wood and with it strikes
the skull seven times, to break it and give exit to the soul. This,
however, is not always done. The son then takes up on his right
shoulder an earthen pot full of water, at the bottom of which is a
small hole. He walks round the pyre three times in the direction of
the sun's course and stands facing to the south, and dashes the pot
on the ground, crying out in his grief, 'Oh, my father.' While this
is going on _mantras_ or sacred verses are recited by the officiating
Brahman. When the corpse is partly consumed each member of the assembly
throws the _Panch lakariya_ (five pieces of wood or sprigs of basil)
on to the pyre, making obeisance to the deceased and saying, '_Swarg ko
jao_,' or 'Ascend to heaven.' Or they may say, 'Go, become incarnate
in some human being.' They stay by the corpse for 1 1/4 _pahars_
or watches or some four hours, until either the skull is broken by
the chief mourner or breaks of itself with a crack. Then they bathe
and come home and after some hours again return to the corpse, to
see that it is properly burnt. If the pyre should go out and a dog
or other animal should get hold of the corpse when it is half-burnt,
all the relatives are put out of caste, and have to give a feast to
all the caste, costing for a rich family about Rs. 50 and for a poor
one Rs. 10 to Rs. 15. Then they return home and chew _nim_ leaves,
which are bitter and purifying, and spit them out of their mouth,
thus severing their connection with the corpse. When the mourners
have left the deceased's house the women of the family bathe, the
bangles of the widow are broken, the vermilion on the parting of her
hair and the glass ornament (_tikli_) on her forehead are removed,
and she is clad in white clothing of coarse texture to show that
henceforth she is only a widow.

On the third day the mourners go again and collect the ashes and throw
them into the nearest river. The bones are placed in a silken bag or
an earthen pot or a leaf basket, and taken to the Ganges or Nerbudda
within ten days if possible, or otherwise after a longer interval,
being buried meantime. Some milk, salt and calfs urine are sprinkled
over the place where the corpse was burnt. These will cool the place,
and the soul of the dead will similarly be cooled, and a cow will
probably come and lick up the salt, and this will sanctify the place
and also the soul. When the bones are to be taken to a sacred river
they are tied up in a litt