omniscience, high treason against the sovereignty and other perfections of heaven's Lord. To discover aught that is unknown in science, to invent aught that might be more useful in art, to devise aught for the better regulation of personal, domestic, or political economy;—all this is as much beyond the province of a rigidly orthodox Hindu, as the attempt to scale the empyrean heavens in his own unaided strength, and disclose to mortal gaze the most secret designs and counsels of the eternal, incomprehensible, Spirit.

Does the Hindu ever feel this to be a state of degradationof bondage and vassalage? Quite the contrary. With him it is a source of unbounded gratulation. All being cast in the divine mould,-all must be perfection itself. It is, in his estimation, the glorious, the distinguishing prerogative of his nation to be possessed of the earliest, the most extensively minute, as well as the most perfect revelation of the divine mind. As to the redundancy of specific rules, and forms, and ceremonies connected with the discharge of every function of rational and animal nature, the irksomeness in the ever-revolving round, at once evanishes before the jubilant expectation of a proportionate reward. he could perform all, he would be perfect; and would attain to eternal beatitude. If he perform aught beyond what is barely necessary to prevent infraction of any of the essential requisites of caste, he gains something when he reappears in another form on the stage of time.

If

From these generalities, it is time to descend to more particular statements respecting the boundless range of observances that devolve on the separate castes-the performance of which, according to their amount, and consequent position in the graduated scale of excellence, insures a correspondent advance to the performer in his next birth. It is not indeed possible, without transcribing the whole of the Institutes of Manu, or Halhed's code of Gentoo law, or Colebrooke's essays on the ceremonies of the Hindus, and other similar works, to obtain an adequate comprehension of

the subject? Still, though a perfect comprehension be unattainable, it may be practicable to convey some conception of their general character, from a specific observation of one or two of the leading sub-divisions. For this purpose, we may restrict ourselves to one of the castes,-the highest or Brahmanical,—and supply a few specimens of its peculiar ritual duties.

Contemplating first those rites that may strictly and properly be denominated religious, let us glance at some of the ordinary daily religious practices prescribed to a Brahman, as detailed by Colebrooke in the Asiatic Researches.

When a Brahman rises from sleep in the morning, his first religious duty is to clean his teeth. This is a duty so sacred that the omission of it would incur the penalty of losing the benefit of all other rites performed by him. It consists in rubbing his teeth with a proper withe or twig, of the racemiferous fig tree, pronouncing to himself this prayer:-" Attend, Lord of the forest; Soma, king of herbs and plants, has approached thee: mayest thou and he cleanse my mouth with glory and good auspices, that I may eat abundant food. Lord of the forest !-grant me life, strength, glory, splendour, offspring, cattle, abundant wealth, virtue, knowledge, and intelligence." On certain days, when the use of the withe is forbidden,—that is, on the day of the conjunction, and on the first, sixth, and ninth days of each lunar fortnight, he must, as a substitute, rinse his mouth twelve times with water.

His second duty is carefully to throw away the twig which has been used. It must, on no account, be deposited in any place tainted with any of those multiplied impurities or religious stains enumerated in the sacred writings.

His third duty is religious ablution. This is a duty, the strict observance of which is fraught with efficacy in removing not only corporeal but spiritual defilements. He may bathe with water drawn from a well, from a fountain, or from the basin of a cataract; but he should prefer water which lies above ground,-choosing a stream rather than stagnant water; a river in preference to a small brook; a

holy stream before a vulgar river; and, above all, the water of the Ganges. And, if the Ganges be beyond his reach, he should invoke that holy river, saying,—“ O Ganga, hear my prayers; for my sake be included in this small quantity of water, with the other sacred streams." Then, standing in the river, or in other water, he must hallow his intended performance by the inaudible recitation of certain sacred texts. Next, sipping water, which is a grand preparatory to any act of religion, and sprinkling some before him, the worshipper throws water eight times on the crown of his head, on the earth, towards the sky; again towards the sky, on the earth, on the crown of his head; once more on the earth, on the crown of his head; and, lastly, on the ground to destroy the demons who wage war with the gods. During the performance of this sacred act of ablution, he must be reciting these prayers: "O waters! since ye afford delight, grant us present happiness, and the rapturous sight of the Supreme Being. Like tender mothers, make us here partakers of your most auspicious essence. We become contented with your essence, with which ye satisfy the universe. Waters! grant it to us." Immediately after this first ablution, he should sip water without swallowing it, silently praying in these words,-"Lord of sacrifice! thy heart is in the midst of the waters of the ocean. May salutary herbs and waters pervade thee. With sacrificial hymns and humble salutation we invite thy presence. May this ablution be efficacious." These ceremonies and prayers being concluded, he plunges thrice into the water, each time repeating the prescribed expiatory texts. Last of all, he, in due form, washes his mantle; and rising out of the water, thus terminates his morning ablution.

Besides the prayers and texts from the Vedas and other sacred books, specifically intended for the different parts of all religious observances, there are certain recitations of peculiar efficacy which are constantly to be rehearsed throughout all the parts of all observances. Amongst those of most frequent occurrence, may be noticed the utterance of the names of the seven superior worlds; the triliteral monosyllable AUM,

contracted OM, the symbol of the Triad; and the Gayatri, or holiest text of the Vedas, which, in one of its forms, has been thus translated,-" We meditate on the adorable light of the resplendent Generator, which governs our intellects." The fourth morning duty in immediate succession, in which the Brahman is called on to engage, is the important one of worshipping the rising sun. For discharging this duty aright, he must prepare himself by due ceremony and prayer. He begins by tying the lock of hair on the crown of his head, holding much cusa grass in his left, and three blades of the same grass in his right hand; or wearing a ring of grass on the third finger of the same hand. During this ceremony he must recite the Gayatri. The sipping of water next occupies his attention; as this is a requisite introduction of all rites, since without it all acts of religion are pronounced to be vain. Accordingly, he sips water three times, each time repeating the mysterious names of the seven worlds and the Gayatri,—each time, also, rubbing his hands as if washing them; and, finally, touching with his wet hand his feet, head, breast, eyes, ears, nose, and shoulders. After this, he must again sip water thrice, pronouncing to himself the prescribed expiatory texts. If, however, he happen to sneeze or spit he must not immediately sip water, but first touch his right ear; in compliance with the maxim-" after sneezing, spitting, blowing his nose, sleeping, putting on apparel, or dropping tears, a man should not immediately sip water, but first touch his right ear." The business of sipping being finished, he next passes his hand filled with water, briskly round his neck, reciting this prayer," May the waters preserve me." He then meditates with intense thought, and in the deepest silence. Meditates on what?-on something peculiarly sacred and sublime, and correspondent with the awful solemnity of the occasion? Let the hearers judge when they learn, that during this moment of intense devotion, he is striving to realize the fond imagination, that "Brahma, with four faces, and a red complexion, resides in his bosom; Vishnu, with four arms, and a black complexion, in his heart; and, Shiva, with five

faces, and a white complexion, in his forehead!" To this sublime meditation succeeds a suppression of the breath, which is thus performed: Closing the left nostril, with the two longest fingers of his right hand, he draws his breath through the right nostril; and then closing that nostril likewise with his thumb, he holds his breath, while he internally repeats to himself the Gayatri, the mysterious names of the three worlds, the triliteral monosyllable, and the sacred text of Brahma; last of all, he raises both fingers off the left nostril, and emits the breath he had suppressed through the right. This process being repeated three several times, he must next make three ablutions, with the following prayer:-" As the tired man leaves drops of sweat at the foot of a tree; as he who bathes is cleansed from all foulness; as an oblation is sanctified by holy grass,-so may this water purify me from sin." To this succeed other ablutions, with various expiatory texts. He must next fill the palm of his hand with water, and, presenting it to his nose, inhale the fluid by one nostril, and, retaining it for a while, exhale it through the other, and throw away the water to the north-east quarter. This is considered as an internal ablution which washes away sin. He then concludes by sipping water with the following prayer:-" Water! thou dost penetrate all beings; thou dost reach the deep recesses of the mountains; thou art the mouth of the universe; thou art sacrifice; thou art the mystic word vasha; thou art light, taste, and the immortal fluid."

All the preparatory acts being thus concluded, he is now qualified to engage in the direct worship of the rising sun. To this most sacred and solemn duty he thus proceeds. Standing on one foot, and resting the other on his ankle or heel; looking towards the east, and holding his hands open before him in a hollow form, he pronounces to himself the following prayers :-" The rays of light announce the splendid fiery sun, beautifully rising to illumine the universe. He rises, wonderful, the eye of the sun, of water, and of fire, collective power of gods. He fills heaven, earth, and sky, with his luminous net; he is the soul of all which is fixed or locomotive. That eye, supremely beneficial, rises purely