large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_05_mitchell_64kb_80
large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_05_mitchell_64kb
English
12430
[Sidenote: Caste.] The most prominent and characteristic institution of Hinduism is caste. The power of caste is as irrational as it is unbounded; and it works almost unmixed evil. N THE MOST PROMINENT AND CHARACTERISTIC INSTITUTION OF HINDUISM IS CASTE THE POWER OF CASTE IS AS IRRATIONAL AS IT IS UNBOUNDED AND IT WORKS ALMOST UNMIXED EVIL
most important: "Preparing a seat for the god; invoking his presence; bathing the image; clothing it; putting the string round it; offering perfumes; flowers; incense; lamps; offerings of fruits and prepared eatables; betel-nut; prayers; circumambulation. An ordinary worshiper presents some of the offerings, mutters a short prayer or two, when circumambulating the image, the rest being done by the priest."[31] We give one additional specimen of the ritual: "As an atonement for unwarily eating or drinking what is forbidden eight hundred repetitions of the Gayatri prayer should be preceded by three suppressions of the breath, water being touched during the recital of the following text: 'The bull roars; he has four horns, three feet, two heads, seven hands, and is bound by a three-fold cord; he is the mighty, resplendent being, and pervades mortal men.'"[32] The bull is understood to be justice personified. All Brahmanical ceremonies exhibit, we may say, ritualism and symbolism run mad.  S ARE ESSENTIAL OF WHICH THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PREPARING A SEAT FOR THE GOD INVOKING HIS PRESENCE BATHING THE IMAGE CLOTHING IT PUTTING THE STRING ROUND IT OFFERING PERFUMES FLOWERS INCENSE LAMPS OFFERINGS OF FRUITS AND PREPARED EATABLES BEATENUT PRAYERS CIRCUMAMULATION AN ORDINARY WORSHIPPER PRESENTS SOME OF THE OFFERINGS MUTTERS A SHORT PRAYER OR TWO WHEN CIRCUMAMBULATING THE IMAGE THE REST BEING DONE BY THE PRIEST THEY GIVE ONE ADDITIONAL SPECIMEN OF THE RITUAL AS AN ATONEMENT FOR UNVARILY EATING OR DRINKING WHAT IS FORBIDDEN EIGHT HUNDRED REPETITIONS OF THE GEATRY PRAYER SHOULD BE PRECEDED BY THE THREE SUPPRESSIONS OF THE BREADTH WATER BEING TOUCHED DURING THE RECEPTAL OF THE FOLLOWING TEXT THE BULL ROSE HE HAS FOUR HORNS THREE FEET TWO HEADS SEVEN HANDS AND IS BORNE BY A THREEFOLD CAR HE IS THE MIGHTY RESPLENDENT BEING AND PERVADES MORTAL MEN THE BULL IS UNDERSTOOD TO BE JUST AS PERSONIFIED ALL BRAHMINICAL CEREMONIES EXHIBIT WE MAY SAY VITUALISM AND SYMBOLISM RUN MA
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