The Cat

[Palaniappa]

In a message dated 98-01-28 15:44:27 EST, zwilling at FACSTAFF.WISC.EDU writes:

<< I'm presently working on a Tibetan text which is purported to be a
 translation from a Sanskrit original. In this text the cat is used as an
 example for a person of savage and devious mentality which is the way cats
 are still customarily viewed by Tibetans. Can someone tell me
 whether this conforms to an/the Indian attitude towards the cat. >>

In one of the two Sri Vaishnavite devotional traditions, the love of a cat for
its kitten is compared to the love of God for the devotee. (The cat grabs its
kitten by the mouth and carries it in contrast to the situation involving a
female monkey and its baby  where it is the responsibility of the baby monkey
to hold on to its mother.)

Regards

S. Palaniappan