Somé believe, that only from the ninth to the thirteenth are indispensable duties. Except a Saniassi and a Sooder, all other Hindoos are bound to perform this tedious Pooja thrice every day.

Besides these daily offerings of rice, fruits, and ghee, the Hindoos have their gand national sacrifices, not very dissimilar from that of the scape-goat among the Hebrews. The reader will find an account of one of these sacrifices extracted from a Sanscreet book and inserted in the Preface to Mr Halhed's Code. It is called performing the JUGG, literally the sacrifice; and though that of the living horse and bull, as well as the more impious oblation of human beings, so extensively detailed towards the commencement of this theological Dissertation, are no longer suffered in Hindostan, yet, have the Brahmins instituted an ingenious substitute, which, without staining the altar with blood, once swelled with exhaustless treasures the coffers of the pagoda. If the expiatory sacrifice of a man for some atrocious crime be no longer demanded by the gods, the weight of a man in gold and jewels is the only compensation that can be admitted in lieu of the original. If the milk-white steed no longer pours his noble blood on the

altar

altar of the sun, the radiant deity may yet be appeased with a golden horse. If the immolated bull no longer smoke upon the sacred coals of that altar and feed at once the ravenous idol and his glutton priests, a thousand cows, with the points of their horns plated with gold and their hoofs shod with silver, will suffice to avert the dreaded calamity which the living sacrifice was intended to deprecate. This kind of jugg is called DAN, or the giving away of alms to the needy; and of this dan, or pious donation, there are sixteen kinds enumerated in a section of the Ayeen Akbery, a section which cannot be omitted because it is one of the most curious in the whole book. The immense value of these oblations, which history informs us were in antient times actually and frequently bestowed on the Brahmins, demonstrates, as I before had occasion to remark, that Hindostan must, before the invasion of the Mahommedan plunderers, have been far more abundant in bullion and jewels than it has been at any period since that invasion.

A

THE POOJA, CALLED DAN, OR PIOUS PROPITIATORY DONATIONS.

There are various methods of performing DAN, or pacificatory oblations of bullion and jewels. 1. The devotee weighs himself against gold, silver, and other valuables, and presents the amount to the Brahmins as an oblation to the gods. 2. An image of Brahma is made with four faces, in each of which are two eyes, two ears, two noses, and two mouths; it has four hands, and the parts of the body like an ordinary man. It is of gold and ought to weigh not less than thirty-three tolahs* and four mashahs, nor more than 3410 tolahs. The height must be seventy-two fingers; the breadth forty-eight fingers. This is adorned with jewels; and, after the performance of certain ceremonies, given away in alms. 3. An egg is made of gold, divided in two parts, which join together so as to make a perfect oval. It must not be smaller in breadth and height than twelve fingers nor larger than a hundred

* The tolah, we are informed by Tavernier, a merchant in gold and jewels, is a weight peculiarly appropriated, throughout the Mogul empire, to those precious commodities; and, according to that author, a hundred tolahs amount to thirty-eight

ounces.

hundred and ten fingers. The weight must be from sixty-six tolahs six mashahs to three thousand three hundred and thirty-three tolahs four mashahs. 4. This donation consists of a tree which was one of the fourteen things disgorged by the sea in the Courma Avatar. Birds are represented sitting upon the branches. It is made of gold and must not weigh less than two tolahs. 5. This consists of one thousand cows, with the points of their horns plated with gold and their hoofs with silver, with bells and katasses about their necks. 6. This consists of a cow and calf, made of gold, weighing from 850 to 3400 tolahs. 7. The seventh is a horse, made of gold, weighing from 10 tolahs to 3333 tolahs four mashahs. 8. A four-wheeled chariot, made of gold, with four or eight horses, weighing from 10 tolahs to 6660 tolahs eight mashabs. 9. A carriage, drawn by four elephants, all of gold, weighing from 16 tolahs to 6660 tolahs eight mashahs. 10. Four ploughs of gold, of the same weight as the last article. 11. A representation of a piece of land, with mountains and rivers made of gold, not weighing less than 16 tolabs eight mashahs, nor more than 3333 tolalis. 12. A golden sphere, weighing from 66

tolahs

1

tolahs eight mashahs to 3333 tolahs four mashahs. 13. A golden vine, weighing from 16 tolahs to 3333 tolahs four mashahs. 14. A representation of the seven seas in gold, weighing from 23 tolahs four mashahs to 3333 tolahs four mashahs. 15. A cow and calf made of precious stones. 16. A golden figure, with the head of an elephant and the other parts human, weight from 16 tolahs eight mashahs to 3333 tolahs four mashahs.

According to some Purauns, toladan is the only kind that is proper, and none of the others should be less than 106 tolabs six mashahs or more than 833 tolahs four mashahs. There are also different opinions about the manner of distribution; some Brahmins maintaining that it ought to be first given to the ACHAREYA and by them distributed to others. The ACHAREYA are those who teach the Vedas and other sciences. There are distinct ceremonies appointed for each kind of Dan, but it may be bestowed at any time; although, offerings made during eclipses, and when the sun enters the sign of Capricorn, are esteemed more especially meritorious. Great rewards are promised to those who are charitable; insomuch, that, for the first kind of Dan, when a man gives away his own weight in

gold,