Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 289

RULES ABOUT SLEEPING
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but he must never present himself there empty-handed.
He must take as an offering either oil for the lamp, cocoa-
nuts, bananas, camphor, or incense, &c, of which the sacri-
fices are composed. If he is very poor he must at least bring
some betel leaves.
XXII. If the temple is dedicated to Vigneshwara
(Pillayar) he walks round it once, after which, turning
left ear in his
right hand and the lobe of his right ear in his left hand,
and in this jiosition squats down on his heels three times
If the
lie then strikes himself gently on both his temples.
shrine is dedicated to Siva he walks round it twice, and
three times if it is consecrated to Vishnu.
XXIII. Having performed his religious duties he returns
home, takes his evening meal, observing the usual cere-
towards the god, he takes the lobe of his
;
monies, and goes to bed soon afterwards. A Brahmin
must purify the place where he is going to sleep by rubbing
it over with cow-dung, and he must manage so that the
place cannot be overlooked by any one.
A Brahmin must never sleep on a mountain, in a grave-
yard, in a temple, in any place where they do puja, in any
place dedicated to evil spirits, under the shadow of a tree,
on ground that has been tilled, in a cowshed, in the house
of his guru, in any spot that is higher than that where the
image of some god happens to be, any place where there
happens to be ashes, holes made by rats, or where snakes
generally live.
He must also take care not to spend the
night in houses where the servants are insolent, for fear of
some accident.
A Brahmin puts a
vessel full of water and a weapon near
where he lays his head. He rubs his feet, washes his
mouth twice, and then lies down.
A Brahmin must never go to bed with his feet wet, nor
sleep under the beam which supports the roof of the house \
He must avoid sleeping with his face turned to the west
or north.
If
it
is
impossible to arrange
it
otherwise
it
would be better to be turned towards the north than
towards the west. When lying down he offers worship to
the earth, to Vishnu, to Nandikeswara, one of the chief
1
This is said to be a necessary precaution, as on these
are often to be found.
Eo.
—
beams snakes