Dravidian Gods in Modern Hinduism loi 



Some time later these shepherds were worshiping Siva, when 

 she interfered with their worship, ruining some of the ceremonies. 

 The shepherds became angry and began to whip her with ropes, 

 but immediately she turned into a stone image. They then began 

 accusing and beating one another, and to this day rope whips are 

 kept as a part of the sacred relics of the goddess. This narrative 

 appears to be a mixture of the legend given in the Ramayana* of 

 the origin of the Ganges river, and of some local story of the 

 origin of a goddess who was thus rather clumsily attached to 

 Hinduism. 



Another legend, apparently quite distinct from this one, is con- 

 nected with the beginnings of the shepherd caste. There were 

 five brothers who were kings among the shepherds. One of 

 them, Pedda Razu, had a war with another king and was slain in 

 battle. When he was dying, the king who had wounded him, pre- 

 tending to be moved with compassion, asked him to think of the 

 person whom he loved best. This thought would bring that per- 

 son to his presence. The victorious king expected Pedda Razu 

 to think of his own son, Katama Razu, and thus there would be 

 an opportunity to kill him too. 



Pedda Razu, however, thought of the gods, and immediately 

 they surrounded him and placed a guard about him so that no one 

 might touch his blood or his corpse. They called the Adi Sakti, 

 that is the original Sakti, Gangamma, and asked her to stand on 

 guard. She protested that as the battle was raging she could 

 not do so. They then placed a string in a winnowing fan, and 

 drew it around that part of the battle field so that no enemies or 

 demons might cross it and approach the dead king. 



Katama Razu now heard of the death of his father, and com- 

 ing quickly, won the battle. Gangamma, seeing his powers, at 

 once fell in love with him and wished to marry him. But Ka- 

 tama Razu said, "You are a Sakti. How could such a relation 

 be possible ? " She would not accept his refusal and vowed to 

 marry him anyway. Katama Razu now made what he considered 

 to be a condition that it would be impossible to comply with. He 



* GrifRth, The Ramayan of Valmiki, Benares, 1895, Canto XXXVI, p. 48. 



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