INDIA. PART II.

HISTORY OF aborigines are described under the names of Asuras and Rakshasas, as being giants and cannibals, and of course hideously repulsive; whilst the Aryan settlers, of whom Bhíma as the strongest man of the Pándavas is pre-eminently the type, are represented as overcoming their enemy by strength of arm, and under circumstances of rough comicality not unlike those which sometimes appear in a Christmas pantomime. It need scarcely be added that such stories are exceedingly popular with the Hindús; and indeed the degree to which the alternations of mirth and wonder are excited, is scarcely conceivable excepting by those who can sympathize in the undoubting and childish credulity of the masses.

Popularity of the fictions.

the period in

composed,

rather than as

facts belonging

to the period to which they refer.

To reject such stories as unfitted to the dignity of history would be to lose some valuable glimpses Historic value of into the inner life of ancient nations. The narratives the fictions, as illustrations of may be palpable fictions, but they are true to an which they were element of human nature; that element which leads the imagination to depict circumstances, not as they are, but as they would be best received in the times in which they are related. Histories of every description must be especially regarded from this point of view. The question of how far they represent the real facts of the period to which they refer is doubtless of primary importance, but it is nearly as important to consider how far they illustrate the ideas, the feelings, and the judgments of the age in which they were produced; for histories in general represent far more truthfully the spirit of the period in which they are written than the facts of the Interest to be period to which they refer. Accordingly in relating the fictions and the stories of Bhíma's adventures with the Asuras, the whom they are attention should be divided between the mirthful and

divided between

the audiences to

related.

INDIA. PART II.

Action of the interest of the

narrator in heightening the

fictions.

marvellous incidents on the one hand, and the open- HISTORY OF mouthed audiences on the other; between the grotesque and horrible scenes, and the alternate laughter and terror of the men, women, and children who are looking on. Nor must the narrator of the story be entirely forgotten; for the sympathies which exist between the Hindú story-teller, and the events he is describing, and the people to whom he is telling his tale of wonder, would be almost inconceivable to the European who may read a history aloud without action and without vivacity. Thus in the opening scene of the first fiction, where the giant Bhíma is carrying his mother and three brothers through a dreadful forest haunted with wild beasts and Asuras, an enthusiastic narrator will represent Bhíma by carrying two children on his back and one under each arm; and will moreover imitate the roaring of lions and tigers, and indulge in hideous grimaces to indicate the cannibal propensities of the Asuras. With these preliminary observations, the attention may now be directed to the stories themselves. The first fiction is as follows:

Bhima's en

Now when the Pándavas escaped from the burning house 1st Fiction. in the city of Váranávata, they proceeded in all haste to- counter with wards the southern jungle, which was inhabited by wild Asura. beasts, and also by Rakshasas and Asuras, who were eaters

Hidimba, the

his mother and

through the

of men. And Kuntí and all her sons, excepting Bhíma, Bhima carries were very weary; but Bhíma was tall and strong, and he three brethren carried his mother and elder brother on his back, and one of great forest. his younger brethren under each of his arms, whilst Arjuna followed close behind. Next morning they passed along the western bank of the river Ganges, and proceeded more and more towards the south, until they reached a very dark and dreadful forest; and all, excepting Bhíma, were so overpowered with sleep that they threw themselves beneath

INDIA.

PART II.

Description of ra Hidimba, and

ter Hidimbi.

posals to Bhima.

HISTORY OF a tree, and were soon in a profound slumber, whilst Bhíma stood by to guard them. It so happened that hard by was the abode of a terrible Asura and man-eater, named Hidimba, the hideous Asu- who had yellow eyes and a horrible aspect, but who poshis beautiful sis- sessed great strength; and he had a sister, named Hidimbi, who was very tall and handsome. Now the cannibal Hidimba smelt human beings in the neighbourhood of his den, and he sent out his sister to bring them in; but when she saw the long arms and mighty form of Bhíma, resplendent with royal vestments and rich jewels, she fell in love Hidimbi's pro- with him, and straightway proposed to carry him away into the jungle upon her back, and to leave the others for her brother to devour. But Bhíma refused to desert his mother and brethren in such extremity, and declared himself willing to Battle between fight the Asura. Whilst he was thus speaking, the monster came up furious with wrath at the delay of his sister, and engaged in battle with Bhíma. First the Asura and Bhíma fought with fists; then they tore up trees and cudgelled each other; and then, when all the trees had been torn up and broken to pieces, they attacked each other with vast stones. The Pandavas were awakened by the noise of the combat, and Arjuna came up to help his brother; but at Horrible death that moment Bhíma seized the Asura by the waist, and whirled him round several times, and dashed out his brains against the ground; and then holding his head under one arm he so belaboured him with his fist that he broke every bone in his body.

Bhima and Hidimba.

of the Asura.

Hidimbi en

treats Bhima to

Then the sister of the Asura set up a cry so terrible that the wild beasts of the jungle fled away from fear; but after a while, when she saw that Bhíma was leaving the place together with his mother and brethren, she ceased her cries and began to follow them. And Bhíma desired her to take her as his return to the abiding-place of her brother; but she replied that as she had chosen him for her husband, she would never leave him, but henceforth be his faithful slave. She then threw herself at the feet of Kuntí, and wept bitterly, and said:- "O lady, command your son to take me as his wife, for I have known no man; and if he refuse to take me

wife.

INDIA.

Marriage rites

Yudhishthira.

honeymoon of

dimbi.

I will kill myself, and my blood will be upon your head." HISTORY OF So Kuntí, believing that the strong Asura woman, experi- PART II. enced in the jungle, would greatly help them in their sojournings, desired Bhíma to marry her; and Bhíma took performed by Hidimbi as his wife, and the marriage rites were duly performed by his elder brother Yudhishthira. And Bhíma took Extraordinary his newly married wife, and went away to a beautiful spot on Bhima and Hia mountain, where the flowers were blooming and a crystal stream was flowing, and the trees were laden with fruits of the choicest description; and there Hidimbi brought him every day such prodigious quantities of excellent food that he rejoiced exceedingly. And in due course a son was born to them as robust as his parents; and Bhíma then returned with his wife to his mother and brethren, and presented his sturdy infant to the delighted Kuntí.

first fiction.

plicity of the

est.

The foregoing fiction is chiefly remarkable for Review of the the downright plainness of the points of interest. Extreme simThe gloomy forest, the wild beasts, the cannibals, points of interthe strong man carrying his mother and brethren, the terrible Asura and his handsome sister, the triumph of Bhíma, the outspoken desire of the handsome Asura to become the wife of the strong man, the marriage, the honeymoon, and the birth of a boy, all follow one another with a simplicity which is as charming as a story invented by a child. The death Extraordinary to which the Asura is subjected is especially worthy Bhima destroyof notice, for it is not only mythical in itself, but is sufficient to indicate a myth. In the authentic tradition of the great war it will be seen that Bhíma beheaded his enemy and drank his blood; but in the myths he either whirls his enemy round and dashes out his brains, or rends him asunder, or kneads up his flesh, blood, and bones into an extraordinary ball. A modern critic might also object to the im- Improbabilities probability of Bhíma leaving his mother and brothers

mode in which

ed the Asura.

in the story.

PART IL

that the narra

tive is a fiction,

originating in period.

the Buddhist

HISTORY OF in the jungle during a lengthened honeymoon, which INDIA. included the birth of a son. There is no necessity Further proofs however for bringing forward further proofs that the whole story is fictitious. The fact that shortly afterwards Bhíma marries again without any reference to his Asura wife; and that neither his Asura wife, nor his son by her, ever re-appear in the authentic tradition, will suffice to indicate that it is a later addition to the main tradition. As regards the date of its composition, it should probably be referred to the Buddhist period, when caste distinctions were not generally recognized. The story of the marriage of Bhíma with an Asura woman may have been fictitious, but still the fiction could only have found currency at a time when the union of a Kshatriya to an Asura was not foreign to the national sentiment, and when caste ideas, such as at present exist, did not prevail. The second fiction may now be related as follows:

2nd Fiction. Bhima's encounter with

Vaka the Asura.

davas as mendi

in the city of Ekachakrá.

Now when Bhíma had returned to his mother and brethren, the sage Vyása suddenly appeared to them, and advised them to dwell in the city of Ekachakrá; so they departed out of the jungle, and took up their abode in that city, and dwelt there for a long time in the house of a Life of the Pan- Brahman. Every day the brothers went out in the disguise cant Brahmans of mendicant Bráhmans to collect food as alms, and whatever was given to them they brought home at night to their mother Kuntí, who thereupon divided the whole into two Legendary vo equal portions, and gave one to the wolf-stomached Bhíma, whilst the remaining half sufficed for all the others. One day the Pandavas and their mother heard a great noise of weeping and wailing in the house in which they were dwelling, and Kuntí and her sons entered the apartments of the Brahman, and found their host and his wife, together with their son and daughter, in an agony of grief. On inquiring the cause they were told that a great Asura Raja,

racity of Bhima.