The names with a fet before them, are those whom I mentioned in the foregoing remarks, to have been erroneously placed by the modern Hindus before PRADYOTA; for, SAHADEVA, the firft of the dynafty was contemporary with YUDHISHTHIR, who reigned about the year 2825 of the world. I have therefore reftored them again to their proper places in hiftory, and by that means corrected the two abfurdities pointed out by the late Sir WILLIAM JONES, in the Hindu chronology of the kings of Magadha or Behar.

Calcutta, 2nd October, 1796.

XXII. ON

XXII.

ON THE RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES

OF THE HINDUS,

AND OF THE BRAHMENS ESPECIALLY.

BY H. T. COLEBROOKE, ESQ.

ESSAY I.

HE civil Law of the Hindus, containing fre

THE

quent allufions to their religious rites, I was led, among other purfuits connected with a late undertaking, to peruse several treatises on this fubject, and tranflate from the Sanfcrit fome entire tracts and parts of others. From thefe fources of information upon a subject on which the Hindus are by no means communicative, I intend to lay before the Society, in this and fubfequent effays, an abridged explanation of the ceremonies, and verbal tranflations of the prayers ufed at rites, which a Hindu is bound conftantly to perform. In other branches of this inquiry, the Society may expect valuable communications from our colleague Mr. W. C. BLAQUIERE, who is engaged in fimilar refearches. That part of the fubject to which I have confined my inquires will be alfo found to contain curious matter, which I fhall now fet forth without comment, referving for a fubfequent effay the obfervations which are fuggefted by a review of thefe religious practices.

A Brahmana rifing from fleep is enjoined under the penalty of lofing the benefit of all rites performed by him, to rub his teeth with a proper withe, or a twig of the racemiferous fig tree, pronouncing to himself this prayer, "Attend, lord of the foreft; SOMA, king of herbs and plants, has approached VOL. V. "thee:

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"thee: mayest thou and he cleanfe my mouth with glory and good aufpices, that I may eat abun"dant food." The following prayer is alfo ufed upon this occafion, "Lord of the foreft! grant me life, ftrength, glory, fplendour, offspring, cattle, abundant wealth, virtue, knowledge, and intelligence." But if a proper withe cannot be found, or on certain days when the ufe of it is forbidden (that is, on the day of the conjunction and on the first, fixth, and ninth days of each lunar fortnight), he must rince his mouth twelves times with water.

Having carefully thrown away the twig, which has been used, in a place free from impurities, he fhould proceed to bathe, ftanding in a river or in other water. The duty of bathing in the morning and at noon, if the man be a houfeholder, and in the evening alfo, if he belong to an order of devotion, is inculcated by pronouncing the ftrict obfervance of it in no less efficacious, than a rigid penance, in expiating fins, especially the early bath in the months of Magha, Pholgima, and Cartica: and the bath being particularly enjoined as a falutary ablution, he is permitted to bathe in his own houfe, but without prayers, if the weather, or his own infirinities prevent his going forth; or he may abridge the ceremonies and ufe fewer prayers, if a religious duty or urgent bufinefs require his early attendance. The regular bath confifts of ablutions followed by worship and by the inaudable recitation of the Gayatri with the names of the worlds. Firft fipping water, and fprinkling fome before him, the priest recites the three fubjoined prayers, while he performs an ablution by throwing water eight times on his head, or towards the fky, and concludes it by cafting water on the ground to deftroy the Demons, who wage war with the Gods. 1ft. O waters! fince "1ft. O waters! fince ye afford

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delight, grant us prefent happinefs, and the rap"turous fight of the fupreme God. 2d. Like tender "Mothers make us here partakers of your most aufpicious effence. 3d. We became contended with

your

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your effence, with which ye fatisfy the univerfe. Waters! grant it unto us." For, as otherwife expounded, the third text may fignify, Eagerly do "we approach your effence, which fupports the uni"verfal abode. Waters! grant it unto us." In the Agni purána the ablution is otherwife directed : "At twilight, let a man attentively recite the prayers "addreffed to water, and perform an ablution by throwing water on the crown of his head, on the "earth, towards the fky; again towards the fky, on "the earth, on the crown of his head, on the earth, "again on the crown of his head; and, laftly on the "earth." Immediately after this ablution he should

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fip water without fwallowing it, filently praying in thefe words, "Lord of facrifice! thy heart is in the "midft of the waters of the ocean; may falutary herbs

and waters pervade thee. With facrificial hymns "and humble falutation we invite thy prefence: may "this ablution be efficacious." Or he may fip water while he utters inaudably the myfterious names of the feven worlds. Thrice plunging into water he must each time repeat the expiatory text which recites the creation; and having thus completed his ablution, he puts on his mantle after washing it, and fits down to worship the rifing fun.

This ceremony is begun by his tying the lock of hair on the crown of his head, while he recites the Gayatri, holding much cufa grafs in his left, and three blades of the fame grafs in his right hand; or wearing a ring of grafs on the third finger of the fame hand. Thrice fipping water with the fame text preceded by the myfterious names of worlds, and each time rubbing his hands as if wafhing them; and finally, touching with his wet hand his feet, head, breaft, eyes, ears, nofe, and navel, or his breast, navel, and both fhoulders, only (acording to another rule) he should again fip water three times pronouncing to himself the expiatory text which recites the creation. If he happen to fneeze, or fpit, he

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muft