4 
E. T. Atkinson— Notes on the history 
[No. 1, 
the cow is — 1 Glory to thee, 0 cow, be thou ready to assist at the very 
terrible door of Yama this person desirous to cross the Yaitarani,’ and 
for the river in the verse :—“ Approaching the awful entrance to the 
realms of Yama and the dreadful Yaitarani, I desire to give this black 
cow to thee, 0 Yaitarani, of my own free-will so that I may cross thy 
flood flowing with pus and blood, I give this black cow.” Selections 
from the Phagavad-gitd are then read to the sick man and the thou¬ 
sand names of Yishnu are recited. His feet and hands are bathed in 
water taken from the Ganges or some other sacred stream whilst the 
frontal mark is renewed and garlands of the sacred tulsi are thrown 
around his neck. The ground is plastered with cow-dung and the dying 
man is laid on it with his head to the north-east and if still able to under' 
stand, verses in praise of Yishnu should be recited in a low, clear voice 
suited to the solemn occasion. The priestly instinct is even now alive 
and the family astrologer appears on the scene to claim another cow that 
the moribund may die easily and at an auspicious moment. 
Preparing the body for the pyre. —When the breath has departed, the 
body of the deceased is washed with earth, water and the fruit of the 
Emblica officinalis and then anointed with clarified butter whilst the 
following mantra^ is repeated :—“ May the places of pilgrimage, Gaya 
and the rest, the holy summits of mountains, the sacred tract of Kuru- 
kshetra, the holy rivers Ganges, Jumna, Sarasvati, Kosi, Chandrabhaga 
which removeth the stains of all sins, the Nandabhadra the river of 
Benares, the Gandak and Sarju as well as the Bhairava and Yaraha places 
of pilgrimage and the Pindar river, as many place of 'pilgrimage as 
there are in the world, as well as the four oceans, enter into this 
matter used for the ablution of this body for its purification.” The 
body is then adorned with gopichandana , the sacrificial thread, yellow 
clothes and garlands. Gold or clarified butter is then placed on the 
seven orifices of the face and the body is wrapped in a shroud and carried 
to the burning-ghat. The body is placed with its head to the east and 
the face upwards whilst the near male relatives are shaved. In the 
meantime pindas or small balls of barley-flour and water are offered 
according to the rule :— Mritistlidne tathd dwdre msrdmeshn chitopari; 
huh slum pinddli praddtavydh yretapinddh prahirtitdli —‘ Where the man 
dies, at the door (of his village), where the bearers rest, at the pyre 
upon his body, these (five) pindas should be offered by rule ; these are 
* Gayddini diet tirthdni ye cha punydli silochchayaJi ; Tcuruhshetram cha gangd clia 
yamund cha sarasvati', Icausiki chandra-hhagd cha sarvapdpaprandsini, nanda hhadrd 
cha Tcdshi cha gandaki sarayu tathd, hhairavam cha vardham cha tirtham pindarakam 
tathd, prithivydm yani tirthdni chatwarah sdgards tathd, savasyasya visuddhyartham 
asmin taye visantu vai* 
