﻿26(> ON THE RELIGIOUS CEREMOXIES 



we support thee, zealously we feed thee with fuel ; 

 eagerly do thou call our willing ancestors to taste 

 our oblation." '' May our progenitors, who cat the 

 moon plant, who are sanctiiicd by holy iires, come 

 by paths which Gods travel*. Satisfied with ances- 

 tral food at this solemn sacrifice, may they applaud 

 and guard us." He next welcomes the Gods and 

 manes with oblations of water, &c. in vessels made 

 of leaves j". Two are presented to the Vis'wedtvas, 

 and three to paternal ancestors, and as many to ma- 

 ternal fore-flit liers. Cits' a grass is put into each 

 vessel, and water sprinkled on it, while the prayer, 

 *' May divine waters be auspicious to us, &c." is 

 recited. Barley is thrown into the vessels intended 

 for the Gods, and tila into those intended for the 

 manes of ancestors, with these prayers, 1. "Barley! 

 thou art the separator J, separate [us from] our 

 natural enemies, and from our nialicious foes." 

 52. " Thou art t'lla, sacred to So'ma, &c." At a 

 s'rddd'ha for increase of prosperity, which is per- 

 formed on many occasions as a preparative for a 

 solemn act of religion, barley is thrown into the ves- 

 sels instead of tila, and the last prayer is thus varied: 

 *' Thou art barley, sacred to Su'ma: framed by the 

 divinity, thou dost produce celestial bliss ; mixt with 

 water, may thou long satisfy with nourishment my 

 several progenitors, whose mouths are full of bless- 

 ings." The \'essels are successively taken up, re- 

 peating each time a prayer before cited : " The wa- 

 ters in heaven, in tlie atmospheie, and On the earth, 

 have been united v.ith milk, c\:c. " The ciia'a grass, 

 that lay on the vessels, is put into a Brahman'cCs 

 hand ; and that which was under it, is held by the 



person 



* The Via Lactea seems to be meant hv the path of the Gods. 



"'r Plantain leaves j or else leaves of the Eutca frondosr., or of the 

 Eassi.'i lati-fclia. 



X Ta-oa signifies barley ; in this text ir also signifies separator, be- 

 ing derived from j//, to unitiix. Many of the prayers contain siaiilar 

 quibbles. 



