Note IV.
Draupadi, in Hindu mythology, was the wife of the five Pândava princes, the description of whose contests with their cousins, the Kauravas, is given in the Mahâbhârata. She is there said to be specially noted for her skill in cooking.
Note V.
The names here quoted are those of some of the leading warriors on each side in the war between the Kauravas and Pândavas, which forms the subject of the Mahâbhârata.
Note VI.
This refers to a practice occasionally resorted to by women of Bengal, who, when about to commit suicide by drowning, attach a Kalsi, or earthen water-jug, by a rope to their necks, that it may, when full of water, act as a weight to prevent the body from rising to the surface.
Note VII.
The Srâddha, or funeral ceremony performed on the death of a Brahman, is generally a most costly undertaking. Large sums are spent on gifts to priests and Brahmans, who flock thither from miles around. Besides this, a general feast of milk, rice, ghee, sweetmeats, &c., is provided, not only for all the relatives of the deceased, but for the poor and for beggars of every description. The respect shown to a departed relative is often measured by the sum spent on his srâddha.
