Religious Conceptions and Feeling 197
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praises ” of the Veda ; the type is thoroughly Hindu in its naiveté and its boundlessness.
To begin with, there is in the Rig-Veda a doubtless late hymn consecrated to Dakshina, or “linkshoesh.” It is only a poetaster who under- takes, as he says, to unfold “ the broad road of liaksheesh,” 2'. a to show how important it is to keep giving. Then, with refreshing obviousness he claims:
“ Those that give amazes dwell on high in the heavens; they that give horses dwell with the sun. They that give gold partake of immortality; and they‘
that give garments, 0 Some, prolong their lives.” (Rig~Veda IO. Io7. 2.)
There are forty or more “ gift-praises ” in the Rig- Veda alone; they continue throughout the rest of the Veda. I do not mean to dwell upon them beyond a single example. We may remark, how- ever, that some of this balesheesh must have proved a veritable elephant on the hands of the receiver, except for the fact that it was as a rule imaginary
baksheesh :
“ Listen, ye folks, to this : (a song) in praise of a hero shall be sung ! Six thousand and ninety cows did we get (when we were) with Kauruma among the Rugamas !
“ Kanruma presented the Seer with a hundred jewels, ten Chaplets, three hundred steeds, and ten thousand
cattle.” (Atharva-Veda 20.. 127. I, 3.)
