﻿S02 ON THE RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES 



an estors, more d stant progenitors, their parents, 

 an orandsires " 



Oblations are afterwards made with prayers 

 corresponding to those which have been aheady 

 cited from the Samavtda. 1. " ^lay fire come, 

 first among the gods, &c." 2. " May the domestick 

 perpetual fire guard her, &c." 3. " Fire, who dost 

 protect such as perform sacrifices ! grant us all 

 blessings in heaven and on earth : grant unto us 

 that various and excellent wealth which is produced 

 on this earth and in heaven." 4. " O best of lumi- 

 naries ! Come, show us an easy path, that our lives 

 may be uninjured. May death depart from me, 

 and immortality come. May the child of the sun 

 render me fearless." 6. " Death ! follow a dif- 

 ferent path, &c. " 



The bride offers the oblations of rice mixed with 

 leaves of *S' «?«/'*, letting fall the offerings on the fire 

 in the manner before mentioned, and with the same 

 prayers, but recited in a reversed order, and a lit- 

 tle varied. 1. " The damsel has Morshipped the 

 generous sun in the form of fire. May that generous 

 sun never separate her from this husband." 2. 

 " This woman, casting the rice into the fire, says, 

 may my lord be long lived. May my kinsmen reach 

 old age." 3. "I cast this rice into the fire, that it 

 may become a cause of thy prosperity. May fire 

 assent to my union with theef. 



According to the followers of the Yqjurveda the 

 bridegroom now lakes the bride's right hand, re- 

 citing a text which will be subse<juently quoted. 

 The bride then steps on a stone while this text is 

 recited: "Ascend this stone: be firm like this 

 stone. Subdue such as entertain hostile designs 

 against me, and repel them." The following hymn 



is 



*< Adenanthera aculeata. 



+ This version is confoimaWe to a different commentary, from 

 ?*••« which was followed in the former translation. 



