pour les faire paroître sous de nouvelles figures. tu habille tout cela du nom d'être suprême et le propose aux peuples comme des verités. il faut, pour jouer un pareil personnage, ou avoir perdu tout a fait la raison, ou être parvenu au comble de la malice et de l'impieté.

Chumantou. In everything you say, you only seek to precipitate men in new sins, and all that you present to them is only a disguised poison which has, all the more, its effect as they swallow it without knowing it, and without perceiving that it is indeed poison. Listen, then, perverse man, to the truth that I am telling you, and stop deceiving men. It was never necessary for him who is indeed the supreme being, to leave the place of his dwelling and to come down to earth to destroy a giant. Giants, like the rest of men, are his creatures. He created everything, and by a single act of his will he can destroy them likewise. And if you wanted to make him incarnate for that, you should at least have made him take on a less monstrous face, which is not worthy of him. But nothing frightens or disconcerts you. You make monsters of your gods; you make them liars and deceivers; you resuscitate men who are already dead, such as Chrixnou, to make them appear in new forms; you dress all this with the name of supreme being, and offer it to the people as truths. To play such a character, you must either have completely lost your reason, or have reached the height of malice and impiety.

Post by **admin** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 2:26 am

Livre VII. qui contient 6. Chapitres.

Book VII. which contains 6 Chapters.

Chapitre premier.

First chapter.

Biach. que ne vous dois-je point, Seigneur, pour avoir dissipé les tenebres qui avoient tout a fait obscurcit ma raison. guide aujourd'huy par la lumiere toute divine que vous m'avez communiquée je sens la verité et je la goute. charme de l'avoir trouvé, j'en ai fait part a tout ce queje connoissois d'hommes vertueux; ils m'ont ecouté avec plaisirs; et comme moy ils ont gouté la verité et s'y sont attachés, mes erreurs etoient en si grand nombre et m'avoient tellement fasciné qu'il n'y avoit que vous qui puissiez operer ce prodige. Je ne suis cependant point encore au point ou je devrois être. si vous avez dissipé mes doutes sur bien des matieres, il m'en reste encore sur bien d'autres et j'ai bien des questions a vous faire, en particulier sur l'áme de l'homme. en voicy quelques unes. n'y a t'il qu'une âme? y en a t'il plusieurs? communiquez moy la dessus vos lumieres et dites moy ce que vous en pensez.

Biach. What do I not owe you, Lord, for having dispelled the darkness which had completely obscured my reason? Guided today by the very divine light that you communicated to me, I feel the truth, and taste it. Charmed by having found it, I have shared it with all the virtuous men I know. They listened to me with pleasure, and as they tasted the truth they became attached to it. My errors were so numerous, and had fascinated me so much, that only you were able to perform this wonder. However, I am not yet at the point where I should be. If you have dispelled my doubts on many matters, I still have many others left, and I have many questions for you, in particular on the soul of man. Is there only one soul? Are there several? Communicate your lights to me from above, and tell me what you think.

Chumantou. Il y en a plusieurs et pour en déterminer le nombre, il y a autant d'êmes differentes entr'elles qu'il y a d'hommes sur la terre. L'âme a pris naissance, mais elle est immortelle et sera éternelle dans sa durée. elle est capable de vice et de vertu, sensible au plaisir et a la douleur, sujette aux passions, et quoy qu'unie a notre corps elle est de sa nature invisible. c'est son union avec le corps qui est le principe de ses erreurs et de ses égarements.

Chumantou. There are several, and to determine the number, there are as many different souls among us as there are men on earth. The soul has taken birth, but it is immortal, and will be eternal in its duration. It is capable of vice and virtue, sensitive to pleasure and pain, subject to passions, and united with our body, is of an invisible nature. Its union with the body is the cause of its errors.

Biach. Je sçais que la premiere âme qui a subsistée est sortie des mains de Dieu et qu'elle reçut naissance de luy. mais je sais aussi que Dieu n'en créa qu'une. comment donc y en a t'il plusieurs. vous me dites que ces âmes sont eternelles dans leur durée et cependant nous les voyons mourir tous les jours et s'il est vrai, comme vous le dites, qu'elles ne meurent point, ou vont-elles aprés s'être séparées de leur corps et quel est le lieu assez vaste pour les contenir?

Biach. I know that the first everlasting soul came out of the hands of God, and received birth from him. But I also know that God created only one. How then are there several? You tell me that these souls are eternal in their duration, and yet we see them die every day. And if it is true, as you say, that they do not die, where do they go after having separated from their body, and where is the place large enough to contain them?

Chumantou. Il est vrai que la premiere âme qui a subsistée est sortie des mains de Dieu et qu'il n'en a crée qu'une, mais de cette åme il en est nées d'autres comme des corps il en nait d'autres corps. tu te trompe, quand tu dis que les âmes meurent. elles ne font que se separer de leur corps et c'est ce qu'on appelle la mort. tu es embarassé de sçavoir quel est l'endroit où elles vont aprés leur separation. Je vais te le dire. Les âmes vertueuses vont dans le ciel et y joûiront, pendant toute l'eternité, d'un bonheur parfait et accompli. Celles qui auront vecu et qui mourront dans leurs pechés, iront en enfer et y vivront egalement toute l'eternité, mais pour leur malheur.

Chumantou. It is true that the first soul that remained came out of the hands of God, and that he created only one, but from this soul other bodies were born. You are wrong when you say that souls die. They just separate themselves from their bodies, and this is called death. You are embarrassed to know where they go after their separation. I will tell you. Virtuous souls go to heaven and enjoy it there throughout all eternity, with perfect and accomplished happiness. Those who will have lived and who will die in their sins will go to hell, and will also live there all eternity, but to their misfortune.

Biach. Si les âmes naissent des autres ames, pourquoy leur voit-on differentes inclinations et pourquoy eprouvent elles un sort different? on voit a peu prés a regard des âmes, ce qu'on voit a l'égard des corps. il semble que le fils devroit toujours être semblable a son pere. cependant on voit assez souvent, ne naître d'un homme savant et eclairé, qu'on sot et qu'une bête, comme un homme d'une taille gigantesque, ne produit souvent qu'un nain et qu'une pigmée. Verra t'on cette même difference dans l'autre vie et les åmes qui seront egalement produites alors auront-elles de differentes inclinations et un sort different?

Biach. If souls are born from other souls, why do we see different inclinations in them, and why do they experience a different fate? We see more or less with regard to souls, what we see with regard to bodies. It seems that the son should always be like his father; however, we often see a fool born of a learned and enlightened man, and a beast, or man of gigantic size, often produces only a dwarf and a pygmy. Will this same difference be seen in the next life, and will the souls which are produced have different inclinations and different fates?

Chumantou. Les differentes inclinations qu'on voit aujourd'huy dans les differentes âmes, sont, en partie, occasionnées par leur union avec le corps. il n'en sera pas de même dans l'autre vie. comme elles ne seront unies a rien d'etranger elles seront toutes semblables. elles cesseront alors d'en pro-duire de nouvelles et resteront éternellement telles qu'elles se seront trouvées au moment de la mort. Du reste quoy que le nombre de ces åmes doive être presqu'infini, il n'en coute a Dieu pour créer un lieu qui puisse les contenir toutes qu'un acte de sa volonté.

Chumantou. The different inclinations that we see today in different souls are, in part, caused by their union with the body. It will not be the same in the next life. As they will not be united to anything foreign, they will all be alike. They will then cease to produce new ones, and will remain eternally as they were at the time of death. Besides, in spite of an almost infinite number of souls, it does not cost God to create a place which can contain them all; it only takes an act of his will.

Biach. que feront donc les åmes vertueuses dans ce lieu fortuné que vous leur avez assigné et quelle y sera leur occupation? seront elles encore sujettes au peché et supposé qu'elles viennent a en commettre, quelle est la penitence qu'elles auront å faire et par quelle voie en obtiendront elles le pardon. seront elles enfin tellement fixées dans ce lieu de delices, qu'il ne leur reste plus de crainte d'en être chassées et de tomber dans l'enfer?

Biach. What will the virtuous souls do in this fortunate place that you have assigned to them, and what will be their occupation there? Will they still be subject to sin? Supposing they commit a sin, what is the penance they will have to do, and in what way will they obtain forgiveness? Will they finally be so fixed in this place of delights that there is no longer any fear for them being driven out and falling into hell?

Chumantou. L'occupation des âmes vertueuses dans le sejour fortuné que dieu leur a preparé, sera de mediter ses grandeurs, de le voir et de le posseder. comme ils trouveront dans luy la source et le comble de tous de tous les biens, leurs desirs et leurs voeux seront pleinement accomplis. il nous en coute sur la terre pour penser a Dieu et nous elever a luy. dans le ciel tout notre bonheur consistera a y penser sans cesse et a le posseder; ce qui achevera enfin d'y mettre le comble, c'est qu'on sera assuré de le posseder toute l'eternité. tu as formé un doute sur l'impeccabilité de ces åmes fortunées, mais tout a fait mal a propos. des qu'un âme est une fois entrée dans le sejour des bienheureux, elle devient impeccable parce qu'elle est assurée de la protection de Dieu et de son amitié, et en effet, si ce Dieu de bonté se laisse toucher aux larmes d'un pecheur son ennemi et n'est pas insensible a son retour a luy, permettroit-il que ceux qu'il aime, qu'il chérit comme ses enfans et qui sont toujours en sa presence se soûillent de nouveau et retombent dans le peché? non, certainement. former des doutes la dessus, c'est méconnoitre sa bonté et l'outrager. a tu encore quelqu'autre questions a me faire?

Chumantou. The occupation of virtuous souls in the fortunate abode that God has prepared for them will be to meditate on his greatness, to see him, and to possess him. Since they will find in him the source and the height of all good things, their desires and wishes will be fully fulfilled. He listens we think of God on earth, and this elevates us to him. In heaven, all our happiness will consist in thinking about him unceasingly, and in possessing him. What will finally be the crowning achievement is possessing him for all eternity. You have doubted the impeccability of these fortunate souls, but quite wrongly by the way. As soon as a soul has once entered the abode of the blessed, it becomes impeccable, because it is assured of the protection of God, and of his friendship. And indeed, if this God of goodness lets himself be touched by the tears of a sinner, his enemy, and is not insensitive to his return to him, would he allow those he loves, whom he cherishes like his children, and who are always in his presence, to get drunk again and fall back into sin? No, certainly not. To have doubts about it is to disregard and outrage his goodness. Do you still have any other questions for me?

Biach. que doit on entendre par le mot Poromajou? quelle est de plus la cause de la differente durée de la vie des hommes? car enfin, etant tous les créatures du même Dieu, pourquoy voit-on les uns vivre beaucoup les autres vivre peu?

Biach. What should we understand by the word Poromajou? What, moreover, is the cause of the different length of human life? Being all creatures of the same God, why do we see some living a lot, others living little?

Chumantou. Le mot Poromajou signifie la durée de la vie de l'homme, c'est un mot composé de Porom et de Ajou. Ajou signifie la durée de la vie. Porom, signifie l'être par excellence. or, comme c'est luy qui l'a fixée et qui en dispense, de la vient qu'on l'a exprimé par le mot Poromajou. voicy la reponse a ta difficulté. Dieu dans le tems de la creation avoit assigné a tous les hommes, le même nombre de jours. Si, donc, on voit aujourd'huy cet ordre renversé. si, on en voit qui vivent beaucoup, d'autres qui vivent peu, ce n'est qu'a eux mêmes qu'ils doivent s'en prendre. ce sont leurs pechés et leurs débauches qui abregent leurs jours. Dieu, aprés avoir crée le premier homme, luy donna sa loy et luy dit, que tandis qu'il la suivroit, il vivroit heureux, il vivroit longtems; mais que lorsqu'il s'en ecarteroit, il se rendroit coupable d'un crime et seroit accablé de maux. Cette prediction s'accomplit tous les jours sous nos yeux. est on esclave du peché? on devient bientot esclave de son ventre et on s'adonne a toutes sortes de debauches. Les debauches occasionnent les maladies. Les maladies nous conduisent a la mort. voila la vraie cause de la differente durée de la vie des hommes, en sorte qu'on pourroit comparer la vie de deux hommes dont Tun est vertueux et l'autre pecheur, a deux lampes qu'on allume en même terns et dans lesquelles on a mis la même quantité d'huile et de mêche, mais dont Tune est exposée au vent, et l'autre est gardée soigneusement, dans une chambre bien fermée. Celle qu'on garde avec soin, brûle jusqu'à ce qu'il ne reste plus de mêche, ni d'huile, celle qu'on a laissé exposée au vent, s'eteint presque dans l'instant, quoy qu'il reste encore beaucoup de l'un et de l'autre. Ainsi en est il de la durée de la vie des hommes.

Chumantou. The word Poromajou means the duration of the life of man. It is a word made up of Porom and Ajou. Ajou means the duration of life. Porom means being par excellence. Now, as it is he who fixed it, and he who dispenses with it, hence it was expressed by the word Poromajou. Here is the answer to your difficulty. God in the time of creation had assigned to all men the same number of days. If, then, we see this order reversed today, if we see some who live a lot, and others who live a little, it is only themselves they have to blame. It is their sins and their debauchery that shortens their days. God, after having created the first man, gave him his loyalty and told him that while he followed him he would live happily, and would live a long time; but when he departed from it, he would be guilty of a crime and be overwhelmed with evils. This prediction is being fulfilled every day before our eyes. Are we a slave to sin? You soon became a slave to your stomach and indulge in all kinds of debauchery. Debauchery causes disease. Disease leads to death. This is the real cause of the different length of life of men. So we can compare the life of two men, one of whom is virtuous and the other a sinner, to two lamps which are lit at the same time, and in which we have put the same quantity of oil and wick. Suppose that one is exposed to the wind, and the other is kept carefully, in a well closed chamber. The one that we keep with care burns until there is no wick or any oil left. The one that we have left exposed to the wind, extinguishes in an instant. So it is with the length of human life.

Post by **admin** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 3:04 am

Chapitre deuxieme.

Chapter two.

Biach. J'ai entendu avec plaisir ce que vous venez de dire au sujet de la differente durée de la vie des hommes, et je suis satisfait. Je serois maintenant curieux de sçavoir les noms des differens pays qu'habitent les hommes et les differences qui se trouvent entr'eux. vous m'avez parlé du ciel, de l'enfer et m'avez instruit a fond la dessus. faites moy une courte description de la terre qui me mette au fait de tous les differens pays qui sont habités?

Biach. I was happy to hear what you just said about the different lifespans of men, and I am satisfied. I would now be curious to know the names of the different countries inhabited by men, and the differences between them. You told me about heaven and hell, and taught me thoroughly about it. Give me a short description of the land that brings me up to date with all the different countries that are inhabited?

Chumantou pour satisfaire a la demande de Biach, luy dit les noms des differens pays qu'il connoissoit et luy en marque la situation. [Les curieux les trouveront dans l'autre page en langue Telegoa.]

Chumantou, to satisfy Biach's request, tells him the names of the different countries he knows and indicates to him the situation. [The curious will find them on the other page in Telegoa language.]

Biach. vous m'avez dit les noms des differens pays qui composent le monde. dites moy maintenant quelles sont les coutumes et les usages d'un chacun?

Biach. You told me the names of the different countries that make up the world. Tell me now what are the customs and uses of each?

Chumantou. Voicy quels sont les usages des pays du Nord. Le meurtre y
est en horreur, quoy que les castes y soient dans le fonds, differentes. Ce-pendant chaque homme reconnoit dans un autre homme, son image et n'a pour luy, ni horreur ni mépris. Le volest inconnu. tous ces peuples sont d'un caractére bon et affable, ils donnent volontiers et pardonnent aisement le mal qu'on leur fait. mais les Princes exercent une rigoureuse justice et punissent toujours les malfaiteurs. ils ont dans leur langue le Vedan et ils le mettent en pratique.

Chumantou. Here are the customs of the countries of the North. Murder there
is held in horror. The castes at the bottom are different. However, each man recognizes in another man his image, and has neither horror nor contempt for him. Theft is unknown. All these people are of a good and affable character. They give willingly, and easily forgive the harm done to them. But the Princes exercise rigorous justice, and always punish criminals. They have Vedan in their language, and put it into practice.

Biach. Quel est le Roy qui regne dans ce pays? quelle est sa figure? quel est son nom, et par quelle vertu s'est il rendu recommandable?

Biach. Who is the King who reigns in this country? What is his figure? What is his name, and by what virtue has he made himself commendable?

Chumantou. Sarbako qui regne sur le Bollodechan, s'est rendu fameux, non
par sa vertu, mais par son impieté. il ne croit point de Dieu, ni d'autre vie. il est luy même sa divinité. il regarde la mort comme la fin de nos peines et les plaisirs de la vie presente, comme le seul bien qu'il y a å attendre et qu'il puisse se procurer. ses usages repondent assez bien a son sistême de Religion et ont quelque chose de barbare qui fait horreur. Le crâne d'un homme lui sert de couppe et il met son plaisir a se faire porter sur le lit, qui a servi a un mourant. Sa boisson ordinaire est une liqueur ennyvrante, il en use, dit il, parce qu'elle contribue a la santé et qu'elle sert a eloigner la maladie et a en preserver. Voila quel est le sisteme de religion du Bollodechan et quels en sont les usages.

Chumantou. Sarbako, who reigns on the Bollodechan, made himself famous not
by his virtue, but by his impiety. He does not believe in God, nor in any other life. He is luy even his divinity. He regards death as the end of our sorrows, and the pleasures of present life as the only good that is to be expected and that he can obtain. Its uses correspond well enough to its system of Religion, and have something barbaric which is horrifying. The skull of a man serves as his couppe, and he takes pleasure in being carried on a bed which served for a dying man. His ordinary drink is a poisonous liquor. He drinks it, he says, because it contributes to health and serves to ward off and preserve disease. This is the Bollodechan system of religion and its uses.

Biach. tous les hommes étant egalement les enfans de Dieu, pourquoy en voit on qui donnent dans des travers si extravagants et quel, pensez vous que sera leur sort aprés la mort?

Biach. If all men are also the children of God, why do we see some who give in such extravagant ways, and what do you think their fate will be after death?

Chumantou. tous les hommes sont les enfans de dieu, cela est vrai, mais ceux-cy sont des enfans rebelles, qui ne veulent pas suivre sa loy. La garder cette loy, fait le bonheur de l'homme en ce monde et luy assure une eternelle felicité [dans l'autre]. mais voila ce que les pecheurs ne veulent pas comprendre, aveuglés par des passions dont ils se sont rendus les esclaves, seduits par les discours des autres pecheurs, auxquels ils s'unissent, entrainés par leurs exemples, ils cherchent comme eux et avec eux leur felicité et leur bonheur, dans ce qui fait l'objet de leurs passions; mais comme c'est in-utilement qu'ils l'y cherchent, sans jamais pouvoir l'y trouver, on les voit courir sans cesse d'objet en objet, se livrer de crime en crime; et, comme l'idée d'un dieu vengeur les poursuit et les trouble jusqu'au milieu de leurs plaisirs, ils cherchent pour s'en delivrer, a se persuader que l'idée de dieu n'est qu'une chimere et qu'ils sont eux mêmes leur propre divinité. c'est ainsi qu'un peché en attire un autre. on en vient, comme par degré, jusqu'au comble de l'impieté, car, il n'est que la corruption du coeur qui puisse enfanter les sectes mon-strueuses; il n'est que la corruption du coeur qui puisse nous les faire gouter. quand on est une fois venu là, il n'est qu'un miracle de la misericorde de Dieu qui puisse nous faire revenir. La frequentation des hommes vertueux peut faire renaitre dans eux l'idée de Dieu, mais ils ont trop d'interêt a conserver des doutes sur cette matiere pour qu'on puisse entierement les dissiper. Ils ont trop de mauvaises habitudes a vaincre, pour qu'on puisse les faire revenir. il faut encore une fois pour cela un miracle et il n'est que Dieu qui puisse l'operer. quoique, a te dire vrai, je ne sçais pas s'il peut jamais y avoir de pardon pour des personnes coupables d'un tel crime et on ne m'a rien enseigné la dessus.

Chumantou. All men are the children of god, that is true, but these are rebellious children, who do not want to follow his loyalty. Maintaining loyalty brings happiness to man in this world, and assures him of eternal felicity [in the other]. But this is what the fishermen do not want to understand. Blinded by passions of which they have made themselves the slaves, seduced by the speeches of other fishermen to whom they unite, drawn by their examples, they seek their felicity and their happiness in what is the object of their passions. But it is ineffective to seek it there. They'll never be able to find it there. We see them running incessantly from object to object, delivering themselves from crime to crime, and as the idea of a vengeful god pursues them, and troubles them even in the midst of their pleasures, they seek to get rid of it, and persuade themselves that the idea of god is only a chimera, and that they themselves are their own divinity. It is thus that one sin attracts another, and one comes, as if by degree, to the height of impiety. For it is only the corruption of the heart that can give birth to monstrous sects. It is only the corruption of the heart that can make us taste them. Once we get to that place, it is only a miracle of God's mercy that can bring us back. The frequenting of virtuous men can revive in them the idea of God, but they have too much interest in preserving doubts on this matter, so they cannot be entirely dispelled. They have too many bad habits to break down and be brought back. Once again, a miracle is needed, and it is only God who can do that. Though, to tell you the truth, I do not know if there can ever be forgiveness for people guilty of such a crime, and I have not been taught anything about it.

Post by **admin** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 3:27 am

Chapitre troisieme.

Chapter three.

Biach. J'ai encore une question a vous faire au sujet de Chrixnou qu'on adore dans l'Outkolodechan appellé aujourd'huy l'Oricha, sous la figure d'un tronc de bois. J'ai donné a ce tronc de bois le nom d'être suprême. J'ai fait son histoire fort au long, je l'ay même enseigné. bien des savants pensent la dessus comme moy. qu'en pensez vous vous mêmes?

Biach. I have one more question for you about Chrixnou, who is adored in the Outkolodechan today called the Oricha, under the figure of a wooden trunk. I have given this trunk of wood the name of Supreme Being. I made his story strong throughout. I even taught it. Many scholars think of it as a mean. What do you think yourselves?

Chumantou. Je n'ai jamais rien lu de semblable dans le Vedan. Je n'en ay même jamais rien entendu. dis-moy donc d'abord quelles sont les chimeres que tu as debité la dessus etje te dirai ensuite ce que tu dois en penser et ce que tu dois en croire.

Chumantou. I have never read anything like it in the Vedan. I never even heard of it. So tell me first what are the chimeras you debited above, and then I'll tell you what to think, and what to believe.

Biach. Il y eut autrefois dans l'Outkolodechan ou l'Oricha un Roy appellé Indrodoumeno. ce prince qui souhaitoit sincerement de se sauver, voyoit a regret qu'il n'avoit encore rien fait dans tout le cours de sa vie qui put luy assurer un sort plus heureux aprés sa mort. Cette pensée l'affligeoitbeaucoup, il communiqua plus d'une fois ses inquietudes la dessus a Bramma a 4 visages dont il avoit fait sa divinité favorite et luy demandoit quel seroit son sort aprés sa mort. Bramma touché de ses peines et charmé tout a la fois de voir dans luy tant de bonne volonté luy dit un jour. cessez grand prince de vous inquieter sur votre sort a venir. je vais vous enseigner un moyen de vous en assurer un qui sera vraiment digne d'envié et qui mettera le comble a tous vos voeux. Tout auprés de la mer est situé l'Outkolodechan. c'est lá que se trouve la montagne appellée Nilo qui a deux lieuës et demie d'etenduë. elle porte aussi le nom de Pourouchottomo du nom du Dieu qui y habitoit autrefois. Cette montagne est un lieu vraiment sacré et qui a encore le pouvoir de pardonner les pechés. du terns du l.er âge, on y voyoit un temple tout d'or consacré a Vichnou l'être suprême. Il subsiste encore mais il a été enseveli sous le sable et ne paroit plus. faites en revivre la memoire, renouvellez les sacrifices qu'on y offroit alors et vous vous assurerez un sort fortuné. Le Roy charmé de ce qu'il venoit d'entendre demanda quels etoient ceux qui avoient fait bâtir ce temple et ou étoit precisement l'endroit ou il avoit été båti. Ce sont vos ancestres, grand Roy, repondit Bramma, qui le firent bâtir dans le l.er age du monde et qui procurerent par lá aux hommes le bonheur de voir sur la terre l'être suprême en personne et un moyen sur de se sauver. allez donc re-nouvellez encore une fois la memoire d'un lieu si respectable. faites y descendre de nouveau Têtre suprême et vous leur procurerez le même bonheur. Le moyen de trouver un temple enseveli sous le sable, repondit le Roy avec inquietude, je ne sçaurois jamais en venir a bout, si vous ne vous donnez vous même la peine de me le montrer. Bramma luy en donna plusieurs indices et luy dit [enfin] qu'il trouveroit dans un étang, tout auprès de la montagne Nilo, une tortue aussi ancienne que le monde, qui pourroit le luy montrer. Le Roy satisfait rendit graces a Bramma et s'en fut. il ne fut pas longtems a chercher l'etang dont Bramma luy avoit parlé. il y vit en effet une tortue d'une grosseur prodigieuse qui, l'ayant apperçu s'approcha des bords et luy demanda qui il étoit, d'ou il venoit et ce qu'il cherchoit dans ce lieu. Je suis Roy de naissance, repondit Indrodoumeno, mais je ne suis par état qu'un pêcheur et le plus grand des pecheurs. Le Dieu Bramma dit en general qu'il y avoit un lieu sacré sur la montagne Nilo, mais il n'est point entré dans un plus long détail et m'a envoyé auprés de vous m'assurant que vous étiez [parfaitement] au fait de tout cela et parfaitement en etat de m'y mettre. Je suis charmée, prince, repondit la tortuë, que vous me fournissiez une occasion de contribuer en quelque chose au bonheur des hommes et a leur utilité. je ne suis pas en etat de remplir tout a fait vos voeux, parce que mon grand åge m'a fait perdre la memoire, mais je vous donnerai au moins quelqu'indices sur ce que vous m'avez demandé. il y avoit autre fois sur la montagne Nilo un temple fameux par son eclat et ses richesses. Le Dieu a 4. bras, le Dieu des Dieux y faisoit sa demeure. tous les dieux venoient assiduëment luy rendre leurs hommages. C'etoit de tous les lieux le plus fréquenté et c'etoit là communement que les dieux venoient se satisfaire et contenter leurs passions. Depuis longtems la mer a couvert ce lieu sacré et le dieu n'y recevant plus les sacrifices de personne s'est retiré et est retourné dans le Veikuntan. Je sçais, en general, que ce temple est enfoncé d'environ une lieuë sous le sable, mais je ne me souviens pas precisement de l'endroit où il est. Je vous enseignerai cependant un moyen sur de le decouvrir. vous trouverez auprés de l'etang appellé Markondeo une corneille qui joûit de l'immortalité. Interrogez la sur tout cela et vous apprendrez surement d'elle tout ce que vous souhaitez sçavoir. Le Roy fut tout de suite chercher l'étang dont on luy avoit parlé et y trouva en effet une corneille que le grand nombre des années avoit fait blanchir. Il la salua profondement et luy dit: Corneille qui jouissez de l'immortalité, vous voyez devant vous un homme que le chagrin devore et il n'est que vous qui puissiez me soulager. quel est donc le sujet de vos peines, reprit la corneille, et que puis-je faire pour cela? Je vous le dirai, reprit Indrodoumeno, mais je vous prie de ne me rien cacher sur tout ce que je vais vous demander et de me dire au vrai ce qu'il en est. Dites moy donc d'abord quel est le premier Roy qui a regné dans ce pays et qu'est ce qu'il a fait. La corneille qui se ressouvenoit parfaite-ment de l'histoire de l'ancien terns luy dit: le premier Roy qui a regné dans ce pays s'appelloit Soturanouno. il eut pour fils Bichiobahu et de celuy-cy naquit Indrodoumeno, qui ayant toujours eu pour Bramma a 4 visages une pieté sincere s'est depuis quelque terns retiré auprés de luy et est allé joûir de la presence de ce Dieu. Ce Soturanouno dont je vous ay parlé gouverna ce pays avec beaucoup de bonté et avoit pour ses sujets la vraie tendresse d'un pere. parmi les autres grandes actions qu'il a faites, il y en a une en particulier qui éternisera a jamais sa memoire. c'est luy qui a eu la gloire et le bonheur de faire descendre le dieu des dieux du Veikuntan pour le faire habiter sur la terre, il luy avoit fait bâtir, sur la montagne Nib, un temple magnifique, les murailles en etoient d'or et l'interieur etoit enrichi de tout ce qu'il y a de plus precieux en fait de pierreries. Les âges se sont succédés les uns aux autres et tandis que tout a péri, ce temple a toujours subsisté, il subsiste encore aujourd'huy, mais depuis assez longtems la mer l'a enseveli sous le sable et il ne paroit plus. Depuis ce tems lá le dieu qui l'habitoit a quitté, a la verité ce lieu charmant et n'a plus habité dans ce temple: mais il ne voulut pas quitter une montagne qu'il avoit consacrée par sa presence et il y resta sous la metamorphose de l'arbre un jour le penitent Markondeo qui depuis nombre de siecles faisoit penitence sur cette montagne, voyant que cet arbre ne donnoit point d'ombre, en fut indigné, souffla sur luy et le reduisit en cendres. cependant comme cet arbre etoit Vichnou l'être suprême, et que par lá il devoit être immortel de sa nature, il ne fut pas tout reduit en cendres et il en resta encore le tronc. Je ne me souviens pas maintenant de l'endroit ou étoit cet arbre, mais je sais bien qu'il a été reduit en cendre en partie et que c'etoit une metamorphose de Vichnou. vous souviendrez vous, reprit le Roy, de l'endroit ou étoit le temple et pourriez vous me le montrer? oui, sans doute, reprit la corneille. vous n'avez qu'à me suivre et il ne faudra pas aller bien loin. Dès qu'ils furent arrivés a l'endroit, la corneille se mit a creuser la montagne avec son bec et aprés avoir creusé une lieuë de profondeur, elle luy fit voir le temple magnifique qui avoit servi de demeure a Narajon le dieu des dieux et le couvrit de nouveau. Le Roy convaincu de la verité de tout ce que la corneille venoit de luy dire et charmé d'avoir trouvé ce qu'il souhaitoit s'adressa de nouveau a elle et luy dit: voudriez vous me dire encore de quels moyens je pourrai me servir pour reveiller dans l'esprit des peuples la memoire d'un lieu si sacré, et luy rendre son premier eclat. ce que vous me demandez, repondit la corneille est au dessus de moy. mais allez trouver Bramma et il vous dira ce qu'il faut faire pour cela.

Biach. In the past there was in the Outkolodechan, or the Oricha, a King called Indrodoumeno. This prince, who sincerely wished to save himself, saw with regret that he had not yet done anything in the course of his life which could assure him a happier fate after his death. This thought distressed him a great deal. More than once he communicated his anxieties above to Bramma with 4 faces, who he had made his favorite divinity, and asked him what would be his fate after his death. Bramma, touched by his sorrows, and charmed at the same time to see in him so much good will, said to him one day, "Stop worrying about your future fate, great prince. I will teach you a way to make sure that you become one that is truly worthy of envy and will make your wishes come true. Right by the sea is the Outkolodechan. This is where the mountain called Nilo is located, which is two and a half leagues wide. It also bears the name of Pourouchottomo from the name of the God who once lived there. This mountain is a truly sacred place which still has the power to forgive sins. From the first age, we saw there a temple of pure gold consecrated to Vishnu the supreme being. It still exists, but it was buried under the sand, and no longer appears. Revive its memory, renew the sacrifices that were then offered there, and you will secure a fortunate fate." The King, charmed by what he had just heard, asked who were those who had built this temple, and where was precisely the place where it had been built. "It is your ancestors, great Roy," replied Bramma, "who built it in the first age of the world, and who thereby provided men with the happiness of seeing on earth the supreme being in person, and a sure means of saving themselves. Therefore, go renew once again the memory of such a respectable place. Bring the Supreme Being down again and you will give them the same happiness." "The way to find a temple buried under the sand," replied the King worriedly," I would never be able to overcome it if you did not take the trouble to show it to me yourself." Bramma gave him several clues and told him [finally] that he would find in a pond, near the mountain Nilo, a turtle as old as the world who would show it to him. The satisfied Roy gave thanks to Bramma and left. He was not long in seeking the pond of which Bramma had spoken to him. He saw there in fact a turtle of a prodigious size which, having seen him approach the edges, asked him who he was, where he came from, and what he was looking for in this place. "I am Roy by birth," replied Indrodoumeno, "but by state I am only a fisherman, and the greatest of fishermen. The God Bramma generally said that there was a sacred place on Mount Nilo, but he did not go into more detail, and sent me to you assuring me that you were [perfectly] up to date on all this, and perfectly fit to get started." "I am delighted, prince," replied the tortoise, "that you give me an opportunity to contribute something to the happiness of men and to their utility. I am not in a condition to fully fulfill your wishes, because my old age has made me lose my memory, but I will at least give you some clues as to what you have asked me. There was in another time on the mountain Nilo a temple famous for its brilliance and its riches. The God has 4 arms; the God of the Gods made his home there. All the gods came assiduously to pay him homage. It was of all the places the most frequented, and it was there commonly that the gods came to be satisfied and to satisfy their passions. For a long time the sea has covered this sacred place, and the god no longer receiving the sacrifices of anyone has withdrawn and returned to Veikuntan. I am generally aware that this temple is sunk about a league under the sand, but I do not remember exactly where it is. I will however teach you a safe way to find out. Near the pond called Markondeo you will find a crow that enjoys immortality. Ask her about it all, and you will surely learn everything you want to know from her." The Roy immediately went to look for the pond of which he had been told, and indeed found there a crow that its great number of years had made white. He greeted her deeply and said to her, "Cornelius, who enjoys immortality, you see before you a man devoured by sorrow, and it is only you who can relieve me." "What then is the subject of your sorrows," asked the crow, "and what can I do about it?" "I will tell you," resumed Indrodoumeno, "but I beg you not to hide anything from me about everything I am going to ask of you, and to tell me the truth of the matter. Tell me first, who is the first King who reigned in this country, and what did he do?" The crow, who perfectly remembers the history of ancient times, says to him, "The first King who reigned in this country was called Soturanouno. He had for his son Bichiobahu, and from him was born Indrodoumeno, who always had a sincere piety for 4-faced Bramma, and has since withdrawn from him and went to enjoy the presence of this God. This Soturanouno of whom I have spoken to you, governed this country with great kindness, and had for his subjects the true tenderness of a father. Among the other great deeds he has done, there is one in particular that will forever eternalize his memory. It was he who had the glory and the happiness of bringing down the god of the gods from Veikuntan to make him live on the earth. He made him build, on the mountain Nib, a magnificent temple, the walls of which were made of gold, and the interior was enriched with all the most precious stones. The ages have followed one another, and while everything has perished, this temple has always existed. It still exists today, but for quite a long time the sea has buried it under the sand, and it no longer appears. Therefore, the god who lived there has left this charming place and no longer lives in this temple. But he did not want to leave a mountain which he had consecrated by his presence, and he remained there after metamorphosing into a tree. One day the penitent Markondeo, who for many centuries had been doing penance on this mountain, seeing that this tree gave no shade, was indignant at it, blew on it, and reduced it to ashes. However, as this tree was Vishnu the supreme being, and was thus immortal in nature, it was not completely reduced to ashes, and its trunk still remained. I do not remember now where this tree was, but I know very well that it was partly reduced to ashes, and that it was a metamorphosis of Vishnu." "Could you remember," replied the King, "where the temple was, and could you show it to me?" "Yes, no doubt," resumed the crow. "You just have to follow me, and you won't have to go very far." As soon as they arrived at the place, the crow began to dig the mountain with its beak, and after having dug a league deep, she showed him the magnificent temple which had served as home to Narajon the god of the gods, and covered it again. Le Roy, convinced of the truth of all that the crow had just told him, and charmed to have found what he wanted, addressed himself to her again and said to her, "Would you like to tell me again what means I can use to awaken in the minds of the people the memory of such a sacred place, and restore it to its first glory?" "What you ask me," replied the crow, "is above me. But go find Bramma, and he will tell you what to do about it."

Post by **admin** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:32 am

Chapitre quatrieme.

Chapter Four.

Chumantou. l'histoire que tu viens de me raconter est la production informe et monstrueuse d'un homme qui est dans le delire ou tout au plus un conte a amuser des enfans. Tu as dit d'abord que le temple båti sur la montagne Nilo avoit servi de demeure a l'être suprême, que c'etoit un lieu sacré, mais que dans la suite la mer l'avoit enseveli sous le sable. S'il eut en effet servi de demeure a l'être suprême, la mer n'eut elle pas dû le respecter. un brame peut-il tenir ce langage et ne pas sentir que par lá il se deshonore et s'avilit. tu fais ensuite paroître une tortue sur la scêne. tu luy fais lier conversation avec un homme. voila une merveille, dont jusqu'icy, je n'avois jamais entendu parler. je serois curieux de voir une tortuë s'entretenir avec toy. je suis bien sur au moins que si tu pouvois luy donner le don de la parole elle raisonneroit pour le moins aussi sensement que toy. tu nous represente ensuite le Roy Indrodoumeno faisant de grandes reverences a la tortue et luy demandant de venir luy montrer l'endroit ou étoit le temple. C'est å dire, que tu fais de luy une seconde tortuë, car il ne peut pas venir dans l'esprit a un homme de bon sens de faire des reverences a une bete et [de] prier un habitant des eaux de grimper sur une montagne. tu lå fais aussi ancienne que le monde. [paroit ensuite la corneille,] tu luy mets dans la tête l'histoire de tous les tems, tu la luy fais raconter. il faut avoir le cerveau bien creux pour enfanter de pareilles chimeres. as tu donc jamais vû ríen de semblable, et pourrois tu me dire dans quel endroit est aujourd'huy cette corneille a qui tu attribue l'immortalité. il faut être bien malheureux pour se faire un plaisir, comme tu t'en fais un de nourrir les peuples d'erreurs et de mensonges et de profiter de leur grossierté et de leur ignorance pour les precipiter dans le peché. tu parle de Markondeo comme d'un grand penitent, et en consequence tu luy fais reduire en cendres [, d'un souffle,] un arbre qui etoit luymême une metamorphose de Vichnou. dis moy donc, homme insensé, la honte et l'opprobre de ta caste, as-tu jamais vû que [le souffle de la colere d'un esclave fit périr son maitre et son Roy; et n'est il pas extravagant que] le souffle d'une creature reduit en cendres le Dieu qui luy a donné le jour et a l'honneur duquel tu luy fais faire penitence. tu nous fais voir ensuite la corneille creusant la montagne avec son bec, et cela a la profondeur d'une lieuë! un oiseau tel que la corneille peut il être capable de pareilles choses. mais je me deshonore de repondre serieusement a de pareilles impertinences et je perd de plus tout a fait mon tems. Car les erreurs dans lesquelles tu donne sont si grossieres qu'il faut que tu aye tout a fait perdu l'esprit et qu'il ne me paroit pas possible de [te] faire revenir; je ne cesseray cependant de t'exhorter de cesser toy même de blasphêmer la divinité. tu parle de Bramma comme de l'être suprême, un de ses devots va le consulter, et tu le luy fais renvoyer auprés d'une tortuë pour être instruit de ce qu'il venoit luy demander. tu veux representer Markondeo comme un grand penitent, et tu luy fais reduire en cendres le dieu a l'honneur duquel il faisoit penitence. faire joûer de pareils personnages a tes penitents, et a tes Dieux, c'est en faire de vrais imbeciles, c'est les deshonorer et les avilir. cesse donc encore une fois de blasphemer les Dieux que tu adore, cesse pour leur honneur, et le tien de faire de nouveaux livres, cesse de tromper les peuples et de les perdre, defais-toy enfin, de cet esprit fourbe et interessé qui en assurant ta perte en entrainera des millions d'autres dans le même malheur.

Chumantou. The story you just told me is the shapeless and monstrous production of a man who is delirious, or at most a tale to amuse children. You said first that the temple built on the mountain Nilo had served as a home for the supreme being, that it was a sacred place, but that afterwards the sea had buried it under the sand. If it had indeed served as a home for the supreme being, the sea should not have disrespected him. Can a slab use this language, and not feel that by doing so he dishonours and degrades himself? You then make a turtle appear on the stage. You make him strike up a conversation with a man. Here is a wonder of which until now I had never heard of. I would be curious to see a turtle talking to toy. I expect, of course, at least that if you give her the gift of speaking, she should reason at least as sensibly as a toy. You then represent to us that Roy Indrodoumeno makes great reverences to the turtle, and asks her to come and show him the place where the temple was. That is to say, that you make her a second tortoise, for it cannot occur in the mind of a man of good sense to make reverences to a beast and [to] ask an inhabitant of the waters to climb on a mountain. You make it as old as the world.
[Then appears the crow.] You put in her head the history of all the times, you make her tell it. You must have a very hollow brain to give birth to such chimeras. Have you ever seen anything like it, and could you tell me where this crow is today to whom you attribute immortality? You have to be very unhappy to feed peoples with errors and lies, and to take advantage of their coarseness and ignorance to plunge them into sin. You speak of Markondeo as a great penitent, and consequently you reduce him to ashes [, with a breath.] A tree is a metamorphosis of Vishnu. Tell me, therefore, foolish man, the shame and the reproach of your caste, have you ever seen that [the breath of the anger of a slave destroyed his master and his king? And is it not extravagant that] the breath of a creature reduced to ashes the God who gave it birth, and in whose honor you make it do penance? You then show us the crow digging the mountain with its beak, and it is a league deep! Can a bird like the crow be capable of such things? But I dishonor myself for responding seriously to such impertinences, and I am also wasting my time altogether. Because the errors which you give are so crude that you must have completely lost your mind, and it does not seem possible for me to make [you] come back. I will not, however, cease to exhort you to cease even to blaspheme the divinity. You speak of Bramma as the supreme being, and when one of his devotees goes to consult him, you send him back to a turtle to be informed of what he came to ask Bramma. You want to represent Markondeo as a great penitent, but you reduce to ashes the god in whose honor he did penance. To make such characters play with your penitents and your Gods is to make them real imbeciles. It is to dishonor and debase them. Cease once again to blaspheme the Gods whom you adore. Cease for their honor, and yours, to make new books. Cease to deceive the peoples and to lose them. Finally, undo this deceitful and interested spirit which, insuring your loss, will lead millions of others to the same misfortune.

Post by **admin** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:41 am

Chapitre cinquieme.

Chapter Fifth.

Biach. Indrodoumeno convaincu de la venté de ce que la corneille luy avoit dit, suivit le dernier conseil qu'elle luy donna et fut de nouveau trouver Bramma. aprés luy avoir offert plusieurs fois ses adorations et ses hommages, il luy dit: J'ai trouvé, comme vous me l'avez annoncé la montagne Nilo. J'ai vu de mes propres yeux le temple magnifique qui a servi autrefois de demeure a Vichnou. mais comment dois je m'y prendre pour rappeller dans le souvenir des peuples, la memoire d'un lieu si respectable et luy rendre sa premiere spiendeur. Si j'y fais bâtir une ville, quel nom dois-je luy donner? Je sçais que Vichnou doit de nouveau honorer de sa presence ce lieu sacré sous la figure d'un tronc de bois; mais comment y viendra t'il et quels sont les presents qu'il faudra luy faire? Daignez, grand Dieu m'instruiré lá dessus. pour rendre a ce lieu sacré son premier lustre, luy repondit Bramma, faites bâtir un nouveau temple au dessus de l'endroit même ou se trouve l'ancien; vous luy donnerez le nom de Seridehoul qu'il ne soit point de la même magnificence que le premier. Les peuples aujourd'huy reduits a la misere, l'emporteroient par pieces, et vôtre travail deviendroit inutile. il suffira de le faire bâtir de pierres pour procurer aux peuples qui viendront [en foule] le visiter, toutes sortes de commodités. vous ferez bâtir en meme tems une ville a qui vous donnerez le nom de Pourouchottomo. a peine aurez vous fini tout cela, que le tronc de bois qui doit porter le nom et la figure de Chrixnou, viendra de luy même sur la mer. vous aurez soin de le transporter dans son temple. Bichiokormo l'y façonnera, et luy donnera la figure du Dieu. vous mettrez auprés de luy Chubodra sa soeur et Bohramo son frere. vous leur offrirez des sacrifices jour et nuit, mais en particulier le matin, a midy et le soir, et par lå non seulement vous, mais tous ceux qui imiteront [en cela] votre exemple s'assureront le Veikuntan. Comme le dieu ne pourra pas manger tout ce qui luy sera offert dans les differents sacrifices, les hommes trouveront de quoy se purifier en mangeant ce qui en restera. heureux ceux qui pourront en avoir quelque [petite] partie; ils iront surement dans le Veikuntan; et pour faire connoitre toute l'excellence des restes du repas de Chrixnou, c'est que, si par inadvertance on vient a en laisser tomber par terre, les dieux se le disputeront quand bien même les chiens en auroient deja manges une partie. enfin quand un Paria en tireroit de la gueule d'un chien pour le porter a la bouche d'un Brame, ce ris est si pur, et a tant de vertu, que malgré tout cela il le purifieroit tout de suite. C'est la Déesse Lakchimi qui fait la cuisine, et qui prepare elle même les mets qu'on doit servir a Chrixnou et la Déesse Onnopourna qui les distribuë. une partie de l'arbre Kolpo descendra du Chuarguam pour venir se placer au milieu de vôtre nouvelle ville. vous sçavez que c'est un arbre qui ne meurt point, et qu'il suffit de souhaiter quelque chose de luy pour l'obtenir aussitot de quelque nature que soit le souhait qu'on a pû former. voir seulement le temple que vous batirez, sera un acte de vertu qui n'a point son egal. recevoir des coups de baton ou de bambou, de ceux qui le deserviront en sera un tout egal. Indro et tous les autres Dieux habiteront vôtre nouvelle ville et feront compagnie au tronc d'arbre qui doit porter le nom de Chrixnou. Le côte de la ville qui regardera la mer, aura quelque chose encore de plus particulier, et de plus sacré. ceux qui l'habiteront croitront de jour en jour en vertu! vous donnerez le nom de Konoko au sable de la mer qui se trouvera dans cet endroit là. ceux qui mourront dessus, iront surement dans le Veikuntan. voila, prince, la reponse a ce que vous m'avez demandé. partez incessamment. allez exécuter ce que je viens de vous prescrire. en attendant que cela soit fait, Vichnou sous la figure de l'arbre qui doit servir a former le tronc dontje vous ay parlé, croitra et se fortifiera. Indrodoumeno aprés avoir rendu ses actions de graces a Bramma, s'en fut exécuter ses ordres; il fit bâtir le temple et la nouvelle ville. tout etoit deja fini, et le dieu ne paroissoit pas. cela commençoit a luy causer de l'inquietude, mais peu de jours aprés s'étant levé de grand matin, il vit sur la mer ce tronc d'arbre tant désiré. il se prosterna mille fois par terre et s'écria dans l'excés de sa joie: Le jour d'aujourd'huy est le plus heureux de mes jours. je comprens a ce moment et j'ai des preuves certaines que je suis né sous une etoille favorable, que mes actions et mes sacrifices ont été acceptés, puisque j'en retire un fruit si précieux et que je vois de mes yeux celuy que les hommes les plus éclairés et les plus vertueux ne peuvent voir. aprés quoy le Roy se leva et fut au devant du Dieu. il fut suivi de cent mille hommes qui le chargerent sur leurs epaules, et le porterent dans le temple: peu de tems aprés arriva Bichiokormo, Charpentier de naissance et trés habile dans son metier. il se chargea d'executer la piece de bois informe et monstrueuse qu'on venoit de mettre dans le temple, et de luy donner la figure de Chrixnou, mais il mit une condition, c'est qu'il finiroit l'ouvrage dans une nuit, et que personne ne viendroit le voir travailler. que si quelqu'un venoit a le voir, ne fut-ce qu'un instant, il quitteroit tout de suite l'ouvrage et se retireroit, il accepta la condition et il commença a travailler. comme il le faisoit sans bruit, le Roy, toujours dans l'inquietude s'imagina qu'il s'en etoit allé et fut sans faire bruit epier par le trou d'une fenêtre s'il travailloit ou non. Comme [il le vit] occupé a son ouvrage il se retira tout content. Bichiokormo qui l'avoit apperçu, sur le champ se retira suivant la condition qu'il en avoit fait et laissa l'ouvrage tout informe, de sorte que le troncresta presque tel qu'il étoit et qu'on y reconnoissoit a peine les premiers traits d'une figure humaine. Le Roy n'en laissa pas que d'en faire sa divinité et de luy offrir ses sacrifices. il luy donna même sa filie en mariage, et la fête en fut celebrée avec toute la solemnité possible. voila quelle est l'histoire de la ville appellée Pourouchottomo et du tronc de bois qu'on y adore. il porte le nom de Zoguotnoto, c'est a dire de maitre du monde. dites moy maintenant ce que vous en pensez, car tous les peuples des environs sont persuadés de la verité et il y a toutes les années un concours de monde infiny.

Biach. Indrodoumeno, convinced of the truth of what the crow had told him, followed the last advice she gave him and went to find Bramma again. After having offered him his adoration and homage several times, he said to him: "I have found, as you have told me, the mountain Nilo. I saw with my own eyes the magnificent temple which once served as a home to Vishnu. But how should I go about recalling, in the memory of peoples, the memory of a place so respectable, and making them its patrons? If I build a city there, what name should I give it? I know that Vishnou must once again honor this sacred place with his presence under the figure of a wooden trunk, but how will he get there, and what are the presents we will have to give him? Deign, great God, to instruct me on it." "To give this sacred place its first chandelier," Bramma replied, "have a new temple built above the very place where the old one is. You will give it the name of Seridehoul, indicating that it is not of the same magnificence as the first. The people, now reduced to misery, would win by pieces, and your work would become useless. It will suffice to have it built of stones to provide the people who will come [in crowds] to visit it all kinds of amenities. At the same time, you will build a town to which you will give the name of Pourouchottomo. As soon as you have finished all this, the wooden trunk which must bear the name and the figure of Chrixnou, will come from him even on the sea. You will take care to transport it to his temple. Bichiokormo will fashion it there, and give it the figure of God. You will put Chubodra his sister, and Bohramo his brother, with him. You will offer sacrifices to them day and night, but especially in the morning, midday and evening. And by that, not only you, but all those who imitate [in this] your example, will ensure the Veikuntan. As the god will not be able to eat all that will be offered to him in the various sacrifices, men will find something to purify themselves with by eating what remains of them. Happy will be those who are able to have some [small] part of it; they will surely go to Veikuntan. And to make known all the excellence of the remains of the meal of Chrixnou, say that if by accident one comes to drop some on the ground, the gods will dispute it even though the dogs have already eaten a part of it. Finally, when an Outcast would take it from the mouth of a dog to bring it to the mouth of a Slab, this laughter is so pure, and has so much virtue, that in spite of all this it would immediately purify it. It is the Goddess Lakchimi who cooks, and who herself prepares the dishes that are to be served to Chrixnou. And it is the Goddess Onnopourna who distributes them. Part of the Kolpo tree will descend from Chuarguam to come and be placed in the middle of your new city. You know that it is a tree which does not die, and that it is enough to wish something of it to obtain it immediately, whatever nature the wish may be. To see only the temple which you will build will be an act of virtue which has no equal. To receive blows of stick or bamboo, of those which will use it will be a whole equal. Indro, and all the other Gods, will inhabit your new city, and will be company with the tree trunk which must bear the name of Chrixnou. The coast of the city, which will look out over the sea, will have something even more particular and more sacred. Those who will inhabit it will daily believe in virtue! You will give the name of Konoko to the sand of the sea which will be in this place there. Those who die on it will surely go to Veikuntan. Here, prince, is the answer to what you asked of me. Leave immediately. Go do what I just ordered. While waiting for this to be done, Vishnu, under the figure of the tree which should serve to form the trunk I have told you about, will grow and become stronger." Indrodoumeno, after having returned his thanksgiving to Bramma, went to carry out his orders. He built the temple and the new city. Everything was already finished, and the god did not appear. This began to cause him anxiety, but a few days after getting up very early in the morning, he saw this longed-for tree trunk on the sea. He bowed himself a thousand times to the ground, and cried out in excess of his joy: "Today is the happiest of my days. I understand at this moment, and I have certain proofs, that I was born under a favorable star, that my actions and my sacrifices were accepted, since I derive from it such a precious fruit, and I see with my own eyes that which the most enlightened and the most virtuous men cannot see." After that, the King arose and stood in front of God. He was followed by a hundred thousand men who loaded him on their shoulders, and carried him into the temple. A short time later, Bichiokormo arrived, a carpenter by birth, and very skilled in his profession. He undertook to execute the shapeless and monstrous piece of wood which had just been placed in the temple, and to give it the figure of Chrixnou. But he made a condition, that is that he would finish the work at night, and nobody could come to see him work. And that if anyone came to see him, even for a moment, he would immediately leave the work and retire, He accepted the condition, and Bichiokormo began to work. As he did so silently, the King, still in alarm, imagined that he had gone away, and was silently spying through a window hole to see whether he was working or not. As [he saw him] busy with his work, he retired quite happy. Bichiokormo, who had seen it, immediately withdrew according to the condition he had made, and left the work completely shapeless, so that in the truncated figure you could hardly recognize the first features of a human figure. The King did not stop offering his divinity sacrifices. He even gave him his daughter in marriage, and the feast was celebrated with all the solemnity possible. This is the history of the city called Pourouchottomo, and the trunk of wood that we adore there. It bears the name of Zoguotnoto, i.e., master of the world. Tell me now what you think of it, because all the surrounding peoples are convinced of the truth, and every year there is an endless competition of people.

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Re: Ezourvedam: A French Veda of the Eighteenth Century

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