1884.] 
79 
of Religion in the Tlimdlaya. 
Rigveda; Adlioksliaja,tlieYajurveda; Krishna, the Samaveda; Madhava,the 
Atharvaveda and Aniruddlia the other Brahmans. May Pundarika protect 
the performer of the sacrifice and his wife and let Hari protect all de¬ 
fenceless places.” The rubric goes on to say that the defence of the un¬ 
protected can always be effected by using mantras from the Yedas and 
the seeds of white mustard. In Kumaon a few coins are with turmeric, 
betel and white mustard seed tied up in a small bag (potaU) of white cloth 
and attached to the raksJid or bracelet until the work in hand, whether 
marriage or other ceremony, be accomplished. When this takes place 
the bag is opened and the contents are given to the officiating priest. 
The mantra commonly used in tying on the rakshd is as follows : 
—“ Yena haddJio halirdjd ddnavendro mahdhalah, tena twdm ahliibadJmdmi 
raJcsliemd cJialamdcJiala,” ^'‘c. 
Jdtaharma. —The ceremony known as jdtalcarma takes place on th® 
birth of a son and is the next more important of those observed in Kumaon. 
It is divided into several sections which are considerably abbreviated in 
practice. The rite should be performed either on the day of the boy’s 
birth or on the sixth day afterwards. If the father be at home, he 
should rise early and bathe and make the dedication as already 
described for the boy’s long life, health and wisdom. He should then 
worship Ganesa and make this his object that the boy should always 
be good, strong and wise, and that if the mother has become impure by 
violating any of the laws as to conduct or what should not be eaten, that 
her sin should be forgiven her and its consequences should not be visited 
on her boy. With the same object he performs the Mdtri-pujd and the 
Ndndd-srdddJia already described. Sometimes the pumjdha-vdckana fol¬ 
lows, which is merely the citation, feeding and rewarding some Brah¬ 
mans to be witnesses that the rite has been actually performed. The 
halasa-sthdpana, already described, follows and after it the navagraJia or 
nine planets are invoked to be present and assist. A vessel of some 
bright material is brought, and in it is placed a mixture of clarified butter 
and honey, with which the tongue of the child is anointed either with a 
golden skewer or the third finger of the right hand, whilst a prayer is 
read asking for all material blessings for the boy. The father then pre¬ 
sents a coin to the celebrant, who dips it in a mixture of clarified butter 
and charcoal and applies it to the forehead and throat of both father and 
son and then with a prayer places flowers on their heads. The father 
then takes the boy in his lap and touches his breast, head, shoulders and 
back, whilst appropriate mantras praying for strength for those parts of 
the body are read by the celebrant. A present is again given to the 
celebrant and after it the umbilical cord is cut, leaving four finger- 
breadths untouched. The abhisheJca or purification is then performed by 
