6i6

buchanak’s journey through

performs certain ceremonies, and over whom, in all matters connected with religion,he poffeffes a jurifdidion. In general, every man follows the Guru of his father: butthis feems to be a voluntary fubmillion; and it is commonly allowed, that a man,whenever he pleafes, may change his Guru. The ceremonies bellowed by the SriVailhnavam Gurus on their followers are chiefly upadefa and chakrantikam. Theupadefa I have already explained. It is delivered orally to the follower ; and to writeit down, or reveal it, are crimes of fuch an enormous magnitude as to be quite unknown.The chakrantikam is performed with the fpear of the god Vifhnu, which is made hot,and applied by the Guru to the fhoulder of the difciple, fo as to burn the fkin. Duringlife this is frequently repeated; the upadefa is only delivered once.

Neither of thefe ceremonies are ever bellowed on a perfon of an impure birth ; fothat the Whalliaru and Madigaru mull content themfelves with praying to God for hisbleffing to avert evil, or bellow good. This however not being fatisfa&ory, thefe poorpeople frequently attack the Brahmans for an upadefa. In order to be quit of theirimportunity, the Brahmans fometimes tell them the name of any god, the conltantmuttering of which pleafes the man much better than the offering up his requelts tothe deity in the pure language of the heart. So powerful is the influence of ceremonyover that of reafon.

In their judicial capacity the Gurus polfefs great authority. They take cognizanceof all omiflions of ceremonies, and aftions that are contrary to the rules of call.Small delinquencies they punilh by pouring cow-dung and water on the head of theguilty perfon, by fine and by whipping. For great offences they excommunicatethe culprit; which is done by lhaving his head. This excludes a man from allfociety, even from that of his nearell connexions ; for his very wife would incur afimilar punilhment by giving him any aflillance. The excommunication may be' re-moved by the Guru; in which cafe he purifies the repentant finner by a copiousdraught of cow’s urine. Though the deputies have no proper authority to punilh delin-quents, yet they frequently make people voluntarily fubmit to their correction. Theythreaten any perfon to fend a complaint to his Guru of fome crime laid to his charge,and an order to proceed to the refidence of the Guru to anfwer the complaint. Mollperfons, however, choofe to fubmit to whatever the deputy dictates, rather than under-take the trouble of a long journey ; at the end of which they might be more feverelypunilhed by the Guru, than they would have been at home by the deputy.

When a Guru is accufed of any mifdemeanor, he is called before a trimatuflaru, oraffembly of the molt eminent Vaidika Brahmans of all the three feXs, who have thepower of inflicting fix different punilhments, all of which are very fevere.

9th June. — I went to Chinapatam, or Chenapattana, which was formerly therefidence of a Polygar family, called Jacadeva Rayas. They were Teliga Banijigaru,and feem to have rifen into power about five centuries ago. They continued till verylately poffeffed of confiderable territories; and were reduced by the Myfore Rajas, nolong time before thefe, in their turn, became fubject to the Muffulmans. The directheir of the family, in the male line, now refides here in great povertyand, beinga petty trader, is called Jiva Raja Chitty.

Glafs-ware is one of the manufactures of this place. It is made by two operations.In the firft, from the raw materials are formed maffes of glafs; in the fecond thefemaffes are wrought up into fmall bottles, and ornamental rings for the arms of women.

10th June. —I paffed this day in examining the forefts of this neighbourhood ; but{hall defer giving an account of the particulars, till I have vifited fome other parts ofthe fame chain of woody hills, and {hall be thus enabled to give at once a view of the

whole.