DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0410
398 Omens. Daily Religious Ceremonies.
"man of the house had any intention of undertaking a journey,
he must, after any such sights, by all means desist from the
project. On -the other hand, should the householder's first
glance rest on a cow, horse, elephant, parrot, a lizard on
an east wall, a clear fire, a virgin, or two Brahmans, all will
go right. Again, if he should happen to sneeze once, it
would be a sure forerunner of good luck for the day; but
if twice, it would portend some serious mishap. Finally,
if he should unfortunately yawn, it might lead to no less a
catastrophe than the entrance of an evil demon into his body.
The Adbhuta-Brahmana (forming the sixth chapter of the
Shadvinsa-Brahmana) treats of portents and omens1. It is
to be noted, too, that both the Rig-veda and Atharva-veda
contain texts which prove that in Vedic times birds of ill-omen
were greatly dreaded and their evil influences deprecated2.
Let us imagine then all risks arising from inauspicious
sights well avoided, and the householder started on his
tedious round of daily religious duties. And here be it ob-
served that one change has passed over every Indian house-
hold. Manu, we know, asserts that, according to a Vedic
ordinance, the husband and wife ought to perform religious
rites together (IX. 96), but the wife has now no religious
life in common with her husband.
I once asked a well-educated Brahman why he acquiesced
in a different rule of religion for himself and his wife. ' Oh,'
he replied, ' we are now in the Kali-yuga, or age of universal
degeneracy. Our lawgivers have promulgated quite a new
code for these times; oxen cannot be killed for sacrifices,
and women in all religious matters are practically degraded
to the position of Sudras. They are not allowed to repeat
the Veda, or to go through the morning and evening
Sandhya services. They never accompany their husbands to
1 This has been published with translation and notes, together with
another text on the same subject, by Professor A. Weber of Berlin.
2 See Rig-veda II. 42, 43, X. 165 ; Atharva-veda VI. 29, VII. 64.
"man of the house had any intention of undertaking a journey,
he must, after any such sights, by all means desist from the
project. On -the other hand, should the householder's first
glance rest on a cow, horse, elephant, parrot, a lizard on
an east wall, a clear fire, a virgin, or two Brahmans, all will
go right. Again, if he should happen to sneeze once, it
would be a sure forerunner of good luck for the day; but
if twice, it would portend some serious mishap. Finally,
if he should unfortunately yawn, it might lead to no less a
catastrophe than the entrance of an evil demon into his body.
The Adbhuta-Brahmana (forming the sixth chapter of the
Shadvinsa-Brahmana) treats of portents and omens1. It is
to be noted, too, that both the Rig-veda and Atharva-veda
contain texts which prove that in Vedic times birds of ill-omen
were greatly dreaded and their evil influences deprecated2.
Let us imagine then all risks arising from inauspicious
sights well avoided, and the householder started on his
tedious round of daily religious duties. And here be it ob-
served that one change has passed over every Indian house-
hold. Manu, we know, asserts that, according to a Vedic
ordinance, the husband and wife ought to perform religious
rites together (IX. 96), but the wife has now no religious
life in common with her husband.
I once asked a well-educated Brahman why he acquiesced
in a different rule of religion for himself and his wife. ' Oh,'
he replied, ' we are now in the Kali-yuga, or age of universal
degeneracy. Our lawgivers have promulgated quite a new
code for these times; oxen cannot be killed for sacrifices,
and women in all religious matters are practically degraded
to the position of Sudras. They are not allowed to repeat
the Veda, or to go through the morning and evening
Sandhya services. They never accompany their husbands to
1 This has been published with translation and notes, together with
another text on the same subject, by Professor A. Weber of Berlin.
2 See Rig-veda II. 42, 43, X. 165 ; Atharva-veda VI. 29, VII. 64.