8 
E. T. Atkinson— Notes on the history 
[No. 1, 
tlmt dwellest in the ether without stay or support, troubled by storms 
and malignant spirits, bathe and drink here and having done so be happy.’ 
To the south of the fire-place a small earthen vessel known as a 
harmed is tilled with water in which leusa , sesamum, barley and milk are 
placed and suspended from a tree, or if there be no tree, from a stake 
fixed in the ground with a tooth-brush of nim (Melia indica ) . Then 
bathing and putting on clean clothes, the celebrant returns home and 
when eating puts a portion of the food on a leaf-platter and leaves it with 
water either where four roads meet or on that side of the village which 
is nearest to the burning-ghat, both places being the favourite resorts of 
disembodied spirits. This portion called the preta-grdsa or spirits’ mouth- 
ful is offered with the usual dedication to the name of the deceased. 
Ceremonies of the first ten days . —The proceedings of each day are 
the same, the only difference being the object of the jpinda. The follow¬ 
ing list of the hells crossed before reaching paradise and the different 
parts of the new body of the spirit affected by each day’s ceremony will 
suffice :— 
Day. 
*H.ell met with. 
Portions of the new body formed. 
First 
Raurava 
Head. 
Second 
Y onipu in saka 
Eyes, ears and nose. 
Third 
Maharaurava 
Arms, chest, neck and members of* 
the mouth. 
Fourth 
Tamisra 
Pubic region, penis, void and parts 
around. 
Fifth 
Andhatamisra 
Thighs and legs. 
Sixth 
Sambhrama 
Feet and toes. 
Seventh 
Amedhya-krimi-purna 
Bones, marrow and brain. 
Eighth 
Purisha bhakshana 
Nails and hair. 
Ninth 
Svamamsa bhakshana 
Testes and semen. 
Tenth 
Kumbhipaka 
To avoid the wants of the senses. 
Tenth day. —The new body having been formed the natural wants 
of a living body are presupposed and the ceremony of the tenth day is 
devoted to removing the sensation of hunger, thirst, &c., from the new 
body. On the same day the clothes of the celebrant are steeped in cow’s 
urine with soapnuts and washed, the walls of the house are plastered, 
all metal vessels are thoroughly cleaned, the fire-place at the ghat is 
broken and an anjali of water is offered to the ether for the sake of the 
manes and to assuage its thirst. The celebrant then moves up the 
stream above the ghat and with his near relatives shaves aud bathes and 
all present an anjali of water as before. Bathing aga in all proceed 
homewards,'!' having been sprinkled with the jgancha-gavya. The follow- 
* Most of the names of hell occur in the law-books or the Puranas. The first, 
third, fourth and fifth in Mann, IY. 88 : the tenth in the Bhagavata-purana, and 
the remainder in the Skanda-purana. 
t It is the custom to offer one more pinda on the road homewards called the 
patheyasraddha, but this is usually made of uncooked flour and water. 
