280 



Account of the Basava Puran. 



[Oct. 



proved and cut her hands ofF. Whereupon Siva blazed forth, restored 

 his wife her limbs, and carried the pair to Cailas. 



There are several stories to show how Siva was born in various places 

 as the son of various devout women. This appears to be a mode of 

 stating that their sons were pious men. 



Several of these saints vitiate their sacrifices by a feeling of pride : 

 whereupon they are punished in various modes. 



The next story is regarding Miru Mindu Nainar whose faith exalted 

 him so greatly that Siva (by the name Valmik-esa) became his servant ; 

 Day his slave, and pander. The other devotees hereupon curse both the 

 god and his pet as equally infamous. " At these words the god.was so 

 frightened that he fled and took his pet with him : they stole round 

 " the idol, and passing under its front they ran away into the jungle." 

 Siva's follower Nandi expressed his wonder that a god should suffer 

 such distress : but Siva replies, '■ I and my followers are one : nor can 

 I be free from grief while they suffer. Indeed on a former occasion, 

 when a devout woman was ordered by the king to produce a militia man, 

 as the fee on her land, I myself went and served* as a soldier furnished 

 by her." This " shews the wonderful power of faith : the good deeds 

 of a former birth would never sufKce to obtain such a boon. Wert not 

 thou proud, 0 Nandi thou wouldst attain oneness with me." 



Here Basava is informed that Nandi ultimately became thoroughly 

 humble ; and this gained him the honour of canonization. 



" And next to faith, charity is the great means : for example this 

 Nambi after bestowing all he had on the poor, proposed even to bestow 

 his body in alms. He began by cutting off his hand : whereupon he 

 was at once borne to Cailasa." 



To this succeeds a series of miraculous stories, inculcating bountiful* 

 ness to the poor : some devotees after reducing themselves to poverty 

 attempt suicide : whereupon they are as usual carried to Cailasa. Seve- 

 ral of these tales are interesting, but they are very long. One of these 

 men is visited by Siva disguised as a Sudra who refuses to honour the 

 god adored by his Jangam host : the zeal of the host is aroused and he 

 attempts to slay his guest, who thereupon displays his real form and 

 carries the zealot to Cailasa, 



The narrative concludes with the moral that faith avails nothing if 

 clogged with pride. Pride ruined all the pious acts of Nambi, who 

 therefore long lingered on earth. 



• Parallel to the Bomish legend of the Virgin Mary, taking the place and doing the 

 duty of a devout nun -who eloped for a period from the convent. 



