312 Biibu Rajendraldla Mitra — A Picnic in Ancient India. [No. 4, 
been admitted into respectable household after proper expiations, the S'astras 
are peremptory in condemning all association with them as long as they remain 
unreclaimed, especially on the part of women of family, and modern and 
mediaeval custom has never permitted any such association as is implied by 
bathing, eating, drinking, dancing, and singing together. It indicates a sad 
laxity ol morals, and the state of society which permitted this, cannot but be 
condemned. The Yadavas, however, felt no compunction in that respect, and 
not only allowed their wives and daughters freely to mix with harlots, but 
themselves joined the party, and indulged in unrestrained debauchery in the 
presence of parents and seniors. The only person who formed an exception was 
Baladeva. His constancy to his only wife, Bevati, is the theme of praise 
everywhere ; and never has his character been assailed for even the slightest 
neglect of his conjugal duty. At the Picnic he appears, as was his wont, 
tottering with drink ; but he is always beside his consort, and gratifies himself 
by bathing and singing and dancing with her, and her, alone. 
Drinking appears to be another indulgence to which the Yadavas were 
extremely addicted. Family women and prostitutes freely joined the men 
in these bacchanalian orgies, and the poet who records their deeds, seems to 
take a delight in pointing how some tottered, and others fell, and others be- 
came reckless. The stuff they drank was of five kinds, namely, Tcddam- 
Onri, mndhmlca, maireya, asava, and surd — all strong spirits prepared in differ- 
ent ways. The first was distilled from the ripe fruit of the kadamba 
(Nauclea kadamba ), which is highly saccharine, but not edible in its natural 
state. Baladeva was particularly attached to this drink, and his name is rare- 
ly mentioned in the Purauas without some reference to it. In the present 
day, the fruit is not used in any way, and only affords a repast to the large 
frugivorous bats called flying-foxes. The second was distilled from the ripe 
petals of the Bassia lat folia, —the mowa of the North West Provinces, 
where it is to this day extensively manufactured for the use of the lower 
orders of the people. The third was rum seasoned with the blossoms of the 
Ly thrum jruticosum. The fourth was pure rum ; and the last arrack distilled 
from rice meal. These spirits were, I imagine, always drunk neat, for there 
is no mention any where of their having been diluted ; and hence probably 
was the necessity of eating a little of sugared or salted cake or subacid 
fruits after every draft to take off the pungency of the diink from the mouth. 
At the picnic, fried birds are especially mentioned for this purpose. There are 
several words in the Sanskrit language to serve as generic names for these 
wine biscuits,” and no description of a drinking bout is complete without 
reference to such eatables. Even in the present day, no native ever thinks 
of drinking without having some such food by his side. 
The description of the banquet is also remarkable. The piece de 
resistance at the meal was not rice or bread, as one would expect in India, 
