Page:The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis II 1921 3-4.djvu/71

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THE ANAL-EROTIC FACTOR IN HINDU RELIGION 325



called Darvi, and the application of a small quantity with the finger to different parts of the body, and the utterance of a prayer. The ashes are applied to the forehead, the neck, the navel, the right shoulder, the left shoulder, and the head respectively. Another prayer to the god of fire concludes the Vaisvadeva portion of the service. But the Vaisvadeva ceremony is not complete without the Vali-harana, or offering of food to all gods and all creatures, in- cluding all kinds of animals and spirits. The worshipper begins by placing a small mouthful of cooked rice in a circle on the ground between himself and the fire-receptacle, allotting separate portions to all the gods to whom off'erings have already been made in the fire, as well as to other beings outside the circle, in regular order. After the due performance of the Vaisvadeva and Bali-harana ceremonies the cooked food is considered fit to be consumed, but yet other ceremonies are due in the matter of eating and drinking. In the first place, the usual sipping of water (acamana) for internal purification, has to be performed. Each diner pours water with a spoon into the palm of the hand, then someone leads the others and all sip together. Next, water is sprinkled in a circle round each plate, and someone of the company repeats a grace before eating. After the recitation of this grace the actual business ot eating may begin, but each person first places either four or five small mouthfuls of food on the ground on the right side of his leaf plate. His meal over, the Hindu (Brahman) washes his hands and rinses his mouth. He must also gargle his throat twelve times. Towards sunset he returns to the river and performs the evening sandhya, repeating the ceremonies of the morning. On his return home he performs the homam for the second time, and reads some Puranas. He again goes through the Hari-Smarana. Having com- pleted his religious duties for the day, he takes his evening meal, observing the usual ceremonies, and goes to bed soon afterwards. A Brahman must purify the place where he is going to sleep by rubbing it over with cow dung, and he must manage so that the place cannot be overlooked by any one. A Brahman must never sleep on a mountain, in a graveyard, in a temple, in any place where they do puja (worship), in any place dedicated to evil spirits, under the shadow of a tree, on ground that has been tilled, in a cowshed, in the house of his gura (spiritual teacher), in any spot that is higher than that where there happens to be the image of some god, or where there are ashes, holes made by