﻿OF THE HINDUS, &C. £6? 



person wlio performs the s'ruddlia^ in bis own hand ; 

 and throirgh it he successively pours the water out 

 of each vessel on tlic Brahmanas hand. He then 

 piles up the empty vessels in three sets, and reverses 

 them, saying, while he oversets the first, " Thou 

 art a mansion for ancestors." 



At the last obsequies for one recently deceased, 

 and which are named the Sap'uiiraua, the following- 

 prayer is recited when the vessel, v/hich has been 

 oifered to him, is piled up with the rest : " May the 

 mansion of those progenitors, who have reached a 

 common abode, and who have accordant minds, 

 foster bim : may the blessed sacrifice, sacred to the 

 Gods, be his." The subjoined prayer likewise is 

 peculiar to the Sapin'd'ana. " By [the intercession 

 of] those souls, who are mine by af^nity, who are 

 animated [shades], who have reached a common 

 abode, who have accordant minds, may prosperity 

 be mine in this world for a hundred years." 



The person who j^eifovms the s'rcidd'ha, next 

 takes up food smeared with clarified butter, and 

 makes two oblations to fire, reciting these prayers: 

 1. " May this oblation to tire, which conveys otler- 

 ings to the manes, be eilicacious. '■2. " May this 

 oblation to the moon, wherein the progenitors of 

 mankind abide, be efficacious." 



Brahmanas should be fed with the residue of 

 the oblation ; it is accordingly consecrated for tliat 

 purpose by the following prayer: " The vessel that 

 holds thee is the eai tli ; its lid is the sky ; I oifcr 

 this residue of an oblation, similar to ambrosia, in 

 the nndefiled moutli of a priest ; may this oblation 

 be efticacious. " The performer of the s'rddd^ha 

 then points with his thumb towards the food, saying, 

 '- Thrice did Visnx'u step, &c." He adds, "'May 

 the demons and giants, that sit on this consecrated 

 spat, be dispersed." " He meditates the gajjatrl with 

 the names of worlds; and .sweetens the food with 

 honey or sugar, saying, " I\iay winds blow sweet, 



