Q: mArjArahatyA

[Poornima]

More information on the cat issue:

I am a Hindu, and throughout my childhood I was told that if one killed a cat, one would have to go to the holy site of Kashi (Benares), where one could repent for the sin by bathing in the Ganges. It is to be noted that a similar form of atonement exists for the killing of a Brahmin.

Poornima

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From: 	S Krishna[SMTP:mahadevasiva at hotmail.com]
Sent: 	Wednesday, September 10, 1997 4:32 AM
To: 	Members of the list
Subject: 	Re: Q: mArjArahatyA



David Israel writes:
>Further regarding the "sin of killing a cat" issue, the following 
>snippiets happened to appear yesterday on the Sasialit listserv -- 
>suggesting that perhaps the utterances of the Pandit in the Hindi 
>tale weren't wholly made out of whole cloth (so to say)?
>
>d.i.

>B [a certain Bapa Rao] says:
>
>> p.s. about the cats, I based my statement on my upbringing, which
>> held that it was a special sin to kill cats, as opposed to the
>> generic sin incurred by killing anything. No one around me
>> particularly liked cats, it was just held sinful to kill one. Don't
>> know much more about it, I'm afraid.

David!
 Could you please ask this gentleman as to whether this is some kind of 
a family belief or is it some belief in the area where he come from? I 
know there are families where it is wrong to kill snakes, the story is 
that the snake curses the family causing its children to have
a funny skin coloration- I remember reading about a family in 
Maharashtra which had this tale to tell....I don't think there is 
anything generic religious belief about this.....

Looking forward to your reply,

Krishna


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