1884.] of Religion in the Himalaya. 89 
is attached to the use of the materials for the samidh in other than the 
prescribed form. 
The position assigned to each deity on the graha-vedi will better be 
understood from the diagram in Plate, I, fig. 2. In the petals of the lotus, 
the letter ‘ A ’ stands for ‘ Adhideva ’: the letters ‘ Pradh ’ for ‘ Pradhana- 
deva ’ and the letters ‘ Pr.’ for ‘ Pratyadhideva,’ the titles given to each 
triad. We have next a homa of clarified butter with the 'y?/aArf^f-mantra 
repeated nine times : hence the name navdh-uti-homa. Another offering 
of clarified butter is made with the mantra :—‘ Oin to Agni who causeth a 
good sacrifice svdhd.' Then 2 b purna-pdtra, or vessel, is presented to the 
celebrant with a dedication that all imperfections in the ceremony may 
be forgiven and the rite be completed. 
Baliddna. —The haliddna follows and comprises offerings of milk 
or rice and curds to the north of the graha-vedi or near the homa-vedi- 
A portion of the mixture is taken and placed on a brazen platter or ston e 
in the name of the sun with the address :—‘ Bho hhd Sun accept this 
offering ; be thou the bestower of long life, the giver of forgiveness, the 
alleviator of trouble, the giver of good fortune and the increaser of pros¬ 
perity to thy worshipper.’ Above this an offering is placed for the moon 
with the same address and so on for each of the forty-two deities assembled 
and to whom a homa has been offered. It will be noticed that a homa is 
not offered either to the Kshetradhipati or the Yastoshpati. To the former, 
however, a halt is presented with considerable ceremony ; a mixture of 
clarified butter and rice known as khichri is placed on a platter of leaves 
and on it four lamps of wheaten dough with clarified butter for oil and a 
few coins. Then an ignorant Brahman or a Sudra is honoured with an 
offering of sandal which, as a rule, is smeared over his face to make him 
look hideous. The dhydyia or meditation on Kshetrapala follows, after 
which the offering is taken and presented with the mantra.* “ Om 
glory to the venerable Kshetra23ala * * * to all sprites, goblins, 
demons and their followers, glory to this offering of clarified butter and 
rice with its light, gifts and betel. Hail Kshetrapala * * filled with 
the howling of the fierce-mouth protect me, eat this offering of khichri 
with its light prepared for thee. Protect the person who causes this 
* Om namo hhagavate Tcshetrapdldya hhtUa-preta-pisdcha- 
ddJcini-sdlcini-hetdlddi-parivdrayutdya esJia sadipah sadalcshinah satambulah Tcrisaranna- 
halir namah hho hJio kshetrapdla maru maru, turn turn, lala lala, shasha shasha, phen- 
Tcdra-purita-dinmulcha ralcsha rdksha grahamdkhaharmmani amutn sadtpatn Icrisaran- 
nahalim hhaksha hhaksha yajamdnatn pdhi pdhi mama va saputra-saparivdrasya yaja- 
mdnasya vd, ^c. 
M 
