Page:History of India Vol 9.djvu/146

 112 THE PEACTICE OF SUTTEE change. Their strength seemed well-nigh to forsake them in spite of their obvious efforts to suppress their natural feelings. During this interval the body of the king had been placed on the top of the pyramid of sandalwood. The two queens, still wearing their rich attire and ornaments, were next compelled to ascend the pile. Lying down beside the body of the deceased prince, one on the right and the other on the left, they joined hands across the corpse. The officiating Brah- mans then recited in a loud tone several mantras, sprinkled the pile with their tirtha, or holy water, and emptied the jars of ghee over the wood, setting fire to it at the same moment. This was done on one side by the nearest relative of the king, on another by his guru, on others by leading Brahmans. The flames quickly spread, and the props being removed, the whole structure collapsed, and in its fall must have crushed to death the two unfortunate victims. Thereupon all the spectators shouted aloud for joy. The unhappy women's relatives standing around the pile then called to them several times by name, and it is said that, issu- ing from amidst the flames, the word Yen? (What?) was heard distinctly pronounced. A ridiculous illusion, no doubt, of minds blinded by fanaticism; for it could never be believed that the unfortunate victims were at that moment in a condition to hear and to speak. Two days after, when the fire was completely ex- tinguished, they removed from amidst the ashes the remnants of the bones that had been entirely consumed, and put them into copper urns, which were carefully