1884.] 
of Religion in the Himalaya. 
101 
should be paid as a devadanda to Brahmans. Another ceremony known 
as the vrishahha-patana takes place when a bullock dies or is injured while 
ploughing. 
Unluclcy conjunctions. —It is believed that if the megha-sanlcrdnta 
comes within the conjunction of the planets noted in the horoscope, the 
native will die within six months, and similarly if the tula-sanJcrdnta come 
within the horoscope the native dies before the next megha-sankrdnta : to 
avert these evils a special ritual is prescribed in which Govinda is the prin¬ 
cipal deity invoked. A more elaborate service takes place on the occasion 
of an eclipse when numerous articles are placed in the Icalasa and the 
image of the snake-god stamped on metal is worshipped and the usual gifts 
are made. 
Born again from a coiv's mouth. —The ceremony of being born again 
from the cow’s mouth {gomukha-prasava) takes place when the horos¬ 
cope foretells some crime on the part of the native or some deadly cala¬ 
mity to him. The child is clothed in scarlet and tied on a new sieve 
which is passed between the hind-legs of a cow forward through the 
fore-legs to the mouth and again in the reverse direction signifying the 
new birth. The usual worship, aspersion, &c., takes place and the father 
smells his son as the cow smells her calf. This is followed by various 
burnt-offerings and the usual gifts, &c. 
Dentition, ^''c. —Ceremonies are also prescribed when the teeth are 
cut irregularly, when the father and son are born in the same lunar man¬ 
sion, when three children are born at the same time or in the same lunar 
mansion, when snakes are seen m coitu, when a dog is seen during a 
ceremony, when a crow evacuates on one’s clothes, on seeing a white 
crow, when gifts of land, money or grain are made, and when building a 
house, &c. 
Mula-naJcshatra .—The misfortunes that are supposed to follow any 
one born in the Mula-naJcshatra, which is presided over by Mrriti, the god¬ 
dess of evil, are such that the parents are advised to abandon such 
a child, whether boy or girl, or if not, to go through the ritual prescribed 
for the occasion with great care and circumspection. The Mula-sdnti 
commences with the Ganesa-p?ya followed by the setting up of the 
argha and the dedication. The sesamum, Icusa, barley and water are 
taken and the pradhdna-sankalpa is recited and also the Mdtri-pujd, 
Punydha-vdchana and Ndndi-sraddha are gone through. The celebrants are 
then appointed and duly reverenced and the person who causes the cere¬ 
mony to be performed stands before them with the palms of his hands 
joined together in a submissive attitude and asks them to perform the rite 
according to rule. The celebrants consent and proceed to the grihasdld, 
or as usual in Kumaon to the place where the cows are tied up. A place 
