FIEE AS AN AGENT IN HUMAN CULTURE 155 



place is kept ready a winnowing horseshoe-shaped basket containing 

 parched rice (lahya), and ghi forms an important item. It has to 

 be heated and ceremoniously sprinkled over the parched rice thrice 

 over. As soon as the preparations are over the bride is asked to 

 touch the right hand of the bridegroom to signify her taking part in 

 the ceremony, and the bridegroom is made to ignite first the adhar- 

 homa, accessory fire, and then the chief fire, and then, accompanied 

 by incantations or mantras, such as, * (a) Old sacred fire! The pro- 

 tector of our life ! Pray give us food and power, and kill the Rak- 

 shasas that annoy us even before they reach us. (6) We both ask 

 for wealth from the Pavaman fire, who is the fulfiller of the desires 

 of the Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Sudra, and Antyaja (untouch- 

 able) tribes, who is omniscient, who purifies everybody, who has been 

 placed in front by the Ritvijas, and who is praised by gods, (c) O 

 Agni! You are a benefactor. Pray endow us with valour and lustre 

 and sons along with cows and buffaloes, (d) O devourer of sacri- 

 fices! As you are the Aryama or the giver of the girl, as you are the 

 holder of the name Vaishvanar, unintelhgible to those who are igno- 

 rant of the Vedas, and, O Aryamagni! As it is you who make the 

 bride and bridegroom work amicably together, and as therefore you 

 are their benefactor or friend, therefore you are thus enthroned and 

 fed with ghi and other offerings.' 



"After the worship of the fire with the Vedic mantras the bridegroom 

 is made to stand in front of the bride facing west. He is called 

 upon to hold in his hand the open hand of the bride with the palm 

 upwards. He is asked to grasp it along with the fingers and to re- 

 cite a mantra meaning 'Lady! you are about to make me your hus- 

 band, to live with me until we grow old, and therefore in order to 

 propitiate your married state I thus hold your hand. You have 

 been lawfully handed over to me by gods — Bhang, Aryama, Savitu, 

 and Pusha — in order to perform the duties of a pair of household- 

 ers.' Then the bride and bridegroom resume their seats. The 

 bride is then asked to stand again, to wash her hands, and to hold 

 them together to make a hollow. A little ghi is sprinkled over the 

 palms. Her brother comes forward and puts into the hollow two 

 handfuls of the parched rice. The bridegroom is made to sprinkle 

 ghi over them. The bridegroom has to repeat the mantra 'Arya- 

 man-nudevam,' etc., and while doing so to hold with both the 

 hands the hoDow formed by the bride and to make her pour the 

 parched rice into the sacred fire. The mantra means: 'The bright 

 sacred fire called Arayama, who has been satisfied with offerings by 

 many brides, may be (personified) reduce the affections the bride bears 

 unto her father, mother, brothers, and others, and release her from 

 her gotra, and may he direct her affections toward my mother, 

 father and brothers ; may he increase the affection by degrees, and 

 102837—26 12 



