Glimpses of Hindu Culture
Contents: Part I: 1. Division and subdivision of castes. 2. Antiquity and origin of caste. 3. The mythical origin of the Brahmins. 4. The Gurus, or Hindu priests. 5. Purohitas, or priests who officiate at public and private ceremonies. 6. Mantrams. 7. Explanation of the principal ceremonies of the Brahmins and or other castes. 8. Ceremonies to be observed after a woman’s confinement. Part II: 1. The Brahmachari. 2. Conduct of the Brahmachari. 3. Internal defilements. 4. Defilements of the soul, and the means of purification. 5. Marriage amongst Brahmins and other Hindus. 6. Religious tolerance amongst the Brahmins. 7. Rules of etiquette amongst Brahmins and other Hindus. 8. The ornaments worn by Hindus. 9. Brahmin wives. 10. Rules of conduct for married women. 11. The custom which at times obliges widows to allow themselves to be burnt alive on the funeral pyre of their deceased husbands. 12. Adoption. 13. The learning of the Brahmins. 14. The poetry of the Hindus. 15. Hindu fables. 16. Hindu tales. 17. Niti Slokas, or moral Stanzas. 18. The third condition of Brahmins, viz. Vanaprastha, or dweller in the jungle. 19. A Sannyasi’s principal duties. Part III. Religion: 1. Origin of the Trimurti and the primitive idolatry of the Hindu. 2. Metempsychosis. 3. Hindu feasts. 4. Hindu temples. 5. The administration of civil and criminal justice. 6. The military system of the Hindus.
"This book is a abridged edition of the book Hindu, Manners, Customs and Ceremonies. This comprehensive, annotated translation of Dubois’s 1815 through revision of his work was completed by Henry K. Beauchamp in 1987 and revised in 1905. It offers a rare glimpse of a little known culture, and is a unique historical document of anthropological interest.
The first of three parts begins with a finely delineated view of Indian society, including commentary on the origin, divisions and "advantages" of the cast system ; the mythical origin of the Brahmins; descriptions of gurus or hindu priests ; and an explanation of the ceremonies of the Brahmins and other castes. Part II describes the four states of Brahminical life. It features discussions of the rules of conduct and etiquette ; external and internal defilements ; marriages between Brahmins and other hindus ;fasting ; religious tolerance ; Hindu ornaments ; Brahmin wives and rules of conduct for married women ; conditions of widowhood and funeral ceremonies ; and samples of Hindu fables, tales and poetry.
The final part considers, among other topics, the Hindu religion, including its feasts, temples, principal gods and worship of animals and inanimate objects ; the administration of civil and criminal justice ; and the Hindu military system. Six appendices with supplementary information on distinction of caste, rules of conduct, and other topics conclude this monumental work a certain source of fascination for students, scholars, and anyone intrigued by Indian life and culture."
