SECT. XVI. Fasting, (Oopuvasů.)

FASTING is another work of merit among the Hindoos. A common fast is conducted in the following manner :— The person abstains on the preceding day from rubbing his body with oil, and from eating, except once in the former part of the day. The next day he eats nothing; and on the following day he eats once, worships some god, and entertains one or more bramhuns. If a person be unable to fast to such a degree, he is permitted to take a little milk on the second day; if he be very weak, he may add fruit, eurds, sweetmeats, &c.

Some Hindoos fast on the 11th of the increase, and the 12th of the decrease of the moon in every month; on the 11th in Shravănů, Bhadrů, and Kartikŭm; on the 12th in Shravănů; on the 14th of the decrease of the moon in Phalgoonu"; on the 9th in Choitrůo; on the 8th in Bhadrů; and on the 8th in Ashwinu. In this month many natives of Hindoost'han fast on the first nine days of the moon, in honour of Doorga; and observe, as they say, a total abstinence, even from water. Fasts precede some of the festivals after the death of parents Hindoos fast three

I Widows keep this fast so strictly, that if a widow were dying, and a draught of water would prolong life, her friends would scarcely give it.

On the first of these days Vishnoo goes to sleep; on the second he turns to the other side; and on the third he awakes.

The occasion of this fast is thus related:-On a certain occasion, Doorga asked Shivů what would please him most, and be a work of the greatest merit. He replied, to hold a fast in his name on the 14th of the wane of the moon in Phalgoonů.

• The birth-day of Ramă.

The time of the Doorga festival.

P Krishnu's birth-day.

days; after that of a husband, a wife fasts three days; before offering an atonement, a fast is observed; the day any pilgrim arrives at a holy place he fasts; in fulfilling vows, the Hindoos keep many fasts; some persons enter into a resolution to fast every other day, and persevere in this for years. Some renounce rice altogether, and keep a perpetual fast, living on milk, fruits, &c. Others (pilgrims) offer a certain fruit to some idol, and renounce this kind of fruit, promising never to eat of it again to the end of life. The gods, it is said, delight to see their followers renounce any thing as an act of devotion or attachment to them. This person presents to bramhuns fruit, thus renounced, on the anniversary of the day on which he renounced it.— Another custom, bearing a similarity to fasting, also prevails among the Hindoos :-In the months Asharhu, Shravănů, Bhadrů, and Ashwinŭ, many renounce certain articles of diet, and others omit to be shaved, as acts of devotion to the gods.

The blessing expected from fasting is, that the person will ascend to the heaven of that god in whose name he observes the fast.

SECT. XVII.-Gifts, (Danŭ1.)

PRESENTS to learned bramhŭns; to those less learned; to unlearned bramhůns; to one whose father was a bramhun, but his mother a shōōdrů; and alms to the poor, are called by the name of danů. The things which may be presented are, whatever may be eaten, or worn, or is in use

☛ From da, to give.

among Hindoos. These are the common gifts, but the shastrus have pointed out extraordinary gifts: a daughter in marriage without receiving a fees; a pool of watert; a shalgramů; a house containing food, clothes, &c. for twelve months; gold; cows; elephants; horses; palanqueens; a road; a copy of a pooranŭ; a mountain of gold", silver, brass, rice, or other articles; land; a person's whole pro-、 perty; yea, even his life.

The generality of the respectable Hindoos say, that receiving a fee for a daughter is like selling flesh; yet the lower orders of bramhuns commonly receive money on giving a daughter in marriage. Formerly the Hindoo rajas assisted the bramhŭns by giving them money for the expenses of their weddings. A story is related of a raja, who was intreated by a bramhůn to bestow a gift upon him for the expenses of his marriage. The raja ordered him to put a garland round the neck of the first woman he met, and let her become his wife. The bramhun went out, and met the raja's mother returning from bathing. When about to put the garland round her neck, she demanded the reason of this strange conduct; which the bramhún explained. The old lady told him to wait, and she would bring about what he wanted. She sat at the door of the palace, and compelled her son to come and invite her in. She replied, that she was become the wife of such a bramhun, and that she must go with her new husband. The raja, thunderstruck, called for the bramhŭn, gave him a thousand roopees towards his wedding, and brought his mother into the house again.

* Pools are dug every year in all parts of Bengal, and offered to all creatures, accompanied with a number of ceremonies.

■ The height of these mountain-gifts is given in the Pooshkůrů-khůndů of the Půdmů-pooranů. It must not be supposed that they are very large; but it is necessary that figures of trees, deer, &c. should be seen on them. In one of the smritees is an account of a prostitute, who offered a mountain of gold. About the year 1794, Chénooghoshé, a kaisťhŭ of Midnapore, gave to the bramhuns an artificial mountain of gold. A little before this, Gopalŭ-krishnů, a voidyů, of Rajů-nŭgůrů, presented to the bramhuns three mountains, one of gold, another of rice, and another of the seeds of

sesamum.

It is very common for rich land-owners to make presents of land to bramhuins. At a shraddhŭ for a father or a mother, a piece of land, or its value in money, is invariably given to bramhuns, unless the person be

There are three ways of presenting a gift; one in which the person worships the receiver; another in which he gives as an act of benevolence; and the last, in which the giver prays for some blessing on presenting his gift. If a shōōdrů wish to present a gift to a bramhŭn, he bathes, and carries it fasting on arriving in the presence of the bramhun, he sprinkles the gift with water, repeating an incantation that it may be thereby purified, and then presents it with such words as these: Sir, I have presented to you this gift: let me have your blessing, that I may obtain heaven, or, that my father may obtain heaven, or that it may be imputed to me as an act of merit.'

If a man present land to bramhuns, he will obtain heaven; if a cow, he will after death ride on a cow across the river Voiturǎnēē; if water, after death he will find refreshing water in his journey to Yumalŭyŭ, (the residence of Yŭmů, the regent of death;) if a house to bramhŭns, he will obtain a palace in heaven; if an umbrella to a bramhun, he will not suffer, in another world, from the rays of the sun; if shoes, in his way to heaven he will not suffer from the heat of the ground; if perfumes to bramhuns, he will never, after death, receive an offensive smell; if medicine to the blind, he will be delivered from darkness hereafter; if a daughter to a bramhŭn, without a fee, he will gain as much as if he had given the whole world.

poor. Many of the Hindoo rajas sought out poor bramhăns, and gave them grants of land. A story is related of Keērttee-chůndrů, raja of Burdwan, who once found a poor fatherless boy, the son of a bramhůn, tending cattle he gave him a village, with at much land as he could run over without stopping; and disinherited the shōōdrů who had dared to employ the son of a bramhún in so mean an occupation. The same raja ordered a man to be cut in pieces, for refusing to restore to a bramhun a grant of land which the former had bought in a lot offered for sale.

SECT. XVIII.-Entertaining Bramhúns.

As might be expected in a system formed by bramhŭns, honouring them with a feast is represented as an act of the highest merit. At the close of all religious ceremonies, bramhuns are entertained; private individuals, during particular holidays, make a feast for one or more bramhŭns ; a person on his birth-day, on the anniversary of the day in which he received the initiating incantation, or at the full moon, or at any feast, entertains bramhuns. During the whole of the month Voishakhů, it is very meritorious to give feasts to bramhŭns.

SECT. XIX.-Various Works of Merit.

THE Hindoo lawgivers have established several customs, which, if separated from idolatry, would be worthy of the. highest commendation: they promise to the obedient the greatest rewards in a future state.

Among these we may place hospitality to strangers". The traveller, when he wishes to rest for the night, goes to a house, and says, 'I am utit❜hee;' i. e. I am to be entertained at your house. The master or mistress of the house, if of a hospitable disposition, gives him water to wash his

y Munoo says, 'No guest must be dismissed in the evening by a house. keeper: he is sent by the returning sun, and whether he come in fit season or unseasonably, he must not sojourn in the house without entertainment. Let not himself eat any delicate food, without asking his guest to partake of it: the satisfaction of a guest will assuredly bring the housekeeper wealth, reputation, long life, and a place in heaven.' \