OF THE HINDUS. 337 



i: the fan ; to that luminary, O Bua'hmr, who is the 

 " light of the pcrvader, the u true generator of the uni- 

 " verfe, the caufe of efficacious rites.'* '2nd, i: I bow to 

 " the great caufe of day (whole emblem is a full blown 

 " flower of the yava tree) the mighty luminary fprung 

 " from Casyapa, the foe of dafkhefs, 'the de- 

 iC ftroyer of -every fin :" or the pricii walks a turn 

 through the fouth, rehearling a fliort text, " I follow 

 u the courfe of the fun ;" which is thus explained, " As 

 " the fun, in his courfe, moves round the world by 

 " the way of the fouth, fo do I, following that lurhi- 

 ^ nary, obtain the benefit arifirig from a journey round 

 " the earth, by the way of the fouth." 



The oblation above mentioned, and which is called 

 Arglia, confifts of tila 9 flowers, barley, water, and 

 red fanders wood, in a clean copper veilel made in 

 the fhape of a boat ; this the prieft places on his head, 

 and thus prefents it with the following text, " He who 

 ' travels the appointed path (namely the fun) is 

 ' prefent in that pure orb of fire, and in the ethereal 

 ' region, he is the facrificer at religious rites, and he 

 ( fits in the facred clofe, never remaining a fingle day 

 f in the fame fpot, yet prefent in every houfe, in 

 £ the heart of every human being, in the mod holy 

 ' manlionf in the fubtle ether, produced in water, in 

 ' earth, in the abode of truth, and in the ftony moun- 

 ' tains ; he is that, which is both minute and vail." 

 This text is explained as lignifying, that the fun 

 is a manifeftation of the ilipreme being, prefent every 

 where, produced every where, pervading every place 

 and thing. The oblation is concluded by worship- 

 ping tlie fun with the fubjoined text, " His rays, the 

 efficient caufes of knowledge, irradiating worlds, ap- 

 pear like facrificial fires." 



Preparatory to any aft of religion, ablutions mtift 

 be again performed in the form prefcribed for 

 the mid-day bath; the practice of bathing at 



noon 



