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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
OCTOBER, 1907.
LVII.
Sumptuary Customs.
201. Kolis, cobblers, weavers, washermen, barbers, tars (musicians), ironsmiths, bharérás, and shepherds do not wear gold and gems, nor do they wear shawls, chugds, sarbandú (dresses), gulbadan and kimkhdb (silken cloth). In addition to these tribes, the Kanaits do not wear gold arm-rings, bardgar, sarshôbhá, amirash and diamonds (ornaments), and cloths of kimkhab. But nowadays this custom is being disregarded.
No tribes, except Brahmans, Râjpûts and Baniâs can take their food in silver vessels.
There is no custom as regards planting and eating of herbs or plants.
LVIII. Naming Customs.
202. Some plants have names like those of some of the tribes, but there is no tradition about them worth mentioning.
203. Children ordinarily have two names: birth name and ordinary name. The former is used in performing religious ceremonies, and no one except the priest knows this name. The latter is used in ordinary business and is known to all. An opprobrious name is given to a boy whose elder brother died before his birth, e. g., Gandû, Badû, etc., in order that he may live. Holes are made in his nose and ears like the women.
204. The above applies both to boys and girls.
205. In ordinary matters, parents swear by their children and vice versa. They touch their bodies. In legal matters, a man is made to swear by the god that he believes in. The man who takes an oath in the temple of a god, touches the image of the god, or throws a stone towards the temple, or picks up the money or disputed objects before the god. Some caths are performed by touching a cow or lifting upon one's head the water of the Ganges.
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206. The truth or falsity of a man who takes an ordeal is determined in this way if he suffers any loss or injury, then he is considered false; and if he prospers, then he is true. In ancient times cases were tried by making the culprit dive in water, by putting the hand in hot oil, or by giving poison to a goat.
The party who was willing to take an oath was taken to a tank or a khad (valley) full of water and was made to dive. If he was true, then he came back to the surface and won the case; otherwise he was considered false and, being pronounced guilty, suffered punishment.
Ten or fifteen seers of oil were boiled in an iron cauldron, and when it was foaming a copper piece was dropped in it. The man ready to take oath was then asked to pick up this piece. If his hand was burnt, he was considered false, and lost the case. If, on the other hand, he received no injury, he won the suit.
A flat piece of iron was made red hot, and the tongue of the swearing person was branded with it. The burning of the tongue showed the falsity of the swearer, while its safety proved him true in his cause.
The parties to a dispute used to bring two goats alike in all respects. The goats were given equal quantities of poison. The party whose goat was affected with poison before the other's was considered to be in the right and won the case.
All these three customs are now out of use in British territories. 207. All quarrels are decided by the oaths stated above.
