Note on Rāhu and eclipses

Note: this text is extracted from Book III, chapter 18.

Rāhu was the Asura (see Vol. I, pp. 197-200) who, disguised as a god at the Churning of the Ocean (see Vol. I, pp. 1n², 3n³, 55n¹ and 202), obtained possession of some of the Amṛta and proceeded to drink it in order to become immortal. Sūrya and Soma (the sun and moon), however, noticed what was going on, and immediately told Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu), who instantly cut off Rāhu’s head with his discus. As the head contained Amṛta it became immortal and came to represent the ascending nodes of the moon’s orbit. The body of Rāhu, according to the Puranic notion, was called Ketu, and represented the descending nodes. It also became the progenitor of the whole tribe of meteors and comets. Not having obtained his wish to become completely immortal, Rāhu naturally bore a grudge against Sūrya and Soma, and, whenever he gets the opportunity, he tries to swallow them. His shadow is thus thrown on the intended victim, and so are caused what we call the eclipses!

The interesting point about this myth is that the origin appears to be unknown. As E. J. Thomas has mentioned (Hastings’ Ency. Rel. Eth., “ Sun, Moon and Stars (Buddhist),” vol. xii, p. 72), the story is not early Buddhist, nor even ancient Hindu. Although it occurs in the Mahābhārata (I, xix), it is not found in the account of the Churning of the Ocean in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Is it, then, Aryan or non-Aryan? An eclipse of the sun or moon has everywhere been regarded with dread, and in many parts of the world its advent still gives rise to a variety of rites, some of a threatening and others of a propitiatory nature. The usual explanatory myth resembles that described above, at least as far as the idea of the sun or moon being devoured is concerned. It is an animal or demon who is trying to eat up the sun or moon, hence it is necessary to frighten it away by terrifying noises.

In China and Assam gongs are sounded for this purpose, while more primitive peoples scream, hit their cooking utensils and fire pistols, and among the Sencis of Eastern Peru lighted arrows are shot at the intruder. It is interesting to notice that in the Confucian classic Tsun Tsiu (“Springs and Autumns”) the word for “eclipse” is the same as that for “eat.” Among the Tlaxcalans of Mexico matters became very serious during an eclipse. The phenomenon was thought to be caused by a fight between the sun and moon, and in order to appease them red-skinned people were sacrificed to the sun and albinos to the moon.

The Peruvians (and at one period the Mexicans also) considered that, owing to a former kindness rendered it, dogs were held in high esteem by the moon. Accordingly when an eclipse of the moon occurred, they beat all the dogs, so that the moon, angry at this treatment of her friends, would immediately uncover her face.

Another primitive idea is that the light of the sun and moon has gone out, and consequently a fire or torches lit during the eclipse will persuade the luminary to smile upon the world once more.

As in China, the Hindus see a hare in the moon in place of our “man” (see Ocean of Story, Vol. I, p. 109ⁿ¹). The Todas of the Nilgiri Hills imagine that during an eclipse of the moon a snake is devouring the hare. They fast until the eclipse is over and shout out to frighten away the snake (see Rivers, The Todas, p. 593).

In the Central Provinces it is believed that Rāhu was either a sweeper or the deity of the sweepers; thus the Mehtar caste of scavengers collect alms during an eclipse, as it is thought that Rāhu will be thus appeased and loose his hold on the luminaries. Similarly the Teli, or oil-pressers caste of the Chhattīsgarh and Nāgpur divisions, believe that the sun owes the sweeper a debt which he refuses to pay. The sweeper, however, is not to be put off easily and sits dhamā at the sun’s door. This is obvious, for his dark shadow can be seen quite clearly. In time the debt is paid and the sweeper departs.

In Bombay, J. J. Modi (see reference below) was told the following as the usual explanation of an eclipse.

Rāma, on his return from the defeat of Rāvaṇa in Lañkā, gave a feast to his victorious army. Mahādēva (Śiva) and Pārvatī were serving the meals. Presently Mahādēva drew the attention of Pārvatī to the presence of a low-caste Māṅg boy (a caste who act as village musicians and castrate bullocks, the women serving as mid wives) in the assembly, and asked her to be careful, and to serve him the meals from a distance. But as soon as Rāma saw the Māṅg he slew him for daring to mar the sacredness of the feast by his impure presence. The mother of the slain boy took up the head, placed it in a basket and tried in vain to resuscitate it with fresh water. With the basket containing the head of her lost son, she went to the gods and goddesses begging for her meals. In turn she still goes to the sun and moon, threatening to touch them if her request is not granted, thus desecrating their sacred character. It is the shadow of her basket that causes the eclipse, and so it is to remove this Māṅg woman, this importunate creditor, that people are asked to give offerings to the luminaries and alms to the Māṅg caste.

An eclipse is always of evil omen, and is regarded rather like an evil eye from whose influence everything should be protected. The wise housewife (says Crooke, op. cit., vol. i, pp. 21, 22), when an eclipse is announced, takes a leaf of the Tulasī or sacred basil, and sprinkling Ganges water on it, puts the leaf in the jars containing the drinking water for the use of the family and the cooked food, and thus keeps them pure while the eclipse is going on. Confectioners, who are obliged to keep large quantities of cooked food ready, relieve themselves and their customers from the taboo by keeping some of the sacred kuśa or dub) grass in their vessels when an eclipse is expected. A pregnant woman will do no work during an eclipse, as otherwise she believes that her child would be deformed, and the deformity is supposed to bear some relation to the work which is being done by her at the time. Thus, if she were to sew anything, the baby would have a hole in its flesh, generally near the ear; if she cut anything, the child would have a hare-lip. On the same principle the horns of pregnant cattle are smeared with red paint during an eclipse, because red is a colour abhorred by demons. While the eclipse is going on, drinking water, eating food, and all household business, as well as the worship of the gods, are all prohibited. No respectable Hindu will at such a time sleep on a bedstead or lie down to rest, and he will give alms in barley or copper coins to relieve the pain of the suffering luminaries.

An eclipse is an important event among modern Hindus, and considerable ritual is carried out in every Brāhman household (see Mrs Stevenson, The Rites of the Twice-born, p. 352). For further information on the superstitions of eclipses reference should be made to E. B. Tylor, Primitive Culture, vol. i, pp. 288, 328 et seq., and 356 ; W. Crooke, Folk-Lore of Northern India, vol. i, pp. 18-23; Jivañji Jamshedji Modi, “A few Ancient Beliefs about the Eclipse and a few Superstitions based on these Beliefs,” Journ. Anth. Soc. Bomb., vol. iii, 1894, pp. 346-360; Frazer, Golden Bough, vol. i, pp. 311, 312; vol. x, pp. 70, l62»; Russell, Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces, vol. iv, pp. 232, 550 ; W. D. Wallis, “Prodigies and Portents,” Hastings’ Ency. Rel. Eth., vol. x, pp. 368, 369, and the numerous authors on “Sun, Moon and Stars” in ditto vol. xii, pp. 48-103. — n.m.p.