1858.] Of two Edicts bestowing Land. 239 



9. Inconstant as the rack is this vaunted kingship. Sweet for 

 but the passing moment are the delights of things of sense. Like 



for the plural of the substantive pratimdna. Another proof that the view which I 

 here adopt is correct, is afforded by the fact that, in other inscriptions, the words 

 nirbhukta-mdlya stand in the place of nirmdlya-vdnta. See this Journal for 1838, 

 pp. 914, 973. Nirbhukta-mdlya, * discarded flowers,' or flowers once flung on an 

 idol, and not to be re-employed in the same manner. 



Professor Wilson, in his Sanskrit Dictionary, neglects to distinguish, with re- 

 spect to their derivation, between the terms nirmdlya ' pure,' ' purity' and nirmd- 

 lya i the remains of an offering.' As to the latter, its second factor, which is md- 

 lya ' flowers,' has nothing to do with mala i impurity.' When our nirmdlya is 

 taken in its ordinary comprehensive acceptation, the element mdlya is to be under- 

 stood illustratively, as sub-indicating or connoting all articles of food, &c, while 

 literally denoting blossoms ; all which are alike rendered, by oblation, unfit to be 

 used again for a like purpose. 



The reliques of oblations to S'iva form a fertile theme of disquisition in Hindu 

 law-books. The subjoined injunctions and distinctions have been collected from 

 the Nirnaya-sindhu, which treats of this subject in the first section of its third 

 book. 



According to the Siddhdnta-s' ekhara, as there quoted, edibles, water, betel, 

 powdered sandal-wood, and flowers, which have been devoted to S'iva, become the 

 perquisites of Chanda or Chandes'a. To sell them, or other things so offered, or 

 to give them away, or to take any of them for food, whether voluntarily or invo- 

 luntarily, is reputed a grave offence, and requires the reparation of grievous pe- 

 nances. The Smrityartha-sdra pronounces that whoever perseveres in eating any 

 article thus offered, is degraded from his class ; and that great, though inferior, 

 guilt is incurred by partaking in diet of the sacrificial leavings of any deity what- 

 ever, in times exempt from distress. A reservation is made, however, by the Bha- 

 vishya-purdna, on behalf of all votaries of S'iva, and all who have received his 

 initiatory incantation, as concerns objects presented to the twelve Jyotirlingas, 

 phalli from the river Bana near Jubulpore, such as are spontaneous, or ideal, or 

 set up by gods or divine sages, or composed of ammonite, the moon-stone, or any 

 metal. Chanda has here no claim. The phalli meant to be excepted are those of 

 stone, erected by common mortals, and such as are fashioned of plastic mud, tur- 

 meric, clarified butter, &c. 



The Traivikrami cites the Skanda-pnrdna as further imputing great sanctity to 

 images of S'iva in the human form. The eating, by a proper person, of offerings 

 consecrated to such idols, avails to expunge even the crime of Brahmanicide. An 

 improper person, on the credit of this Purana, is one unbathed. Other authorities 

 consider as out of the pale, all who do not wear the thread of regeneration ; and 

 S'lidatta would deny the privilege to all save initiated followers of S'iva. The 



