The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14
Mythology of India.

Two or three years ago there died
at Calcutta an Englishwomun who had
lived among the natives OF that ancient
land on terms of quite unusual intI-
macy, with extraordinary opportunity
to gain insight into the pccularities of
the Hindu brand of human nature. In
her books THE Web of Indian Life"
and Kali the Mother" and in a post
humouS volume of essays she wrote
,eNCellently about Indian womanhood
and intelligently If perhaps with some
bias about the possibilities of In
dian nationalism. and there was appar-
emily nothing but the existence of a
seemingly uncomfortable devotion to
social science" to prevent the SPRING
ing of a really useful book from her
gifted pen. At the time of her fatal
illness she was engaged in preparing
a CONDENSED translation, with COM
mentary. of the Indian epics and folk
tales. The work, one-third done, was
completed, in accordance with her in
6icated scheme, by a native hand and
now appears as MUths Of the Hindus
and BuddhiSts. by the Sister NNEDlTA,
MARGARET Il. NOBLE. and AMANDA *.
COON hPAswAMY GlolD, large and
handsome volume with thirty-two ex-
tremely striking" fun page illustra-
tons in color made by a staff of In
dian artists under the supervision of
ARiNmso NATH TAGoRE. surname of
power, coveted In publishers counting
rooms. The expository comment is
good enough OF its kind and the tales
from the Paranas Ramayana, Mahabha-
rata and Nedas, of Krishna, Buddha
and SILVA are in good running Eng
1tzhs h.,V h. l..
are not sufficiently Offset in point of
typographical arrangement. The illus
trations are fine examples OF the art
OF color printing; in design they sug-
gest that the art of India is in the
throes OF the most modern progress"
Nine readers out OF ten resent the in
trusion OF academic comment intermit-
tently through the course of so live
thing as "A text from ancient mythology,
and the decennial exception is the Pc
dant, who resents the intrusion of the
story upon his attention, critical of the
first critic. There is room for myth
and myth study" but not In the same
room. Read into mythology what you
viii OF spiritual evolution and other
solemnities, 1t is after all the "once upon
a time" principle that brought the stuff
4tiAp WINS anu h'tDS ~ mere -
a universal standard for fairy tales, and
the mythology of India fits 1t, even to
the tests of strength and skill whereby
supermen win high prizes. The Rama
yana, Nalmikps animal epos, shows
Rama and Lakshman and Sugriva, chill
dren of virtue seeking Sita, abducted by
Havana, child of iniquity; and after
Homeric wanderings enllsting the aid of
Il, tlA
east, south and west the monkey hosts
explore In vain; then Sampati, ancient
Wise Nulturc, gives the clue: In Lanka,
city on the mountain summit. "Eirt with
a golden wall and filled with buildings
huge as cloudy mountains" the missing
one lanSulshes. Hanuman. heroic
monkey finds her and burns the city.
such are the episodes, with lighting and
roasting, lives and loves of gods, until
Thus ends Ramayana, revored by Brahna
and made by ValmikL lie that hath no Sons
shall attain a son by reading even "A single
verse or Rama's lay All sin is washed
away from those who read or hear it read
lie who recites Ramayara should have rich
sllts or cows and gold. Long shall he live
VINO reads Ramayana, and shall be honored,
with his sons and grandsons. In this world
and In Heaven.
Let II be noted that here the fat gifts
or kline and gold ana terrestrial honors
ana post-mundane Joys are to him that
reads, and not to the critical eXpounder.
had confidence in the
strength and rate OF his own words
inc sd tales of India are cast 1.
heroic measure, There is the raksha-
sha, creature of front horrendous, OF
ten fronts indeed for he was the Ten
Necked One; and as fast as Rama cut
off head another took its place. Find
ing his arrows OF no avail, Rama be-
thinks him of and takes up the Brahma
weapon, gift or Agas.ya: THE Wind lay
in Its wings. the sun and Fire in It's
head, In Its mass the weight of Meru
and Mandara." Blessing that shaft with