﻿'l6S ox THE RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES 



&c." He then distributes the food among Brahmmias, 

 and when they have eaten and have acknowledged 

 that they are satisfied, he gives them M'ater to rince 

 their mouths. 



He now proceeds to offer tiie funeral cakes, con- 

 sisting of balls or lumps of food mixed with clarified 

 butter. He offers three to the paternal fore-fathers, 

 as many to the maternal ancestors, and two to tlie 

 Viszvcdcvas. The prayers (" Ancestors! rejoice, 

 take your respective shares, &c. ") and the form of 

 the oblation have been ah-eady mentioned. It is 

 only necessary to add in this place, that he wipes his 

 hand with ciis'a grass in honour of remoter ancestors, 

 who thus becom.c partakers of the oblations. 



Ix the next place, he makes six libations of water 

 from the palms of his hands, with the salutation to 

 the seasons : " Salutation, unto you, O fathers, and 

 unto the saddening season, &c." by this prayer the 

 manes of ancestors are doubly saluted ; for the Veda 

 declares, " the six seasons are the progenitors of 

 mankind." 



A THKEAD is placed on each funeral cake, to 

 serve as apparel for the manes ; and each time the 

 same words are repeated, " Fathers! this apparel is 

 offered unto you." Flowers, perfumes, and similar 

 things are added at pleasure ; but water must be 

 sprinkled on each cake, with the prayer, " \yaters, 

 ye are the food of our progenitors, &c. " 



The performer of the ^'rddd'ha then takes up the 

 middle cake and smells to it; or his wife eats it, if 

 they be soh'citous for male offspring ; in this case 

 the following prayer must be recited : *' Grants 

 O progenitors, the conception of a, male child, [long- 

 lived and healthy, like] the lotos and garland [or 

 twins, that sprung from A'st\'iNi'] ; so that, at this 

 season, there may be a person [to fulfill the wishes 

 of the Gods, of the manes, and of human beings."] 

 He then takes up the cakes successively, smells to 

 them, throws th.rm. into a vessel; and gives array the 



food 



