f-BU chanan’s journey through

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• Puranas; but this the Brahmans deny. They worfhip Vifhnu by fet forms of prayer-;

• but addrefs Siva only mentally, or by extemporary petitions, when they confider them-

• felves in danger from his deftruftive power. They never worfhip in any mannerDharma Raja, Marima, Putalima, or any other of the Saktis . None of them take the

•■vow of Daferi; but fome affume a life of celibacy, and live entirely by begging. Inthis cafe, they never cut their hair, and are called Ekangi. They cannot affume thisorder without fome ceremonies having been performed by their Gurus, who are both. the Sannyafis and the hereditary chiefs of the Sri Vaifhnavam Brahmans. Thefe conferupadefa and chakrantikam without reward, and at the fame time give the Satanana a

• dinner ; which, as being a kind of charity, is rather an acknowledgment of the Brah-.man’s inferiority; the perfon who receives the charity being, in this country, con-

fidered as of a higher rank than the donor. By charity here muff always be underftoodfomething given to a perfon afking for it in the name of God , as having dedicated. himfelf to a religious life. Alms given to the neceffitous poor and infirm, are receivedwith great thankfulnefs, fuch perfons being very numerous above the Ghats.

In the Tamul language, the Satanana are called Satany. Thofe who ferve in temples,

■ and who are thence called Coil, on account of their affumed fuperiority, take thename of Pratama. They fay, that their proper office is that of Pujari in the templesof Vifhnu, and of the gods of his family. The Puja confifts in chaunting fome prayers,and pouring fome water over the head of the image, and thus making what they callholy water; which is diflributed among the people to drink, and to pour on their headswhen they pray. As the image is always well rubbed with oil, the water impregnatedwith this forms no pieafant beverage ; but that renders the-drinking of it more meri-torious. The.prayers ufed by the Pratama Satany, on fuch occafions, are in the Tamullanguage ; and although the holy water .confecrated by them is good enough for theSudra, it is of no ufe to a Brahman, who in his .ceremonies can employ fuch only ashas been confecrated by a Brahman Pujari. The Satany adorns the image with flowers,cloths, and jewels, and anoints it with oil. They and the Brahmans who are in thefervice of the temple are the only perfons that may touch the image; they thereforeperform all the menial offices about the fhrine, and place the images on their chariots,

• or beafts of carriage, when they are going in proceffion. The Sudra are only per-mitted to drag the ropes by which the carriage is drawn. A few of this kind of Vaifh-navam are fanners, and fome are employed to cultivate flower-gardens, efpecially thofewhich are referved for the ufe of temples. Many of them obtain permiffion from theirGuru, and by receiving a new upadefa become Ekangi, affume a red or yellow drefs,and, leading a life of celibacy, fupport themfelves by begging. They never take thevow of Daferi. Their native language is the Telinga ; but their call: book is theTriveda Prabandam, and they can alfo read flokams or verfes in Sanfkrit. Theyneither eat animal food nor drink fpirituous liquors. They burn the dead, and their■widows ought to burn themfelves ; but this cuflom has become entirely obfolete.Widows, and girls, above the age of ten, are not marriageable. The men are allowedmany wives; but do not ffiut them up, nor divorce them for any caufe except adul-tery. Tike thofe of the Brahmans, the women of the Satanana never fpin, nor followany produftive induftry; but they bring waiter for domeftic purpofes, and cook thefamily provifions. The Pratama Vaifhnavam are all equal, and can all intermarry andeat in common. The hereditary chief of all thofe in this neighbourhood refides atManfunipulla, and, with a council as ufual, poffefles a jurifdiction both civil and cri-minal. Their Guru is Puttara Acharya, one of the hereditary chiefs of the Aayngar-Brahmans. He bellows on them upadefa and chakrantikam ; and on thefe occafions

expect?