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116 the burden of its sins. I know that Christians, at the first sight, object, to a certain extent, to the reasonableness of the Hindu belief as to the efficacy of the Krura Danams. But I do not think they will have much reason to object after they read my explanation. I must, however, say here that I am writing these essays for Hindus first and then for all others. Christians, however, believe that prayers obtain mercy from God, who forgives the sin of the person praying or of the person on whose behalf the prayer is offered. A few sects of Christians believe that prayers offered at and after funerals by the relatives and friends of the departed person obtain the mercy of God and secure peace and happiness for the soul of the departed. The Hindu belief as regards Krura Danams is that it has the effect of transferring a portion of the giver's sin to the person that receives the gift, and that the receiver