Imatges de pàgina
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nesses of others but rather to be used for others good:

"I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died."

"All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.

It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak."

"If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest, I make my brother to offend."

(Rom. xiv. 14, 15, 20, 21; 1 Cor. viii. 13.)

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one will only calmly think of it, these festivals are not without their bright side. They are periods of rest and enjoyment in the lives of many who have not over much brightness in their existence; and in this respect, at least, they serve one of the purposes for which it pleased the Almighty to appoint the Sabbath. It is pleasant to think of the dull plodding round of toil being broken, now and then, in the life of our Hindu brethren, by a little rest and enjoyment; albeit one could wish that the events commemorated were often other than they are, both in origin, and in manner of commemoration.

Allusion has been made to the general ignorance of the Englishman in India of things connected with the daily life of the Hindu, and of much that is constantly taking place before his very eyes. The same observation might be made, too, as regards these festive seasons. Ask an ordinary Englishman what is the meaning of any particular Hindu feast that may be in course of observance, why it is kept up, and why in such and such a particular form; and in nine cases out of ten the answer will convey very little information, and that even by those long resident in the country. Indeed the natives themselves are often unable to give a very clear answer to such questions, even when they join in the observances. It is intended, in this and the following chapters, to throw some little light on this subject, though, owing to the variations occasioned by difference of caste and sect, the task is not at all an easy one. The information conveyed can at best be but fragmentary, and may not answer in detail for every part of the country.

As may be seen in the Native Almanac, there are some 125 festivals, of greater or less importance, marked for observance during the current year. Some of these have to do with all classes of Hindus as Samvatsaradi (New Year's day), and some with certain classes only, as Sivaratri (the birth night of Siva), which, as the name itself indicates, is not observed by the worshippers of Vishnu. Some of them, again, are only observed by men, as Krishna

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The birthdays of the gods, and the coronation days of the Manus (legislators and saints), must be punctually observed, with worship and fastings. By this purity of mind and happiness will accrue, and sin will, to a large extent, be destroyed. (Dharma pannam.)

As far back as history or tradition takes us, we find that communities were accustomed to set apart periodically recurring days and seasons, to be commemorative of events of national, or racial importance. These seasons were usually marked by more or less complete rest from all ordinary labour, and they seem, from the very earliest times, to have been observed with religious solemnities. In the absence of written history, great events would be best kept in remembrance by such constantly recurring observances, the character of which would be joyous or mournful in correspondence with the events commemorated. Outside the history of other ancient nations, the written annals of the Jewish nation afford us abundantly sufficient examples of these festive occasions, and the kind of events they were instituted to keep in remembrance. Christianity, too, is not without its solemn seasons, which serve to emphasize those events of most conspicuous importance in connection with our Holy Faith.

It does not need a very lengthened residence in India to find out how particularly devoted are its people to keeping up the numerous, and varied festivals, prescribed by custom or religion. It sometimes requires a large exercise of that quality for which the Englishman, in India at least, is not conspicuous, to quietly submit to the inconveniences to which one is, at times, put by demands for leave of absence to celebrate this or that feast. And yet, if

one will only calmly think of it, these festivals are not without their bright side. They are periods of rest and enjoyment in the lives of many who have not over much brightness in their existence; and in this respect, at least, they serve one of the purposes for which it pleased the Almighty to appoint the Sabbath. It is pleasant to think of the dull plodding round of toil being broken, now and then, in the life of our Hindu brethren, by a little rest and enjoyment; albeit one could wish that the events commemorated were often other than they are, both in origin, and in manner of commemoration.

Allusion has been made to the general ignorance of the Englishman in India of things connected with the daily life of the Hindu, and of much that is constantly taking place before his very eyes. The same observation might be made, too, as regards these festive seasons. Ask an ordinary Englishman what is the meaning of any particular Hindu feast that may be in course of observance, why it is kept up, and why in such and such a particular form; and in nine cases out of ten the answer will convey very little information, and that even by those long resident in the country. Indeed the natives themselves are often unable to give a very clear answer to such questions, even when they join in the observances. It is intended, in this and the following chapters, to throw some little light on this subject, though, owing to the variations occasioned by difference of caste and sect, the task is not at all an easy one. The information conveyed can at best be but fragmentary, and may not answer in detail for every part of the country.

As may be seen in the Native Almanac, there are some 125 festivals, of greater or less importance, marked for observance during the current year. Some of these have to do with all classes of Hindus as Samvatsaradi (New Year's day), and some with certain classes only, as Sivaratri (the birth night of Siva), which, as the name itself indicates, is not observed by the worshippers of Vishnu. Some of them, again, are only observed by men, as Krishna

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