Vol. VII, No. 9.] Note on the Dark Monday Somavatt. 635 
[W.8.] 
The following is the mantra of the 
‘¢ At thy root lives Brahma, in the ea lives Vishnu, and 
at the top lives Shiva, I bow unto thee O Ashvath.’ 
‘* Flowe ers and fruits of sorts should be offered to the sacred 
tree.’? The next prayer is, ‘‘O Ashvath, thou the abode of Agni 
the God of fire and the asylum of Vishnu, I bow unto thee.’ 
offerings should consist of pearls 
jewels, copper and brass, and pots full of food stuffs. All the 
white coins and other offerings placed before the tree should 
then be handed over to the Brahman aa. In order to 
please Soma a married Brahman woman should be worshipped 
under the tree. Brahmans should be 'fed well. Finally, the 
devotee should take her meal observing silence all the while.’ 
h King! Ask Draupadi, Subhadra and Uttara to 
observe this Vrata. It will result in the foetus of Uttara re- 
fe. 
gaining li 
But, out of Srila for the poor, Dharma enquired, 
how could people without means perform such a costly Puj 
Bhishma said that by altering fruits, flowers, food, alothes 
and whatever one can a rd. 
**O King!’’ a Bhishma, ‘‘do perform the Vrata 
as quickly as possible! 
Dissertations on the Dhobi.—The Social position of a Dhobi 
is given in the following couplet : 
Rajak-scharma-karasya 
CAR SHARES | 
Nato Barud-evacha 
get axe waa, 
Kaivarta Med-Bhillashch 
Raw Hera, 
Saptaite chanyantjah smritah ' 
BRA BAIA: EAT | 
[Yama Samhita] in Shabda Kalpadruma, vol I, p. 55. 
The Dhobi is untouchably classed with Chamars, Nats, 
(Doms), Baruds, Kaivartas, Meds, and Bhils. That a woman 
of this caste, even if pious, was worshipped by a high-class 
Brahman woman, shows the elevation of the depressed classes 
under certain conditions 
