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Daksha in his second chapter recommends the pious Hindu to bathe early in the morning, and assigns . different duties to the eight different portions of the day. In the first part of the day (say from 6 to7% A, M.) he is to utter his prayers, worship his gods; while those who keep the sacrificial fire (a custom which was falling into disuse) should offer sacrifices also. In the _ second part of the day (say 734 to 9 A. M.) he is to study the Vedas. In the third part (9 to 10% a. M.) he is to look after household affairs and the maintenance of his family and dependants. From 103% to 12 noon he is to _ perform his ablutions, utter the Gdyatst or prayer to the sun, After mid-day (12 to 134 P.M.}he will perform the CHAP. VII] DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE. Ke Mahdrajnas, 1e., make offerings to the gods, to departed’ ancestors, to men, to spirits, and to all living creatures, and then take his meals. A little rest is prescribed after meals in the sixth portion of the day (134 to 3 P.M.) and then (3 to 4% P.M.) he will read Puranas and Itihdsa legends, and thus spend his time in quiet and pious recreation. In the eighth and last portion of the day (4% to 6 P.M.) he will look again into his worldly affairs, and at sunset he will utter his prayers again, and if he keeps a sacrificial fire, will perform sacrifice. After this he is to take evening meals, look after domestic affairs, read a little of the Vedas, and then retire to rest. Such is the picture of the life of a pious. and contemplative and quiet Hindu of the olden times, to whom the hurry and turmoil and incessant work of modern European life would have been an enigma and amystery! > The custom of keeping a sacrificial fire in every household and performing Yajnas or sacrifices was fall- ing into disuse, as we have stated before ; but the five Mahayajnas or daily offerings still continued to be practised by pious Hindus.. ( Vdjnavalkya I, 102; Ké- tydyana XIII,2; Sankha lil, 2; Samvarta, 44 &c., &e.) Charity to all living creatures and abnegation of self were the very ideal of a pious Hindu life, and the Dharma S§4stras insist upon this as stringly as a earlier Sfitra works. Apart again from the Yajnas or sacrifices, there were 334 - PAURANIK PERIOD. [BOOK Vv. certain domestic ceremonies or sanskdras which Hindus have always loved to perform from the ancient Epic or Rationalistic Age* even to the present age. It would be scarcely an exaggeration to state that these Sanska- ras, more than anything else, differentiate the Hindus from the followers of other creeds or customs. From ancient times they have insisted on these ceremonies for all Hindus, and have described those who did not perform Sansk4ras as Vratyas or sceptics. For Hin- -duism has been and is a religion regulating life, more ‘than defining intellectual beliefs. The greatest license lhas been allowed in the matter of intellectual convic- ‘tions ; and Hindus, differing in every possible way in jtheir beliefs and convictions, have been recognized as orthodox, if they lived a Hindu life, and performed the Annaprasant, the Upanayana, the aati cremation and other Hindu domestic rites. Accordingly, we find frequent mention of the Sanska- ras in the Pauranik Dharma Sdéstras. Even Vy4sa’s work, one of the latest of the existing Dharma SAstras, does not fail to enumerate 16 domestic ceremonies for the twice-born. The reader will no doubt compare this Pauranik list with interest with the 19 domestic cere- monies of the Rationalistic Age of which a list is given before.f : * See Vol. II, pp. 108 to 116. de T. Volume IT, Pp. 99. CHAP. Vir] DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LEFE. 335 X Vydsws list of Domestic Ceremonies, 1. Garbhadhana, 9. Karnavedha, 2. Pumsavana. 10. Upanayana. 3. Simantonnayana. 11, Study of Veda, 4. Jatakarman. 12. Kes&nta. 5. Namakriy4. 13. Snana. 6. Nishkramana. 14. Marriage, 7. Annaprasana, 15. Lighting the marital fire. 8. Chudakarana. 16. Lighting three fires, Vyasa adds that “the first nine up to Karnavedha (piercing of the ear) are also allowable to women, but without mantras. Marriage is to be performed for women with mantras, Sddras are allowed ten Sanské- ras (2. é., the first nine and marriage), but without man- tras.” Vydsa I, 13 to 16. As might be expected, we have in the Dharma Sastras frequent mention of temples and temple priests, and places of pilgrimage, indicating the direction in which Hinduism was inclining. There is mention of temples in Pardsara VIJI, 37; Sankha ITI, 7; Likhi-. ta 4; Yama 33; and various other places. Sankha in Chapter XIV mentions 16 places of pilgrimage as stated before, while Vishou in Chap. LXXXV mentions over so such places from Hurdwar to the Nilgiri Hills,. The Pauranik Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, was universally acknowledged, and various other gods had found a place in the Pauranik pantheon, as we have seen in Chapter VI. It is neediess to add that a belief in the transmigration of souls and in different heavens. 336 PAURANIK PERIOD. [BOOK v. _and hells formed an important part of the religious beliefs of the Hindus as it does to the present day. References to agriculture, commerce, and to the arts ‘and even the vices of towns give us some idea of the state of society in the Pauranik times. We find a humane rule laid down that a pair of bullocks should not be worked in the plough for more than one prahara, ' %e@, three hours. (Aéré 219). “YAjnavalkya speaks of - woollen and cotton fabrics, of skilfully woven fabrics and ‘fabrics covered with wool as also of silken stuffs, and -fabrics made of fibres (II, 182, 183). The cultivation and manufacture of indigo have already been alluded to before. The modern reader will learn with still greater interest the rules under which companies were formed to carry on commercial transactions. The. passage is worth quoting. “262. The profits and losses of merchants, who work in concert for profit, shall be determined accord- ing to their shares, or according to agreement previously made. “263, The loss which is incurred by violating a rule (of the company), or by acting without the permission (of the company), or by negligence, shall be made good by the party who incurred the loss. The party who saves -an amount from loss is entitled to. one-tenth of the amount saved.” Ydjnavatlkya, II. . There is also mention of laws against merchants com- bining to unduly enhance the value of commodities, or. CHAP, VIL] DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE. 337 to unduly lower the prices of imports. When conimo. | dities are sold immediately after purchase (2. ¢, when interest of the capital does not enter into the calcula- tion), merchants are told to be satisfied with a profit of en per cent. on imports and of five per cent. on home manufactures (II, 254, 255, 257). These artificial rules seem crude in these days of free-trade and free competition ; but the modern readers cannot forget that laws still more crude regulated trade in Europe a cen- tury or two ago. And lastly, we are told that the king shall fix the prices of commodities on principles stated above (II, 256), but it is needless to state that this rule could never practically be enforced. The king provided gambling houses in towns ii appointed guards in such places. (Yéjnavatkya II, 205 and 206.) We shall find evidence in the dramatic litera- ture of the period that the courtezans of the age were not the degraded creatures of modern times, but pos- sessed some virtues, and received some consideration from the citizens, as anfong the ancient Greeks. Liquor shops also existed in towns, but were frequented only by the low. Drinking. among respectable men was always considered a great sin, . The education.of boys was conducted on the same ‘principles as in the preceding ages. The young student was made over to his guru, assumed the girdle and the staff, begged from door. to door to obtain supplies for his teacher, served him menially and looked after his R. C.D, A. LIL . 227 338 | PAURANIK PERIOD. [BOOK Vv. family and cattle, and earned from day to day the reli- gious learning of the ancient Hindus. (Ydsnavalkya I, 14 to 50; Vishnu XXVIII to XXX, &c.). Rules are laid down for the most minute acts and movements of the student during this stage, and the elaboration of the rules is indeed carried to a degree which provokes a smile in the modern reader. But it is not merely for the training of students and for the performance of reli- gious ceremonies that such absurdly detailed rules were laid down. Similar rules were recorded for the guidance of every man in every action of his daily life. It would appear that the writers of the Dharma ‘SAstras revelled in the power which they obtained over the actions of the people; they multiplied rules and regulations beyond the conception of ordinary mortals ; and they condescended to give no reasons for the rules, their ipse dixit was law! Nations were treated worse than children ; they must ask no reason, exercise no discretion of their own, shew no signs of independent judgment, but act just as they were told to act, for thus it was laid down in texts! The texts were followed, even when they were silly or harmful, so long as the Hindus remained steeped in ignorance under the Musalman rule. The texts are now unfortunately dis- — obeyed, even when they are rational and beneficial, for modern Hindus demand a. reason and not the zse @ixit of men however ancient and holy. - Tt is impossible to convey by quotations any idea Ancient India Vell. PS 64 KAET.ISVARA TEMPLE CHAP. VIL] DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE, 339 how rules were multiplied ; for such passages are numer- ous and fill all the Dharma Sastras. One passage is just: as good as another, and we quote a passage at random.