تحفة النظار في غرايب الامصار وعجايب الاسفار 10.12.4

10.12.4

'Mārā mī tarsānī az āṭash? Man mī dānam ū āṭash āst, rahā kunī mārā,' laughing as she said it. The meaning of these words is: 'Do you frighten me with fire? I know that it is a burning fire!' Then she joined her hands above her head in obeisance to the fire and threw herself into it. At that the drums, horns and trumpets were sounded, the men threw the firewood in their hands onto her, and the others put those logs on top of her so that she could not move. The voices rose and the clamour grew. When I saw this I nearly fell from my horse, had not my companions quickly brought me water; they washed my face and I went away. The people of Hind likewise practise drowning: many of them drown themselves in the river Gang, which is the place to which they go on pilgrimage and into which the ashes of those who are burned are thrown; they say it is from Paradise. When one of them comes to drown himself he says to those present: 'Do not think that I drown myself for some worldly matter or for lack of wealth; my purpose is only to draw near to Kusāy' — Kusāy, with u after the k and with unpointed s, is the name of God, mighty and glorious, in their language. Then he drowns himself, and when he is dead they take him out, burn him and throw his ashes into the aforesaid river.