YONI. 



It is difficult to difcufs fueh fubjeAs as tlicfe without feeling 

 a certain degree of contempt, pity, and wonder, at the fooleries 

 of creatures called rational. But when we recolle<ft that 

 many millions, hundreds of millions probably, of our fellow 

 mortals are, or have been, thus mifled, and have been fimi- 

 hrly milled in all parts of the world, the origin and fpread 

 of fuch ufages become a fubjeft not unworthy the inquiry 

 of the philofopher : as connefted probably with the hiftory 

 of ftupendous events in facred hidory, it claims alfo the at- 

 tention of the theologian ; and the total difufe of all futh 

 irrational fuperftition among ourfelves is a matter of gratu- 

 ktion to us as reformed Chriftians. We are difpofed, how- 

 ever, to view it in all cafes as an invention and engine of 

 prieftcraft, and not much more to be charged on the re- 

 ligion of the Hindoos and others, than the mummeries prac- 

 tifed at Loretto, Naples, and elfewhere, are juftly charge- 

 able on Chriftianity. 



Connefted with the fymbols and rites of the Yoni, we 

 had prepared to offer fome remarks Ihewing the fpread of 

 fimilar fuperftitions almoft all over Europe, as well as in 

 other regions. And, indeed, although their origin and al- 

 lufion are now wholly forgotten, curious obfervers may 

 difcern in ftill exifting ufages occafional rehcs of this 

 fpecies of devotion even in England. It is inexpedient, 

 however, to indulge in this extended view. 



Adoration of ftones is found fimilarly fpread through 

 the fuperftitions ages of all nations. The Hindoos retain 

 it with undiminifhed bigotry; and will affirm, and indeed go 

 nigh to prove, that fuch objefts, from the facred monolithic 

 fubjeft of the Kaaba at Mecca, or the obeliflcs of Egypt, 

 to the trilithic temple at Stonehenge, with many interme- 

 diate, are no other than their Linga, under various forms 

 and denominations. The Baetilia of antiquity are nearly 

 related to it. Under B^tylos, Cromlbkhe, Kistvaen, 

 Stonehenge, and other articles of this work thence re- 

 ferred to, the reader may, if defirous, fee the extent of 

 fpeculation to which the fuperftition connefted with Lithifm, 

 if fuch a term may be allowed, has given rife. 



Clefts in rocks, rent by the hand of nature, may there- 

 fore be fuppofed to be profoundly venerated by fuch enthu- 

 fiafts as are Hindoo myftics. One of the moft celebrated 

 in India, as far as we have heard, is at the promontory on 

 the idand of Bombay, called by the Enghfti Malabar point. 

 The promontory itfelf, thrufting its apex into the fea, which 

 there forms a fandya, or junftion, (fee Junctions,) '\s Lingaii:. 

 It ufed to be much reforted to, and its fin-expelling potency 

 much rehed on, before its purity and privacy were polluted 

 and interrupted by the prefence of ftrangers, and the increaf- 

 ing population of the ifland. The unequalled denfity of its 

 prefent population, and the extending prevalence of foreign 

 manners, have leffened the fanftity of this fpot, now the 

 conftant refort and abode of perfons who look on the local 

 fuperftitions with an eye too rational or curious — or fevere 

 (hall we fay ? — to encourage their continuance. Like the Li- 

 thic Linga temple of its neighbouring ifland of Elephanta, as 

 the Englidi call it, the Yoni of Malabar point will foon ceafe 

 to be reforted to. Its fine temple is levelled to the rock 

 whence it arofe, and fome of its fpoils adorn the Mufeum at 

 the India Houfe. The neighbourhood of Bombay was in 

 former times a grand aflemblage of Hindoo temples. The 

 great beauty and falubrity of the fituation, the forms of the 

 hills and iflands, and other real and fanciful advantages, com- 

 bined to give it high charms to the tafteful and cunning 

 Brahman. An ifland rifing conically is, we have feen, itfelf 

 a Linga, its fhores a Yoni, the ocean an Argha. The de- 

 moralizing efFeft of this perverted philofophy on the mind 



of the fimple Hindoo might be exemplified by a citation 

 from our great dramatic poet, flightly altered : 



" And this their life, exempt from public haunt. 



Found Lingas in ftones, Arghas in running brooks, 

 Yonis in rocks, and guds in every thing." 



Faffing through fuch clefts as we have juft noticed with a 

 piacular or expiatory view is, or rather has been, of exten- 

 five prevalence. We could ihew it to have exifted in many- 

 parts of Europe. Relics of' it ftill exift in England. And 

 mdeed fuch is the recent rage of theological innovation, and 

 the amazing increafe of credulity, that a zealous feaarian 

 need not defpair of feeing thefe, or ufages equally ridicu- 

 lous, revived among us. But it would not fuit the crafty 

 Brahmans to allow rich delinquents fo eafy an expiation as 

 the pafTage through a cleft or Yoni of rock. In certain 

 cafes of defilement, it is required that an image of pure 

 gold be made of the female power of nature, either in the 

 form of a woman or of a cow : in this ftatue, the perfon to 

 be regenerated is enclofed, and is protruded through the 

 ufual channel. As this evidently muft be enormoufly ex- 

 penfive, it is of courfe rarely reforted to. An inftance is 

 given in the Hindoo Pantheon, p. 398. of a recent cafe 

 where a Yoni of gold was the medium of regeneration to 

 two Brahmans, who had fuffered pollution by coming to 

 England. The defilement of a natural birth is done away 

 by the protrufion of the perfon or head through a facred 

 thread called Zennar. ( See that article. ) This regeneration 

 is eflential to Brahmanical purity, and is alfo required of 

 the two next tribes. The individuals thereafter are deno- 

 minated twice-born. The fourth tribe is not allowed to be 

 thus purified, and is therefore confidered as bafe and unclean. 

 See Sects of Hindoos. 



Enough has been faid under this article to ftiew the myf- 

 terious bearing of its title. It is a fubjeft which, connefted 

 with the Linga, meets the obferver or inquirer direftly or 

 allufively, though not oftenfibly, or very often in an offenfive 

 form, at every ftep he takes in the inveftigation of Hindoo 

 literature or antiquities. Refpefting the non-offenfivenefs of 

 their appearances, we refer to our article LiNGA ; of which 

 indeed this may be confidered as a continuation. The fub- 

 jeft is inexhauftible, but to us not inviting, though it muft 

 have been fo to others. It might not be exaggeration, if it 

 appear fo, to fay, that more fpeculation exifts hereon in 

 the languages of India than would fill a volume equal to 

 our whole Cyclopaedia ! Reference to earlier articles de- 

 fcriptive of the Yoni and its attributes and allufions enables 

 U3 to abridge this, which is, however, even combined with 

 what is faid in thofe articles, ftill and neceflarily incomplete. 

 See Kamalayoni, Lileswara, Lotos, Meru, Patra, 

 Radha, Saiva, Sami, Sami-devi, and Sects of Hindoos. 

 From the article Sami reference is made to this, and we take 

 this occafion to correft an error in the former : in col. 2, 

 line 24 from bottom, iorflBion rezdfriSion. 



Individuals, chiefly of the feft called Sakta, meaning 

 worfliippers of the Sakti, or female energy of Mahadeva, 

 the deity of reproduftion, propitiate the goddefs under the 

 form of the Yoni, the myftical matrix of nature. Of this, 

 fee under Sakta and Sakti. Such individuals have the 

 feftarial appellation of Yonija. In what they differ from 

 the Sakti, if they differ at all, we are not informed. Thefe 

 fefts may be fuppofed to comprife but feiv perfons ; but 

 this is a point on which information is obtained with diffi- 

 culty. Refpeftable individuals, if there be any fuch belong- 

 ing to it, are afliamed to avow being Saktas ; and from 

 perfons of a different fort information is not to be relied on. 



WritingSj^ 



