The girdle of a priest must be made of Munja in a triple cord, smooth and soft; that of a warrior must be a bow-string of Murva; that of a merchant, a triple thread of Sana. If the Munja be not procurable, their zones must be formed respectively of the grasses Cusa Asmantaca, valvaja, in triple strings, with one, three, or five knots, according to the family custom—(MS. p. 26).
[86] The sacrificial thread of a Brahman must be made of cotton, so as to be put on over his head, in three strings; that of a Chatriya, of Sana thread only; that of a Vaisya, of woollen thread—(MS. p. 27).
[87] The यज्ञोपवीत or “sacrificial cord,” originally worn by the three principal casts of Hindus; at present, from the loss of the pure Chatríya and Vaisya casts in Bengal, confined to the Brahmanical order: from Yajna, “a sacrifice,” and Upavíta, “a thread.”
[88] गो दान Go-dána, from Go, “a cow,” and Dána, “a gift.”
[89] Probably अशन पञ्च or पञ्च तन्त्र asana pancha, or pancha tantra, “five things.”
[90] विवाह.
[91] पिण्ड प्रदान Pinda-pradána, from pinda, “a funeral cake;” an oblation to deceased ancestors, offered at the several Sraddhas, by the nearest surviving relation, and prádán, “the act of giving.”
[92] माघ Magha, the name of a Hindu month commencing when the sun enters Capricornus. (January-February).
[93] दान फल Dána-phal, from Dána, “a gift,” and phal, “fruit.”
[94] शिव रात्रि Shiva-ratri, from Shiva, “Siva, the deity,” in his character of destroyer and reproducer; the third person of the Hindu triad, and ratri, “night,” being the night of the fourteenth day of the moon’s wane, in the month Magha, or Magha-phalguna, a rigorous fast with extraordinary ceremonies in honour of the Sivalinga, or Phallus.