168 



Vasuki, sometimes represented as the supporter of the 

 world is said to have accompanied Vishnu in his avatars. 

 According to this view, Lakshmanen, Ramen's brother, and 

 Balaramen, Krishnen's brother, were both avatars of the 

 snake An an den. 



Krishnen when bathing in the Kavery river, was attacked 

 by a great snake named Kaliyen, but he vanquished it and, 

 on its submitting, condemned it to exile.* 



In Mysore there is everywhere to be found most distinct 

 evidence of serpent- worship being of a phallic nature. 

 Nearly every tope of trees about Bangalore contains a group 

 of stones with figures of snakes sculptured on them ; most 

 people observing these would imagine them to be ' samy^ 

 stones,' mere peace-offerings to demons. They are in reality 

 votive offerings set up under the following circumstances : — 



A barren woman desirous of offspring has three stones 

 carved and deposited with certain votive ceremonies in the 

 well of the house. Should her barrenness cease the stones 

 are taken up and placed with much ceremony (including 

 presents to priests) on a mound made between a peepul 

 {Ficus religiosa) and a neem tree (Azadirachta indica); for 

 this purpose a young neem tree is generally planted near 

 a full grown peepul tree. The middle stone bears the 

 imaf^e of the goddess Balyama or Minachi (the fish-god- 

 dess) a personification of Parwadi, wife of Siven ;f the lower 

 half of her body is scaled and ends in a fish's or serpents' 



* This episode is often seen in temple sculptures. Krishnen 

 stands on the serpent's head holding its tail in his uplifted hand. 

 In correct pictures Kaliyen is represented as a spotted water-snake. 

 But there is a story that the spectacles on the cobra's neck are the 

 marks of Krishnen's feet, and Hindu artists who accept this account 

 often make Krishnen stand on the cobra's head as a pedestal. 



+ According to some accounts Minachi was an avatar of Ananden 

 who accompanied Vishnu in his fish-avatar as in the Ramen and 

 Krishnen avatars. 



