1870.] On the Funeral Ceremonies of the ancient Hindus. 251 



says nothing about these offerings, nor recognises any substitute. 

 Possibly Baudhayana and Bharadvaja have provided for them ; 

 but I have not the necessary MSS. at hand to ascertain it. The 

 Aranyaka, after arranging the sacrificial vessels, gives the mantra 

 for covering the corpse with the raw hide of the cow, which should 

 be entire with head, hair and feet, the hairy side being kept upper- 

 most. The mantra for the purpose is addressed to the hide ; 

 " Cuirass, carefully protect this body from the light of Agni ; enve- 

 lope it with thy thick fat, and marrow ; holding this impudent Agni, 

 desirous of seeing and consuming it by his vigour, allow him not 

 to go astray."* 



The pile is now ready to be lighted, and a fire should be applied 

 to it with the prayer : " Agni, consume not this body to cinders j 

 nor give it pain ; nor scatter around its skin or limbs ! Jatave- 

 das, when the body is fairly burnt, convey the spirit to its ances- 

 tors, "f A second prayer to the same divinity is due when the fire 

 is in full blaze, but its purport is not very different. It is follow- 

 ed by an address to the organs of the dead. It says, " May thy 

 organ of vision proceed to the sun ; may thy vital air merge in the 

 atmosphere ; mayest thou proceed, according to thy virtuous deeds, 

 to heaven or earth or the region of water, whichever place is bene- 

 ficial to thee ; mayest thou there, provided with food, exist in 

 corporeal existence. "J 



If instead of a cow, a goat is brought with the corpse, it is to be 

 tied with a weak string near the fire, so that it may break its bond 

 and escape. The chief mourner should then offer twelve oblations 

 to the fire with a spoon made of palasa wood, for which the Aran- 

 yaka supplies the necessary mantras. Nine prayers next follow, 

 of which the first four are addressed to Agni, the fifth to 

 Yama, the sixth to the messengers of death, and the last three 



