32 HOPKINS— MAGIC OBSERVANCES IN HINDU EPIC. [April 21, 



also indicates mourning (compare the funeral procession, when 

 all the mourners go pracrttasikhah, " with loosened braids," 

 AGS.4.2.9), that is, by analogy with the one-braid sign, weakness. 

 It makes no difference for what one mourns, whether for the death 

 of a loved relative, or the loss of a kingdom, or, it may be, for 

 the loss of dignity. Thus in 5.40.15: "Men bring from the house 

 the dead son and cast him on the pyre (' fire-heap ') like a log, 

 and weep with loosened hair; while another enjoys his wealth, and 

 birds and fire enjoy the constituents of his body." But also, in 

 mourning for the kingdom they have gambled away : " The prince 

 went on, covering his face with his garment, and one brother threw 

 dust upon his limbs and another greased his face, and the women 

 wept with dishevelled hair and covered their faces with their hair," 

 although the explanation given is that they did this in order not to 

 be recognized, 2.8o.4f. But, though this may be true of the grease 

 and dust, in regard to the hair it is artificial, as may be seen from 

 other accounts. Thus in 3.i73.62f. : (when their men have been 

 killed) " The women rushed out of the town with dishevelled hair, in 

 excitement, distressed, like ospreys ;'* and with dishevelled hair they 

 fell on the ground, mourning for their sons, fathers, and brothers ; 

 weeping and wailing and beating their breasts ; devoid of wreath 

 and ornament." Again, at 4.16.46, the insulted heroine "loosens 

 her hair," or, in the fuller description of the South Indian recension, 

 4.20.59 and yy : " She bathes not, she eats not, she wipes not off 

 the dust. . . . All her limbs are covered with dust like those of a 

 female elephant . . . and she has her hair loose " ; and she does 

 not braid her hair again till the insult is avenged after twelve years, 

 kesapasasya padavim gato'si, 12.16.28. 



As a sign of disgrace, a conquered foe has to proclaim in 

 public, " I am the slave of the Pandus," and wear his hair like an 

 ascetic in five little tufts. His conqueror " with his crescent-shaped 

 knife made five tufts." He is then pahca-sikha- (SI. pauca-safa-) 

 krtah, 3.272.9 and 18. In 7.202.58 this designates Siva (as ascetic). 



° So in 9.29.68f. " the women beat their heads with their nails and hands, 

 wailing like ospreys, and tore their hair and beat their breasts, shrieking 

 'alas, alas!'" "Covering the face with her garment" (in mourning) occurs 

 in 9.63.68. 



