Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 295

THE GODDESS GAYATRI
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or at least touch water and think of it, and so obtain
often
a remission of sin. After having thus worshipped, the
Brahmin draws a little water into his nostrils, and then
shoots it out again. With this water the sinful man also
falls to the ground and is crushed under the left heel.
Then turning to the east, the Brahmin stands on tiptoe.
Raising slightly his hands, the palms turned towards
heaven, he makes the following prayer to the sun
Sun fire is born of you, and from you the gods
you are the eye of the world and
derive their splendour
the light of it
Nothing is more efficacious than this prayer, accompanied
by adorations, for turning aside anything that may bring
sorrow, or sin, or pain, and for protection against un-
toward accident. He must add, still addressing the sun
Glory to the
Glory to Brahma, Supreme Being
Glory to the Penitents
Glory to the gods
Brahmins
Glory to Vishnu
Glory to the
Glory to the Vedas
;
:
'
!
;
'
!
:
'
!
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!
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!
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'
winds
While reciting
!
this prayer he offers the tarpana, that is,
a libation of water, to such of these gods as he names and
He puts under his feet a stalk
to all the gods in general.
of darbha grass, and standing upright, on one foot if possible,
he recites the famous gayatri mantram, which is as follows 1
Come, goddess, come and make me happy. You who
are the voice of Brahma, whose name is formed of three
who are the mother of the Vedas, who are also
letters
I offer you my adoration.'
the mother of Brahma
He
who thus invokes the goddess gayatri three times a day
:
'
;
;
thereby be purified from all his sins.
the monosyllable aum, and cracks
his fingers ten times while turning round.
This is to scare
away giants and evil spirits. He must then think again
In the morning he must picture
of the goddess gayatri.
her to himself as a young girl of extraordinary beauty,
resembling Brahma in appearance, riding on a goose, holding
will
He then pronounces
we have already observed, is the most
most meritorious, and the most efficacious
mantrams of the Brahmins. They have deified this prayer,
have come to look upon it not only as a mantram, but as an
actual goddess itself.
Dubois.
1
The gayatri mantram, as
sacred, the most sublime, the
of all the
until they