Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/979

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VII. ] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE: 933 Violation of petty rules was regarded as a great sinin the code of the Brahmins. ‘“ That infidel who has not cleansed his teeth before sunrise, has no right to worship God.’* ‘ One who takes Putika (Sasella lucida on the twelfth day of a lunation is worse than a murderer of Brahmins.” = ‘‘‘ One who takes a meal while touch- ing the seat with his feet is to be reckoned as a beef eater.’’t ‘If one raises a cup of water with his left hand and drinks therefrom he commits the offence of him who drinks wine.’’} These were some of the rules for the guidance of a Hindu householder’s life. ‘‘ Murder, theft or perjury, though brought home to the guilty man by a judicial sentence, so far from inducing loss of caste, is visited in their society with no peculiar mark of infamy or disgrace. A trifling present to the 13121017111) commonly called Prayagchitta, with the per ormance of a few idle ceremonies, are held as sufficient atonement for all those crimes :- and the delinquent is at once freed from all tem- poral inconvenience as well as dread of future retribution.’’§

  • “উদ্দিতে জগতীনাথে বঃ কুর্যাদন্তধাবনমৃ।

স পাপিষ্ঠঃ কথংতে পুজ্য়ামি জনান্দনম্‌ Smriti. + Raja Rama Mohana Roy’s Bengali works edited by Raja Narayan Bose p. 620. + Raja Rama Mohana Roy’s Bengali works, published from the Panini Karyalaya, Allahabad, page 228. § Raja Rama Mohana Roy’s English works, published by Cri Kanta Roy vol. I, p. 203. Severe codes for petty offences.