﻿308 ox THE RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES 



and liuman beings do so ; and may the deity sit 

 here, by whose favour sacrifices are accomphshed 

 "v^'ith gifts a thousand fold. 



The women thenphice a young cliild in the bride's 

 lap ; they put roots of lotos, or else fruit of different 

 kinds, in his hand. The bridegroom takes up the 

 child, and then prepares a sacrificial fire in the usual 

 manner, and makes eight oblations v\ ith the follow- 

 ing prayers, preceded and followed by the usual ob- 

 lations to the three worlds. 1. " May there be 

 cheerfulness here." 2. *' May thine own Tkindred] 

 be kind here." 3. " I\fay there be pleasure here." 

 4. *' Sport thou here." 5. " May there be kind- 

 ness here with me." 6. " jNIay thine own [kindred] 

 be here, benevolent towards me." 7- " May there 

 he here delight towards me." 8. ''Be thou here 

 joyous towards- me." The bride then salutes her 

 father-in-law and the other relatives of her hus- 

 band. 



Afterwards the bridegroom prepares another 

 sacrificial fire, and sits doAvn with the bride on his 

 right hand. He makes twenty oblations with the 

 follovv'ing prayers, preceded and followed as usual 

 by oblations to the three worlds. The remainder of 

 each ladlefui is thrown into ajar of water, which is 

 afterwards poured on the bride's head. 1. "Fire, 

 expiator of evil ! thou dost atone evils for the gods 

 themselves. I, a priest, a))proach thee, desirous of 

 soliciting thee to remove any sinful taint in the 

 beautv of this woman." e. " Air, expiator of evil! 

 ^c'^^S. "Moon, expiator of evil 1 &c.'' 4. "Sun, 

 expiator of evil ! Sac.'" 5. "Fire, air, moon, and 

 sun, expiators of cvjl ! ye do atone evils for the gods, 

 I, a priest, approach thee, desirous of soliciting thee 

 to remove any sinful taint in the beauty of this 

 woman." 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, " soliciting tliee to re- 

 move anv thing in her pei^ou which might destroy 

 licr husband." 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, "any thing 



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