Vaishnava Sect
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From The Tribes And Castes Of The Central Provinces Of India
By R. V. Russell
Of The Indian Civil Service
Superintendent Of Ethnography, Central Provinces
Assisted By Rai Bahadur Hira Lal, Extra Assistant Commissioner
Macmillan And Co., Limited, London, 1916.
NOTE 1: The 'Central Provinces' have since been renamed Madhya Pradesh.
NOTE 2: While reading please keep in mind that all articles in this series have been scanned from the original book. Therefore, footnotes have got inserted into the main text of the article, interrupting the flow. Readers who spot these footnotes gone astray might like to shift them to their correct place.
The name given to Hindus as repre- ^yj^Qgg special deity is the god Vishnu, and to a number of senting \ •' ° _ _' the sun. sccts wliich havc adopted various special doctrines based on the worship of Vishnu or of one of his two great incarna- tions, Rama and Krishna. Vishnu was a personification of the sun, though in ancient literature the sun is more often referred to under another name, as Savitri, Surya and Aditya. It may perhaps be the case that when the original sun-god develops into a supreme deity with the whole heavens as his sphere, the sun itself comes to be regarded as a separate and minor deity. His weapon of the cliakra or discus,
which was probably meant to resemble the sun, supports the view of Vishnu as a sun-god, and also his vdhan, the bird Garuda, on which he rides.
This is the Brahminy kite, a fine bird with chestnut plumage and white head and breast, which has been considered a sea-eagle. Mr. Dewar states that it remains almost motionless at a great height in the air for long periods ; and it is easy to understand how in these circumstances primitive people mistook it for the spirit of the sky, or the vehicle of the sun-god. It is propitious for a Hindu to see a Brfdiminy kite, especially on Sunday, the sun's day, for it is believed that the bird is then returning from Vishnu, whom it has gone to see on the previous even- ing.^ A similar belief has probably led to the veneration of the eagle in other countries and its association with the god of the sky or heavens, as in the case of Zeus, Similarly the Gayatri, the most sacred Hindu prayer, is addressed to the sun, and it could hardly have been considered so important unless the luminary was identified with one of the greatest Hindu gods. Every Brahman prays to the sun daily when he bathes in the morning. Vishnu's character as the pre- ' Bombay Ducks, p. 194.
server and fosterer of life is probably derived from the sun's
generative power, so conspicuous in India. As the sun is seen to sink every night into the earth, so 2. His it was thought that he could come down to earth, and Vishnu J"'^^"^" ^_ _ ' tions. has done this in many forms for the preservation of man-
kind. He is generally considered to have had ten incarnations, of which nine are past and one is still to come. The
incarnations were as follows : 1. As a great fish he guided the ark in which Manu the primeval man escaped from the deluge.
2. As a tortoise he supported the earth and poised it in its present position ; or according to another version he lay at the bottom of the sea while the mountain INIeru was set on its peak on his back, and with the serpent Vasuki as a rope round the mountain the ocean was churned by the gods for making the divine Amrit or nectar which gives immor- tality.
3. As a boar he dived under the sea and raised the earth on his tusks after it had been submerged by a demon.
4. As Narsingh, the man-lion, he delivered the world from the tyranny of another demon.
5. As Waman or a dwarf he tricked the King Bali, who had gained possession over the earth and nether world and was threatening the heavens, by asking for as much ground as he could cover in three steps. When his request was derisively granted he covered heaven and earth in two steps, but on Bali's intercession left him the nether regions and refrained from making the third step which would have covered tlicm.
6. As Parasurama ^ he cleared the earth of the Kshat- riyas, who had oppressed the r>ra]iman hermits and stolen the sacred cow, bj' a slaughter of them thrice seven times repeated. 7. As Rama, the divine king of Ajodhia or Oudh, he led an expedition to Ceylon for the recovery of his wite Sita, who had been abducted by Rawan, the demon king of ' For a suggested explanation of the myth of ravasur.iina sec article Panwar RajpQt.
Ceylon.
This story probably refers to an early expedition of the Aryans to southern India, in which they may have obtained the assistance of the Munda tribes, represented by Hanuman and his army of apes. 8. As Krishna he supported the Pandavas in their war against the Kauravas, and at the head of the Yadava clan founded the city of Dwarka in Gujarat, where he was after- wards killed. The popular group of legends about Krishna in his capacity of a cowherd in the forests of Mathura was perhaps at first distinct and afterwards combined with the story of the Yadava prince.
But it is in this latter char- acter as the divine cowherd that Krishna is most generally known and worshipped. 9. As Buddha he was the great founder of the religion known by his name ; the Brahmans, by making Buddha an incarnation of Vishnu, have thus provided a connecting link between Buddhism and Hinduism. In his tenth incarnation he will come again as Nishka- lanki or the stainless one for the final regeneration of the world, and his advent is expected by some Hindus, who worship him in this form. 3. Wor- In the Central Provinces Vishnu is worshipped as Vishnu and Narayan Deo, who is identified with the sun, or as Parmesh- Vaishnava yy^r, the supreme beneficent god. He is also much wor- doctrines. ..... . t-, _ •, -rr • ^ 1 1 • shipped m his incarnations as Kama and Krishna, and their images, with those of their consorts, Sita and Radha, are often to be found in his temples as well as in their own. These images are supposed to be subject to all the condi- tions and necessities incident to living humanity.
Hence in the daily ritual they are washed, dressed, adorned and even fed like human beings, food being daily placed before them, and its aroma, according to popular belief, nourishing the god present in the image. The principal Vishnuite sects are described in the article on Bairagi, and the dissenting sects which have branched off from these in special articles." The cult of Vishnu and his two main incarnations is the most prominent feature of modern Hinduism. The orthodox Vaishnava sects mainly ' Sec also article Ahlr. 2 Kabirpanthi, Nanakpanthi, Dadupanthi, Swami-Narayan, etc.
differed on the point whether the human soul or spirit was a part of the divine soul or separate from it, and whether it would be reabsorbed into the divine soul, or have a separate existence after death. But they generally regarded all human souls as of one quality, and hence were opposed to distinctions of caste. Animals also have souls or spirits, and the Vishnuite doctrine is opposed to the destruction of animal life in any form.
In the Bania caste the practices of Vaishnava Hindus and Jains present so little difference that they can take food together, and even intermarry. The creed is also opposed to suicide. Faithful worshippers of Vishnu will after his death be transported to his heaven, Vaikuntha, or to Golaka, the heaven of Krishna. The sect - mark of the Vaishnavas usually consists of three lines down the forehead, meeting at the root of the nose or below it. All three lines may be white, or the centre one black or red, and the outside ones white. They are made with a kind of clay called Gopi- chandan, and are sometimes held to be the impress of Vishnu's foot. To put on the sect-mark in the morning is to secure the god's favour and protection during the day.
Notes
In February, 1485, during the reign of Jalaluddin Fath Shah, was born Nimai, the son Jagannath Misra, a Vaidika Brahman of Silhet, and of Sachi his wife. His birth was preceded by many marvellous signs, while his infancy and boyhood were distinguished by events which portended his future eminence.
When twenty-four years old, he left his young wife, became a Vairagi, and assumed the name of Chaitanya. He visited the sacred shrines of Mathura and Brindaban, where, by constant meditation on the adorable Krishna, he became subject to ecstatic visions, or fits of love, "Prema-pralapa," which eventually deranged his reason. From Mathura he returned to Bengal, and after a short stay, proceeded on a pilgrimage to Katak and Ramesvara, in the south of India. He finally settled at Katak, where he died childless at the early age of forty-three.
The most devoted and most famous of his followers were Nityananda of Nadiya, and Advayananda of Santipur on the Hughli.
The teaching of Chaitanya marks an era in the religious history of Bengal, and at the present day the large majority of the artisan and agricultural classes worship him as an incarnation of Vishnu under the names of Maha-prabhu, the great teacher, and Gaur-Hari.
The spread of the religious doctrines of this reformer was rapid, many causes combining to favour it. Their simplicity, their virtual agreement with the religious ideas then prevalent in Bengal, the zeal and enthusiasm of the first missionaries, and the boundless credulity of the people, are the chief causes assigned by an able writer.1 But the unsettled state of the province, the constant wars and civil commotions excited by rival Muhammadan races and factions, left the Hindu population at liberty to follow their own religious aspirations. During the forth-three years of Chaitanya's life, seven kings, of whom four were Abyssinian slaves, sat on the throne of Bengal.
For many generations the Brahmans had left the masses uncared for, and without any national faith, save that of the terrible Siv, his hateful consort, and a host of malevolent beings, haunting every glade, thicket, and river. Contumely and disdain were the prerogatives of the priesthood; submission and resignation of the timorous people. Under this tyranny the land groaned for centuries, but at last a glimmer broke in upon the thick darkness, foretelling the advent of a brighter and happier future.
Chaitanya stirred the hearts of the people by his impassioned preaching, awakened new conceptions and desires, and proclaimed that all men were equal in the eyes of God; that the same One who made the Chandal made the Brahman; and that philanthropy was the mainspring of society, the renovator of national life. He farther taught that caste was a fetter on social advancement, and the religion of the Brahmans a stumbling-block to his countrymen. This blow levelled against caste had temporary effect, and for many years after Chaitanya's death no distinctions of race or colour were, it is said, permitted within the Vaishnava pale. As enthusiasm, however, declined, differences of birth and occupation were again recognised, and now caste prejudices are almost as deeply rooted among the Vaishnavas as with the worshippers of Siv.
1 Wilson's "Religious Sects of the Hindus," vol. i, 153.
1 "Calcutta Review," vol. xv , 1851.
The chief novelty in the teaching of Chaitanya was Bhakti, or loving faith, a new element in Hinduism. The Vedantic philosophers had taught that in the knowledge of God consisted the only hope of deliverance from the bondage of sin; but, according to the new truth, those who believed in Krishna, who prayed to him without ceasing, and who reposed their whole confidence on him, were more secure of endless felicity than the master of all sciences and all philosophies.
Such was the gospel of the Silhet reformer. By the addition of many mystical and sensual interpretations, later ages have corrupted much that was ennoblng and moral.
The text-book of the Vaishnavas is the "Chaitanya Charitamrita" of Krishna Das,1 written in Bengali, and interspersed with quotations from the earlier works, "Sri Bhagavat" and "Bhagavat-gita." According to this work there are five stages of Bhakti, the higher, as with the Cufis, being only attained by a few privileged individuals, after prolonged austerities and mortifications.
The five stages are:�
1. Santa, or quietism, in which the Vaishnava enjoys perfect contentment and peace of mind, ever dwelling on the happiness of his lot, and grateful to Hari for his mercy.
2. Dasya, or the relation existing between a master and his purchased slave. In this stage the Vaishnava practises self-denial, dedicating his whole energies and thoughts to the honour of his god.
3. Sakhya, or friendship. Arriving at this stage the disciple worships Chaitanya as his bosom friend, and regards his own soul as an emanation from and a particle of the Paramatman, or supreme spirit.
4. Vatsalya, or affection towards offspring. In this stage the Vaishnava looks up to God, not as the common Father of all, but as his own father, to whom he is united by the natural bonds of affection, as subsist between a son and his earthly parent.
5. Madhuriya, literally sweetness, the "efflorescence of Bhakti," as it has been named. In this, the highest and most exquisite condition, the disciple glows with, the same uncontrollable desire that Krishna felt for the absent Radha.
The introduction of this last grade of religious fervour has destroyed the moral influence of the creed by sanctifying, as it undoubtedly has done, immorality and gross sensuality. The pure and elevating principles of Chaitanya have been lost of, and at the present day the male and female mendicants of this popular sect are notorious for their profligacy and moral depravity.
When Chaitanya died, his most enthusiastic disciples formed a society, consisting, it is said, of six Gosains,1 eight Kabirajs, and sixty-four Mahants, by whom the sect was organised, and a staff of assistants established in every district and town of Bengal. Their successors disseminated the Vaishnavaa creed throughout the province, and, penetrating among the wild tribes of the forest, converted many.
The highest rank in the hierarchy is that of the Gosains, who are Brahmans by caste, and claiming to be descendants of the six original Gosains, the immediate successors of the Maha-prabhu.
For many generations the three great centres of Vaishnavism have been Khardah, between Calcutta and Barrackpur; Santi-pur in Nadiya, on the Bhagirathi; and Saidabad in the Murshidabad district. The first is the residence of the Gosains, tracing their descent from Nityananda; the second, of the children of Advayananda; while the third is the home of a family who became Gosains at a later date, as related in the following story.
Ganga Narayana Acharya and Rama Kisora Chakravartti were Gosains, the former being a disciple of a Kayasth. When the Kayasth died, the Brahmans refused to permit the body to be buried. The disconsolate widow prayed to the deceased Guru, claiming his interference. His spirit appeared, and commanded her to summon all the recusant Brahmans to a meeting, at which, after a long and excited discussion, the spirit asked if any one present could produce the four threads of gold, silver, copper, and cotton, which were used to make the sacred cord. No one was able, so the spirit produced them.
The Brahmans, satisfied of his identity, confesssd that he was entitled, though a Kayasth, to be venerated as a Guru, and his disciple to receive the same funeral rites at his death as a Brahman, the pupil of a legitimate Gosain.
Gosains are hereditary leaders of the sect. They are married men, generally wealthy, their temples having been enriched by the munificence of the Hindu laity, and their revenue farther increased by the contributions of millions of disciples, and by the inheritance of all property left by Bairagis. They are also prosperous traders and money-lenders, Brahmans view them with contempt, a Kulin family being dishonoured by giving one a daughter in marriage.
1 Krishna Das Kabiraj, a Baidya by caste, wrote this synopsis A.D. 1557.
1 Sanskrit, Go-svami, a religious mendicant, an honorary title.
The Vaishnavas have had it revealed that Chaitanya was an incarnation of Vishnu, Nityananda of Balarama, the brother of Krishna, and Advayananda of Mahadeva; and, furthermore, that the first assumed the sank of a Vaidika Brahman, the second of a Rarhi, and the third of a Varendra.
The adoration paid to the heaven-born Gosain, or Guru, is regarded as the essence of Vaishnavism, and differs in no respect from that offered to God Himself. The votaries, by surrendering themselves and, all they possess, not only identify the Gosain with the deity, but honour him as one possessed of more authority than Krishna himself. He is further venerated as being inherently a pure and exalted personage, unsullied by the vices in which he always freely indulges.
Implicit faith in him, and incessant devotion, are the arms with which the Vaishnava has to wage war against the world and its temptations; and he is taught that, successfully overcoming all his enemies, he will at last enter upon that stage of Madhuriya, for the attainment of which all true Vaishnavas maintain a life-long struggle.
The slavish adoration of the Gosain, however, formed no part of Chaitanya's teaching, which inculcated that God was all in all, while the Gosain was only the spiritual father1 of his flock. The modern sentiment, copied from the Brahmanical system, and probably adopted when the Gosains had secured their hold over the people, is firmly believed in by millions at the present day, and the influence that they wield is as strong as that of the Jesuit priesthood.
The inferior agency that spreads and supports the peculiar doctrines of the sect is the Adhikari, or superintendent, who acts as deputy, initiates disciples within a certain circle, and collects fees. Under him are Faujdars, whose busines is the enlistment of proselytes, and whose activity is stimulated by a percentage of the subscriptions. Lastly, comes the Chhari-dar, or usher of the rod, who is merely the messenger of the Faujdar.
The Gosain, or his deputy, bestows the Mantra, or sacred word, on the laity. Any disciple, however, can confer Bhek,3 an introductory ceremony peculiar to the Vaishnavas. No member can aspire to any stage of faith, or secure salvation after death, without the Mantra. The Bhek, on the other hand, is taken by those who resolve to spend a life of poverty and trial, without ties and with few restraints, and is given to men, women, and boys over ten years of age. At this ceremonial, a new piece of cloth is wrapped round the waist of the neophyte, a "Kaupina" is triced between the legs, a stick, or switch, placed in his hands, a beggar's wallet given him to carry, and a necklace (mala) hung round his neck.
As is the case with other Hindu sects, the Vaishnava laity is divided into two great classes, the Grihi Vaishnavas, or Boistubs, as they are popularly called, and Bairagis. The former marry and live as their neighbours; the Gosains, and the large majority of the sect, belong to this division. The dead are burned, but the bodies of Gosains are always buried. Bairagis are mendicants, usually living in celibacy, but often adopting a Bairagan, or sister, who is in reality a concubine.
The bodies of Bairagis are either burned, buried, or cast into a river; but if the relatives be rich, or if the deceased has attracted disciples, the corpse is interred, and an Akhara built over his grave. A Bairagi may marry, but it is deemed highly meritorious to lead a celibate life, avoiding all connection with women. On obtaining permission to marry he is known as a Sam-yogi, becoming enrolled in a caste, or community, called Jat Boistub, but generally nicknamed "Vantasi," a term more expressive than elegant.
Bengal is divided into circles, each circle having its own Gosain, within whose jurisdiction no other Gosain can legitimately act. The Gosains of Nityananda have always been more popular than their rivals, and claim the exclusive right of making disciples in the districts of Dacca, Baqirganj, Farridpur, and Jessore; but in each of these representatives of the three head centres may be found.
The Nityananda Gosains were especially favoured by the Muhammadan governors, Jasarat Khan, the Nawab of Dacca, when the English acquired the Raj, granting a Sanad Nanda Lal Gosain, conferring on him land in Baqirganj for the maintenance of male and female mendicants. In 1783 the zamindars dispossessed the proprietors, but on appeal the Cadr 'Adalat ordered the restitution of the property, which is held by their descendants at the present day.
In the city of Dacca there are seven Nityananda Gosains, the chief, Madan Mohan Gosvami, being eleventh in descent from the Prabhu, while the others are the offspring of children adopted by former Gosains. As a natural result, there is much covert enmity and jealousy between each household. The chief Akhara, or monastery, of these "Gentoo Bishops," s they were styled by Holwell, is called Ram Kanhai in Islampur; but in Farridabad, a suburb of the city, and at Uthali, near Teota, in the Ja'farganj Thanah, are two celebrated Akharas, at which other Gosains reside.
The Gosains are a comparatively pure stock, and fair specimens of the higher Bengali race. As a rule they are of a light brown, or wheaten, colour, tall and large-boned. Muscular they ought to be, but indolence and good living stamps them at an early age with a look of sensuality and listlessness, and they become large fat men, fond of sleep, their chief muscular exertion consisting in holding out the foot to be kissed by admiring followers.
Their lives are passed in sensual pleasures, and the boundless influence they wield among thousands of the middle classes is, unhappily, not directed to their moral elevation. Satisfied with a blind and unquestioning adoration, they are quite content, if it lasts during their lifetime, to disregard the possibility of future agitation and revolution.
The Nitananda and Advayananda Gosains differ in several respects. The former admit into their communion all ranks and conditions of men and women, from the Brahman to the Chandal, from the Brahmani widow to the common prostitute; but the latter only admits Brahmans and members of the clean Sudra castes. The first maintain that any limitation is opposed to the teaching of Chaitanya, and at variance with the fact that the whispering of the Mantra in the ear of the most wicked and dissolute often leads to repentance and conversion.
The Nityananda Gosains have always been most popular with the lower Bengali castes, having acquired a commanding position among Vaishnavas. A "Panjah," or silver hand, is the badge of the family. At Khardah is still paraded one presented by a Nawab of Bengal, and the Janmashtami procession of the Tantis is preceded by a man carrying a "Panjah."
The Advayananda Gosains, as a matter of course, are highly esteemed by the upper classes, it being exceedingly rare for a Brahman, or Baidya, to enroll himself in the ranks of the other. They are numerous in Dacca, the most respected and learned being Dinabandhu of Boses Bazar. These Gosains are said to be more sincere, and less depraved, than the others, invariably refusing to receive any woman, and thus avoiding much scandal. Furthermore, they do not seek to increase the number of followers in the indiscriminate way the Nityananda do, but welcome any penitent who approaches them, if he proves by his behaviour that he is really desirous of leading a new life.
Vaishnaves on entering the society pay a fee of twenty anas, sixteen of which go to the Gosain, and four to the Faujdar. It is also asserted that the Advayananda Gosains pay a fee to the Nityananda, on the grounds that only the latter can properly initiate disciples in Eastern Bengal.
No one but a Hindu can join the Vaishnava community, and as a rule no probation is required. Each member of a Vaishnava family must receive the Mantra, his water-vessels being impure until he does so, while it cannot rightly be given until the rite Karna-vedha, or ear-boring, has been performed. The strict Vaishnava never drinks water from the hands of a Siv worshipper, even though he belong to the same caste.
In each important village of Bengal an Akhara, belonging to the sect, exists, sanctifying, according to Hindu ideas, the place and protecting the inhabitants from all evil. Akharas are often built by subscription, mendicants being invited to take posssesion and tend the idols of Madana-Mohana or Krishna, Radha-Krishna, or Krishna-Balarama, lodged in them. The two most famous images of the Bengali Vaishnavas are those of Vishnupur in Bankura, now in Calcutta, and the Gopi-nath of Agradvipa in Krishnaghar.
The religious duties (Sadhana) of the Grihi and Bairagi Vaishnavas are sixty-four in number, the most important being the foot-kissing (Pada-asraya), of the Gosain, and the Nama Kirtana, or invocation of the god's name.
At initiation the Vaishnava novice receives a Mala, or rosary, which is either hung round the neck or put into a cloth bag, having an opening for the thumb. The rosary consists of 108 beads, and it is incumbent on each individual to count his beads a certain number of times daily, while no true disciple will drink water, or touch food, until he has made a round of the rosary, muttering as he touches each bead, one or other of the names of Hari.
The frequency with which the beads are counted is considered a test of sincerity, and many Vaishnavas spend the chief part of their lives repeating the names of Hari; while in the streets, in places of public amusement, and even during conversation, they may be observed dreamily, often unconsciously, renewing, with painful reiteration, the bead-counting, and the monotonous burden of their prayers. It is also considered a most meritorious act to teach a parrot, or "maina," to speak nothing but Hari Ram.
Another important Sadhana is the San-Kirtana, which consists in reciting religious songs in honour of Krishna. Twice a day, in the forenoon, and at sunset, services are held in all Akharas, when oblations are made to the idols.
The favourite musical instruments are the Mridanga, an elongated drum, tapering towards the ends, and the Kartal, or brass cymbals. The eleventh day of the waxing moon in each month is a fast, no food being taken till sunset; while on the Ekadasi, the eleventh "tithi," or lunar day following the Dashara, and for the ensuing thirty days Vaishnavas are engaged in prayer and singing. Before dawn discordant music clangs from every shrine and Akhara in the country, and in the daytime bands of Mahants, pupils (chela), and scholars (avadhuta) perambulate the streets reciting�
"With earnestness repeat, Radha, Krishna, Nitai, Chaitanya, Advaita, the three Prabhus."
The aforesaid duties are essential to salvation, and a strict observance of them will ensure endless felicity, even though the other sixty Sadhana are neglected.
The Grihi Vaishnavas, who live as other Hindus, comprise the majority of the sect. They celebrate with more or less pomp the Dol-jatra in Phalgun (March and April), the Rath-jatra in Asharh (July and August), the Janmashtami, or birthday of Krishna, in Bhadra (August and September), and the Ras-jatra in Kartik (October and November).
The rich Sunri bankers and merchants frequently erect Akharas adjoining their houses, liberally endowing them, and providing food for swarms of hungry mendicants. Although the Vaishnava creed has attracted most of the lower classses of Bengal, it has, by recognising caste, entirely failed to elevate or guide them towards higher aspirations.
The Bairagi and Bairagan Vaishnavas are of evil repute, their ranks being recruited by those who have no relatives, by widows, by individuals too idle or depraved to lead a steady working life, and by prostitutes. Vaishnavi, or Bostubi according to the vulgar pronunciation, has come to mean a courtezan. A few undoubtedly join from sincere and worthy motives, but their numbers are too small to produce any appreciable effect on the behaviour of their comrades.
The habits of these beggars are very unsettled. They wander from village to village, and from one Akhara to another, fleecing the frugal and industrious peasantry on the plea of religion, and singing songs in praise of Jari beneath the village tree, or shrine. Mendicants of both sexes smoke Indian hemp (ganjha), and, although living as brothers and sisters, are notorious for licentiousness. There is every reason for suspecting that infanticide is common, as children are never seen.
In the course of their wanderings they entice away unmarried girls, widows, and even married women, on the pretext of visiting Sri Kshetra (Jagannath), Brindaban, or Benares, for which reason they are shunned by all respectable natives, who gladly give charity to be rid of them.
The following account of an annual religious gathering in Bengal discloses the true character of these disreputable mendicants. Amid the ruins of ancient Gaur are large reservoirs of water, called Rupa amd Sanatan, after the two distinguished Muhammadans converted by Chaitanya, on the banks of which the "Ras Mela," or "Prema tala," i.e., real love, festival is held in the month of June.
Crowds of Bairagis and Bairagans resort to this fair from all parts of Bengal, the latter being seated in long rows with their faces covered. Should a Bairagi be in search of a companion, he pays the customary fee to the Faujdar, and a selection is made. He leads the female aside, raises her veil, and if satisfied takes her away, otherwise he takes her back to her place. In the latter case the Faujdar refuses to allow another choice, unless the twenty anas fee is again paid. It is a law with these licentious Bairagis that a man cannot put away the woman selected, even for adultery, until the next year's gathering comes round.
1 The Gosain is generally styled Bap, father; the Faujdar Kuru, or uncle, from Bengali, Khura.
2 The Mantra is usually a monosyllale, a name, or attribute, of a god, or goddess. It is taken by both Vaishnavas and Saktas, and certain religious ceremonies are always observed on that occasion. The Mantra mast never be divulged to any one.
3 The word Bhek is synonymous with the Sanskrit Bhek-lava and Viksha-grahana, and is anologous to the Bhikshuka, or fourth Asrama of religious life. Bhek is probably a corruption os Viksha, sight. In this stage of life the votary rightly adopts the garb of a mendicant, retires from the world, and subsists on the charity of strangers.
