Appendix 401 



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 turbed a beautiful lady walking with her husband the king. 

 She prevailed upon her lord to assist her in cleansing the 

 devotee and rubbing him down with aromatic oils. 



It is related that he patiently submitted, not only to the 

 cleansing process, but also to the swarms of bees that straight- 

 way fell upon him and that the too sensitive lady received a 

 terrible and fitting punishment from the gods for objecting to 

 the odor of sanctity. 



In the Nagananda we find the following polite form of ask- 

 ing for a kiss : — 



" O lovely one I if this face of thine, with its pink flush as 

 it is lighted up by the sun's rays, and with its soft down re- 

 vealed by the spreading gleam of its teeth, is really a lotus, 

 why is not a bee seen drinking the honey from it? " 



The two fables — see Clock : Symbolik der Bienen . . 245 

 The Bee's Dream — Tke Warner Library of the World's 



Best Literature. Indian Lit. 246 



Honey at the wedding — see MenzeVs Myth. Forsch., 

 where it is related that bees clustering upon the puden- 

 dum is used symbolically in India to signify fruitful- 

 ness, honey in marriage celebrations having a similar 

 significance .... .... ... 246 



We are also told that not only the brow and the mouth, 

 but also the eyelids, ears, and pudendum of the bride are 

 touched with honey accompanied by benedictions. See Men- 

 zeVs Myth. Forsch., Clock's Symbolik der Bienen, and Religious 

 Ceremonies of Hindus and Brahmans, Colehrooke Essays. 



In the following description of a bridal chamber, taken 

 from Sana's Harsa-Carita, the presence of the bees is no 

 doubt significant : 



" About its portals were figured the spirits of Love and Joy. 

 Bees, going before like friends, raised a hubbub. The charmed 

 lamps, which lighted it, swayed in the wind of the bees' wing." 

 Egyptian Hieroglyphics — Saml. Sharpe, 1861. Diet, 

 of Hieroglyphics — Saml. Birch. Erman's Life of 

 Ancient Egypt. Wilkinson — Ancient Egyptians . 247 

 "On the festival day" — From the love-songs of a 

 Turin papyrus : Erman's lAfe of And. Egypt . . . 250 

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