Sajani Shakya a god with 32 perfections
Monday, July 09, 2007
Sajani Shakya is a normal 10 year-old girl from Nepal. The only border that separates you from her is that she is a god. Meaning, she has the 32 perfections that a Nepal Hinduism recquires.
Sajani is a living goddess, one of about a dozen such goddesses in her homeland who are considered earthly manifestations of the Hindu goddess Kali.
How does one become a god? And what are the 32 Perfections?
Eligible girls are Buddhists from the Newar Shakya caste of silver and goldsmiths. She must be in excellent health, never have shed blood or been afflicted by any diseases, be without blemish and must not have yet lost any teeth. Girls who pass these basic eligibility requirements are examined for the battis lakshanas, or 'thirty-two perfections' of a goddess. Some of these are poetically listed as such:
- A neck like a conch shell
- A body like a banyan tree
- Eyelashes like a cow
- Thighs like a deer
- Chest like a lion
- Voice soft and clear as a duck's
According to Rabbityama:
The most important perfection is that she can never bleed or have bled in her past. Once she bleeds, she is no longer divine. Some others are: -black hair -no bad body odors -clear skin and small pores -moist tongue -black eyes -soft skin -teeth must be even -small genitals - how small???? -sturdy body -clear voice
Labels: 32 perfections, kumari, kumari devi, nepal, People, sajani shakya
