[154] Kansa’s son; so called because the god Shiva, when struck by his shafts, destroyed him with a fiery glance.
[155] ‘Great Brahman;’ used contemptuously to priests who officiate for servile men. Brahmans lose their honour by the following things: By becoming servants to the king; by pursuing any secular business; by acting priests to Shudras (serviles); by officiating as priests for a whole village; and by neglecting any part of the three daily services. Many violate these rules; yet to kill a Brahman is still one of the five great Hindu sins. In the present age of the world, the Brahman may not accept a gift of cows or of gold; of course he despises the law. As regards monkey worship, a certain Rajah of Nadiya is said to have expended 10,000l. in marrying two monkeys with all the parade and splendour of the Hindu rite.
[156] The celebrated Gayatri, the Moslem Kalmah.
[157] Kama again.
[158] From ‘Man,’ to think; primarily meaning, what makes man think.
[159] The Cirrhadæ of classical writers.
[160] The Hindu Pluto; also called the Just King.
[161] Yama judges the dead, whose souls go to him in four hours and forty minutes; therefore a corpse cannot be burned till after that time. His residence is Yamalaya, and it is on the south side of the earth; down South, as we say. (I Sam. xxv. 1, and xxx. 15.) The Hebrews, like the Hindus, held the northern parts of the world to be higher than the southern. Hindus often joke a man who is seen walking in that direction, and ask him where he is going.
[162] The ‘Ganges,’ in heaven called Mandakini. I have no idea why we still adhere to our venerable corruption of the word.
[163] The fabulous mountain supposed by Hindu geographers to occupy the centre of the universe.