Hindu man sitting on a bed of spikes to seek religious merit, Vārānasi , India, ca. 1920

"A "holy man" on his bed of spikes. By torturing himself in this way, he believes he will go to the Hindu heaven without repentance for sin." A man dressed in rags with a necklace around his neck sits on a bed of spikes. This photograph is from an album prepared by W. K. Norton of The Pilgrims Mission, Benares [Vārānasi].

一位‘苦行圣徒’正端坐于钉床之上。他坚信通过此种自我折磨的苦行方式，无需为自身罪孽忏悔便可升入印度教天国。一名衣衫褴褛、颈间佩戴项链的男子正坐在钉床上。这张照片出自贝拿勒斯（Benares，今称瓦拉纳西Vārānasi）朝圣传教团的W·K·诺顿所编纂的影集。