﻿278 ON THE tELlGIOVB CEREMONIES 



form of humble salutation to his forehead ; and he 

 should add, " may this be always ours :" that is, may 

 food never be deficient. When he has sitten down, 

 he should lift the plate with his left hand and bless 

 the food, saying, "thou art invigorating. " He sets 

 it down, naming the three worlds, or if the food be 

 handed to him, he says, "may heaven give thee," 

 and then accepts it with these words, " the earth ac- 

 cepts thee ;" before l^e begins eating, he must move 

 his hand round the plate to insulate it, or his own 

 person rather, from the rest of the company. He 

 next offers five lumps of food to Ymna by five dif- 

 ferent titles ; he sips and swallows water ; he makes 

 five oblations to breath by five distinct names, Prdri'a, 

 Vydna, Apdnay Sammia, and Uddna ; and lastly, he 

 wets both eyes. He then eats his repast in silence, 

 lifting the food with all the fingers of his right hand, 

 and afterwards again sips water, saying, " Ambro- 

 aial fluid ! thou art the couch of Vishn'v and of" 

 food. 



NOTES. 



