UNDERGOING METAMORPHOSIS 245
VII. He presses the right nostril with his thumb and repeats the monosyllable jon sixteen times, and breathing heavily through the left nostril he thereby dries up the body which forms his mortal tenement. VIII. With his thumb and first finger he closes both nostrils, repeats the word ron six times, holds his breath, thinks of fire; and by this means burns his body. IX. He repeats the word lorn thirty-two times, blowing
hard all the time through his right nostril. He thus blows away the body which has just been burned. He must think of a new set of senses, and the thought will of itself suffice to procure them for him. X. Then thinking of water, he causes the amrita to fall from the moon by pronouncing the sacred word aum. He diffuses this amrita over the whole of his body, which then becomes resuscitated. XI. Finally, while saying the word jom he thinks of the elements of which he is composed, and arranges them in order, in the place of those he has just got rid of.
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XII. He again repeats: I am myself the divinity to whom I am about to do sacrifice.' He then brings back to his navel the individual soul which had been incorporated in the supreme soul, after which, putting his right hand on
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his head, he says: Glory to the Penitent Narada! and he imagines that this Penitent is then resting on his head.
Placing his hands on the vessel of water beside him he evokes upon it the mantra gayatri. Finally, he lays his hand on his chest, and Vishnu is at once there. He finishes by saying the letters of the alphabet over the new and perfectly pure body which he has just made for
himself.
After this preparatory ceremony, called santi-yoga, he does puja to his household gods. He may also do it, over
the little stone salagrama, to all kinds of gods. This is indeed the most perfect form of worship. But he may also do it over a vessel full of water. XIII. He then sits down to his meal. If his means allow of it he should not fail to invite daily as many poor
Brahmins as possible to this repast.
XIV. He eats in silence, but he does not begin until he
has carefully put on one side for his departed ancestors