1884.] 
67 
o/ Religion in the Himalaya. 
worshipper dedicated to tliem. This formula will be better understood 
from the following table - 
The seven 
spheres of the 
Sanskrit 
names. 
Hindi 
equivalents. 
Members of the 
hand. 
Members of the 
body. 
1. 
Earth 
Bhur-loka 
Bhu 
Thumb fangushta) 
Chest {hrido^ya). 
2. 
Sky 
Bhuvar-loka... 
Bhuvar 
Fore-finger tar- 
jani). 
Head (siras). 
3. 
Planets ... 
Svar-loka 
Svah 
Second ditto 
fmadhyama). 
Scalp-lock (n- 
khd). 
4. 
Saints 
Maharloka ... 
Mahah 
Third ditto {and- 
mika). 
Throat fkanthoi). 
5. 
Sons of 
Brahma. 
Jano-loka 
Jana 
Fourth ditto (fea- 
nishtika). 
Eye (netra). 
6. 
Penance... 
Tapo-loka ... 
Tapas 
Palm (karatala) 
Navel (ndhhi). 
7. 
Truth 
Satya-loka ... 
Satyam 
1 
Back of the hand 
(karaprishta). 
Back (pith). 
The kara-nydsa is first performed and is made by holding the nose 
by the right hand and placing the first finger of the left hand inside and 
against the middle joint of the thumb and drawing it gently to the top 
of the thumb whilst repeating mentally the mantra —Oyn hhuh an- 
gushtdbhydm namah. The second motion is made by drawing the thumb 
from the first joint of the forefinger to the top whilst repeating mentally 
the mantra :—Bhuvah tarjanihhydm namah. The remaining motions are 
similar and for the second finger the mantra : — 8vah madJiyamdhhyd?n 
namah is repeated ; for the third :— Tat savitur varemjam andmikahhydm 
namah., and for the fourth :— Bhargo devasya dhmiahi Jcanislithikdhhydm 
namah. Then the palms and backs of the hands are touched whilst the 
mantra :— Dhiyo yo nah prachodaydt karatala'^karaprisJithdhhydm namah 
is repeated. 
Anga-nyasa. —The anga-nydsa or mental assignment of the members 
of the body to the protection of the great mantras is as follows -.-—Oin hhuh, 
glory to the heart; hhuvah, glory to the head ; svdhd (hail) ; svah, to 
the top knot, vashat (here meaning hail) ; tat savitur varenyam, to the 
navel or the armour of the mantras, hwn ; hhargo devasya dhimahi, to the 
* Bhur, hhuvah, svah, are the three mystical words known as the Vydhriti man¬ 
tra and are untranslateahle. The mantras here given simply mean ‘ Om, glory to the 
thumb ’ : to the first finger and to the second finger, &c. The gdyatrt verse is then 
brought in and divided into three portions as a preface to the salutation to the re¬ 
maining parts of the hand. In full it is ‘ Tat savitur varenyam hhargo devasya dht- 
mahi dhiyo yo nah prachodaydt and occurs in Rig-Yeda, III., 62, 10. From being 
addressed to the sun it is called Savitri and is personified as a goddess. Here¬ 
after we shall see that other verses also are called gdyatri. In some cases both 
hands are used and the nose is not held by the right hand. 
