﻿OF THE HINDUS, &C. 29l 



The following is the text of the Yajush, which is 

 generally used instead of the preceding prayers : 

 *' Thou dost afford various elegance ; I accept thee, 

 who dost so : afford it for the ablution of my feet." 



An arghya (that is, water, rice, and diirva grass 

 in a conch, or in a vessel shaped like one, or rathec 

 likea boat,) is next presented to the bridegroom in a 

 similar manner, and accepted by him with equal for- 

 mality . he pours the water on his own head, saying, 

 " Thou art the splendour of food ; through thee may 

 *' I become glorious." This prayer is taken from 

 the Yajush ; but the followers of that Veda use dif- 

 ferent texts, accepting the arghya with this prayer, 

 " Ye are waters (dp:) through you may I obtain 

 (dp) all my wishes," and pouring out the water with 

 this text, " I dismiss you to the ocean ; return to 

 your source, harmless unto me, most excellent wa- 

 ters ! but my beverage is not poured forth," 



A VESSEL of water is then offered by the bride's 

 father, who thrice exclaims, " take water to be sip- 

 ped :" the bridegroom accepts it, saying, " thou art 

 glorious, grant me glory ;" or else, "conduct me to 

 glory, endue me with splendour, render me dear to 

 all people, make me owner of cattle, and preserve 

 me unhuit in all my liuibs." 



The bride's father fills a vessel with honey, curds, 

 and clarified butter ; he covers it with another ves- 

 sel, and presents it to the bridegroom, exclaiming 

 three times, "take the madliuparca.'' The bride- 

 groom accepts it ; places it on the ground ; and 

 looks into it, saying, " thou art glorious : may I be- 

 come so." He tastes the food three times, saying, 

 " thou art the sustenance of the glorious; thou art 

 the nourishment of the splendid ; thou art the food 

 of the fortunate; grant me prosperity." He then 

 silently eats until he be satisfied. 



Although these texts be taken from the Yajush, 

 yet other pravers from the same Veda are used by 



U 2 the 



