3iS ON THE RELIGIOUS CEHEMOMES 



muft not immediately fip water, but firft touch his 

 right ear in compliance with the maxim, u after fneez- 

 ing, {pitting, blowing his note, ileeping, putting on 

 apparel, or dropping tears, a man flioulcl not im- 

 mediately fip water, but firft touch his right ear." 

 "Fire," lays Paras.vra, "water." the vida$ % "the 

 " fun, moon, and air, all reiide in the right ears of 

 u Brahmanas. Ganga is in their right ears, iacrificial 

 " fire in their noihihs ; at the moment when both are 

 " touched, imparity vanifhes." This, by the by, 

 will explain the practice of fuipending the end of 

 the facerdotal firing over the right ear, to purify 

 that firing from the defilement which follows an eva- 

 cuation of urine. The lipping of water is a requiiite 

 introduction- of all rites ; without it, fays the Samba 

 purdna, all acts of religion arc vain. Having there- 

 fore fipped water as above mentioned, and palled his 

 hand rilled with water brifkly round his neck, while 

 he recites this prayer : " May the waters pre- 

 " ferve me !" The prieit elbfes his eyes, and meditates 

 in iilence, figuring to himielf that Bra'iima with 

 fair faces, " and a red complexion, reiides in his 

 ' ; navel ; Vishnu with four arms and a black com- 

 " plexion, in his heart; and Siva with five, faces and 

 (i a white complexion, in his forehead." The prielr. 

 afterwards meditates the holiefl of texts during three 

 fuppreiiiom of breath. Goring the left noftril with 

 the two longeit fingers of his right hand, he draws 

 his breath through trie right noftril, and then clof- 

 ing that noftril likewife with his thumb, holds his breath 



ile he meditates the text : he then raifes both fin- 



•gcrs off the left noftril, and emits the breath he had 



fupprcficd. While he hoi . his breath he muft on 



this occafion repent to himielf the Gayalri with the 



: ■ terious names of the worlds, the trilateral monoiyl- 



le, and the facred text of Bra'hme. A fiippref- 



fion of breath lb explained by the ancient lcgiflatbr ; 



Ya'jn yawalcya eonfequenrly implies the follow- 



meditation, " Om ! earth ! fky ! heaven ! inid- 



egidn ! place of births ! rnanfion of the bleffed ! 



: of truth.!" %i WjB 



