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VIII. 



On the Religious Ceremonies of^/ze Hindus, 

 and of the Bra'mens especially. 



By H. T. COLBEROOKE, Esq. 

 JESSAY 11. 



A FORMER essay on this subject* described the 

 daily ablutions performed with prayers and acts of 

 religion by every Brahmen. His next daily duty 

 is the performance of the five great sacraments. The 

 first, consisting in the study of the Veda, has been 

 already noticed ; the sacraments of the manes, of 

 deities, and of spirits, slightly touched upon in the 

 iirst essay, will be made the subject of the pre- 

 sent one ; and the hospitable reception of guests will 

 be followed in the next by a description of the va- 

 rious ceremonies, Avhich must be celebrated at diife- 

 rent periods from the birth to the marriage of a 

 Hiiidu. 



The sacrament of deities consists in oblations to 

 fire with prayers addressed to various divinities ; 

 and it' is exclusive of the otferings of perfumes and 

 blossoms before idols. It does not fall within my 

 present plan to describe the manner in which the 

 several sects of Hindus-); adore their gods, or the 

 images of them ; and I shall therefore restrict mvself 

 to explain the oblations to fire, and then proceed to 

 describe funeral rites and commemorative obsequies, 

 together with the daily offerings of food and water 

 to the manes of ancestors. 



I am 



* Asiatic Researches, vol. v, p. 34 5» 

 i See note A. 



