A Brahman boy must be naked at the time of the performance of his thread investiture ceremony. After the ceremony, the maternal uncle of the boy presents garments to him, which he thereupon puts on.[602]
In Gujarat, for the most part, the people seem to be unacquainted with the belief that certain stones possess the virtue of influencing the rain. Some persons however attribute this quality to the stones on such sacred mounts as Girnār, Ābu, and Pāvāgadh.[603] There is a point called Tonk, on mount Girnār, of which it is said that rain is certain to fall whenever anyone succeeds in climbing it.[604] There is also a common belief that arasi marble if heated has influence over rain.[605]
It is a common practice to submerge the image[606] of Shiva in water with the object of bringing rain. Similarly the image[606] of the goddess Harshadh is sometimes bathed when rain is desired.[607] The bhuva or the bhui, i.e., the male and the female attendants of the goddess are at the same time given a bath, and an offering of Khir[608] is made to the goddess.[607]
There are two goals which a pious Hindu tries to attain by leading a life of purity and virtue, viz., (i) moksha or final emancipation, merging into the Eternal Spirit, and (ii) swarga (heaven or paradise) where meritorious persons enjoy pure pleasures unalloyed by earthly cares. The stars are the spirits of so many righteous persons who are translated to swarga for their good actions, and are endowed with a lustre proportionate to their individual merits. But every moment of enjoyment in swarga diminishes the store of merit: and those whose whole merit is thus exhausted, on receiving their proportionate share of pleasures, must resume their worldly existence. The Bhagavad-gītā says: “क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति” i.e., “they enter the mortal world when their merit is expended.” Meteors are believed to be spirits of this description who fall from their position as stars, to live again on this earth.[609]
Another explanation of meteors is that they are the sparks produced when the vimāns (or vehicles) of celestial people clash against each other.[610]
Meteors are also held to be the agār or charak (i.e., excreta) dropped either by a curious water-bird,[600] or by Garud, the favourite eagle, and vehicle of Vishnu,[611] or by a fabulous bird Anal.[612] The latter is said to fly at an immeasurable height from the surface of the earth, and to take food only once a day.[612] It is almost impossible to catch the charak when it falls to earth: but if ever it can be secured, the application of it to the eyes of a blind man will restore his eyesight. It also furnishes an effective remedy for leprosy, and gives a golden lustre to the body of a person suffering from that disease.[611]
Some declare that meteors are stars which fall owing to the curse of Indra, and subsequently assume the highest human form on earth.[613]
It is also said that the stars descend to earth in human form when sins accumulate in the celestial world.[614]
The influence of meteors on human affairs is treated at length in the Varāhasanhitā.[615] The phenomenon is popularly regarded as an evil omen: it is supposed to portend devastation by fire, an earthquake, a famine, an epidemic, danger from thieves, and storms at sea.[616] The appearance of a bright shooting star is supposed to foretell the death of some great man;[617] and on beholding one, it is customary to repeat the words ‘Rām Rām’[618] several times.[619] A shower of meteors is believed to presage some civil commotion or a change in the ruling dynasties.
Some persons, however, regard the appearance of meteors as auspicious or baneful, according to the mandal or group of stars, from which they are seen to fall. Meteors from the Vāyu-mandal, (or the group of stars known by the name of Vāyu) portend the breaking out of an epidemic: those from Varuna-mandal, are believed to be favourable to human happiness; if they fall from Indra-mandal, they forebode danger to all kings; those from Agni-mandal, threaten war between nations.[620]