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MAY, 1927]
BOOK-NOTICES
Correct as seems to be the etymology given by Gundert and Kittel, they have not taken the trouble to give any detailed explanation of it. As the present writer feels convinced of the correctness of their derivation and wholly appreciates the importance of the word puja for the history of Hinduism, he will try presently to show how the word has come to its present meaning.
III.
In the Hindu temple service of our days the idols are treated like earthly monarchs and dignitaries33. In the morning one wakes them with the sounding of bells, instruments and hymns, just as in the Sanskrit literature the king is wakened up by the waitálikas with song and instrumental music34. Then they are bathed, smeared with sandal-powder, ointments, etc., dressed, fed and adored with incense, perfumes, betel, etc.; at times they are taken for an outing, or to visit their neighbours in other temples, and in the evening lamps are swung in front of them, and the devadasis perform their dances before the idol ere it is again brought to rest.
In this daily life of the idols the series of rites called pújá occupies the central part. Its separate parts are said by the good old Abbé Dubois36 to be fifteen, while Mrs. Stevenson, in her excellent book enumerates and extensively describes sixteen of them. This very detailed puja is, however, a characteristic of the present Hinduism, which has long been regulated by the Brahmans, and is highly artificial, though primitive elements can be observed within it. So we must try to find out which of these many rites can be considered to be the primitive and original paja.
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The different sacrificial meals, which are offered to the gods as naivedya and after that generally caten by the worshippers as prasada, can be left wholly out of consideration. That one offers meals to the gods and idols is a common habit all over the earth, and nothing would lead us to believe that this is the chief constituent of the paja. But the influence of Brahmanism has made these meals vegetarian, which they certainly were not during earlier times. We may also dispense ourselves from considering certain other elements in the present půjd. What is, however, its most characteristic part is undoubtedly the washing of the idal (or the sprinkling of the linga) with water or with honey, curds, sugared water, etc., and the smearing or daubing it with certain ointments, powders or oily substances, which are generally of brilliant red or yellow colour.
(To be continued.)
BOOK-NOTICES.
CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM. Vol. I. INSCRIP. TIONS OF ASOKA. New Edition. By E. HULTZSCH, PH.D. With 55 Plates. Printed for the Government of India at the Clarendon Press, 1925.
Of the making of books dealing with the age of the Mauryas and the Asokan inscriptions there is no end. The present volume, which is likely to be the most authoritative edition of the Edicts yet published, was in process of being printed when the outbreak of war in 1914 put a stop to all. such work. Preparations for publication were resumed in 1920 and have culminated in the appear. ance of this fine volume, which does credit to the author and his collaborators. The volume con
sists of an exhaustive Introduction, describing fully each of the Asokan inscriptions, and chapters on Asoka himself, his empire, his conversion, his dharma, and the grammars of the various groups of inscriptions. Then follow the Texts and Translations, accompanied by excellent collotype reproductions of negatives made from estampages, which are as perfect as human ingenuity can make them. In the case of the Shahbâzgarhi and Mansehra edicts they are the first ever made which admit of photographic reproduction.
Space forbids my discussing the details of Dr. Hultzsch's work; but I notice on page xxxviii of the Introduction that while deciding definitely that the
royal house."
33 In Tamil the temple is, consequently, called Kovil 34 Cf. Kautilya ed. Jolly, p. 24, 4: sasthe (ratribhage) türyaghosena pratibuddha?. 35 Hindu Manners, p. 147 sy. 36 Rites of the Twice-born, p. 368 sq.
