636 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [September, 1911. 
On the sanctity of the tree. 
The origin of the sanctity | attributed to the Ashvath tree 
seems to have been recorded in this Pothi. It shows that in 
primitive days, when there were no lucifer matches or flints 
invented, fire was made by friction of dried wood. Pimpal or 
Pipal was then used for that purpose along with Shami (Pro- 
sopis specigera) and Udumbar (Ficus glomerata). The } am- 
dubri* Brahmans of the Malabar Coast still make fire with 
pieces of the wood of the Pipal and Jackfruit trees. The 
maternal grandfather of the writer of this note died in London 
in 1861, and as his body could not be brought to India for 
cremation, an effigy made of flour had to be cremated in the 
course of the obsequies. The fire made at that time had to be 
produced from friction of the dry branches of the Pipal and 
the Shami trees. This use possibly accounts for the origin of 
the sanctity of this tree. 
On Sanitary motives. 
The Ashvath produces fire, fire is a purifier, it is indispen- 
sable in a Dhobi’s house. The Dhobi or washerman washe 
aw 
the work done by the washerman. It may be, therefore, that 
this story records that early exchange of labour or mutual 
co-operation. 
On the name of the Vrata. 
Soma means the Moon, Monday is sacred to that luminary , 
and a dark night sacred to it must have been considered 
may have been designed to intensify the feeling of the loss of 
the white moon. Soma, again, is said to be the name of the 
she fasted was called after her because she was black an 
untouchable! The mention of Ceylon, which is near Madras, 
and the names Devaswami and Shivaswami signify that the 
story was written in that Presidency, where Swami is a usual 
affix,—not in use in other Provinces. 
| For sanctity see Cyclopedia of India. By E. Balfour, vol. Il, 
p. 138, second edition. : 9 
* Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, vol, 57, p. 422, April 1909. 
~ 
i 
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