Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 579

BURYING A SANNYASI
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born to him before he embraced this state) must preside
at the funeral.
In default of a son, there is always some
pious Brahmin who will take on himself the duty and bear
the cost. There is often, indeed, much rivalry as to who
shall have the honour of filling this office, as it is con-
sidered a most meritorious one.
After the corpse has been
washed in the usual manner, it is wrapped in two cloths
dyed yellow with kavi. It is then rubbed all over with
ashes, and a chaplet of large seeds called rudralcshas l is
fastened round the neck. While all this is going on the
other Brahmins play on bronze castanets, which make an
ear-splitting noise.
Everything being in readiness for the obsequies, the body
placed, with its legs crossed, in a large bamboo basket,
which is hung from a strong bamboo pole by ropes of
This basket is borne by four Brahmins. The grave
straw.
must be dug near a river or a tank, and must be about six
feet deep and circular in form.
When they reach the spot
the Brahmins deposit at the bottom of the grave a thick
layer of salt, on which they place the deceased, with the
legs still crossed.
They then fill the hole with salt till it
is
reaches the sannyasi's neck, pressing it well down so that
the head may remain immovable.
On the head, thus left
exposed, they break innumerable cocoanuts until the skull
2
is completely fractured
They then, for the third time,
throw in salt in sufficient quantities to entirely cover the
remains of the head. Over the grave they erect a kind of
platform, or mound, three feet in height, on the top of
which they place a lingam of earth about two feet high.
This