Chap.XlV. 
the Eaft-India Pagans. 
895 
Navel, on the upper orifice of the Sto- 
mach, upon the Breaft, Front, Head, and 
Crown of the Head, and afterwards up- 
on the inferiour Parts of the Body •, they 
likewife touch the Eyes, Ears, Feet and 
Heels with their Fingers, extending now 
and then their Hands, as if they were 
going to give fomething : they likewife 
fliew their empty Hands to the eight 
Guardians of the World and afterwards 
befmearing themfelves with Aflies with 
three Fingers of the Right Hand (in ho- 
nour of Bramm.i^ y'tfimm and Ixora) on 
the Breaft, Front and Shoulders, they 
then reckon themfelves clear and purifi- 
ed of all their Sins. If you ask thc^T), 
what makes them ufe all thefe Cererao- f^™. 
nies, they give for anfwer. Thai: they 
have two different Laws, viz.. the Carma 
and Nhana^ one whereot coritains lii- 
ftrudions for the inward Service of God, 
the other for the exteriour or ^.'leremoni- 
al part. They add, thac Varcx} Rama^ 
when he made theScq rct.edetrom the 
Coaftof Malabar^ did lecommcijd in a 
mofl: peculiar manner the obrv=;i vance of 
the Carmato the Malabar whence /l/^?- 
labar to this day retains the Name of 
Carma ^uniij i. e. the Country of Car- 
ma. 
CHAP. XIV. 
Of the Holy Jjhes ufed in anointing themfelves, md of their JBefliv/ils 
'HE Afhes of Cowdung area thing 
infuch requeft among the Indian-Pi- 
gans, that they with it befmear every 
Moriiing, their Front, Breaft and Shoul- 
ders j every King maintains in his Court 
a certain Perfon, who every day early in 
the Morning expofes a good quantity of 
thefe Alhes upon a Fig-leaf in the Mar- 
ket-place, when every one that pleafes 
comes and takes fome part thereof for 
his ufe i of thefe Alhes they alfo offer 
daily Sacrifices to their Gods. The Jo- 
gyes attend conftantly near the P abodes ^ 
with a whole Bag full of thefe Alhes, 
which they diftribute to the People, who 
in return give them fome Alms. They 
always appear befmear'd with thefeAlhes, 
in which confifts a great part of their 
Holinefs, their God Ixora being alfo be- 
daub'd with thefe Afhes •, the reafon 
whereof, as they relate it, is this. 
Why the 7°^ before, that Ixora or 
Aflies ef Quiven, having undertaken to keep Qui- 
corvJung ii velingay the Afhes which fettled within 
facred with the Shell, rendered Ixora immortal, rijl- 
mm being defirous to enjoy the fame Pre- 
rogative, feiz'd upon a Cow, and car- 
rying her to Calaja, Ixora's ReOdence, he 
fnatch'd away fome of thefe Afhes ^ 
which /xor^ perceiving, he ftruck outfe- 
veral of her Teeth by a Blow he gave 
her, which falling upon the Earth, pro- 
duc'd a ki,nd of large Water Melons, 
caird Ahoham by the Portuguefes. How- 
ever Ftfinum keeping clofe behind his 
Cow, ht gather'd the next Dung, and 
burnt it to Afhes j whence it is that to 
this day thefePagans have fo great a Vene- 
ration for the Cowdung, that they believe 
it purifies every thing upon Earth. The 
faid Cow brought forth a BulJ-calf, unto 
which Ixora gave the Name of Irixlpaten^ 
and ufed him inftead of a Horfc. The 
Malabar Women, tho otherwife pretty 
cleanly, yet are fo intoxicated to this 
Superfbition, that they cleanfe theii 
Chambers and their Ciilerns with Cow- 
dung. 
The Samoryn or King of Cakcut wa- 
flies himfelf every day before Dinner 
and when he goes to the Pagodt, the way 
from the Ciftern to the Pagode is cover 'd 
with Cow-dung, upon which they fhow 
Rofes and other Flowers j befides tliat 
two Women each with a Pot of Cow- 
dung mix'd with Water, walkjull be- 
fore him i and the Place where he dines 
is afterwards conftantly dcanfed with 
Cow-dung. They relate farther of the 
Cow, that ^enevady and Superbennia did 
fit betwixt her Horns, the Sun and Moon 
in her Eyes, Bramma\ two Wives in her 
Ears, Ixora'mhzx Nole, Vijlnum'm her 
Tongue, in her Thighs the Rixii^ che four 
Books of the Fedam in her four Legs ^ 
that her Milk is the true y^mhyojiu ov A- 
mortam^ and her the 'I'irtani^ oi ilie 
Water fit to purify themfelves iiom 
their Sins: whence it is, that wlirn they 
fee a Cow ready to piis, they c.itch it 
with their Hands, drink a iitrle of it, and 
with the reft wafli tlieir Faces, As tliefe 
Pagan Kings claim the Panoujgr of 
Cows, fo the Samoryn of Cakcut is at- 
tended every Morning early by iix Boys, 
all over befmear'd with frefli Cow-diing, 
with Garlands of Flowers on their 
Heads j as foon as the Samoryn rifes, they 
pay 
Ikw tbs 
King of 
CaltxLic 
puripes 
hiwfelf. 
