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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[OCTOBER, 1886.
sorrows in sleep. The next night the second the Brahman. "Get me some ghi and a few prince went, while the first prince rested, and pieces of wood, that I may make an offering on the third night the third prince watched to them. For it is written in the Sástras that and on the fourth night the youngest prince, if a man, when he knows of any misfortune while all the others took rest in sleep. about to happen to the king, will offer at This arrangement lasted for many months that time something in the fire to the gods, then and answered well. The princes bore their the king will be saved from the misfortune; father's unkindness bravely, and in every otherwise the king will not be saved. Who way behaved as they should do. Their piety, knows but that our king may be spared to goodness and attention to publio affairs won us P"* So saying he took the sticks, kindled a praises from everybody, except the king and fire, and cast the ghs into the fire; and then the queen who deluded him.
after many prayers and invocations rose and How true is the saying, “Real virtue never turning to his wife said, "His Majesty will be continues unrewarded by the gods." One night delivered if one of his relations will attend to while the eldest prince was going his rounds these instructions. The man in whose heart is of inspection he reached a small hut wherein the wish to do this thing must dig pits in the & certain Brâhman resided with his wife. The courtyard that is on the east side of the palace; prince noticed them through the open window, and some of the pits he must fill with water and as he looked the Brahman arose, opened and others he must fill with milk. He must the door, and came out. As usual the good also throw flowers in these pools, and on the man looked up at the heavens; and no sooner intervening spaces right up to the door of the had he done so, than he turned, and rushed king's bedroom. This done he must be present indoors again, exclaiming “Tráh, Tréh!”. at the doorstep at the appointed time with a
"What is it?" his wife inquired somewhat sword in his hand. The snake will surely timidly. "Oh," said the Brâhman. “I saw the come and will swim across the water and the star of our king obliterated by another star." milk, and, after passing through these ele.
“What is the interpretation of this sign P" ments and over the flowers, will be rendered asked the wife.
comparatively harmless. On the arrival of "It means," the Brahman replied, "that our the snake at the doorstep, the man who has king will die in seven days from this time." taken upon him to perform this work must
Die !" said the Brahmani almost in tears. strike at it with the sword and slay it. "How will His Majesty die? By sickness, or After killing the snake he must take some of by the hand of an enemy P"
its warm blood and going into the king's The Brâhmaņ replied, “On the seventh day room smear it over His Majesty's toes. In this hence, just after the first watch of the night way the king will be preserved from evil ;-but a deadly black snake will descend from the sky, alas! who is there to perform these things ?" and will enter the king's bedroom by the door The prince, whom curiosity had drawn very thereof, that opensoutinto the court-yard, which near to the window of the Brahman's hut, heard is on the east side of the palace. This snake everything that was said, and be, of course will bite His Majesty's toe, so that he will die." was very much surprised. In the morning
“But surely this must not be," said the he communicated the matter to his three Brahmani. The king can be delivered from brothers. Not a hint, however, reached the this cruel death. Tell me how his deliverance ears of the king. For six nights the four may be accomplished. Of a truth it cannot be princes continued going their rounds as usual, that a king so just and holy and clever as our but on the seventh night the eldest prince king is should perish in this way."
begged to be allowed to go out of his turn, "The gods prevent such a disaster!" said | because it was in his heart to save the king.
• Trah, Tran (also Sanskrit), an exclamation denoting "meroy ! pardon !"
Hom, a kind of offering by fire, which can be made by Brahmana only. It is an offering for special occasions. The method of making it is as follows:-During the utteranceof prayers and invocations, according to the
object of the sacrifice, five kinds of wood, together with darbd grass, rioe, and ghi, are kindlod and burnt. The fire is kept burning only as long as the occasion for it late. The hom is & most efficacious offering, oompelling the obedience of the gods and changing in the Fate.
