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.
[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. The touch--even the shadow--of a low caste man
pollutes. The scriptural precept, "Honor all men," appears to a true
Hindu infinitely absurd. He honors and worships a cow; but he shrinks
with horror from the touch of a Mhar or Mang.
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