THE TALE OF THE TULSI PLANT A N D OTHER STUDIES C . A KIN CA D 1 c s . I , . “ A UT HOR O F T H E O uT LAws O E K ATH AW A R ( I . BOM B A Y T H E T I M ES OF m om O F F C E I , A N D 1 2 F L E T ' O 1 E s r. L N D N E C . , , O , 1 90 8 . C N EN S O T T . TR STORI S EE E . The Tale of The Tulsi Plant The Tale of the Shami Tree The Story of the Bel Plant HISTORICAL AND OTH R SK TCH E E ES. In Old Mahableshwar A F orgotten Battlefield Th e Bakhar of the Dabhades The B akhar of Pilaji Gaikvad To Mahuli by Motor The F ort at Sholapur Parvati of the Peshwas A Portuguese Lady at th e Moghul Court The Peshwas of Poona In the Court of the younger A Marathi Comedy Mahashivratra Day PROV RBIAL PHILOSOPHY IN W ST RN INDIA E E E . Th e Sayings of Kathiawar 1 64 The Sayings of the Deccan 1 7 1 The Sayings of the Perms 1 78 The Sayings of the Musulmans 1 86 MY MANY IN DIAN FRIENDS IN POONA AN D THE WESTERN DECCAN THIS VOLUME 18 AF F ECTION ATEL Y IN SCRIBED. PR EFACE . A s n early all th e en suin g sket ch e s h av e a lre ady a pp ea red in th e Times of I n dia a n d a re rep rod uced with th e kin d p ermission of its edit or n o reface is reall re ui red . , p y q Sin ce h owev er th e article on Marathi ro , , p verbs av e wh en ublish ed some offence t o g , p , D eccani read ers I t ake th i s o ort unit , pp y Of a ssurin g th em th at th e suggestion th at Mah arash tra mea nt th e coun try ofth e Mh ars Mahar rash tra was n ot min e at all It ( ) . ma iii f th e Preface y be foun d at p . xx o ’ M I lad o oleswort h s Dic ion ar . am t t y g , h owever t o stat e th at m Old an d valued , y f i n d r B h n dark r r e th e Honourable D . a a , ’ h as convinced me th a t Molesworth s d erivat ion must on ph ilological groun d s be in corr t I h v h erefore rewritten th e ec . a e t l att er h alf of th e said article . Th e oth er a ti les r e r c a e p ractically unalt er d . C . K . A . ’ La mumille chinoise qua l ignorance avait 610m ’ s a a se de us en lus uand lle au d aru b is pl p . ! e ra isp , on sera bien 6tonn6 de découvrir que derrl ere il yavait taut ’ de braves ens L ceuvre de demolition est commencée g . de uis lon t En donnant ces a es de mon ournal p g emps. p g j ’ ’ écrite s sur lo sol meme de l ile inconnue j y vais d e mon ” it ar au pet coup d e m te . Pierre de Coulevain. ’ (L ile inconnue. ) THE TALE OF THE TULSI PLANT . I DARE s ay that it h as often happen ed that a ’ youn g Engli shman riding pas t a n In dian s hous e h a s s een a small plant gro wing in a p ot jus t Oppo s it th e d and h as en u e its n ame The e oor q ir d . n s we has een t at it is th e uls a lan t sac e a r b h T i , p r d to s hn u. If ncu us t s an s we h as s atis fi Vi i rio , hi r ed th e question er. If curious to probe into th e s ecrets of th e w l a un him h e will h a e etur or d ro d , v r ned h ome and s earched for th e word Tuls i in Moles ’ e e n t is w w orth s diction ary . Th r i i ritten that th e ” ul s is th e Bas l lant or Oc mum Sanctum T i i p y . If Bas l be t ace in th e lea es of W e ste th e i r d v b r, s earch er will learn that B as il is derived from th e ee w bas ilikon mean n n l and tha Gr k ord , i g ki g y , t th e Bas il plan t has in Fran ce been s tyled la p la nts ’ ro a ls and in e man th e kam s kmut Th e y G r y y . n ext s tag e will be a purs uit for th e Greek words b as ilikon den dron in th e pages of Liddell an d Scott ; b ut here th e purs uit will be vain for th e term was un n wn in clas s cal G eece As it is not u l l k o i r . n ike y t at no furt e clue w ll be f t c m n ave h h r i or h o i g , I h 2 E THE U S N TAL OF T L I PLA T. ventured to w rite th e pres ent article in the h ope Of h t on th e su ect throwing s ome lig bj . By th e kin dn es s of a frien d I have been supplied with two extracts which s how that in Italy and in Greece th e Bas il plan t was credited with certain e In s ec t o strange occult properti s . th e on d par f t e ets of lex s of e m n t t an slate b he S cr A i Pi d o , r d y W Wa 1 5 6 3 th e e is th s ent rd , , r i ry To make a woma n s ha ll e ate of nothing that is n le a ke a ttle een e B as ll and s et upo the tab . T li gr i when men bring th e d is hes to th e table put it rneth th em et the w man e ce ve it not for und e , y o p r i , me n s aye that s he w ill eate of n one of that which ” h i h w e eun d r h Bas ll l eth is in t e d s h r e t e i i . In Th e clad es B e nt t e e cu t Cy by P. h r oc rs h e following pas s ag e “ I have frequ en tly realized h ow much prized th e s l is in eece for its m st c e t es Th Ba i Gr y i prop r i . e ’ h e w c th e s a e w on h s t s ave is rb, hi h y y gr C ri gr , alm s t w s ed in the Eas te n h u c On o or hipp r C r h. ’ t as l s Da w me n ta e s s of t is l n S . B i y o k prig h p a t to l s e in u ch On e u n n me be b e s d Ch r . r t r i g ho they cast more on th e floor of th e h ous e to s ecure luck for th e en s u n ea he eat l t l i g y r. T y a i t e with their ous e l an d n o s ckn es s th e ma n ta n w ill h ho d, i , y i i , ttac t em for a ear An t e i h a k h y . o h r b t t ey put i n th e cupboard an d firmly believe that their embroi derice an d silken raime n t will b e free fromth e vis ita ” t n of ats m ce an d m t s for the s ame e io r , i o h p riod . Mr. S. M. Ed wardes , E THE ULSI N 3 TAL OF T PLA T . ’ We find too a referen ce to th e Bas il in Keat s ” l e e n it w ll be emem e ed t at s a e la. I b Th r i , i r b r , h ’ Is abella after exhu ming th e murdered Laren z o s head (Sh e) wrapped it up ; and for its tomb d id ch oose A ard en ot wh erei n sh e l ai d it b g p , y ' An d co ered it wi t h mou ld a n d o e r it set v , weet B asil whi ch h er te ars ke t e er wet .