Curses borne by Elephants

The Mātaṅgalīlā also speaks about curses borne by elephants. Such as–The inversion of tongue, and internal fire to an excessive degree, are from Agni the fire god. Once the oblation-carrier, Agni, hid himself in anger because the gods did not give him the proper share of the oblation. Brahmā sent forth the elephants of quarter-regents to search for him, the Fire god. They went to Agni’s place of abode and treated violently his consort.

Because of her complaint he cursed them, not being able to burn them by reason of Brahmā’s power (Chapter 1, v.36).

“Since in great insolence you said (thought) that because you obeyed the previously expressed command of the Creator you could do any such violent deed, behold this reason you shall instantly, from this moment, be subject always to inversion of the tongue, and likewise to internal fire” thus they were subjected to Agni’s curse. Then in compassion the Lotus-born granted them the delight of dust, water and mud (Chapter 1, v.37).^[1]

Next in series of curses, is a curse, that came from Bhṛgu, i.e. attraction to their own dung and urine. Once the elephants went to Bhṛgu’s hermitage and tore down trees, and voided dung and urine in the holy fire.

This enraged Bhṛgu and he cursed them saying that:

“Upon smelling their own dung and urine, let them always be producing a tickling of the palate (an attraction for it)!” (Chapter 1, v.38).^[2]

The internal sweat of elephants is the result of Varuṇa’s curse. Of old, seeing that the throng of gods in the battle of the gods and demons could not endure the oppressive smell of the sweat of the elephants in the battle front the Noose-bearer, i.e. Varuṇa then speedily turned the sweat of the elephants inward. Therefore their drops of sweat go inward and the noble elephants expel them from their trunks. But their absence of scrotum was granted by fiat of the Unborn (Brahmā), that they might move more swiftly and freely in battles, etc.^[3] (Chapter 1, v.39).

Formerly elephants could go anywhere they pleased and assume any shape; they roamed as they like in the sky and on the earth. Such ideas are shrouded in fantasy and are responsible for creation of myths related to elephants in antiquity. In the northern quarter of the Himalayan Mountain there was a banyan tree which had a length and breadth of two hundred leagues. On it the excellent elephants alighted (after flying through the air). They broke off a branch (which fell) upon a hermitage place, where dwelt a hermit named Dīrghatapas. He was angered by this and straightway cursed the elephants. Hence the elephants were deprived of the power of moving at will, and came to be vehicles for even mortal men. The elephants of the quarters, however, were not cursed.

Such decisive circumstances the elephants of the quarters, attended by all the elephant tribes, went and said to the Lotus-born–Brahmā:

“O god, when our kinsfolk have gone to earth by the power of fate, they may be a pray to diseases, because of unsuitable and undigested food due to eating coarse things and overeating, and other causes”.

Thus addressed by them in their great distress, the Lotus-born replied to them:

“Not after now there shall appear a certain sage fond of elephants, well versed in medicine, and he shall right skilfully cure their diseases.”

Thus addressed by Fate (Brahmā) the elephants of the quarters went each to his own quarter, while the others, their kinsfolk, went to earth in consequence of the curse (Chapter 1, v. 11-14).^[4] Thus elephantologies give us detail about mythical origin and life circle of elephants, the story how they were banished to earth and deprived of their powers of super natural locomotion.

Mātaṅgalīlā also mentions the birth of the mythic sage Pālakāpya who was the son of a cow elephant (cursed nymph Rucirā or Guṇavatī) and the sage Sāmagāyana, expert of elephantology^[5]. This origin myth is quite interesting as the importance of cow or she elephants in birth and reproduction on one hand was of great significance and so was their use in a typical catching technique where these elephants were used for seducing the male ones especially those which were rutting ones or in their must period. Thus this union of the she elephant with Sāmagāyana, a sage who was expert of elephantology is extremely significant as far as the psyche of creation of symbolism or myths was concerned. It is worth mentioning here that the same story or narrative is elaborated in different ways at different places. There are other creation myths as well related to Pālakāpya. The first chapter of Mātaṅgalīlā throws light on the birth of Muni Pālakāpya. There was a lovely nymph named Rucirā. She was fashioned by the Creator as he fashioned Speech, by collecting the beauties belonging to sprites, men demons and gods. But once she was cursed by Fate (Brahmā) because of her evil pride. Hence she was born as a daughter of the tribe of Vasus, from Bhārgava, and was named Guṇavatī. Her great curiosity led her once to the hermitage of Mātaṅga.

Thinking “Nay, she has been sent by Indra to disturb my penance!” he cursed her, and she became an elephant cow.

Then the sage, realizing that she was innocent, straightway said to her:

“Fair elephant cow, when from drinking the seed of the hermit Sāmagāyana a son shall be born to you, then your curse shall come to an end”.

“A certain Yakṣī (female sprite) once appeared to the hermit Sāmagāyana in a dream. Then the noble hermit straightway went out from the hermitage and passed water. With the urine, seed came forth. That she drank when the hermit had re-entered the house, and speedily the elephant cow conceived and brought forth a son, from her mouth”.

Giving her son with joy to the sage, she left the form of an elephant cow and quickly went to heaven, freed from her curse, in peace. Pleased that hermit Sāmagāyana then performed the birth rite and other rites for him, and in accordance with (the instructions of) a heavenly voice gave him the name of Pālakāpya^[6]. He lived and moved with elephants. They were his friends, relatives and companions. Here one can clearly notice an attempt to claim divine origin for the elephants.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ibid., p.52.

[2]:

Ibid., p.53.

[3]:

Franklin Edgerton. The Elephant-Lore of the Hindus, p. 53.

[4]:

Ibid., pp. 44-45.

[5]:

Ibid., v.15-20, pp.45-47.

[6]:

Franklin Edgerton. The Elephant-Lore of the Hindus, pp. 47-46.