1884.] 
of Religimi in the Himalaya. 
69 
in the form of a mantra to the personified ‘ Ow?,’ the Brahmarshis, 
Vaidilv metres and the Supreme Being Water is taken from the recep¬ 
tacle in the hand whilst the address is m.entally recited, after which the 
water is thrown away. The first motion of the gjrdndydma is made by 
placing the fore-finger of the right-hand on the right nostril and exhaling 
with the other nostril whilst a mystical mantra^ is mentally lepeated. 
This occurs three times whilst exhaling and three times whilst inhaling. 
Ahhisheka. —A second ahhisheka or purificatory aspersion of the body 
generally takes place next with the mantra :— Om dpo hislitd mayo hliu- 
vah sndna urjjye, ^c. Then water is taken in the hand and applied to 
the nose with the mantra :— JDrupaddd iva mumuclidna sannasndto maldd 
iva liu 2 Juta?n pavitrena vdJiyam d'pah suddhantu me nasah. 
Anjali. —IS^ext the anjali is performed in which water is taken in the 
hollow of both hands and whilst the ydynZ/r/-mantra is slowly recited the 
water is poured through the fingers on the ground. The celebrant 
should stand with his face towards the east whilst the verse is chaunted 
and should repeat it three times. 
Hpasthdna. —This is followed by the npastlidna or approaching the 
deity in worship in which the celebrant draws the fore-arms parallel to 
the body with the palms of the hands open and the thumbs on a level 
with the ears whilst the mantra is repeated :—0m udvayantamasas, ^c. 
Next the head, navel, heart, top-knot and forehead are touched with 
appropriate mantras.f The sacrificial thread is then wound around the 
right-hand three times whilst the gdyatri is repeated either 8 or 10 or 28 
or 108 or 1,000 times according to the inclination of the worshiper. 
Water is again taken in the hand and if the gdyatri has been repeated a 
fixed number of times, the morning’s devotion ends with the formula :—■ 
Brahmd svarupine hliagavan prito’stu; if at mid-day, with Vishnu., 
and if at evening with Budra, ^c., whatever the number may be. Where 
no account of the number of times is kept the conclusionJ is :—0 Lord, 
the treasure of mercy, through whose compassionate goodness whatever is 
worthy in my devotions is accounted for righteousness, may the four 
objects of existence (religious merit, wealth, pleasure and final emanci¬ 
pation) be attained by me this day.” Whilst these prayers are being 
repeated the water is allowed to trickle slowly on to the ground. The 
* Om hhuh, om hhuvah, om svaJi, om mahaJi, om janah, om tapah, om satyam, tat 
savitur varenyam hhargo devasya dhtmahi dhiyo yo nah prachodaydt apo jyoti raso ’mri- 
tam hrahma hhiir hhuvah svaram. A mixture of the vydhriti and gdyatri mantras with 
some additions. 
t Agnir muJche, hrahmd hridaye, vishnuh sihhdydm, rudro laldte. 
4 ^ He isvara daydnidhe hhavatkripaydnena japopdsanddi-harmand dharmdrtha- 
kdmamoJcshdndm sddhyasiddhir hhoven nah. 
