Indian Antiquary Vol 60

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 182

164
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
August, 1931
Fleischgenuss vermeiden.... Von vegetabilischer Nahrung soll man Knoblauch, Lauch, Zwiebeln, Pilze, auf dem Mist gewachsene Pflanzen meiden. Auch von unwürdigen Personen geschenkte, abgestandene Speisen, wie Überreste einer Mahlzeit, von unreinen Tieren oder Menschen berührte Speisen u. dgl. dürfen nicht genossen werden."17 Further lentills are taboo to all good Brahmaņas, and it is forbidden to partake of food while standing or lying down, in a naked state, or in wet clothes. 18
Another imaginary heinous offence committed by young Hindus in modern times in ever increasing numbers is going to foreign parts, but fortunately this offence can easily be expiated. A traveller is often believed to contract a dangerous infection from strangers, especially if the strangers are of an inferior caste; and therefore, when, at the end of his 80journ in a foreign country, as for example Europe, he returns to his native place, he is required to submit to various purificatory ceremonies before he is allowed to mix freely with his kinsfolk, or before any one of his own caste may mix with him. In the vast majority of cases all he is required to do in order to be purified is to poll his hair—which may nevertheless be retained on payment of & certain sum of money-and by tasting the pañcagavya or the five products of the cow. In one case however certain Hindu ambassadors who were sent to England were required to expiate more rigorously. They were considered so polluted by coming in contact with strangers that nothing short of being reborn was held sufficient in their case. A golden yoni was made, and they were obliged to pass through it in order to be reborn ; and they came out stainless as newborn babes. 19
As to what constitutes prayascitta, there are different forms of varying hardships. One of the easiest forms is the reading of certain ancient Sanskrit texts, but it is not quite clear which is the most efficacious.' The Vimu Purana says that whoever listens to the history of Prahlada is immediately cleansed from his sins, and that a man who hears this Purdna obtains the fruit of bathing in the Puşkara lake for twelve years in the month of Karttika (Ootober-November). Equally emphatic, if not more, is the Bhagavad-gita about its supposed efficaoy in cleansing all kinds of sins. Here we are told that a man who attentively studies its eighteen chapters attains knowledge and thereafter salvation; if he is unable to read the whole of it but reads only one balf, there is no doubt but that he acquires as much virtue as is attained by the gift of a cow [to a Brahmana); he who reads only a third of it acquires thereby the fruit of bathing in the Ganges; the diligent reader of a sixth part gains as much virtue as though he has performed the soma sacrifice; and finally, he who reads only one chapter daily attains Rudra-loka and lives there happily for a long time. 80. And a little fur. ther on it is said that even if a great sinner is fond of listening to the Gite he will attain Vaikuntha and live there in peace with Vişnu.11 Analysing the Gitd text we find that the gift of a cow is regarded as an expiation of the highest order, next to that comes bathing in the Ganges, and the third place is allotted to the soma sworifice.
(To be continued.)
17 J. Jolly, Recht und Sitte (Gr. d. indo-ariach. Phil.), pp. 157 1.
18 B. Bonnerjee, "Some Notes on Magic and Taboo in Bengal," The Indian Antiquary, lvii (Bombay, 1928), p. 111.
19 Id., "The Power of Magic in Bengal," The Indian Antiquary, lviii (1929), p. 76 and noto's. Reforonces are given there. 30 Yo'apadalajapo nityam naro nidcalamdnorah
JAdnasiddhin sa labhate tato ydzi parans padam (10) Pathe' Geamarthah sampame tatoarddan pdfhamdcaret Tadd goddnajam punyaris labhate ndera sarhayal (11) Tribhdgar paghandnasta garigdondnaphalar' labhet Şarapan japamanauta somaydgaphalam labhes (12) Ekddhydyantu yo nityari pathale bhaktisashyutal
Rudralokama dpnoti garo bhdtud vasecciram (13) Srlglidmdhdimyam, 10-13 (Aryadharmmagrantha. valt, pt. i, pp. 413 f).)" 11 " Cherthadravandeakto mahdpd payuto api ud
Vaikuntham samavdpnoti vaimund saha modate"-(ibid., 18 (p. 416].)