DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.640#0095
lxxxii
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
garland round the head of Shivu : the very craw-fish in thee are
happy, while a king at a distance from thee is miserable." He
then sits down, and repeats certain prayers to the sun for the
removal of his sins, among which is the celebrated gayutree,
" Let us meditate on the adorable light of the divine Ruler, (Savitree:)
may it guide our intellects." He next pours out drink-offerings to
Yumti, to Brumha, Vishnoo, Roodrii, the eight progenitors of
mankind, to all the gods, and all living things in the three
worlds, to certain sages, and at length to his forefathers, praying
that they may hereby be satisfied. Now he forms, with the clay
he had prepared, an image of the lingti, and worships it; which
act includes praise to one of the gods, prayers for preservation,
meditation on the form of the idol, hymns on the virtues of some
deity, and repetitions of the names of the gods. He then returns
home, and repeats, if he has leisure, certain portions of one of
the shastriis. Before he begins to eat, he offers up his food to
his guardian deity, saying, " I offer this food to such a god;" and
after sitting, with his eyes closed, as long as would be requisite
to milk a cow, he takes the food and eats it. In the evening,
just before sun-set, if he have a temple belonging to him, he
presents some fruits, &c; to the image, repeats parts of the cere-
monies of the forenoon, and the name of some deity at consi-
derable length. When he retires to rest, he repeats the word
Fiidmu-nabhu, a name of Vishnoo. Perhaps one person in ten
thousand carries these ceremonies a little farther than this."
As a person passes along the streets and roads he is continually
reminded of one or other of these ceremonies:—here sits a man in
his shop, repeating the name of his guardian deity, or teaching
it to his parrotb—there go half a dozen voiragees, or other per*
b This ceremony is supposed to bring great blessings both on the
teacher and the scholar: the parrot obtains heaven, and so does its mas-
ter. Numbers of Hindoos, particularly in a morning and evening, may
be seen in the streets walking about with parrots in their bands, and re-
peating aloud to them,' Eadha-Kristmo, Radha-Krishnii, KrLshnu, Krish-
na, Kadha, Kadha,' or ' Shivu-Doorga,' or ' Kalee-turaii.' Some are thus
employed six months, others twelve or eighteen, before the parrot has
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
garland round the head of Shivu : the very craw-fish in thee are
happy, while a king at a distance from thee is miserable." He
then sits down, and repeats certain prayers to the sun for the
removal of his sins, among which is the celebrated gayutree,
" Let us meditate on the adorable light of the divine Ruler, (Savitree:)
may it guide our intellects." He next pours out drink-offerings to
Yumti, to Brumha, Vishnoo, Roodrii, the eight progenitors of
mankind, to all the gods, and all living things in the three
worlds, to certain sages, and at length to his forefathers, praying
that they may hereby be satisfied. Now he forms, with the clay
he had prepared, an image of the lingti, and worships it; which
act includes praise to one of the gods, prayers for preservation,
meditation on the form of the idol, hymns on the virtues of some
deity, and repetitions of the names of the gods. He then returns
home, and repeats, if he has leisure, certain portions of one of
the shastriis. Before he begins to eat, he offers up his food to
his guardian deity, saying, " I offer this food to such a god;" and
after sitting, with his eyes closed, as long as would be requisite
to milk a cow, he takes the food and eats it. In the evening,
just before sun-set, if he have a temple belonging to him, he
presents some fruits, &c; to the image, repeats parts of the cere-
monies of the forenoon, and the name of some deity at consi-
derable length. When he retires to rest, he repeats the word
Fiidmu-nabhu, a name of Vishnoo. Perhaps one person in ten
thousand carries these ceremonies a little farther than this."
As a person passes along the streets and roads he is continually
reminded of one or other of these ceremonies:—here sits a man in
his shop, repeating the name of his guardian deity, or teaching
it to his parrotb—there go half a dozen voiragees, or other per*
b This ceremony is supposed to bring great blessings both on the
teacher and the scholar: the parrot obtains heaven, and so does its mas-
ter. Numbers of Hindoos, particularly in a morning and evening, may
be seen in the streets walking about with parrots in their bands, and re-
peating aloud to them,' Eadha-Kristmo, Radha-Krishnii, KrLshnu, Krish-
na, Kadha, Kadha,' or ' Shivu-Doorga,' or ' Kalee-turaii.' Some are thus
employed six months, others twelve or eighteen, before the parrot has