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XXII. 



ON THE RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES 



OF THE HINDUS, 



AND OF THE BRA'HMENS ESPECIALLY, 



BY H. T. COLEBROOKE, ESQ, 



ESSAY I. 



n ^HE civil Law of the Hindus, containing fre- 

 JL quent allufions to their religious rites, I was led, 

 among other puiTuits connected with a late un- 

 dertaking, to perufe feveral treatiles on this fubject, 

 and tranllate from the Sanfcrit fame entire tracts 

 and parts of others. From thefe fources of informa- 

 tion upon a fubjecl: on. which the Hindus are by no 

 means communicative, I intend to lay before the So- 

 ciety, in this and fubfequent effays, an abridged ex- 

 planation 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 com- 

 munications from our colleague Mr. W. C. Bla- 

 quiere, who is engaged in fimilar refearches. That 

 part of the fubject to which I have confined my in- 

 quires will be alio found to contain curious matter, 

 which I fhall now let forth without comment, referving 

 for a fubfequent eflay the obfervations which are fug- 

 gefted by a review of thefe religious practices. 



A Brdhmana riling from ileep is enjoined under the 

 penalty of loiing the benefit of all rites performed 

 by him, to rub his teeth with a proper withe, or $. 

 twig of the racemiferous fig tree, pronouncing 

 to himfelf this prayer, " Attend, lord of the foreft ; 

 Soma, king of herbs and plant-, has approached 



Vol. V. Y "thee: 



