Hindu Law and Custom (Recht und Sitte) c9.18

c9.18

The prayers play even a more important role than the cultus of the cow in the penances. Among them the Sāmans are the most important and their power of effecting penances is already referred to in the Sāmav. The most important prayers have particular names (Vi. 56 etc.). The more a man repeats them the greater is the effect attained by him; thus according to Baudh. 4, 5, 31, he who murmurs the Gāyatrī 1008 times at sunrise may get absolution from all sins excepting the murder of a Brahman. Frequently the recitation of prayers is accompanied by other observances, thus for instance, in the Anaśnatpārāyaṇa we have the recitation of the whole Veda along with fasts and other self-mortifications (Baudh. 3, 9).