. MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENTS 705
and various kinds of food to satisfy his appetite. It is thus. at intervals of three hours, that they must offer puja to
Vishnu. Everything that is offered to him must be the very best that can be procured.
I have already said that they must pass the night without closing an eye for a moment; they must spend it in dancing and singing to the sound of musical instruments. It is sufficient to repeat Vishnu ' s names, or even to hear them repeated, to obtain the remission of all one ' s sins and the accomplishment of all one ' s desires. It is considered a meritorious action even to go and look at persons who are spending the night in the performance of these pious exercises.
Great care must be taken on this holy day not to speak to any onewho is not a true worshipper of Vishnu. To address
even one word to unbelievers would cause Vishnu ' s worshippers to lose all the benefit of their devotion.
Hewho on thisday hears thesound of musicalinstruments played in honour of Vishnu and is not enchanted, is like a
dogwhen it hears the vina. The piousman should delight in listening to a symphony which is in itself capable of remitting sins, because it adds to the glory of the Lord of the World.
He should join in the saintly throng of worshippers, when they with one accord hasten to show their devotionand their zeal by their dances, songs, and hymns in honour of the
great deity.
He who objects to such acts of worship is the greatest of
sinners. He who, while not actually disapproving, refrains from taking part in them, and occupies himself instead with other matters, will be punished for his indifference by being reborn as a cock in another life. He will be reborn dumb if he does not contribute as much as ever he can towards the pomp and ceremony of the Eka-dasi.
Every kind of musical instrument must be played on that night, and in fact everything that is possible must be done
to contribute to Vishnu ' s pleasure. The worshippers must walkround theimage of thegod several times in procession; they must prostrate themselves before it, and from time to
time they must pour milk upon its head. Each worshipper,
at the conclusion of the ceremony, must give a present to the Brahmins in proportion to his means.
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