48 



Addendum, 



[No. S2, 



or ought to be, a strict fast. The origin appears to be medical ; for, 

 in some popular tales, a certain king, by observing and enforcing 

 this fast drove death out of his kingdom ; who complained to the 

 destroyer ; and to cause, by device, the breaking of this fast was 

 the only remedy. Other tales narrate the greatest losses incurred, 

 rather than violate this fast day. We may hence note the great 

 ascendancy which a Calendar Brahman must necessarily acquire ; 

 since such a one alone could tell at what precise point of a solar day 

 the fasting must begin, and end. 



As regards " secret services/' wliich though often referred to 

 I have not before taken up, I may observe that, in Saiva tem- 

 ples, they appear to me to denote, human sacrifices. Such 

 services in Vaisknava fanes I do not pretend to understand. 

 According to the Gariida-purana, as quoted by Col. Vans 

 Kennedy (Ancient and Hindu Mythology, p. 340, 342) the days 

 for this cruental service of Cali are the 9th tifhi of each lunar 

 half month, and the 3d of Margasirslia. The invocations on 

 those occasions are of terrible import, and the sounds Ilram ! 

 Hrim ! Hrum ! look like signals for slaughter. Col. Vans 

 Kennedy was notwithstanding a staunch advocate for what is 

 termed Hinduism. I have understood from another good au- 

 thority that there were under ground caves at Anagundi where- 

 in human sacrifices were offered, and such doubtless were the 

 " secret services." My personal opinion is, that the Grecian 

 "mysteries" were not merely of the like subterranean, but 

 also of like sombre, character. 



Some time since Walter Elliot, Esq. very kindly favored me 

 with loan of a pamphlet entitled, " On the Geographical limits, 

 History, and Chronology of the Cher a kingdom of Ancient In- 

 dia : by Mr. J. Dowson." The same gentleman has since in- 

 formed me that the document was printed in the Proceedings 

 of the Koyal Asiatic Society. My long retirement from stu- 

 dies, and pursuits of this kind, and being otherwise occupied 

 in very active duties, not quite harmonizmg with those studies 

 as to the tone of mind proper to each, prevented my in- 

 quiring for, or seeing those Proceedings : and the pamphlet 



