What is the significance of "a single pierced cowrie shell" in Indian
cosmology or particularly in the poem by Bhartrhari in the 7th
century, which begins with "dug under earth's crust"

Hi, 

The pierced cowrie shell is a well known symbol in India, China, and
most of the Middle East, as well as many parts of Africa. Since just
about the beginning of recorded history, the cowrie shell has been a
symbol of protection and virtue from all manner of temptation and
evil. Most of the time, it is seen as a protection for young women,
infants or women preparing for child birth. The pierced shell is a
shell worn by someone as an amulet, and not just one "found".

The cowrie shell was considered so valuable that many areas used it as
a form of money.

To loose a cowrie shell was to loose your protection, or the
protection of someone you loved (such as a young woman or infant). It
could also be a large symbol of misfortune. To find one could be seen
as luck, or the crossing of someone else's misfortune. If someone
found a pierced cowrie shell, it would not be a huge mental leap to
begin searching for the body it once belonged too.

I do not have a copy of  that poem, but since it is a 7th century
publication, that would put it in the "public domain" so if you have
any further questions on this, us the clarification button and post
the poem here or post a link where I could read the poem, and I would
be very glad to work on the question further.

Quoted References :

"Modern Middle Eastern cultures use cowrie shells as amulets to
deflect the evil eye from infants because the shells look like eyes."

"The cowrie, found in the coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific
oceans, has long been regarded as a valuable protective amulet. Cowrie
shells are a common fertility symbol given their obvious resemblance
to the vulva. In many countries throughout Asia and Africa, the cowrie
shell was considered so valuable that it was used as currency, just as
Europeans once used gold and silver. Both cowrie shells and mirrors
are sewn into clothing and headdresses for protection. At the annual
Gerewol festival of the Wodaabe, for example, men drape their chests
with strings of cowrie shells."

"Many forms of pierced jewelry have their origins in protection."


"The cowrie shell has been regarded as an origin of the divine in
China from the earliest time. To protect against evil, one carried it
as an amulet and put it into the grave of deceased. When queen Fu Hao,
wife of powerful king Wu Ting, died around 1300 BC, 6880 kauri mussels
were put into her gave. In addition, over 200 valuable bronze vessels,
6000 small sculptures made of jade and 16 people, probably from her
own staff, were found.

Over time, the function of the cowrie sea shell expanded - after 1530
BC, documents show that Kauri sea shells are used as a reward, too.
The cowrie shown here dates approximately from this time.

No money form lasts longer in the Chinese empire: cowrie are known and
used since the Zhang dynasty (1500-1045 BC; the Zhang dynasty founded
the first period of a uniform culture and sovereign territory in
China, writing art and bronze processing flourished) up to their
demonetization in 1578 AC. Regionally, they are used even until the
20th century."
http://secure1.moneymuseum.com/frontend/moneymuseum/en/pFJUwVvy5ykBzgaG/GlobalSearch/results



Referance Links

Dogon Masks
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/dogmasks.htm

Elizabeth Willet: Women and Israelite House Religion
http://www.bibleinterp.com/articles/HouseReligion.htm

The Evil Eye
http://www.jolique.com/general_interest/evil_eye_all.htm

Archaeology Field School
http://www.wits.ac.za/fac/science/archaeology/acacia/excavation.htm

Money Museum Cowrie
http://secure1.moneymuseum.com/frontend/moneymuseum/en/pFJUwVvy5ykBzgaG/GlobalSearch/results

thanks, 

webadept-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by ryoyu-ga on 30 Mar 2005 04:46 PST

Here is the poem as I found it.

"Dug under earth's crust for drugs
to make me immortal.
Turned mountains to ash hunting alchemical ore.
Then followed rivers 
back to their source:
grovelled, swallowed pride,
tried to get favor with kings.
Hooked on spells
Hung up on weird arts
I wandered the charnel grounds -
but never shed craving-
never obtained a single pierced
cowrie shell."

Bhartrihari (India, 7th Century) 


Thanks for your explication thus far.  This is for a book I am writing
and I will happily credit you for reasearch if you wish.

And PLEASE any further ideas, in context, would be useful.  It is
still a bit hidden from me. What else do you notice?  Wild guesses are
OK.

---

Request for Answer Clarification by ryoyu-ga on 30 Mar 2005 07:49 PST

No further clarification needed.  I'm just using this form to say
"thank you" and to note that we are in agreement.  I was uncertain
because the poem seemed so "modern" in the irony and even some of the
language.  FYI: I was interested in this poem because the book I am
writing is about addiction - my second on the topic - and I have
finally seen that the ultimate addiction is to the self. Thanks for
you help!

---

Clarification of Answer by webadept-ga on 30 Mar 2005 08:17 PST

You are very welcome, and yes, it is always amazing to me how many
times we believe that our problems are some how new, or "modern" and
then stumble upon a poem or entry from the 7th century describing our
"modern" problems. :-) For me it really slams home the idea that we
very rarely have "original" problems in this life.

Good luck with your book. 

webadept-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by ryoyu-ga on 30 Mar 2005 08:51 PST

There's only one problem, finally.  The illusion of self.  Here's
another quote.  "We yearn to know we're alive - Science, Religion, and
other mental illnesses, when all we have to do is love each other
really well."

You won't find that one until my book is published.  Thanks again.

---

Clarification of Answer by webadept-ga on 31 Mar 2005 20:23 PST

Hi again, 

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

" I wandered the charnel grounds -
but never shed craving-
never obtained a single pierced
cowrie shell."

The passage above was a bit strange to me, until I thought about it
for a while. The poem itself seemed "Buddhist" in nature, but after
doing some quick research on Bhartrihari I find that this mistake has
been made in the past by others (
http://www.iep.utm.edu/b/bhartrihari.htm ) as well.

What prompted that thought was his methods of searching throughout the
poem, and is failures at finding even a "single pierced cowrie shell"
for all his efforts. The cowrie shell is the "least of what he
expected", even though it is commonly believed to be a powerful
amulet.  He starts out suggesting that his is searching for much more,
in fact searching for immortality.

Failing in his search for "Godhood" swallows his pride and opts to
allow himself to be content with the "favor with kings". Then turns to
magic and strange arts (bizarre occult thinking perhaps) when the
Kings fail to see who he really is, and what he deserves.

What prompted the "Buddhist" thinking is his methods and failure.
Everywhere he is searching is outside of himself... and in fact only
switches to internal thought near the last line where he "never shed
craving"  while wandering the charnel grounds. Charnel grounds are of
course graveyards, the storage areas for the bones and ash of the
dead. A place where one is confronted with his body's true nature and
his own mortality.

The voice of the poem sees his 'shed of craving' as the result, rather
than the means, of attaining inner peace. In Buddhist thinking, and
Hindu for that matter, one might read that line and think "of course
you failed, you never shed craving", it's more or less a prerequisite
for immortality, or any type of transcendence. The "voice in the poem"
does not see this, and even switches back to an "outside" protection
amulet.

I read this poem as a humorous "poking fun at the nature of the human
condition" type of poem. I don't believe that Bhartrihari  sought
outside himself for enlightenment or any type of transcendence, or at
least was not doing this when he wrote this poem. Probably looking
back at his own youth and folly with amusement, and shows his complete
lack of being able to see what was important, even when he was so
close to it.

The voice in the poem is willing and active however. He's not just
sitting around "waiting for something to happen" for him. He is out
there doing, and searching, and has no qualms about where his
searching will lead him. He is not afraid to search in dark places, or
in light places. There is no place he will not go, which says quite a
bit about Bhartrihari.

Thanks for posting this poem, it gave me quite a bit to think about this
morning. 

webadept-ga

Very complete answer given the scant material I provided.  I'm waiting
for clarification at this point.  I will tip then.