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In Hindu Literature: Honey

And again, where the newly married husband kisses his wife: - "He then seeks her mouth with his mouth, with the two verses, ""Honey! Lo! Honey! This is honey! my tongue's speech is honey; in my mouth dwells the honey of the bee; on my teeth dwells concord.' " Honey plays an important part in the ceremonies performed over a new-born child, as is shown by the commands of the "Sûtras": "Let the father mix together butter and honey, milk, curds and water, or grind together rice and barley, and give it to eat to the child twice from gold (i. e., from a golden vessel or with a golden spoon)."

While touching the tongue of the child with this food the father repeats the verse, "I administer to thee honey food for the festival, the wisdom raised by Savitar the bountiful; long-living, protected by the gods, live a hundred autumns in this world, N. N.!" - and gives him a name.

Although the "Sûtras" compiled by different authors differ somewhat in detail, the use of honey at the birth of the child is almost always a part of the command, as witness the following from another of the "Sûtras": - "When a son has been born, the father should, before other people touch him, give him to eat from gold, butter and honey with which he has ground gold-dust, with the verse, ""I administer to thee the wisdom of honey, of ghee,¹ raised by Savitri the bountiful, long-living, protected by the gods, live a hundred autumns in this world!'” When a child is six months old the ceremony for feeding the first solid food is performed. Various substances, selected according to the future needs of the child, as, for instance, flesh of partridge, if the child is desirous of acquiring holy lustre, are mixed with milk, curds, honey and clarified butter and given to the child. "Such food, mixed with curds, honey and ghee, he should give to the child to eat with the verse, ""Lord of food, give us food painless and strong; bring forth the giver; bestow power on us, on men and animals.'" At the ceremony of the tonsure of the child's head it is to be observed that - -- "He pours cold water into warm with the verse, ""Mix yourselves, ye holy ones, with your waves, ye honied ones, mixing milk with honey, ye lovely ones, for the obtaining of wealth. " The young man desiring to establish a family builds for himself a house, and when the post holes are dug he con- 1 Clarified butter.

In Hindu Literature secrates his dwelling in the following manner. Pouring water-gruel into the holes he recites, - "This branch of the immortal one I erect, a stream of honey, promoting wealth. The child, the young one, cries to it; the cow shall low to it, the unceasingly fertile one." Putting an Udumbara branch which has been smeared with ghee into the pit for the right door post he recites, – "This branch of the world I establish, a stream of honey, promoting wealth. The child, the young one, cries to it; the cow shall low to it that has a young calf." Thus does he proceed until all of the post holes have been similarly treated and the house has been consecrated and invoked to wealth and numerous offspring such as is bestowed by divine honey.

Although the bees and their honey were eagerly sought after and the bees cultivated as domestic animals by the ancient Hindus, it seems that the voluntary entrance of a swarm into a house was looked upon with suspicion and the subject of such a visitation is enjoined thus : - "If the bees make honey in his house, "Let him fast and sacrifice a hundred and eight pieces of Udumbara wood, which are besmeared with curds, honey and ghee, with the two verses, 'No harm to us in our offspring.' "And let him murmur the hymn, 'For welfare may Indra and Agni."

Other sacrifices of wood have also to be made at different seasons to quit him of possible harm from his intruding guests.

Honey has a place in other domestic ceremonies, but plays its most celebrated rôle in the madhuparka offering, which is made upon various occasions but is most widely known in connection with the respectful reception of a guest.

Madhuparka, as the name implies, is a mixture of honey and curds.

Its presentation is extremely ceremonious, and its reception by the guest is accompanied by the recital of the most honeyed composition in Hindu, or any other, literature. The guest mixes the ingredients of the madhuparka three times from left to right with his thumb and his fourth finger, with the formula, - "What is the honied, highest form of honey, which consists in the enjoyment of food, by that honied highest form of honey may I become highest, honied, and an enjoyer of food."

He partakes of it three times with the formula, "I eat thee for the sake of brilliancy, of luck, of glory, of power, and of the enjoyment of food."

The guest is enjoined in the "Sûtras" not to eat the whole of the madhuparka, a dish of which the people were evidently very fond, but to pass on the remnant to some deserving neighbor, or to give it to a friend.