﻿254 ox THE RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES 



and saying', " may tliis raiment be acceptable to 

 thee;" the priests add, " fathers, this apparel is 

 offered unto you." He then silently strews per- 

 fumes, blossoms, resin and betel leaves on the fu- 

 neral cake, and places a lighted lamp on it. He 

 sprinkles water on the bundle of grass, saying, 

 ''may the M^aters be auspicious," and offers rice, 

 adding, " may the blossoms be sweet; may the rice 

 be harmless;" and then pours water on it, naming 

 the deceased, and saying, "may this food and drink 

 be acceptable unto thee." In the next place he 

 strews grass over the funeral cake, and sprinkles 

 water on it, reciting this prayer, "waters! ye are 

 the food of our progenitors ; satisfy my parents, ye 

 Avho convey ilourishtnent, which is ambrosia, butter, 

 milk, cattle and distilled liquor*." Lastly, hcsmeils 

 some of the food, and poises iu his hand the funeral 

 cakes, saying, "may this ball be wholesome food;" 

 and concludes by paying the officiating priest his 

 fee, with a formal declaration, " I do give this fee 

 (consisting of so much money) to such a one (a 

 priest sprung from such a funih;, and who uses such 

 a Feda and such a s'ac'ha of it,) for the purpose of 

 fully completing- the obsecjuies this day pertbrmed 

 by me in honour of one person singly, preparatory 

 to the gathering of the bones of such a one de- 

 ceased. " 



After the priest has thrice snid, " salutation to 

 the Gods, to progenitors, tO mighty saints, &c." he 

 dismisses him ; lights a 'lamp in honour of the de- 

 ceased ; meditates on Heki with undiverted atten- 

 tion ; casts the food, and other things used at the 



obsequies, 



* The fonrier translation of this texf (As. Res, vol. V. page 30"7) 

 was erroneous in several places ; and I btill am not perfectly confident 

 that I rightly understand it. The term (c'ddla) which the connnen- 

 tator explains as signifying cattle, literally means fit to be tied to a pole 

 or stake. The reading of the next term was erroneous. I read and 

 translated /^/r/i'r«/i7 {qx parhriita ; promised instead of distilled. The 

 commentator explains it as signifying the nourishment of progenitors^ 



