When the body was not burnt, it was put into a coffin, usually made of stone, which was laid in the tomb on its back. Some time after the funeral, the family were oc cupied with the ceremonies of mourning and purifica tion. Ohlatimis, or sacrifices to the (lead, were after wards performed. The sepulchre was then bespread with flowers, and covered with crowns and fillets ; and be fore it there was a little altar, on which libations were made, and incense burnt. A keeper was appointed to watch the tomb, which was frequently illuminated with lamps.
At the funerals of the emperors, and other illustrious persons, who were deified after death, the real body was burnt, and the remains buried in the usual manner. But a waxen image of the deceased was made to the life, which, after a variety of ridiculous ceremonies, was carried on a couch in solemn procession on the shoul ders of young men of equestrian rank, first to the fo rum, where the dirge was sung by a choir of boys and girls of the most noble descent ; then to the campus mar tins, where it was burnt, with a vast quantity of the richest perfumes, on a lofty and magnificent pile ; from the top of which, an eagle, let loose, was supposed to con vey the prince's soul to heaven. See Adams' Roman A very interesting account of the funeral ceremonies observed among the Hindus, has been given us by Mr Colebrooke, in his ingenious essays " On the Religious Ceremonies of the Hindus, and of the Brahmans especial ly." (See Essay ii../Isiatic Researches, vol. vii.) A dying man, when no hopes of his surviving remain, should be laid upon a bed of cusa grass, in the open air ; his head should be sprinkled with water drawn from the Ganges, and smeared with clay brought from the same river. A Salagrama stone should be placed near him, holy strains from the Veda, or from sacred poems, repeated aloud in his cars, and leaves of holy basil scattered over his head. When he expires, the body must be washed, perfumed. and decked with wreathes of flowers ; a bit of tutanag, another of gold, a gem of some sort, and a piece of coral, should be put into the mouth of the corpse, and bits of gold in both nostrils, both eyes, and both cars. A cloth, perfumed with fragrant oil, must be thrown over the body, which is then carried, by the nearest relations, to some spot in the forest, or near water. The corpse is carried out by the southern gate of the town, if thc de ceased were a Sudra ; by the western, if a Brahmana ; by the northern, if he belonged to the military class ; and by the eastern, if he sprung from the mercantile tribe.
When the precession has reached its destination, the corpse must he gently laid, with the head towards the south, on a bed of cusa, the tips of which are pointed southward. The sons, or other relations of the deceas ed, having bathed in their clothes, must next prepare the funeral pile, on a clean spot of earth, after marking lines thereon, to consecrate it. They must afterwards wash the body, meditating on all the holy places on the face of the earth, as well as the four oceans. After being wash ed, clothed in clean apparel, and rubbed with perfumes, the relations of the deceased place the corpse supine, with its head towards the north, (or resupine, if it. he the body ()I' a woman), on the funeral pile, which is previous ly decorated with flowers. A cloth must then be thrown over it, and a relation of the deceased, taking up a light ed brand, after sonic ceremonies and invocations, applies the lire to the pile, saying, Namo Namah !" while the attending priests recite an appropriate prayer. They then wall: in procession, according to seniority, to a river or other running water ; and, after bathing, present obla tions of water from the joined pal of their hands. IF it be intended to show particular honour to the deceased, three offerings of water may he thus made. After finish ing the usual libations of \ v ate r , and shifting their wet clothes, they sit down on the soft turf, and recite certain suitable moral sentences. During ten days, funeral vales, together ss ith libations of water and ti/a, must be offered as all the first. On the last day of mournin.., the nearest hilisnnun of the deceased gathers his ashes, after offering a straddha singly Unr him. After obsert lug a variety oft cremoni•s, he proceeds to the sp(t •he re the pile stood, adores the dit mities who preside over coun tri•s, deposits the bones a the dw•ased in a casket, com posed of the leaves of the Butca ji•atrdoo.sa, and inters them in in protium(' •xcaeation. To the spot w here the funeral pile stood, a tree should he planted, or 11101111d of masonry be raised, or a pond be dug, or a standard be erected. At a subsequent time, the casket is dug tip, and thrown into the Ganges.