276 



Account of ihe Basava Puran. 



One of these is a pious woman who ponders how it should happen that 

 Siva should have every relation excepting a mother.* She reflected on 

 the grief she suffered at the loss of her own mother ; and, imagining it 

 might comfort him, she longed and praj'ed to become his mother. She 

 thereupon adopts a boy ; but, to try her faith he occasionally abstains^ 

 from the breast as a fast. She imagines the boy to be unwell, and as he 

 will not tell what ails him, she is about to knock her brains out (as usual 

 in these fables) when he bursts out in divine form as Siva : and offers to 

 grant her every wish. She makes no request and he bestows on her 

 (sayujiam) eternal happiness : and she is now wor&hipped as saint Am- 

 mavva : having been a mother (amma) to Siva. 



A man and his wife who daily offered boiled milk to Siva leave home, 

 directing their daughter to attend the god daily. She one day put the 

 milk before him, and bowed to him as she left him to drink. On her 

 return, she finds he had not drunk it. She begs to know what had of- 

 fended him : as he remains silent she offers (as usual) to knock her head 

 against the wall ; but the god took pity on her and drank the milk. his 

 he continued to do daily until it happened that on coming out she met 

 her parents who asked her for the milk in the vessel. She alleged that 

 the idol had drunk it. This they disbelieved as he did not eat what tliey 

 offered. They therefore took the girl to the image to repeat the story 

 to him. She bowed to the figure who opened his bosom ; she entered 

 and the marble closed again. Her father caught her by the hair ; which 

 therefore did not enter, and still continues to grow ! so that they keep 

 it cropped.! Could }0U desire proof more complete of any miracle ? 



The next legends are yet more marvellous : but they certainly have 

 this negative merit, that they are free from the foulness of the bramini- 

 cal legends, and we find none of the curses therein inflicted, as absurd 

 as they are cruel. 



Some of the tales are merely ludicrous. Thus one of these simple- 

 tons sees a statue of Siva dancing. He imagines the god is contorted 

 with rheumatism. The story ends as usual by the god carrying his 

 worshipper to (Cailas) Olympus. 



* Compare the Legend of Saint Kentigern, as navratedin the second volume of Sou- 

 they's Sir Thomas More ; or, Colloquies on ihe Progress and Prospects of Society, There- 

 we even find the story of a fox or wolf used in lieu of ahorse. 



+ Like Saint Nicholas, the patron of thieves, ^vho is noticed at a subsequent pag'.- 

 When an infant at the breast he fasted on AVednesdajs and Fridays. 



X There is a similar story regarding St. Francis. Compare also Napier's Lights and 

 Shades of Military Life, 1840, vol. 2. p. 87, the story of a ciucifix, the nails of which they 

 ftie obliged to cut from time to time, 



