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A CULTURAL STUDY OF THE NISITHA CURNI
time of marriage or other auspicious occasions.' The garlands of muñja grass ( mumjamaliya ) were used for stupifying a person of sound intellect.2 The garlands made from the monkey-bones (makka-hadda) were tied around the neck of the childrens, evidently for protecting the child from evil spirits. In the Paumacariya of Vimalas ūri Sita is mentioned to have put around the neck of her sons the strings of the nails of tiger embedded with gold. The garlands of ivory ( dantamayı ) and cowries (kavadagamayı ) were also used for the same purposes. The Persians, it is said, used to wear the garlands made of the horns of buffaloes ( mahisa-simga ). These garlands were sold for various prices—some were quite cheap (appamolla), while the others were very costly (bahumolla ).' Toilet
In spite of being a monastic text, the NC. provides ample information regarding toilet and its various accessories used by the people during this time. This information usually comes in the way of prohibitive injunctions, as the monks and the nuns were not allowed to use any of these articles in normal circumstances. The kings and the princes have always been shown as having their bodies suffused with fragrant pastes (vilevanovalittagatta), and even the ordinarily well-off householders did make a fair use of them which enriched their beauty a hundred times more. The youngmen (taruna) living in the capital cities were always desirous of enjoying the company
1. fig BOMPET 30-TRET GMA731 atafa-Ibid. 2. This -fawrfagrui helport —Ibid. 3. HEEEECH EGREI FÉHT Tag Ibid. 4. PCV. 97. 10. 5. NC. 2, p. 396. 6. HEART ET TOFU.Ibid. 7. qan ar Arant 3CT HIRAISHT 91, 92931 aght=4391Ibid. 8. NO. 1, p. 52. 9. at gatal ETTÊ 3472 TATT A STATERACT F#tqa: Tagur
NC. 2, p. 12.
98 misita
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