Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Seite 299

SUNDRY INVOCATIONS
from a man
269
low caste or from a sinful person. I pray
may purify me from all sin, whatsoever it
may be.' He performs the achamania twice more, for
nothing washes away sin more surely than water. Every
Brahmin should therefore perform achamania for by this
act alone not only will all his sins be remitted, even to the
murder of a Brahmin or of a pregnant woman, but further
it also makes him sinless for all time to come.
He then
takes three stalks of darbha grass, and sprinkles some drops
but he must first purify the
of water on his head with it
water by reciting over it the gayatri and the following
water who are spread on the bosom of
mantrams
the earth, grant that I may perform the sandhya, so that,
'0 water
being purified by it, I may perform puja
you have a good taste,' &c, and so on as before. He
sprinkles some water with the three stalks of darbha grass,
first on the earth and then on his head.
He who in addition
to the above recites the following prayer, may be assured
that all his desires will be gratified, that he will live in the
midst of plenty and be happy
water you are in
everything that has life, in all quarters of the world, even
on the tops of the highest mountains. You are of super-
of
that the water
;
;
:
—
'
!
'
!
:
you are the
and filling both
lative excellence,
He
then
rises,
!
—
'
!
you are the amrita
hands with water, pours
'
light,
his
!
on the ground, saying
Glory to Patala
Glory to the Earth
Glory to
Swarga
Then, turning to the sun, and raising his hands
on high, he says
Sun you are the will of the gods, you are the
opposite of water
You are the eye of the gods Mitra,
Varuna, and of Fire you shine in Swarga, on the earth,
and everywhere
He then repeats the prayer which
begins with these words
Glory to Brahma, the Supreme Being
&c, and so
on as before.
He places one or two stalks of darbha grass under his
feet, and evokes the gayatri in these words
Come, goddess, come and shower your favours upon
You are the word of Brahma, the mother of the
me
Vedas it is from you that Brahma was born. I offer
you puja
You are the mother of Brahmins. It is you
it
:
'
!
!
'
!
:
'
!
!
;
'
!
:
k
'
!
:
*
!
:
!