Superstitions

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Superstitions

 

Like people the world over,Many aspects of their life is linked to some

superstitious belief and some of these are even mentioned in religious

literature.

 

Most superstitions were born with an aim to protect and were based on

sound reasoning. With time, however, much of the reasoning has been

forgotten and the beliefs appear unsubstantiated. But there are also

many beliefs that have no reason behind them.

 

Of superstitions, those believed to portend future happenings are

considered important. Anything from the call of a bird to the falling

of utensils is considered an omen.

 

Many omens relate to animals, birds and reptiles. The most auspicious

omen is to see an elephant when one is on a journey, for it

represents Ganesha, the god of good luck and the remover of

obstacles. The cawing of a crow in one's house foretells the coming

of guests. A peacock seen while on a journey is said to be good but

hearing its shrill call indicates robbery by highway men. A dog

howling near a sick man's chamber predicts his death. Seeing a cat or

a cow's face early in the morning brings ill luck. A sparrow is

encouraged to build a nest in a new house for good fortune. A yellow

or white substance dropped on the threshold by a cow indicates the

gain of gold or silver. To protect cats, which were useful in

destroying rats and other pests, the Brahmins imposed a ban on its

killing, to be redeemed expensively with an offering of a golden cat

to a Brahmin.

 

The wall lizard boasts the most superstitions. Every movement of this

reptile holds some significance, indeed, a science called the Gowli

Shastra enumerates these. The colour, spots, stripes, chirping or

twittering of the lizard and where it falls on a person's body are

said to indicate future happenings.

 

Leaving on a journey is a very important occasion and precautions

have to be taken depending on the importance of the journey. The

astrologer is consulted to select an auspicious time to begin. There

are several beliefs linked with starting on a journey. A sneeze or

terms of dissuasion like "Stay, don't go", or "Where are you going?"

used accidentally by someone at this crucial time are ill omens and a

person must start again if this happens. It is considered auspicious

to see cowdung, cereals, paddy, cotton, hay or a newly wed before

starting on a journey.

 

There is also a strong belief in the power of dreams, as divine

warnings. Dreaming of gods, demons, auspicious animals or any other

auspicious thing is good. Whereas, dreaming of gold or iron, falling

stars or earthquakes is bad. There are many people who claim to be

able to decipher dreams and their talents are employed by believers.

 

Daily life is governed by do's and don'ts for each day of the week.

Thus Monday is not an auspicious day for shaving or Tuesday for

washing one's hair or Saturday for buying oil.

 

Most of these superstitions are linked to the respective planets

presiding over each day (see Hindu Calendar). The kitchen is

virtually the temple of a Hindu home and the highest levels of

hygiene are expected to be maintained. Most Hindus do not enter a

kitchen with their shoes on, as it is said to induce the wrath of the

gods. This belief originated when kitchens were traditional, with mud

stoves in a corner. Families sat on the floor and ate off plates or

leaves placed on the ground. This required the kitchen to be

absolutely clean. Another belief linked to this was that before

eating their food, people sprinkled water around their plates

supposedly in remembrance of their ancestors. Actually, the water

around the plate acted as a barrier against the ants and insects that

crept about the kitchen floor.

 

There are other common beliefs devised for protection. One should

neither clip one's nails at night nor use scissors for fear of

angering evil spirits. This diktat prevailed in the days before

electricity as a deterrent to injuring one's fingers in the dark, but

many mothers still enforce this rule at home, the reasoning being

lost in time. A persistent belief is that one must not sweep the

floor after the sunsets, otherwise Lakshmi would also be swept away.

This too is a pre-electricity precaution against inadvertently losing

fallen valuables.

 

Some other popular superstitions are if a person hiccups, it is

believed that someone is talking about him or remembering him. One

theory holds that this is a way of keeping alive the memory of family

members who are travelling or live far away.

 

The falling of utensils on the floor foretells the coming of guests.

Breaking a mirror is extremely inauspicious. This belief is meant to

urge caution while handling something as fragile and potentially

injurious as glass, as most people were barefoot inside the house.

 

To protect foolhardy wanderers from snakes and other lurking dangers,

it is held that evil spirits infest trees and empty houses, resulting

in a lively fear of going to these places at night.

 

There are also many superstitions related to a pregnant woman, which

originated for her protection. Some of the most widespread are: A

pregnant woman should not wander out alone at night or enter an empty

house because evil spirits might infest her. The husband of a

pregnant woman should not build a house as that might rouse the wrath

of the earth spirit. He must not bathe in the sea for the seashore is

thick with ghosts. All these rules were imposed on people, as ways to

protect the prospective mother and father against any dangers. In

addition, when a woman is pregnant, her husband's presence is

important for moral support and help with the chores. Therefore

unnecessary journeys or the involvement of the husband in any major

tasks is postponed.

 

There is a superstitious belief in some parts of the country that

when a child is born, its father must not see its face till it is six

months old as it might lead to ill-luck. Therefore some time before

the child is born, the mother is sent to her parents' home. This

serves two practical purposes: the mother is pampered by her own

mother, and so is the baby, as all the mother's attention is centered

on her child, with no distractions of looking after her husband or

doing other chores.

 

In the post-partum period and while menstruating, a woman is debarred

from attending any ceremony. She is also not allowed to enter the

kitchen or mingle with others, as she is believed to be impure and

unclean at this time. The underlying idea is that a woman at this

time requires complete rest and a religious edict protects her from

unnecessary exertion. Personal appearance, gait, manner and speech

are all said to indicate the future. The location, size and number of

moles on the body brand someone as auspicious or inauspicious. It is

believed that the presence of a sign resembling a wheel on any part

of the body is extremely lucky. The right side of the body is

considered to be more auspicious than the left. This is so because

the left hand is used for all 'unclean' actions. Therefore a man

ensures that he first puts his right foot into a house. All

ceremonies are conducted with the right hand. Gifts are also given

and accepted only with the right hand.

 

When the right hand itches it means good luck and the reverse applies

to the left hand. This relates simply to the clean (right) and

unclean (left) sides of the body. Paradoxically, twitching of the

right eye is considered inauspicious and of e left eye, auspicious.

 

Marriage, one of the most important events in life, has many

superstitions associated with it. It is believed that a new bride

brings luck and prosperity with her and that her fortune is mingled

with that of the groom's family. For the first one year of marriage,

all happenings in the family are monitored and accordingly the bride

is termed auspicious or inauspicious. Any good or bad occurrence in

the family during this time is said to result from the presence of

the bride. A new bride is however, generally considered to be

auspicious.

 

On the other hand, widows were considered especially inauspicious.

This belief probably stemmed from her traditional financial

powerlessness. Widows were debarred from attending any auspicious

ceremony, as it was believed that their presence might negatively

affect its success. A new bride was protected from the glance of a

widow for the same reason. Therefore widows had separate areas to

live in where they cooked their own food. They were not allowed to

eat meat, onions, garlic or spices for these were considered

excitatory, and a widow was supposed to suppress, not inflame her

passions. Most of these rules have fallen into disuse now.

 

A barren woman is still considered inauspicious by many, given the

patriarchal social system and its emphasis on children especially

sons. Such a woman, though not debarred, is avoided during all

auspicious occasions by those with a rigidly traditional outlook.

During the nuptial bath and other ceremonies related to marriage,

which require the presence of suhagans, it is generally women with

sons, pregnant women or the newly married, who participate. A barren

woman is not brought near a bride or child for whom a ceremony is

being performed for fear that her ill fate will rub off onto them.

 

People are also very superstitious about their mornings. It is

believed that the whole day is affected by the morning. Seeing a

bride, the statue of a deity, or a Brahmin is considered auspicious,

while sighting widows, barren women and unlucky people is considered

inauspicious. To avoid the risk

 

of seeing anything unpleasant in the morning, many people look at the

palms of their hands as soon as they awaken and recite this

invocation: "In the tips of the fingers resides Lakshmi; in the

middle, Sarasvati; in the palm of the hand resides Parvati; looking

at my hands, I begin my day."

 

There are also many superstitions related to death. The most

important among them is that food is not cooked in a house where

death has occurred. At this time, all the members of the family are

considered to be unclean and do not enter the kitchen. Neighbors are

expected to cook and send food for them. This belief probably results

from the fact that when a death occurs in a family, the relatives of

the deceased are , and have neither the desire nor the time to cook.

This practice also reinforces the sense of community at times of

trouble.

 

with best wishes

Lakshmi