The Prayer: 1. पापोऽहं पापकर्मा हं पापात्मा पापसंभवः । त्राहि मां कृपया देव शरणागतवत्सल ॥ 2. मत्समः पातको नास्ति त्वत्समो नास्ति मोचकः । पापिनं मां सदा ज्ञात्वा यथेच्छसि तथा करु || 1. I am a sinner; all my deeds are sinful. I am of a sinful mind; I am born in sin. O God, in mercy save me! Thou who art merciful to those who flee to thee. 2. There is no sinner equal to me. There is no deliverer like unto thee. Ever knowing me to be a sinner. Much the same kind of purificatory ceremony is gone through in the event, for instance, of the well getting ceremonially contaminated. A case occurred quite recently, in which a well of good water became impure through a non-caste servant of a European, who had access to it, having ventured to draw water from the well himself instead of getting some caste man to draw for him. Some stir was caused by this, and the European master was petitioned to pay the expenses of the purification rendered necessary by the act of his servant. To this demand he gave a firm refusal, his right to the use of the well not being disputed. It ended by the well being simply aban doned, as far as all caste people were concerned, and left for the use of the non-castes only and Europeans, as it is to this day. There are various other occasions calling for purification; as, for instance, if a robber were to break into a house and go into the kitchen, as he might be a low caste man, the full purification ceremony would be necessary; if a dog or any other unclean animal were to die in or near the house, the place must be purified by sprinkling water mixed with cow dung, or with cow's urine. This is a minor purification which is often resorted to for lesser defilements. Enough, however, has been said to give a general idea of defilements and purifications connected with the Hindu home, and to go further into detail would exceed our limits. What has been here attempted is to give some general idea of the material home itself, rather than the home life of the people. Doubtless home life, true domestic happiness, is much influenced by the immediate surroundings, but, after all, habit and custom are much if not everything in such matters, and certainly many an Indian home is happy in spite of what may seem to us its dulness and monotony. The old English proverb which says that "Home is home be it ever so homely" expresses a truth that can be applied in many ways; it is the hearts that make the home. What must be deplored, however, is the hard bondage to superstition that is so evident in every page of this description-a thraldom emancipation from which seems so remote, and, viewed by itself, well nigh hopeless. It is but a mere truism to say that real progress in a nation cannot be said to have begun until it affects the home life; and, as regards India, it is the home that seems the last place to be affected by progress and enlightenment. Superstitions and kindred evils that would seem to be effete, if considered in the light of the platform and the press, are seen in the home life, to be as deeply rooted and as bindingly powerful as ever. CHAPTER III. THE HINDU DAILY ROUND. नित्यकर्म. (Nityakarma). "Self-love is no laudable motive, yet an exemption from self-love is not to be found in this world: on self-love is grounded the study of Scripture, and the practice of actions recommended in it. "Eager desire to act has its root in expectation of some advantage; and with such expectation are sacrifices performed; the rules of religious austerity and abstinence from sins are all known to arise from hope of remuneration. Not a single act here below appears ever to be done by a man free from self-love; whatever he performs, it is wrought from his desire of reward." (Manu II. 2, 3, 4.) This quotation from the ancient law-giver might serve well as a text upon which to found a homily, showing the distinctive principle that underlies all Hindu religion, and comparing it with that of the religion of Christ. All Hindu religious observances, and good works, proceed from a desire to propitiate a malevolent power, and thus ward off evil, or, from an equally low and selfish motive, to obtain personal advantage to obtain some worldly good, or to lay up a store of personal merit so as the sooner to have done with the weary round of transmigration, and attain the goal of each one's aspirations, absorption into the divine essence. True the great sage does, in a verse following on the above quotation, say that should any one persist in discharging his duties without any view to their fruits, he would attain hereafter the state of the immortals; but he says this with what sounds like a saddened tone, and as though it were a foregone conclusion that such disinterested motives could never be found. One might point out how different all this is to the motive for love to God and obedience to the Divine law, as laid down in the Christian Vedas; how being constrained by the love of Christ, loving God because He first loved us, love springing from gratitude for infinite benefits already conferred (2 Cor. v. 14: 1 John iv. 19), how this is the motive held out as the one that ought to actuate the Christian, and which does, more or less, actuate numberless followers of Jesus of Nazareth, however it may be set aside by many mere professors. To follow this thought further would form a most instructive theme, but it would be somewhat beside the purpose in hand, which is to describe the daily life of an orthodox Hindu of the present day; that is, as far as his religious rites and ceremonies are concerned. In this series of chapters on Hindu life and ways, it is not, perhaps, necessary to say much by way of comment as we proceed; that is not needed, for there is so much upon the surface that must, naturally, furnish food for reflection without need of much such prompting. Before entering upon the subject before us it would be well to mention that what we have in view is the daily life of a Brahmin. Other castes and noncastes are less particular in their religious observances, in proportion as they descend in the social scale, but all are more or less particular in their performance of some parts of the Hindu ritual, and from a description of the life of the highest, a fair idea can be gathered of the whole. Theoretically the life of a Brahmin is divided into four stages. The first, that of being a Brahmachari or unmarried student, is entered upon when he undergoes the ceremony of Upanayanam, or institution into the state of the twice born. Up to that time he has not been a Brahmin at all, as will be seen in the chapter on the Yagnōpavitam, or sacred thread. The next stage is that of being a Gruhastha or Married householder; the third that of a Vanaprastha or anchorite; the fourth that of a Sanyasi or hermit. The daily course of life laid down for each of these stages is widely different, but without going into that of the other three, we shall attempt to give as clear an idea as we can of the various rites and ceremonies that should be gone through every day by the strict Hindu during the second period, that of the ordinary married man. It is not to be supposed that every Brahmin in these days goes through the whole of the prescribed ritual; but there are some ceremonial observances that must be gone through by all; and any one who is anxious for the merit and good name of being strictly religious, (and there are very many such to be met with), does actually go through the daily course of life here described. The pious Brahmin rises before daybreak; strictly according to Dharma Shastra rule this should be two hours before sun rise. Dharma Shastra is a written code minutely regulating the daily life of a good Hindu. His first thoughts on awaking from slumber, are directed to the deity whom he particularly worships. He will sit quietly for some time in silent contemplation, occasionally repeating a verse or two in praise of Krishna, and Rama, or Siva, as the case may be, and perhaps a prayer for divine help. He does not repeat these verses from the Vedas, as he has not yet bathed, and no words from those sacred writings must be taken within lips whilst thus unpurified. They are from the Puranas or sacred books which occupy a lower position than the Vedas. The following are specimens and it will be seen that the first two of the three quoted, are addressed to Krishna and Rama respectively, whilst the third is in praise of Siva. Vaishnavas, or worshippers of Vishnu and his various incarnations, would use the first two; but they would not use the third. Smarthas would use either or all of the three, as whilst they chiefly worship Siva they are at liberty to adore any other god of the Hindu pantheon. बालाय नीलवपुषे नवकिंकिणीक जालाभिरामजघनाय दिगम्बराय | |