turned their faces away from thee, and thou art alone with thy good deeds.”
The first brand is lighted and given to the eldest son, who goes round the pyre seven times, and then touches the lips of his father with fire, signifying the resuming into the soul of that energy heretofore made manifest in citizenship. And now is lighted the funeral fire, as the last act of personal service to be rendered by children to their dead father. As this blazes up, amidst the silence of the kinsmen, the ministering priest will recite the Vedic prayer:—
“Om!
Take Thou this man from amongst us, O Agni![1]
By the pathway of blessed souls,
And enable him to reap the harvest of his deeds!
To Thee, O Effulgent! is known the past of all!
Cut off from this man all his transgressions!
To Thee, O Agni! our salutation.
Om!”
- ↑ The devotional content of this name cannot be expressed as “O Fire!” “O God, who dost manifest Thyself here in the energy of fire!” might be accepted perhaps.
