yogees, who were destitute of passions, and were incapable of pain.

After hearing

this account, the European ordered the clerk to take the man home. He did so, and kept him some time at his house: when fed, he would eat, and, at proper times, would sleep, and attend to the necessary functions of life, but he took no interest in any thing. At length the clerk, wearied with keeping him, sent him to the house of his spiritual teacher at Khurdu. Here some lewd fellows put fire into his hands; placed a prostitute by his side, and played a number of tricks with him, but without making the least impression on him. The teacher was soon tired of his guest, and sent him to Benares. On the way, when the boat one evening lay to for the night, this yogee went on shore, and, while he was walking by the side of the river, another religious mendicant, with a smiling countenance, met him: they embraced each other,and (as is said) were seen no more,

I have endeavoured to ascertain the probable number of Hindoos who embrace a life of mendicity; and am informed, that scarcely less than an eighth part of the whole population abandon their proper employments, and live as religious mendicants by begging. Supposing that there are sixteen millions of Hindoos in Bengal and Behar, and that each mendicant requires only one roopee monthly for his support, it will appear, that not less than 2,000,000 roopees or 250,000 pounds sterling, are thus devoured annually by persons, the great majority of whom are well able to support themselves by manual labour. What a heavy tax this must be on the industrious, the great body of whom among the Hindoos are comparatively poor!

When we add to this, the baneful effects of this system on the morals of the mendicants themselves, as well as on the public manners, every benevolent mind must exceedingly deplore such a state of things. These beggars are not frowned upon like those who have nothing but their misery to plead for them; but are privileged and insolent harpies, boldly demanding the contributions of the abject and superstitious Hindoos: their indolent habits too, and the filthy songs they sing, lead to every species of impurity and to perpetual acts of private plunder.

380 HISTORY, LITERATURE, AND RELIGION, [PART III. CHAP. VI.

Many of the more enlightened Hindoos, especially the bramhons, hold these men dicants in the utmost contempt, and would consider their being compelled to work as a great blessing conferred upon the country. On the other hand, some persons of property treat them with the greatest reverence, and sometimes invite a number of them to their houses, drink the water with which they have washed their feet, and, at the end of the entertainment, eat of the refuse from the plate of each. GăngaGovindu-Singhŭ, a person of the writer cast, who was patronized by Mr. Hastings, and who realized a princely fortune, carried his attachment to the Voiragee mendicants to the greatest lengths. He sometimes gave a feast to three or four thousand, and performed the lowest offices of service to these his guests: he also provided that persons of this description should, after his death, be constantly entertained, receive presents, have medical attendance when sick, &c. at all the temples which he erected and dedicated to the different forms of Krishnů.

CHAPTER VII.

SECTION I

Hindoo Sects.

THERE are three principal sects among the regular Hindoos, the Soivus, the Voishnuvus, and the Shaktus.

The Soious receive the initiatory rites by which Shivă becomes their guardian deity; they imprint on their faces and bodies the marks by which this sect is distinguished, and profess the most devoted regard to this god, trusting in him for protection, &c. Their daily worship is performed before an image of the lingu, either at home or by the side of a river, using those forms and offerings which are peculiar to the sect. They have no festivals, but once in the year they keep a fast in honour of Shivă, which is accompanied by the worship of this god at the temples of the lingu. In the month Voishakhŭ they present to this idol the leaves of the vilwŏ, a favourite tree sacred to Shivă, and pour libations of milk on the lingu. Some Soivus, at this auspicious season, plant shrubs near the lingu, and sit before it repeating the name of Shivă. It is an act of great merit among this sect to repeat the name of their idol with a necklace made of the seeds of the roodrakshů, as well as to visit Benares, (Kashee), a place sacred to Shivů. The persons belonging to this sect are principally bramhuns; but the Soivus are not numerous in Bengal. Mendicant Soivus are very rarely seen these persons cover themselves with ashes, wear large necklaces made of roodrakshŭ seeds, and wander to Benares and other places sacred to this god.

:

The Voishnuvus observe the rites, and receive the distinguishing mark,+ of their sect, regarding Vishnoo in all his forms, (as Ramo, Krishnu, Jugünnat'hň, &c. &c.) as their protector. They reject all animal food, even fish, and wear only white gar+ See page 18.

* See page 17.

ments. Nearly one half of the Hindoo population of Bengal are Voishněves, com. posed principally of the lower orders: great numbers are religious mendicants. Almost all the Hindoos in the province of Orissa are Voishnuvus. The followers of Choitŭnyu, having the Gosaees at their head, continue a distinct branch of this sect. The distinguishing vice of this sect is impurity, as might be expected from the character of Krishnu, their favourite deity, and from the obscene nature of the festivals held in his honour. The Shree-bhagŭvětů is the book which the few bramhŭns to be found among the Voishnŭvus, read: those less learned read a number of books written in Bengalee, all relating to the actions of Krishnŭ or Choitŭnyů.

The Shaktus are the worshippers of Bhūgŭvútee, (Doorga), including all the forms of this goddess. They have their peculiar rites, marks on their bodies, formulas, priests and festivals. The generality of those who join this sect are bramhons. In their outward dress the shaktus resemble the Soivus, but the latter in their principles approach nearest to the Voishnuvus, especially in their mutual objection to the destruction of animal life. None of the shaktus embrace a life of mendicity, They derive the principles of their sect, and the forms used in their religious ce remonies, from the Tintrus, by which works spirituous liquors are placed among the proper offerings to Bhŭgüvǎtee; and numbers of her worshippers, offering libations to the goddess, drink to intoxication. The Yamacharees belong to this sect,

Beside these three principal sects among the Hindoos, the shastrus mention two others, the worshippers of the sun (Sourus) and of Gŏnéshů (Ganŭpůtyŭs). Very few Hindoos, however, in the province of Bengal, are to be found who have chosen these gods as their guardian deities,

The religious mendicants of the same sect differ so much from each other in dress and certain ceremonies, that they might be supposed to belong to different sects; but any remarks on these shades of difference are rendered unnecessary by the preceding chapter. I shall therefore proceed immediately to notice the three most impor tant schisms among the Hindoos, those excited by Boodhů, Naņŭků, and Choitunyŭ,

THE BOUDDHUS.]

OF THE HINDOOS.

383

SECTION II.

Account of the Bo:ddhus.

IT is a question not perhaps completely decided, whether the religion of Booddhu, now spread over the Burman empire, Siam, Ceylon, Japan, Cochin-China, and the greater part of China itself, be not in reality the ancient religion of India, and the bramhinical superstition the invention of later times, and raised to predominancy by the superior influence of the bramhuns with the princes of Hindoost'hanů. author, however, declines entering on this subject, made so difficult by the want of authentic historical evidence.

The

It is certain, that amongst the six schools of philosophy formerly famous among the Hindoos, two of them inculcated doctrines respecting the First Cause of things * Kæmpfer says, on the authority of the Japanese historians, that the Bouddhǎ doctrine was carried into Japan about the year 63. Vol. i. chap. vi. p. 247.

Such is the case with all beings,

+ The Abbe Grosier (vol. ii. c. v. p. 220) gives the following account of the doctrine of Fo, in which the principles of Booddhu are clearly to be distinguished: "Nothing is the beginning and end of every thing that exists; from nothing our first parents derived their existence, and to nothing they returned after their death. A man, a lion, or any All beings are the same, their only difference consists in their figure and qualities. other animal may be formed of the same metal; if these different pieces are afterwards melted, they will immediately lose their figure and qualities, and together form only one substance. whether animate or inanimate; though different in shape and qualities, they are still the same thing sprung from This universal principle is extremely pure, exempt from all change, the same beginning, which is nothing. exceedingly subtle and simple; it remains continually in a state of rest; has neither virtue, power, nor intelligence; besides, its essence consists in being free from action, without knowledge and without desires. To obtain happiness, we must endeavour by continual meditation, and frequent victories over ourselves, to acquire a likeness to this principle; and to obtain that end, we must accustom ourselves to do nothing, will nothing, When we have attained to this state of happy insensibility, we have nothing feel nothing, desire nothing. more to do with virtue or vice, punishments or rewards, providence or the immortality of the soul. The whole of holiness consists in ceasing to exist, in being confounded with nothing; the nearer man approaches to the nature of a stone or log, the nearer he is to perfection; in a word, it is in indolence and immobility, in the cessation of all desires, and bodily motion, in the annihilation and suspension of all the faculties both of body consist. The moment that man arrives at this degree of perfection, he and soul, that all virtue and happiness has no longer occasion to dread changes, futurity, or transmigrations, because he hath ceased to exist, and is become perfectly like the god Fo."