Great Indian Religion

Author(s): G T Bettany
Publisher: Ward Lock Bowden and Co

Page 35

PURIFICATION.
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aborigines whom they conquered. Consequently we meet with such assertions as the following: "Verily self-assertion the gods do not eat the food offered by the of Brahmans. king who is without a purohita (family priest)." In the Atharva-Veda, "May perfect, unceasing and victorious power accrue to those whose purohita I am. I perfect their kingdom, their might, their vigour, their strength. With this oblation I cut off the arms of their enemies." This development was accompanied with the development of ceremonial to such an extent that several classes of priests were required.
It is exceedingly difficult, without entering into great detail, to give an idea of the contents of the Brahmanas. Assuming the older ceremonials to be known, Nature of the they comment upon every detail supposed to Brahmanas. require explanation, discuss the meaning of particular verses or even of the metres used, and furnish explanations of the origin of the sacrifices, frequently consisting of legends and myths, often told very diffusely. A few extracts, somewhat abbreviated, from Mr. Eggeling's translation of parts of the Satapatha-Brahmana may give some notion of their contents.
Every Brahmanical householder, from the period of setting up a household fire of his own, was enjoined to perform two monthly sacrifices, one at new the Household other at full moon, each lasting two days. The sacrifices. first was a fast day, in which the fire-places were swept and trimmed, and the fires lighted, and the Brahman and his wife took the vow to abstain from meat and some other foods, to cut off the beard and hair, except the crestlock; to sleep on the ground in one of the chief firehouses; and to observe silence. "He who is about to enter on the vow touches water, while standing between the (sacrificial) fires, with his face turned towards the east. The reason why he touches water is, that man is (sacrificially) impure on account of his speaking untruth, and because by that act an internal purification is effected, for water is indeed (sacrificially) pure. Looking towards the fire, he enters on the vow, with the text, 'O Agni, Lord of Vows! I will keep
Purification.