﻿276 ON THE RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES 



to religious mendicants whenever they come to his 

 door ; but especially if they come at the time when 

 food is ready for his own meal. On the authority of 

 the Furarias it is also a common practice to feed a 

 cow before the householder breaks his own fast*. He 

 cither presents grass, water and corn to her Avith 

 this text, " Daughter of Sukabiii', framed of five 

 elements, auspicious, pure, holy, spruno; from the 

 sun, accept this food given by me ; salutation unto 

 thee :" or else lie conducts the kine to grass, saying, 

 *' May cows, who aie mothers of the three worlds, 

 and daughters of Surabhi', and who are beneficent, 

 pure, and h.oU', accept tlie food given by me." 



Some Bi\'.li77ian'asf\o still i'urther abridge the com- 

 pendious ceremony called Vais'wadha. They offer 

 perfumes and flowers to fire; and make five obla- 

 tions, out of the food prepared for their own use, to 

 Brahma, to the lord of created beings, to the 

 liousehold fire, to Cas'yapa and to Axumati, 

 dropping each oblation on fire, or on water, or or 

 the ground, Avith the usual addition, '' may this 

 oblation be efficacious." They tlien make ofi^erings 

 to all beings, by placing a \'t\v lumps of food at the 

 door, or on a quadrangular spot near the fire, with a 



salutation 



■* The adoration of a cow is not uncommon. This worship con- 

 sists in presenting flowers to her, washing her feet, &c. It is entirely 

 different from the practice here noticed. Both seem to be founded on 

 the superstitious notion, that the favour of Surabhi', (the boon 

 granting cow) may be gained by showing kindness to her offspring. 

 The story of Vasishta's cow, Nandini, attended by tha king 

 DiLi'pA fcr the sake of obtaining a boon through her means, is a 

 pretty fable grounded on this notion. It is beautifully told by 

 Ca'lida'sa in t'ne Raghwvaii'sa. I cannot refrain from mentioning 

 another fable of a cow named Bahula', whose expostulations with a 

 tyger, pleading to him to spare her life, form the only admired pas- 

 sage in the Ita'hasas or collection of stories supposed to be related by 

 BhImase'na, while he lay at the point of death wounded with innu- 

 merable arrows. The fourth day oCAsiuina is sacred to this cow, 

 and named froai her Bahula Chaturth'i' . Images of her and of her calf 

 are worshipped ; and the extract from the It IH as as is on that day read 

 with great soIeaantt}\ 



