1858.] Of the Edicts bestowing Land. 225 



born,* indented the earth, with his scales, on hundreds of occa- 

 sions. 



6. His son, Madanapala, the crest-jewel of princes, the orna- 

 mentf of his family,;}; now bears sway ; at whose consecration, by 

 the water that glittered as it was poured§ from the sacred vessels, 

 the dust of sin of the world, contracted from the iron age, was 

 wholly washed away : 



7. At the time of whose goiDg forth to conquest, as the orb of 

 the earth yielded beneath even the light pressure of the foot-falls of 

 his careering elephants, impassioned, and high as lofty mountains, 

 the serpent S'esha, gorgeous with the clotted gore that trickled from 

 his palate, cloven by his head-gem || which had been driven into it, as 

 it were, in consequence^" of being crushed, hid his face for a mo- 

 ment in his bosom. 



substances, honey, milk, curds, clarified butter, oil, salt, and sandal-wood. Par- 

 ticular benefits are promised to each species of such donation. The recipients of 

 the presents are Biahmans : but they must subsequently perform expiation. 



Minute instructions are laid down for preparing the balance, and the consecrated 

 ground on which it is set up. A lucky day must be chosen for the ceremony. The 

 donor is poised against his gift for as long a time as it requires to milk a cow ; 

 contemplating Lakshmi the while. Numerous gods and sages, together with the 

 manes, are hallowed on the occasion. The deity presiding over the scales is Vasu- 

 ki. 



The above is selected from the Ddna-chandrikd, by Divakara Bhatta, surnamed 

 Kale ; son of Mahadeva Bhatta, son of Rames'a Bhatta. 



The practice of bestowing one's weight in various substances is now and then 

 observed, to this day. But, when metals are selected as the gift, they ate rarely 

 other than of the baser sort. 



* Anciently, persons of the first three classes ; but, for many ages past, under- 

 stood in the restricted acceptation of Biahmans. The regeneration is effected by 

 investiture with the sacred cord. 



f Literally, ' the moon.' 



X In the Sanskrit, gotra. A note on this word is given below. 



§ Aspersion with water and other liquids plays a conspicuous part in the instal- 

 lation of a Hindu king. 



|| In the Indian mythology, S'esha supports the centre of the earth on one of 

 his thousand heads. 



Hindu superstition assigns a precious stone to the head of every member of the 

 serpent tribe. 



■[[ The original is vas'dt ' by force.' As, however, the verb pesh means ' to 



2 H 



