From the Caves and Jungles of HindostanBlavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Religion
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan
Blavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Blavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna), 1831-1891; India -- Description and travel; India -- Religion
in order to avoid destroying even the smallest animalcule, by
inadvertence in the act of breathing. The same fear impels them to drink
only filtered water. There are a few millions of Jainas in Gujerat,
Bombay, Konkan, and some other places.
The Bombay Pinjarapala occupies a whole quarter of the town, and is
separated into yards, meadows and gardens, with ponds, cages for beasts
of prey, and enclosures for tame animals. This institution would have
served very well for a model of Noah's Ark. In the first yard, however,
we saw no animals, but, instead, a few hundred human skeletons--old men,
women and children. They were the remaining natives of the, so-called,
famine districts, who had crowded into Bombay to beg their bread. Thus,
while, a few yards off, the official "Vets." were busily bandaging the
broken legs of jackals, pouring ointments on the backs of mangy dogs,
and fitting crutches to lame storks, human beings were dying, at their
very elbows, of starvation. Happily for the famine-stricken, there were
at that time fewer hungry animals than usual, and so they were fed on
what remained from the meals of the brute pensioners. No doubt many of
these wretched sufferers would have consented to transmigrate instantly
into the bodies of any of the animals who were ending so snugly their
earthly careers.
But even the Pinjarajala roses are not without thorns. The graminivorous
"subjects," of course, could mot wish for anything better; but I doubt
very much whether the beasts of prey, such as tigers, hyenas, and
wolves, are content with the rules and the forcibly prescribed diet.
Jainas themselves turn with disgust even from eggs and fish, and, in
consequence, all the animals of which they have the care must turn
vegetarians. We were present when an old tiger, wounded by an English
bullet, was fed. Having sniffed at a kind of rice soup which was offered
to him, he lashed his tail, snarled, showing his yellow teeth, and with
a weak roar turned away from the food. What a look he cast askance upon
his keeper, who was meekly trying to persuade him to taste his nice
dinner! Only the strong bars of the cage saved the Jaina from a vigorous
protest on the part of this veteran of the forest. A hyena, with a
bleeding head and an ear half torn off, began by sitting in the trough
filled with this Spartan sauce, and then, without any further ceremony,
upset it, as if to show its utter contempt for the mess. The wolves
and the dogs raised such disconsolate howls that they attracted the
attention of two inseparable friends, an old elephant with a wooden
leg and a sore-eyed ox, the veritable Castor and Pollux of this
institution. In accordance with his noble nature, the first thought of
the elephant concerned his friend. He wound his trunk round the neck
of the ox, in token of protection, and both moaned dismally. Parrots,
storks, pigeons, flamingoes--the whole feathered tribe--revelled
in their breakfast. Monkeys were the first to answer the keeper's
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account