7 
18/ 3.] Rajendralala Mitra —Spirituous Drinks in Ancient India. 
another great sage, offered wine to Bharata and his soldiers when they spent 
a night under his hospitable roof. “ 0 ye drinkers of spirits,” said the sage, 
“ drink spirituous liquors ; 0 ye hungry, eat; fill yourselves with frumenty 
and various kinds of juicy meats.*'” This sage welcomed Rama by slaughter¬ 
ing “ the fatted calf, ” hut he is not reported to have offered the exile 
any liquor for his regalement. Two passages, however, occur in the second 
hook of the Ramayana which afford the most conclusive proof of wine having 
been extensively used, and held in considerable estimation as a favourite 
drink in former days. The practice of making vows at times of danger 
and misfortune to offer something choice to the gods, was universal in former 
days, and is common enough now in most parts of the world. The nature 
of the offering doubtless differs under different circumstances ; but the offer¬ 
ing is made all the same. The candles for the Madonna of Roman Catholic 
countries is in Bengal represented by milk, or frumenty, or richer offerings, 
and rarely is a child sick in the house, or a cow suffering from the pains of 
parturition, for which some milk is not vowed to the lares and penates. 
Sita, the model of feminine grace and virtue, was not above this custom, 
and when crossing the Granges in her way to the wilderness of the south, 
is said to have made a similar vow ; but instead of mentioning milk or fru¬ 
menty, she pledged herself to offer a plentiful supply of arrack. Addressing 
the river, she said ; “ Be merciful to us, 0 goddess, and I shall, on my 
return home, worship thee with a thousand jars of arrack and dishes of 
cooked flesh-meat.t” When crossing the Yamuna she said, “ Be thou 
auspicious, O goddess ; I am crossing thee. When my husband has 
accomplished his vow, I shall worship thee with a thousand head of cattle 
and a hundred jars of arrack.Again, Bharata, returning from his 
ineffectual mission to bring back Rama, mourns the lost glories of the 
capital: “ No longer the exhilarating aroma of arrack, nor the enchanting 
scent of garlands, of sandalwood, and of agallochum now wafts through 
the city.”§ After these, the, presence of wine in the palaces of Ravana 
andSugriva, and the greatest glory of the streets ofKiskinda having been the 
aroma of arrack || are not matters of wonder, seeing that those persons were 
* Ramayana, Carey’s edition, III, p. 297. 
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