THE PUNIAHA-VACHANA CEREMONY 151
pavitram; but the grass they call darbha is the most efficacious, for it possesses the virtue of purifying everything that it touches. The Brahmins can do nothing
without it. It is the basis of all those pious and meritorious acts which are known by the generic term of moksharthas, or deeds which lead to everlasting felicity, and which consist of the asva-medha( sacrifice of the horse), the vaja-peya, the raja-suya, the sattra-yaga, and other kinds of yagnas which are particularly pleasing to Vishnu \
No important action in life can take place without it.
That is to say, it is necessary in the kamyarthas, which include the garbha-dana, the jata-karma, the nama-karma, the anna-prasana, the chaula, the upanayana, the simanta, and marriage 2. It is in frequent use in the various religious exercises of the Brahmins pertaining to their four states, namely, Brahmachari, Grahastha, Vana-prastha, and Sannyasi( vide p. 160 et seq.). In fact this sacred grass, the purity of which is considered unequalled, appears in every religious or civil ceremony.
PUNIAHA- VACHANA
The literal translation of this word is the evocation ' of virtue,' and it is the name given to the ceremony by which the
:
sacred water is consecrated. They proceed thus
Having purified a place in the housa in the ordinary manner, they sprinkle it with water. Then the officiating Brahmin purohita seats himself with his face to the east, and they place before him a banana leaf with a measure of rice on it.
At one side is a copper vessel full of water, the outside of which has been whitened with lime; the mouth of the
vessel is covered with mango leaves, and it is placed on the rice. Near the copper vessel they put a little heap of saffron, which represents the god Vigneshwara, to whom
1
Vaja-peya = trial of strength; a kind of soma sacrifice. Sattrayaga = another great soma sacrifice. Raja-suya = royal inaugural sacrifice. Ed. 2
Kamyarthas = deeds which lead to worldly happiness. Garbhadana = pregnancy. Jata-karma— horoscope writing. Nama-lcarma =
naming ceremony. Anna prasana = weaning or food-giving ceremony.
Chaula = head-shaving ceremony. Upanayana = initiation of a pupil.
Simanta = ceremony of parting the hair, in the case of women six or eight months in pregnancy. Ed.