﻿OF THE HINDUS, ScC. 289 



for the purpose ; and at the time chosen' for it, ac- 

 cording to the rules of astrology. The jewels, and 

 other presents intended for him, are placed there ; 

 a covv^ is tied on the northern side of the apartment; 

 and a stool or cushion, and other furniture for the 

 reception of the guest, ar.e arranged iji order. On 

 his approach, the bride's father rises to welcome him, 

 and recites the following prayer, while the bride- 

 groom stands before him. 



" May she, [who supplies oblations for] religious 

 *' worship, who constantly follows her calf, and who 

 *' was the milch-cow, when Yama M^as [the votary], 

 *' abound with milk, and fulfil our wishes, year after 

 *'year." 



This prayer is seemingly intended for the conse- 

 cration of the cow, which is let loose in a subsequent 

 stage of the ceremony, instead of slaying her, as ap- 

 pears to have been anciently the custom. The com- 

 mentator, whose gloss has been followed in this ver- 

 sion of the text, introduces it by the remark, that a 

 guest, entitled to honourable reception, is a spiritual 

 preceptor, a priest, an ascetick, a prince, a bride- 

 groom, a friend, or in short any one, to welcome 

 Avhose arrival a cow must be tied for the purpose of 

 sla^'ing her, whence a guest is denominated gug/ina, 

 or coM'-kilier. The prayer seems to contain. an allu- 

 sion, which I cannot better explain, than by quoting 

 a passage from Ca'lidasa's poem, entitled Raghu- 

 vansa, Mhere Vas'i3ht"ha informs the king Dilipa 

 that the cow Siirahhi, who was oifended by his ne- 

 glecl, cannot be now appeased by courtesy shown to 

 herself, because she remains in a place .inaccessible 

 to him : " Prache'tas is performing a tedious sa- 

 crifice, to supply the oblations of which, SiUYibhi 

 now abides in the infernal region, whose gates are 

 guarded b}- huge serpents." 



After the prayer above mentioned has been me- 

 ditated, the bridegroom sits dowai on a stool or cii- 

 shion^ which is presented to him ; he first recites a 



U text 



