Shitala

Portrait of Shitala, 19th century

Shitala ( Sanskrit ś śītalā "the cool", "the cool one"), also called Shitalamata ("mother Shitala") or Shitala Devi ("goddess Shitala"), is the Indian goddess of smallpox, goddess of measles and goddess of diseases (especially the feverish) in general. She is also the mother goddess and patron goddess of Bengal . In addition, she is also revered in parts of the Indian diaspora .

history

It appears above all in some tantric texts, own Bengali literature such as the Shitala- Mangal-Kabyas from the 17th century, Bengali poems, some Ayurvedic texts and the Skanda - Puranas . However, these presumably go back to an older oral tradition.

Protection and punitive functions

In tantric circles she is the protector of the granaries, which promises abundance and abundance. There it is also associated with the protection and destruction of enemies. In general, it destroys everything that restricts well-being and is thus closely related to growth, development and material well-being. Shitala thus ensures quality of life. It embodies fertility in the annual agricultural cycle. The conception and the myths of origin as well as the ritual for Shitala show great local differences. In the Indian state of Gujarat, for example, she is no longer identified as the goddess of smallpox or disease, but as the giver of happiness, good husbands and good sons, as well as ruler of the winds, giver of abundant rain, good harvests and abundant food. There she is also responsible for the fertility of newlyweds. And the day they are worshiped also varies greatly from place to place, especially in the country, where discrepancies in the holiday calendar are not uncommon and are not regarded as essential, in contrast to the pan-Hindu pantheon . Although the smallpox infection has been largely curbed (since 1970), it can be assumed that Shitala will continue to be revered and her cult will not die out, as she now has many other functions, so that she is no longer exclusively with smallpox is identified. It is believed that on her feast day Shitala comes to the houses of the believers and lies down on the stove. But if the stove is accidentally lit or not turned off, the goddess enrages, infects the family members living in the house with smallpox as a punishment and burns them from the inside. According to her name and the mythical circumstances of her birth, the goddess loves everything cold and hates everything warm. She also abhors dirt and grime. It is often associated with dogs and cats. She usually takes the form of an old woman when she appears to believers. Occasionally, however, it also appears in dreams.

Today, like the goddess Shashthi , she is also considered a protector of children in many places. It is now increasingly believed to be responsible for modern diseases such as AIDS . She is a very popular folk goddess ( gramadevata ) . Besides West Bengal and Gujarat, Shitala is mainly worshiped in northern India, while it is unknown in the south. In the south of India in Tamil Nadu , the goddess Mariyamman largely corresponds to her . It is often seen as the manifestation of the Kali or the Durga . In its originally not or little sanskrit representation, she is preferably worshiped alone, independently, virgin, childless and without a husband. In the course of Saumyaization ("sweetening, pacification") and the associated reinterpretation and deconstruction processes, a male spouse, preferably Shiva, is often assigned to her today in order to pacify her and integrate her more easily into a brahmanic , panhindu pantheon. Shitala does not appear in the classical Sanskrit literature. The Shitala cult , which was originally little or not sanscritical today, is an amalgam of various unscritized local folk cults and the contact with Brahmanized Hinduism. Like many Indian gods, it has a double nature: on the one hand it brings smallpox , on the other hand it can also heal people from it, save them from it and take away all suffering from them.

She is gracious to those who worship her and harsh and adamant to those who refuse to worship her. Shitala especially punishes those who upset the balance of cold and warm in their life and body. She is preferably worshiped by the lower castes . It is widely believed that Shitala roams through the villages at night in search of victims and booty. Therefore, women and children in particular avoid going near their temples on dark nights in order not to meet the goddess.

Obsession with Shitala

People who die from leprosy or smallpox infection are not cremated, but buried or buried in a river, as this is considered divine death (essence of the goddess) and it is believed that the goddess Shitala has taken possession of the sick ( obsession ), drives into them and becomes one with them. This also goes hand in hand with the idea of ​​making contact with the goddess and a certain "being chosen". So, infection with smallpox can be understood not only as a punishment, but also as a special favor and grace of the goddess and great honor. Infection with the disease is often referred to simply as the "kiss of the goddess". There is also a widespread belief that after contracting smallpox, one becomes immune to the disease. Furthermore it should prepare for the adversities of life, strengthen the body for other diseases and make it resistant to them. The disease is often viewed as a blessing in disguise. The smallpox transmission is also considered a form of physical and even sexual love and is understood as a game ( purple ) of the goddess. So it is also considered a desirable condition. In India it has always been understood as strictly religious. In Sanskrit, measles is also known as choti mai or choti mata ("the smaller mother"), while smallpox is also called bari mai or bari mata ("the larger mother"). When Shitala is enraged, she heats up, which also burns up the body of the possessed from the inside and overheats her victims. Therefore it has to be cooled. When the sick person is cured, Shitala leaves the body.

Women often try to spread the infection and possession of Shitala to living (mostly animals) or inanimate objects, preferably dogs and rivers. Leftover food eaten by the sick person is given to the dogs to eat or objects he has used are thrown into the river. Believers understand the words that the patient speaks through the high fever in delirium as the wishes of the goddess and act accordingly. The smallpox itself is also known as the flowers that adorn the body of the goddess. It is believed that Shitala sends her companion Jvarasura, who causes 64 types of smallpox, in advance so that he infects people with fevers before the goddess follows him and transmits the smallpox. It does this by throwing smallpox germ on its victims. In many places, for example in Orissa , so-called Kalasi live , who are seen as possessed persons or oracles of illness and from whom the villagers learn the wishes of the Shitala. He therefore speaks with the voice of the goddess. Magical rituals are also practiced in which one tries to induce the goddess to leave the body.

Iconography and symbolism

Shitala is usually depicted as a beautiful young girl, naked, with four arms and in red body color. Her Vahana is the donkey (a symbol of endless, tireless, unresisting effort and torment and a dreaded carrier of disease), and her attributes are a silver rod, a fan , a bowl and a pot of water. She uses these elements to rid a house of disease. She sweeps up the germs with her broom, uses the fan to collect them and dumps them into the bowl. Then she sprays water (taken from the Ganges ) from the pot to clean the house and cool the infected.

mythology

Shitala's birth and rise to the goddess of smallpox

The myth of Shitala's birth tells the following: A king named Nahusha once wanted a male descendant and made a sacrifice to the god Brahma . But something went wrong and instead of a son, a beautiful young girl emerged from the cooled ashes of the sacrificial fire. Brahma asked her her name, but she didn't know him. Thereupon he gave her the name Shitala, "the cooling one". Shitala asked Brahma about her status in the world. After she was born, the god promised her that as long as she would plant the seeds for a certain type of lentil ( urad dal / black lentils), people would always worship her. Shitala asked for a companion and was sent to Shiva. Impressed by her devotion, he agreed to give her a companion and blessed her. From his sacred drops of sweat after his asceticism he created a "demon" of immense size. Vishnu cut it in three, Brahma or put it back together. But the "demon" now had three heads and three pairs of arms and legs. He was disfigured and emasculated. He was named Jvarasura and became the "demon" of fever. Together with her new companion, Shitala traveled on a donkey that carried a sack of lenses on its back to visit the other gods. She took on the shape of an old woman, Jvarasura the shape of a little boy. Somewhere along the way, her lenses turned into smallpox germ and everyone she visited developed a fever and smallpox. The gods then asked Shitala for mercy, to take the smallpox from them and to go to earth. In return, they would always worship her.

The goddess agreed and went to earth with Jvarasura to find a new home. Her first stop was the court of King Bhirat , who worshiped Shiva . But King Bhirat did not want to give Shitala preference over Shiva and so she threatened to infect him and his people. However, he was not deterred, and so Shitala sent 75 different types of smallpox down on him and his people. The disease spread like wildfire and many people died. The people wanted to pray to Shitala for healing, but King Bhirat forbade it. Finally, King Bhirat showed understanding and gave in, and Shitala healed him and his people. They were all left with no permanent scars. This myth makes clear how Shitala was adopted by an originally regional folk goddess in sanskritized brahmanized Hinduism .

Shitala, the cool one

The myth of introducing their rituals continues:

One day a prince contracted smallpox. At the same time the son of a farmer was also attacked by the disease. The farmer, a Shitala- Bhakta, was poor. He kept all Shitala-Puja rules , strict cooking and eating rules and attached great importance to performing them with the greatest purity. As far as he could, he bought a clay pot and brought cold stale food in it and ate it after blessing it ( prasada ). The king on the other side sat down at a Shitala shrine and called the hundred names of the Chandi . He performed a fire sacrifice every day. But the food offering was prepared with the usual royal kitchen utensils. Therefore, the mother goddess became enraged and began to burn him with a fever. The prince got more itchy wounds. The king and queen tried to appease Shitala, but it was all in vain.

The king found out about the farmer's son, who was cured of smallpox. He got very jealous. He began to wonder why the Mother Goddess had been unjust, even though he had spent so much time with her prayers. The farmer came with food cooked in some mud pots. Preoccupied with such thoughts, he fell asleep.

The goddess Shitala appeared in his dreams. "I am glad of your service and for this reason your son is still alive. But you did not follow the necessary food rules for the time of Shitala and you tried so hard. In such times the use of cold things cannot be ignored . From consumption of salt the lumps and itching only get worse. Therefore salt is forbidden. Likewise, the spirit of the sick lures to seasonal foods with its smell and he demands it. As people go here and there to groom and meet with others When meeting people, there is a rule that the sick person should not be with others. Therefore, if you want happiness for yourself and your son, from today you can no longer eat from pots. For health, from today only give me cold food and also your son ".

The king realizes his mistakes. The day he had this vision in his dream was the seventh of the dark half of the month of Chithirai . He proclaimed that on the eighth day everyone should do Shitala puja with stale grain and cold foods. This Ashtam, or eighth day, he called Shitalashtami . From then on it became customary to perform Shitalashtami puja on this day .

A brahmin and his wife had seven sons. All were married, but none had children. One day an old woman instructed that her sons and future daughters-in-law should fast on Shitala Shashthi . The Brahmin woman let her daughters-in-law do that in great faith and after a year all daughters had sons who played in their rounds. One day, out of negligence, the woman made a mistake and took a warm bath and made fresh food. She did this together with her daughters-in-law. That night the Brahmin woman awoke from a nightmare, terrified. When she got up, she tried to wake her husband, but he was dead. When she saw him, she began to scream with sadness. When she checked on her sons and sons-in-law, she found that they had all died too. Then she left her composure and she began to wail loudly. When they heard her screams, her neighbors woke up and came to her. The people said that this was the work of the wrath of the Bhagavati (Shitala).

Upon hearing this, the Brahmin woman went mad and started running into the forest, screaming. On the way she met an old woman who was burned with a fever. When she inquired, she learned that this was the reason for her misery. The old woman was none other than Shitala Devi. Bhagavati Shitala asked the Brahmin woman for a quark to relieve her from the heat of the fever. The Brahmin sped away and quickly brought her the curd. She smeared it on the goddess's body. This lowered the fever and made her body healthy and cold. The Brahmin woman was very sorry for her and asked her forgiveness again and again for her bad deeds and for the life of her family. Then Shitala Devi was delighted and told her to put curd on the heads of the dead. The Brahmin woman ran home quickly and did as she was told. Then, as if awakened from a sleep, they all sat there.

An old woman lived in a village. The Basora of the Shitalamata nourished itself and prepared cold dishes. She filled the pot and made cold dishes. Once a fire broke out in the village and the whole village was burned to death. The master of the village came to see what had happened. He saw that an old woman's hut was spared while the rest of the village was just a heap of rubble. The Lord asked the old woman why. The old woman replied: "King Sahab , my hut was spared because of the mercy of Shitala mata. I am holding a feast in her honor. I will prepare cold dishes for her". The king beat a drum throughout the village and ordered that everyone should now worship the Shitalamata in the manner of women.

A son and his wife lived in a Brahmin family. The time came and the woman became pregnant, but time passed and she did not have a child. One day she went to the river to get some water. Her feet slipped and a hollow pumpkin appeared from her stomach. After immersing this pumpkin in oil, seven sons were born. After a while, they all grew up and the Brahmin thought about their marriages. By chance there was another Brahmin nearby with seven daughters. He married his sons to them. The first day of Shitala Shashthi came. It was winter then, the old grandmother had bathed in hot water and instructed her daughter-in-law to prepare a meal with hot rice. Therefore the seven sons, the cows, the oxen and all the animals died. Now her grief was great.

On the night of the sixth day Shitala came in the disguise of an old Brahmin woman and told of the mistake with the food and the water. Then she said: "Tomorrow, rub the pijid of dogs and donkeys with cool quark and tamarind and then put tamarind in the hands of children, then my obstacles will be removed". The old woman did this and her whole family lived.

There were two wives in a certain house. One was the son's younger wife and the other was the older. The day of the Randam Chat was approaching . The younger woman was asked to cook, but after midnight she was too tired. In the meantime, the youngest son began to cry, so she sat down to feed him. The woman was very tired and was still awake at midnight, so she fell asleep. After midnight, Shitalamata came out for a walk. She came to the younger woman's house and sat on the stove. Rumbling in heart, Shitalamata received burns all over his body.

The woman got up early the next morning. The stove was still burning. She looked at the crib and saw her son's corpse, his whole body burned.

The woman realized clearly that she was hit by Shitala's curse. She started to cry bitterly. Because of this, the elderly woman who harbored a long-held anger against her rejoiced. However, the mother-in-law had a greater affinity with the younger daughter and asked her what had happened. "What do you hope to get from crying? Go to Shitala and you will have your child back".

After receiving the mother-in-law's blessing, the young woman put the child in a basket and left. On the way she came to two ponds, one of which flowed into the other. The ponds were so overcrowded that even the sparrows dared not drink from them. "Sister, who are you? Asked one pond". "I have received the Shitala's curse, said the woman". "My son is dead. I'm going to Shitala to remove the curse".

"My sister doesn't drink our water. Everyone who drinks it is destined to die. What sins have we committed? Find the antidote for our sins."

The woman went on and met two bulls. They had tied stone disks from a hand mill around their necks and were fighting with each other. At the sight of the woman the cops said, "Sister, where are you going"? The young woman replied again: "To Shitala to break the curse". The cops said, "What have we sinned with that we are forced to fight? Please ask for the cure for our sins".

The woman reached the forest on foot. An old woman was sitting under a boradi tree . She scratches her uncovered head. At the sight of the woman, the old woman said, "Sister, where are you going"? "To Shitala". "Why don't you scratch my head"? The woman placed her dead child in the old woman's lap and began to check her head for lice. So the old woman began to be cured of her itchy head. The old woman gave her blessing. "As you cooled my head, so do I cool your stomach". After she said that, the boy on her lap suddenly began to get restless. He had been brought back to life. The young woman was touched. Her heart overflowed with friends and she took the boy on her lap and kissed him. She realized that the old woman was really Shitala. "Your blessing has restored my son's life, otherwise it would not be possible. You cooled my stomach and fulfilled my wishes". She then asked, "I met two ponds. Nobody drinks their water. What sins have they committed?" Shitala said, "In their previous life both were stepwives. They argued every day and they never gave anyone buttermilk or vegetables and even when they gave it to anyone, they diluted it with water. Because of these sins, nobody drinks their water. You should hers Drink water. That would save them from their sins ". The woman further asked: "On the way I met two bulls. Stone discs from a hand-mill hang around their necks. They fought each other every day and no one separated them. What sins have they committed"?

Shitala said: "In a previous life the two brothers, the younger brother and the older brother were both husbands of the same wife. They did not allow anyone to paint or knock anything. Therefore they tied stone disks from a hand mill around their necks. Remove them these stone discs. Then their sins will be forgiven them ". After receiving Shitala's blessing, the woman went home to pet her son. On her way she met those cops. So Shitala's story told them and removed the stone discs from their bodies. They stopped fighting. She went ahead and came to the ponds. She told them what Shitala had told her and drank her water. The pond immediately filled with birds and animals. Everyone drank their water. The woman went home with the child and her mother-in-law was happy to see the child. But the jealousy of the other daughter-in-law had meanwhile grown immeasurably.

At the same time next year on the sixth day of the month, the elderly woman felt that she too should fare as the younger daughter-in-law, and she deliberately left the stove on overnight and went to sleep. That night Shitala came up and, as usual, burned herself on the stove. Her whole body was burned. She let out a curse. "Just as my body is burned, so should your stomach be burned".

The next morning the old woman looked into the crib and discovered her son's body. So the curse of the Shitala hit her too, just as she wanted it.

Like the other woman, she put her son's body in a basket and went to look for Shitala. She also encountered the two ponds. The ponds called to her, "Sister, where are you going"? "To Shitala," she replied. The ponds asked her the same thing as her hated rival. Angrily, the woman replied: "I'm not as lazy as you are. I came because Shitala turned my son into a corpse. On her way, she met the two bulls:" Sister, sister, where are you going? " "To Shitala". "Can you give her a message from us"? She replied angrily: "I'm not lazy like you. I'm only here because of my son, whom Shitala killed. "Then she continued on her way. In the forest under a boradi tree she met Shitala, scratching her head." Sister, where is the way "?

"To Shitala". "Can't you stay to check my head for bugs," said the old woman. She replied contemptuously: "I'm not lazy like you. I'm here because the goddess has turned my son into a corpse".

After saying that, she left. Wandering all day, she counted the trees, but without seeing Shitala. After wandering late into the night in search of her, she returned home wailing and exhausted, still with her son's body in tow.

Many myths also tell of her anger and vengeance with which she inflicts burns on children:

A myth tells of a poor daughter-in-law and her quirky mother-in-law. They prepare sweets and groceries for the next day for the Shitala celebrations . The daughter-in-law, however, was exhausted and fell asleep after leading her child to bed. At midnight Shitala came by and lay down on the stove and was burned by the stove since it had not been exhibited. Shitala cursed this woman and said, "As I was burned, so will your child be burned".

Upon waking up, the woman realized her folly and saw that the child was being cremated. Other villagers pointed out that it was their own fault as Shitala was tormented, enraged and burned by the stove and had her child burned as a result. The woman was given permission to look for Shitala in the forest and came across an old woman with dandruff and some tiny microbes in her hair. The old lady asked where she was going and whether she could spare time to clean her hair from insects and the like. The young mother complied with this wish, in accordance with her selfless manner, and gave the old woman her baby.

After about an hour she had the baby again and the mother suddenly realized that Shitala was really the old woman in disguise. She showed devotion and fell into the sacred lotus position asking for forgiveness for her mistake. This made Shitala very happy, she forgave the young mother and promised her that from now on she would always be helpful, as long as the ovens stayed out on her feast day.

The next year the young mother's jealous sister-in-law purposely did not turn off her hearth so that her child might be burned by Shitala mata. She traveled into the woods but ignored the old woman and returned with a dead baby in her arms. Then the woman cried, asked the mother for forgiveness and prayed to Shitalamata to bring the child back to life. Shitala blessed the child and later the jealous daughter confessed to her and asked for forgiveness. So the festival was celebrated with dedication. All sweets and groceries are prepared the day before. Stoves turned off and sprinkled with water. Believers take a cold bath in the morning and it is women and small children who mostly worship Shitala to seek blessings from the goddess.

Shitala as a lucky giver

There was a king living in Hastinapur . His name was Indraduman . His wife's name was Dharmasila . Dharmasila had qualities expressed in her name. Their loyalty to religion could not be overestimated. That attitude had given the couple a daughter. <her name was Subhakari . She was just as religious as her mother. In her beauty she was in no way inferior to a heavenly nymph ( Apsara ). When she grew up , her parents married her to Gunavana , son of the king of Kaudinyanagar . After their marriage, Subhakari went to her in-laws' house. Then she went back to her parents' house.

After a few days, Prince Gunavana came to fetch Subhakari back. It was Shitala Satan Day . Subhakari's parents told her, "Stay here, whether it is possible or not. Today is Shitala Satan Day . Mother Shitala will bring us happiness. That is why you leave after you have made your vrata ". After saying this, the king began to make preparations for the vrata .

Subhakari was told to go to the pond to bathe with the priest and his wife. The three wandered all over the forest. But the pond was nowhere to be found. Subhakari was exhausted. She had never walked that much. But in spite of all this went on, constantly calling out the name of Shitala. The tired priest lay down under a tree. The Brahmin's wife sat nearby. But Subhakari continued tirelessly in search of a pond. In the meantime she saw an old woman. She went closer to the old woman and asked her: "Have you seen a pond in the neighborhood? I have the Shitalama vow today . I am the daughter of the king. I came for the bath".

The old woman felt sorry for Subhakari. She told Subhakari: "It is good that you came. Come on. I should show you the pond. Take a bath in the pond, do Shitalamata puja there and your husband will live a long time".

Barely able to walk, Subhakari went with the old woman. After a while, they passed a pond. Then Subhakari took her bath. She performed the goddess' puja. Shitala was satisfied. And she did her a divine favor.

Feeling satisfied, Subhakari went home. On the way she found the Brahmin's wife crying. When she saw that, the princess herself had to cry. After she stopped crying, the Brahmin woman said, "Sister, I should be a sati . A sinful snake has bitten my husband. What is my life worth now"? The princess became sad when she heard this and remembered to pray to Shitala.

The Brahmin woman said to defend himself. "I'll throw myself on the fire. You stay here". In saying this, she made herself a sati.

The princess began to pray to Shitala. Then the goddess appeared and asked: "My child, why do you remember me"?

While she was crying, the princess said: "Mother, mother, you are the destroyer of widowhood. Please have mercy on me and bring the priest back to life".

The Goddess said, "Child, do the performance of the vow you made today. Then the Brahmin will be brought back to life".

The woman gave the performance of the vrata to the brahmin woman and her husband was already brought back to life.

When she saw this, she thought about doing the puja for Shitala as well.

She said to the princess: "Sister, tell me the method of vrata . It doesn't matter whether it can be told or not. I wish to take the vow for Shitala and to perform her puja". The princess told her the method of vrata and the brahmin woman began to perform Shitala puja .

In the meantime, the prince was angry because his wife had been gone for so long. He left home to look for the princess. Meanwhile the princess, the brahmin and his wife were walking down the street. The princess saw her husband dead. She began to cry. And she couldn't stop. When they saw this, the trees, animals and birds began to sob with her. So Shitalama appeared and said, "Child, whoever does Shitala-Vratas will never suffer from widowhood. So go and wake up your husband". When she said that, the goddess disappeared.

While remembering Shitala and praying to her, the princess brought her husband back to life. The prince woke up like after a good night's sleep at home. Therefore Subhakari told the old woman: "Mother, give me such a favor that I will never become a widow, never have to experience poverty and never have to be separated from my husband".

Then the old woman took the form of Shitala and said: "So be it, whoever performs the puja with complete loyalty and listens to this Katha should never have the opportunity to become a widow". The moment she said this, the goddess disappeared. After that, the princess worshiped Shitala and took her prasada .

The smallpox goddess (Lenten fairy tale)

Another popular myth relates the following: Once upon a time there was a king and a queen. Although they were titled "King" and "Queen", they were still very poor, so that there was hardly enough for a daily meal. They had seven daughters. One day when the queen was pregnant again, the king asked what she was going to eat. She replied that she wanted a lot, but where should you get it from? She also feared that her daughters, who were also hungry, would eat everything away. But the king advised her to do it at night when all the daughters are asleep. She should wish whatever she wanted. The queen chose Khir .

Thereupon the king had all the ingredients brought for it. The daughters, however, had overheard and pondered a ruse: they took pots and other cooking-related items from the kitchen, hid them and then went to sleep. Late that night the queen thought that all daughters were sound asleep and went to prepare her khir. She took all the ingredients and went into the kitchen. But she couldn't find any matches to light the stove. So she decided to wake the big one, she could give her a little. So she woke her eldest daughter, who willingly gave her the matches. The queen started to make a fire, but she couldn't find a suitable pot, which the children had also hidden. So she decided to wake up her youngest daughter, who she believed had put the pot somewhere. So the mother woke her youngest daughter and asked her where the pot was. Now she was missing a spoon for which the next daughter had to be woken up, and so it went on and on. The queen was full of anger and resentfully set about preparing the khir. And that's how it happened.

The youngest daughter poured small stones into the custard pot. The queen was now forced to give up her daughters, who were now awake, and wanted to give them the upper, thin layer of the khir. She wanted to eat the filling lower and creamy half herself afterwards. And that's how it happened. The children ate their fill until they almost burst and then went to bed, dead tired. Now the queen took the pot and poured the rest on her plate. Now she noticed the many stones, gathered them up with anger and ate the rest. The next day she complained to the king about her failed daughters. He instructed them to pack something to eat for the children. He wanted to go picking wild berries with them . And so the queen did as she was told. Only for the youngest she didn't pack anything to eat, because she was still angry with her. So she only put ashes in her food package.

Arrived in the forest, the king sat down tired under a tree and said to the children: “Come, eat your fill in the forest and collect wild berries. If I wave my turban on the top of that tree, you will come back. ”And so did the girls, and when they were tired and had their fill they returned. On the tree they saw the father's turban, which had tied it there and - as previously discussed with his wife - had disappeared. They did not find their father and began to cry bitterly. They had to come to terms with living in the forest and feeding on fruits and water there. One day the daughters noticed that there was no Shitaladevi temple in the next town. So they decided: "We will be Shitala Devi". However, that was not as easy as expected, since they needed divine powers to do it. So they tore up some small bushes and said: “If we have divine powers, water should gush here.” They made seven donkeys out of earth, the mounts of the Shitalamata, and said: “If we have divine powers, they should become real donkeys And so it happened, the water began to gush and the donkeys came to life.

The seven sisters got on the donkeys and headed into town. They went to the king's palace and the house of a bhat . Before long, the prince and all the children in the house fell ill with smallpox. Now the seven sisters wanted to visit the king. He already knew from his servant about their upcoming visit and asked him: “How many men are there on foot and on horseback?” “Nobody comes on foot and nobody on horseback,” replied the servant. “They ride donkeys!” The king then ordered the visit to be awaited with hot oil and bamboo batons. The seven sisters were terribly burned by the oil and ran away. They fell in pain at a well. But they were lucky because the bhat's wife was in the process of drawing water there. Some cooling water fell on the burned sisters, who recovered from their serious injuries. In gratitude, now that their anger had faded, they blessed the woman with good wishes. "Just as you have cooled us, your children should also be cooled!" Thereupon the woman mistook the seven sisters for goddesses. She now began to hit the sisters with broken pieces of water. The better her condition got, the better the condition of her sick children at home became. When they fully recovered, they wanted something to eat. Then the stepmother came to the well and complained to the woman that she was not looking after her children and that she was spending all the time at the well. But the daughter-in-law replied that she shouldn't scold. They owe the healing of the children to these seven sisters.

On the occasion of the healing of the children, a big festival was celebrated in the house of the Bhat . The king found out about this too, angry about how anyone could dare to be happy while the king's son was dying, seriously ill. As a punishment , he had the bhat arrested, shackled and locked in his dark dungeon. But Shitala Devi cut the prisoner's bonds and freed him. The king then had him arrested and shackled again. But the goddess freed him again. And so it happened several times.

Finally the king gave up and bowed to Shitala. In her honor he held a great sacrificial festival and made a vow to worship her, to appease her and to induce her to heal his son. But Shitalamata was adamant with the king and showed no mercy. "Let your wife take off all her clothes and erect an altar for me," she said. “Then you should bring me food. If you do, you can keep your son, but he will be blind in one eye and pockmarked. If you do not follow my command, he will die. "

The desperate royal couple had no choice but to obey the goddess, their son was cured of smallpox, but it happened as the goddess said, and because of their anger he remained pockmarked and blind in one eye.

Ritual and worship

Shitala Devi is especially revered in the dry times in summer and winter, when the risk of contagion for smallpox is particularly high. Originally it had no temples and was believed to be at home in cool, humid places, preferably the neem trees. Their temples, which are considered to be their place of residence, are mostly on the outskirts of villages or in deserted deep forests and preferably near neem trees. The goddess is especially worshiped by children and women. Women ask for their children to be spared smallpox. In addition to her special festival day, Shitalashtami , she is especially worshiped when smallpox breaks out in villages.

Shitala must be appeased in rituals . They must be performed with the utmost purity, ritual washing of the believer and the house are of the utmost importance. The goddess is most often worshiped together with her six sisters, all of whom are goddesses of disease. The ritual for Shitala mainly consists of pouring water over them to keep them cool. However, it is mostly worshiped in the form of red irregular stones with a hole in the middle, painted heads or a sacred water pot. Faithful believers wear an amulet with Shitala's image around their necks. House priests recite the Shitalashtak , a mantra in her honor. On Shitalashtami ("Shitala's eighth"), in some places also Shitala Shashthi ("Shitala's sixth"), their feast day, people traditionally fast. In addition, hot food is not eaten and the stove is not lit with fire. Instead, certain dishes ( basauda ) that are not easily spoiled are prepared the evening before and eaten cold the next day, as are desserts. Cold, stale and leftover food or leftover food is also usually offered to the goddess herself, as well as blood or raw goat, pork, duck or chicken meat ( " Balis " , the animal sacrifices that are always male ) are ritually beheaded in front of the goddess's shrine), as well as donkey milk (because of the close connection to your mount) and neem leaves. On this day, the women create a smooth surface in the ground from earth or cow dung, from which they then make the so-called Alpana of the Shitala with eyes from cottonseed or cowrie snails that they set up at home. She often appears with 100 or 1000 painted eyes that can see everything and express their omnipresence and omnipotence. Shitala reminds the believers of the observance and necessity of hygiene and cleanliness. Women spend the night waking up and singing songs. Various vows (vrata) are given, for example not to eat desserts until the sick person has recovered. The goddess is asked for rain, heat decrease and harvest. To cure smallpox sufferers , the village house priests, called Malis , who are mostly workers or gardeners, pour cold water over the Shitala alpana . The blessed ( Prasada ) water running off is then given to the sick person to drink and then to cool. Domestic priests also tie together a lock of hair, a cowrie shell, a piece of turmeric, and a golden object from the patient's right wrist. Sometimes flowers are also offered to Shitala, which are braided in the children's hair after the puja in order to protect them from diseases. The leaves of the neem tree are particularly sacred to Shitala . These play a central role in their cult, for example the sick are rubbed with the cooling leaves or bathe in them, they are fanned out, put under the bed of the children, the rooms of the sick and the entrances to the house are laid out and hung with them. This also serves as a warning that a member of the house has the disease. The disease is partially treated with the cooled ashes from burned cow dung. This is also placed in front of the houses and the doors of the children so that visitors who step inside can clean themselves. Bitter herbs and tea are also given to the patient. The name of the herb is only known to the house priests who do not reveal it. If one gives the goddess something bitter, she leaves the body, so one believes. In some cases, the patient is also rubbed with sandalwood oil. Many people come to see the patient, often bring him cool food and greet him respectfully. After the patient's smallpox has failed, the crusts are collected and offered as thanks to Shitala. The worship of the goddess is not seen as a substitute for vaccinations, but as a complement and alternative. Many believers even paint dots on their faces to imitate the disease. To appease Shitala, on the fifth day after the infection, parents wrap their children in a white cloth and take them to the temple of the goddess, where they say the names of the children in prayers so that they can be blessed. On the way back from the temple a symbol made of cow dung is painted on the house wall or the house area.

Taboos

The cult of the goddess Shitala is associated with some taboos. Relatives are prohibited from wearing shoes, cutting nails, cutting and combing hair, sexual intercourse and traveling during the time of infection. They are also not allowed to visit other families during this time. Visits during the menstrual period are also strictly forbidden. Women are not allowed to wear black clothing during this time. Shrines of other gods are not visited during this time in order not to arouse the anger of the goddess. Fixed and mournful ceremonies are avoided. Disagreements, disputes and lawsuits are prohibited. During this time, food with spices is not fried. As long as the disease persists, the person affected is only given cold, uncooked food and drinks as well as milk. Neither meat nor fish is fried, and sweet dishes and liqueurs are avoided. The sick are only allowed to bathe on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, other days are considered ominous. Only cold showers are allowed. The stove stays off and is sprinkled with water.

literature

• Konrad Meißig: The smallpox goddess . Lenten tale of the women of Awadh. (= Contributions to Indology. 36). Harrassowitz-Verlag, 2002, ISBN 3-447-04617-1 , pp. 1-6: 1. Die Pockengöttin
• Babagrahi Misra: Sitala: the small-pox goddess of India. In: Asian Folklore Studies. Vol. 28, No. 2, 1969, pp. 133-142. (on-line)
• Tony Stewart: Encountering the Smallpox Goddess: The Auspicious Song of Sitala. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ 1995.
• Lauren Minsky: Pursuing Protection from Disease: The Making of Smallpox Prophylactic Practice in Colonial Punjab. In: Bulletin of the History of Medicine. vol. 83, no. 1, 2009, pp. 164-190.
• Subrata Kumar Mukhopadhyay: Cult of Goddess Sitala in Bengal (An Inquiry Into Folk Culture). KLM Private company, Calcutta 1994.
• Shitala in Indian Art and Tradition
• Dorothy S. Mull: The Sitala syndrome: the cultural context of measles mortality in Pakistan. In: The Anthropology of Infectious Disease: International Health Perspectives. 1997.
• A. Katyal, N. Kishore: Performing the goddess: sacred ritual into professional performance. In: The Drama Review. 45 (1), 2001, pp. 96-117.
• academia.edu
• academia.edu

Web links

Commons : Shitala  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Gerhard J. Bellinger: Knaurs Lexikon der Mythologie. Knaur, 1999, p. 453: Shitala
2. ↑ Jan Knappert: Lexicon of Indian Mythology. Heyne Verlag, Munich 1994, ISBN 3-453-07817-9 , p. 273: Shitala
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Gerhard J. Bellinger: Knaurs Lexikon der Mythologie. Munich 1999, ISBN 3-8289-4154-0 , p. 453: Shitalā
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Babagrahi Misra: Sitala: the small-pox goddess of India. In: Asian Folklore Studies. Vol. 28, No. 2, 1969, pp. 133-142. (online) .
5. ↑ Axel Michaels: Hinduism, past and present. CH Beck Verlag, Munich 1998, p. 256.
6. ^ Dorothy S. Mull: The Sitala syndrome: the cultural context of measles mortality in Pakistan. In: The Anthropology of Infectious Disease: International Health Perspectives. 1997.
7. ↑ Lauren Minsky: Pursuing Protection from Disease: The Making of Smallpox Prophylactic Practice in Colonial Punjab. In: Bulletin of the History of Medicine. vol. 83, no. 1, 2009, pp. 164-190.
8. ↑ Konrad Meißig: The smallpox goddess . Lenten tale of the women of Awadh. (= Contributions to Indology. 36). Harrassowitz-Verlag, 2002, ISBN 3-447-04617-1 , pp. 1-6: 1. Die Pockengöttin
9. ↑ Axel Michaels: Hinduism, past and present. CH Beck Verlag, Munich 1998, p. 162.
10. ↑ Lauren Minsky: Pursuing Protection from Disease: The Making of Smallpox Prophylactic Practice in Colonial Punjab. In: Bulletin of the History of Medicine. vol. 83, no. 1, 2009, pp. 164-190.
11. ^ Dorothy S. Mull: The Sitala syndrome: the cultural context of measles mortality in Pakistan In: The Anthropology of Infectious Disease: International Health Perspectives. 1997.