﻿OF THE HINDUS, &C. 309 



in her person which might make her negligent of 

 cattle." 



Tii E priests who use the YqjiirvSda, make only 

 five oblations with as many prayers adclrest to fire, 

 air, the sun, the moon, and the Gandharba or 

 celestial quirister ; praying them to remove any 

 thing in the person of the bride, which might be in- 

 jurious to her husband, to her offspring, to cattle, 

 to the household, and to honour and glory. The 

 following text is recited while the water is poured 

 on the bride's head : ■ ' That blameable portion of thy 

 person, which would have been injurious to thy 

 husband, thy offspring, thy cattle, thy household, 

 and thy honour, I render destructive of paramours : 

 may thy body, [thus cleared from evil,] reach old 

 age with me," The bride is then fed with food pre- 

 pared in a caldron, and the following text is recited : 

 "I unite thy breath with my breath; thy bones 

 with my bones ; thy flesh with my flesh ; and thy 

 skin M'ith my skin." 



The ceremonies, of which the nuptial solemnity 

 consists, may be here recapitulated. The bridegroom 

 goes in procession to the house where the bride's 

 father resides, and is there welcomed as a guest. 

 The bride is given to hitn by her father in the form , 

 usual at ever}' solemn donation ; and their hands are 

 bound together with grass. He clothes the bride 

 M'itli an upper and lower garment ; and the skirts of 

 her mantlci and his are tied together. The bride- 

 groom makes oblations to fire, and the bride drops 

 rice on it as an oblation. The bridegroom solemnly 

 takes her hand in marriage. Slie treads on ^a stone 

 and muilar. They walk round the fire. The bride 

 stej)s seven times, conducted by the bridegroom, 

 and he then dismisseis the spectacors, the marriage 

 being now complete and irrevokable. In the even- 

 ing of the same day the bride sits down on a bull's 

 hide, and the bridegroom points out to her the polar 



X 3 star 



