FUNERAL RITES.—BURNING THE DEAD.
As our boats passed slowly along, we had an opportunity of witnessing the funeral rites of the Hindūs: the burning of a corpse was being performed just at the base of the cliff on the edge of the river. The nearest relative, as is the custom, was stirring up the body, and pushing it well into the flames with a long pole: much oil and ghī must have been expended and poured over the wood, as it burnt fiercely. The face of the corpse looked cold and pale and fixed, as the wind blew aside the flames and smoke, and enabled me to behold a scene that shocked me: in all probability the son was performing the ceremony. We read of the Romans burning their dead, regard it in a classical light, and think of it without disgust,—but when you see the ceremony really performed it is very painful: nevertheless, a sort of absurdity was mixed with it in my mind, as “stir him up with the long pole” flashed across my memory. A group of relatives were sitting by the river-side, watching the ceremony; on its conclusion they will bathe and return to their homes.
The kapāl-krīyā, a ceremony among Hindūs, is, that when a dead body is burning, and nearly reduced to ashes, the nearest relation breaks the skull with the stroke of a bamboo, and pours ghī (clarified butter) into the cavity. Hence kapāl-krīyā karna, to think intensely, to beat or cudgel one’s brains.
The charpāī on which the corpse had been carried, being reckoned unclean, had been thrown into the river, and the broken lota that had contained ghī was at its side. The scene was reflected in the Ganges. From the quantity of wood and ghī consumed the departed must have been a rich man: the relatives of the very poor scarcely do more than scorch the body, and throw it into the river, where it floats swollen and scorched—a horrible sight.
“The burning of the body is one of the first ceremonies the Hindūs perform for the help of the dead in a future state. If this ceremony have not been attended to, the rites for the repose of the soul cannot be performed. If a person be unable to provide wood, cloth, clarified butter, rice, water-pans, and other things, besides the fee for the priest, he must beg among his neighbours. If the body be thrown into the river, or burnt, without the accustomed ceremonies, as is sometimes the case, the ceremonies may be performed over an image of the deceased made of kooshŭ grass. Immediately after death the attendants lay out the body on a sheet, placing two pieces of wood under the head and feet; after which they anoint the corpse with clarified butter, bathe it with the water of the Ganges, put round the loins a new garment, and another over the left shoulder, and then draw the sheet on which the body lies over the whole. The heir-at-law next bathes himself, puts on new garments, and boils some rice, a ball of which and a lighted brand he puts to the mouth of the deceased, repeating incantations. The pile having been prepared he sets fire to it, and occasionally throws on it clarified butter and other combustibles. When the body is consumed he washes the ashes into the river; the attendants bathe, and presenting a drink-offering to the deceased, return home: before they enter the house, however, each one touches fire and chews some bitter leaves, to signify that parting with relations by death is an unpleasant task.”
The rites for the repose of the soul, the offerings made in a person’s name after his decease, and the ceremonies which take place on the occasion, are called his shraddhŭ; which the Hindūs are very anxious to perform in a becoming manner. The son who performs these rites obtains great merit; the deceased is satisfied, and by gifts to the Brahmāns in his name he obtains heaven.
The Hindū shastrŭs teach that after death the soul becomes prétŭ, a departed ghost,—namely, takes a body about the size of a person’s thumb, and remains in the custody of Yŭmŭ, the judge of the dead. At the time of receiving punishment the body becomes enlarged, and is made capable of enduring sorrow. The performance of the rites for the repose of the soul, delivers the deceased at the end of a year from this state, and translates him to the heaven of the Pitrees, where he enjoys the reward of his meritorious actions, and afterwards in another body, enters into that state which the nature of his former actions assign to him. If the shraddhŭ be not performed the deceased remains in the prétŭ state, and cannot enter another body.
There are three shraddhŭs for the dead: one, eleven days after the death; another, every month; and another, at the close of a year after a person’s decease. During the ten days of mourning the relatives hold a family council, and consult on the means of performing the shraddhŭ; on the last of these days, after making an offering for the dead by the side of the river, they are shaved. On the next day after the performance of numerous ceremonies, and offerings made to the priests, the son goes into the house, and placing a Brahmān and his wife on a seat, covers them with ornaments, worships them, and adding a large present of money, dismisses them. After this the son of the deceased requests five Brahmāns to offer a male calf, in doing which they take two cloths each, four poitas, four betel-nuts, and some kourees, and go with the company to a spot where an altar has been prepared, one cubit high, and four cubits square. Four of the Brahmāns sit on the four sides of the altar, and there worship certain gods, and offer a burnt sacrifice. Near the altar are placed the shalgramŭ, four female calves, a male calf, and a vilwŭ post. The fifth Brahmān reads a portion of a poorană, to drive away evil spirits. The female calves are tied to four vilwŭ posts, and the male calf to a post called vrishŭ post. To the necks of the cow-calves four small slender baskets are suspended, in which are placed, among other things, a comb, and the iron instrument with which Hindū women blacken their eyelids. A sheet of metal is placed under the belly of the bull-calf,—on the back a sheet of copper: the hoofs are covered with silver, and the horns with gold, if the shraddhŭ be performed by a rich man. On the hips of the bull-calf marks of Shivŭ’s trident are impressed with a hot iron. After this the son of the deceased washes the tail of the bull-calf, and with the same water presents a drink-offering to his deceased ancestors: and afterwards marries the bull-calf to the four cow-calves, repeating many formulas, in which they are recommended to cultivate love and mutual sympathy. The son next liberates the cow-calves, forbidding any one to detain them, or partake of their milk in future. In liberating the male calf, he says, “I have given thee these four wives, live with them! Thou art the living image of Yŭmŭ; thou goest upon four legs. Devour not the corn of others, &c.” The cow-calves are generally taken by Brahmāns, the bull-calf is let loose, to go where he pleases: these bulls wander about, and are treated by the Hindūs with great respect; no one can claim any redress for the injury they do, and no Hindū dare destroy them. The English call them “Brahmanī bulls.” There are various other rites too numerous to detail, and the sums are enormous which at times are spent on the shraddhŭ.
The funeral rites of the Romans and those of the Hindūs are not very dissimilar. The Romans paid the greatest attention to them, because they believed that the souls of the unburied were not admitted into the abodes of the dead; or at least wandered a hundred years along the river Styx, before they were allowed to cross it; for which reason, if the bodies of their friends could not be found, they erected to them an empty tomb (cenotaphium), at which they performed the usual solemnities; and to want the due rites was esteemed the greatest misfortune. The nearest relation closed the eyes and mouth of the deceased, and when the eyes were closed they called upon the deceased by name several times at intervals: the corpse was then laid on the ground, bathed, and anointed with perfumes. The body, dressed in the best attire which the deceased had worn when alive, was laid on a couch in the vestibule, with the feet outwards; the couch was sometimes decked with leaves and flowers. A small coin (triens vel obolus) was put in his mouth, which he might give to Charon for his freight. The Romans at first usually interred their dead, which is the most ancient and most natural method. They early adopted the custom of burning (cremandi vel comburendi) from the Greeks, which is mentioned in the laws of Numa, and of the twelve tables, but it did not become general till towards the end of the republic. Numa forbade his own body to be burned, according to the custom of the Romans, but he ordered it to be buried near Mount Janiculum, with many of the books which he had written. Sylla was the first of the Patrician branch of the gens Cornelia that was burnt; which is supposed to have been in accordance with his wishes; for, having ordered the remains of Marius to be taken out of his grave, and thrown into the river Anio, he was apprehensive of the same insult. Sylla died A.D. 78. Pliny ascribes the first institution of burning among the Romans to their having discovered that the bodies of those who fell in distant wars were dug up by the enemy. Under the emperors it became almost universal, but was afterwards gradually dropped upon the introduction of Christianity, so that it had fallen into disuse about the end of the fourth century. On the day of the funeral, when the people were assembled, the body was carried out with the feet foremost on a couch, covered with rich cloth, and supported commonly on the shoulders of the nearest relations of the deceased or of his heirs. Poor citizens were carried to the funeral pile in a plain bier or coffin, usually by four bearers: the funeral couches were sometimes open and sometimes covered. Torches were used both at funerals and marriages. The funeral procession was regulated by a person called Designator, attended by lictors, dressed in black, with their fasces inverted; sometimes, also, by the officers and troops, with their spears pointing to the ground. First, went musicians of various kinds,—then, mourning women, hired to lament and sing the funeral song; next came players and buffoons, who danced and sang; one of them, called Archimimus, supported the character of the deceased, imitating his words and actions while alive; then followed the freedmen. Before the corpse were carried images of the deceased, and of his ancestors, on long poles or frames, but not of such as had been condemned for any heinous crime, whose images were broken. Behind the corpse walked the friends of the deceased in mourning,—his sons with their heads veiled, and his daughters with their heads bare, and their hair dishevelled, contrary to the ordinary custom of both; the magistrates without their badges, the nobility without their ornaments. The nearest relations sometimes tore their garments, and covered their hair with dust, or pulled it out; the women, in particular, who attended the funeral, beat their breasts and tore their cheeks, although this was forbidden by the twelve tables. At the funeral of an illustrious citizen the corpse was carried through the forum, where the procession stopped, and a funeral oration (laudatio) was delivered in praise of the deceased from the rostra, by his son, or by some near relation or friend. The honour of a funeral oration was decreed also to women, old or young, married or unmarried. From the forum the corpse was carried to the place of burning or burial, which the law of the twelve tables ordered to be without the city,—Hominem mortuum in urbe ne sepelito, neve urito,—according to the customs of other nations; the Jews, the Athenians, and others. The Romans prohibited burning or burying in the city, both from sacred and civil considerations, and that the air might not be infected. The vestal virgins were buried in the city, and some illustrious men, which right their posterity retained, but did not use.
The funeral pile (rogus vel pyra) was built in the form of an altar, with four equal sides; hence called ara sepulchri, funeris ara, of wood which might easily catch fire, as fir, pine, cleft oak, unpolished, according to the law of the twelve tables, rogum ascia ne polito, but not always so; also stuffed with paper and pitch, made higher or lower according to the rank of the deceased (hence rogus plebeius), with cypress-trees set around to prevent the noisome smell, and at the distance of sixty feet from any house. On the funeral pile was placed the corpse, with the couch; the eyes of the deceased were opened; the nearest relations kissed the body with tears, and then set fire to the pile with a lighted torch, turning away their faces (aversi) to show that they did it with reluctance. They prayed for a wind to assist the flames, as the Greeks did, and when that happened it was thought fortunate. They threw into the fire various perfumes (odores), incense, myrrh, cassia, &c.; also cups of oil and dishes (dapes vel fercula), with titles marking what they contained: likewise the clothes and ornaments, not only of the deceased, but their own; every thing, in short, that was supposed to be agreeable to the deceased while alive; all these were called munera vel dona. If the deceased had been a soldier, they threw on the pile his arms, rewards, and spoils. At the funeral of an illustrious commander the soldiers made a circuit (decurrebant) three times round the pile, from right to left (orbe sinistro), with their ensigns inverted, and striking their weapons on one another to the sound of the trumpet, all present accompanying them, as at the funeral of Sylla, and of Augustus, which custom seems to have been borrowed from the Greeks, was used also by the Carthaginians, and was sometimes repeated annually at the tomb. As the manes were supposed to be delighted with blood, various animals, especially such as the deceased had been fond of, were slaughtered at the pile, and thrown into it; in ancient times, also men, captives, or slaves, to which Cicero alludes. Afterwards instead of them, gladiators, called bustuarii, were made to fight; so amongst the Gauls, slaves and clients were burnt on the piles of their masters; among the Indians and Thracians, wives on the piles of their husbands: thus also, among the Romans, friends testified their affection; as Plotinus to his patron, Plautius to his wife Orestilla, soldiers to Otho, Mnester, a freed-man, to Agrippina.
Instances are recorded of persons who came to life again on the funeral pile after it had been set on fire, so that it was too late to rescue them; and of others, who having revived before the pile was kindled, returned home on their feet. When the pile was burnt down, the fire was extinguished, and the embers soaked with wine; the bones were gathered (ossa legebantur) by the nearest relations, with loose robes, and sometimes barefooted. We also read of the nearest female relations who were called funeræ vel funereæ, gathering the bones in their bosom.
The bones and ashes, besprinkled with the richest perfumes, were put into a vessel called urna, an urn, made of earth, brass, marble, silver, or gold. Sometimes, also, a small glass vial full of tears, called by the moderns a lachrymatory, was put in the urn, and the latter was solemnly deposited in the sepulchre.
When the body was not burnt, it was put into a coffin (arca vel loculus) with all its ornaments, usually made of stone, as that of Numa, so of Hannibal; sometimes of Assian stone, from Asses, or -us, a town in Troas or Mysia, which consumed the body in forty days, except the teeth, hence called sarcophagus, which word is also put for any coffin or tomb. The coffin was laid in the tomb on its back; in what direction among the Romans is uncertain; but among the Athenians, looking to the west. When the remains of the deceased were laid in the tomb, those present were three times sprinkled by a priest with pure water (aqua pura vel lustralis), from a branch of olive or laurel (aspergillum), to purify them. Then they were dismissed by the præfica, or some other person, pronouncing the solemn word ilicet, i.e. ire licet, you may depart. At their departure, they used to take a last farewell, by repeating several times vale, or salve æternùm; adding, nos te ordine, qua natura permiserit, cuncti sequemur. The friends, when they returned home, as a further purification, after being sprinkled with water, stepped over a fire (ignem supergrediebantur), which was called suffitio. The house itself was also purified, and swept with a certain kind of broom. There were certain ceremonies for the purification of the family, when they buried a thumb, or some part cut off from the body before it was burnt, or a bone brought home from the funeral pile, on which occasion a soldier might be absent from duty. On the ninth day after the funeral, a sacrifice was performed, called novendiale, with which these solemnities were concluded.
Oblations or sacrifices to the dead (inferiæ, vel parentalia,) were afterwards made at various times, both occasionally and at stated periods, consisting of liquors, victims, and garlands; these oblations were to appease;—to revenge, an atonement was made to their ghosts.
The sepulchre was then bespread with flowers, and covered with crowns and fillets: before it, there was a little altar, on which libations were made, and incense burnt, and a keeper was appointed to watch the tomb, which was frequently illuminated with lamps. A feast was added, called silicernium, both for the dead and the living. Certain things were laid on the tomb, commonly beans, lettuces, bread, and eggs, or the like, which it was supposed the ghosts would come and eat; hence cœna feralis; what remained was burnt; for it was thought mean to take away any thing thus consecrated, or what was thrown into the funeral pile. The Romans commonly built tombs for themselves during their lifetime; if they did not live to finish them, it was done by their heirs, who were often ordered by the testament to build a tomb. The highest honours were decreed to illustrious persons after death. The Romans worshipped their founder Romulus as a god, under the name of Quirinus. Hence afterwards the solemn consecration of the emperors, by a decree of the senate, who were thus said to be ranked in the number of the gods, also of some empresses: temples and priests were assigned to them—they were invoked with prayers—men swore by their name or genius, and offered victims on their altars.
The entrance to the Goomtie river is very narrow, and a bridge of sixteen boats is placed across it. At Chandroutī is a white temple much carved—the platform in the centre of the stream stands out about two feet high—a bamboo was stuck upon it, and several birds were perched on the stones. The ruins of the temple must have fallen into the river I suppose, as no ruins are there, only a very few stones:—this is to be lamented. It must have been very picturesque, and it also must have pointed out the dangerous spot to vessels. The navigation is perplexing, but we came through it without any mischance, and, after a great deal of annoyance, anchored at 10 P.M. off a village; our time to lugāo the boats has usually been four hours earlier. The Hindūs, who have had no dinner to-day, must be sick and weary; we could not get to the bank, on account of the shallowness of the water until this hour. The Musalmān crew of the budgerow cook and eat on board; the crews of the woolāk and cook-boat, being Hindūs, cook and eat on the river-side, that they may not defile the sacred Gunga.
If you lugāo near a village the chaukidārs come down and guard your boats; if you anchor on a sandbank you guard your own boats, and are generally distant from robbers; nevertheless, care is required through the night, and a watch should be set on each vessel during the dark hours.
Five miles above Chandroutī is Bullooah ghāt and ferry on the right bank,—the banks are formed of kankar rock. Exactly opposite the ferry, the budgerow struck on a sunken bank, which was very deep in the water; we were detained upwards of two hours ere she could be got off; the rudder was unshipped by the manjhī, and after great labour we were once again afloat, without having sustained much damage. The river is very shallow, and to find the deep stream is difficult in a budgerow.
“Fifty miles above Ghazipūr, or eight above Bullooah ghāt, on the right bank of the river, is Kye, and its sunken kankar reef—scarcely avoidable in some dry seasons. Thence due west over the right bank you may observe the Benares minarets—distant nine miles.” A little wind aided us, and we lugāoed at 6 P.M. at Rāj ghāt, Benares. A number of temples and tombs, with the minarets beyond, looked well in the distance as we approached; but the smoke of the evening fires on the bank, and the red glare of the setting sun, rendered all objects indistinct. I walked to see a tomb on the top of the high cliff a little below Rāj ghāt; it is enclosed by stone walls in a garden, and is a handsome monument; many tombs are on the outside by the ravine. It is a very picturesque spot. Thus closed the evening at Rāj ghāt.
CHAPTER LXVII.
SKETCHES ON THE GANGES FROM BENARES TO BINDACHUN.
“AT BUNARUS YOU SHOULD BE ON YOUR GUARD AGAINST THE WOMEN, THE SACRED BULLS, THE STAIRS, AND THE DEVOTEES[49].”
Benefits arising from a Residence in the Holy City of Kāshī—Kalŭ-Bhoirŭvŭ—The Snake-Charmers—Gigantic Image of Hunoomān—Brahmanī Bulls—The Ghāts from the River—Bhīm Singh—Tulsī Altars—Ruins of the Ghāt of the ex-Queen of Gwalior—A Corpse—Young Idolaters—State Prisoners—The City—Sultanpūr—Chunar—Picturesque Tree near the Ghāt—Singular Ceremonies—The Deasil—Turnbull Gunge—Mirzapūr—Beautiful Ghāts and Temples—Carpet Manufactory—Bindachun.
1844, Dec. 5th.—A friend accompanied me this morning to view Benares, or, as it is more correctly called, Bunarus: nothing pleases me more than driving about this city,—the streets, the houses, and the people are so well worth seeing. “A little to eat, and to live at Bunarus,” is the wish of a pious Hindū; but a residence at this place is rather dangerous to any one inclined to violate the laws, as the following extract will testify:—“Kalŭ-Bhoirŭvŭ is a naked Shivŭ, smeared with ashes; having three eyes, riding on a dog, and holding in one hand a horn, and in another a drum. In several places in Bengal this image is worshipped daily. Shivŭ, under this name, is the regent of Kāshī (Bunarus). All persons dying at Benares are entitled to a place in Shivŭ’s heaven; but if any one violate the laws of the shastrŭ during his residence there, Kalŭ-Bhoirŭvŭ at death grinds him betwixt two mill-stones.”