DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.641#0182
THE HINDOO MYTHOLOGY. 175
After the death of a Hindoo who has been particularly
diligent in practising the ceremonies of his religion, his
neighbours speak of him with much respect: one person
perhaps asks another, ' Who has been burnt at the landing
place to-day ?' The other answers:—e Such an one : he
was an excellent character; he assisted others; he was
very strict in performing his daily ablutions; he visited
such and such holy places; he was very generous to bram-
huns and to strangers; he venerated the gods, &c. No
doubt he will obtain a place in heaven.' When a person
dies who has not been liberal to bramhuns, nor expended
any thing in the ceremonies of his religion, his neighbours
doom him to hell without ceremony. When a neighbour
mentions him, the person to whom he speaks affects per-
haps to be alarmed that the sound of such a person's name
has entered his ear; and, to remove the evil effects of such
a circumstance, he repeats the names of several gods in
some such form as this:—' Ah ! Ah!—Mtihabharutu !
Muhabhamtu! Muhabharutu!—Doorga! Doorga! Doorga!
I must fast to-day, I fancy, for hearing this vile person's
name repeated.' If the person has lived in all manner of
impurity, and, in the language of Scripture, ' has drank
iniquity like water,' and yet has performed the popular
ceremonies with a degree of regularity, he is spoken of
with respect; for it is a principle of the Hindoo reli-
gion, that good works absolutely atone for bad ones".
Notwithstanding it is common for survivors to speak in
high terms of the future state of those who were zealous
idolaters, it is a doctrine repeatedly inculcated in the
Hindoo shastriis, that those who have not overcome their
passions, (pure and impure,) though they may have per-
k Nominal Christians little imagine how heathenish many of their reli-
gions notions are.
VOL. II. A a
After the death of a Hindoo who has been particularly
diligent in practising the ceremonies of his religion, his
neighbours speak of him with much respect: one person
perhaps asks another, ' Who has been burnt at the landing
place to-day ?' The other answers:—e Such an one : he
was an excellent character; he assisted others; he was
very strict in performing his daily ablutions; he visited
such and such holy places; he was very generous to bram-
huns and to strangers; he venerated the gods, &c. No
doubt he will obtain a place in heaven.' When a person
dies who has not been liberal to bramhuns, nor expended
any thing in the ceremonies of his religion, his neighbours
doom him to hell without ceremony. When a neighbour
mentions him, the person to whom he speaks affects per-
haps to be alarmed that the sound of such a person's name
has entered his ear; and, to remove the evil effects of such
a circumstance, he repeats the names of several gods in
some such form as this:—' Ah ! Ah!—Mtihabharutu !
Muhabhamtu! Muhabharutu!—Doorga! Doorga! Doorga!
I must fast to-day, I fancy, for hearing this vile person's
name repeated.' If the person has lived in all manner of
impurity, and, in the language of Scripture, ' has drank
iniquity like water,' and yet has performed the popular
ceremonies with a degree of regularity, he is spoken of
with respect; for it is a principle of the Hindoo reli-
gion, that good works absolutely atone for bad ones".
Notwithstanding it is common for survivors to speak in
high terms of the future state of those who were zealous
idolaters, it is a doctrine repeatedly inculcated in the
Hindoo shastriis, that those who have not overcome their
passions, (pure and impure,) though they may have per-
k Nominal Christians little imagine how heathenish many of their reli-
gions notions are.
VOL. II. A a