Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 294

PRAYER TO THE SUN
254
Whoever repeats this prayer, and makes the foregoing
meditation, will assuredly obtain pardon of all his sins
and be saved. However, as men are liable to fall into
innumerable sins, they can hardly do too much to ensure
their being forgiven, and the stain of their wickedness
removed. The Brahmin therefore addresses the following
prayer to the sun
sun who art prayer itself and the god of prayer
forgive me all the sins that I have committed while praying,
all those that I have committed during the night by thought,
word, and deed forgive me all those that I have committed
against my neighbour by slander or false witness, by violat-
ing or seducing another man's wife, by eating forbidden
food, by receiving presents from a man of low caste, in
:
'
:
!
;
all sins of any kind into which I may have fallen
by night or by day.'
Whoever addresses this prayer to the sun, and is filled
with the conviction of what he is saying and performs the
achamania at the same time, will be absolved from all
his sins and will go after his death to the abode of the
a word,
sun.
To perform the achamania he must hold some water in
the hollow of his right hand, and put it three times to his
mouth. He must touch the under part of his nose with
then joining his thumb and first
the back of his thumb
finger together he must touch both his eyes, then joining
all the other fingers together to his thumb he must touch
his ears, his navel, his chest, his head, and both shoulders.
And before putting the water to his mouth he must always
be careful to purify it by repeating over it the following
Water you are of a good taste,' &c, as men-
prayer
tioned before. Passing his hand three times above his
head he lets fall a few drops of water on it, and then thrice
pours a little on the ground. He draws a long breath,
and thus ejects all the sins in his body. He must then
O water
recite the prayer which begins with the words
at the time of the Flood,' &c, as cited above.
Water should be looked upon as the Supreme Being,
and as such adoration is offered to it. Nothing is more
efficacious than water to cleanse men from their sins.
Therefore one cannot perform one's daily ablutions too
;
'
:
!
'
:
!