Nanŭků, in the 213th page, holds up compassion as the cotton, contentment as the threads, truth, the weaving of the threads, and the subjection of the passions, the knots, of the true poita, which never breaks nor becomes soiled. He who wears this poita, is blessed. Again, if touching the dead make a person unclean, as

all we eat is dead, men must always be unclean; but as evil desire alone defiles the mind, so does falsehood, the tongue; lust, the eyes, and listening to defamation, the ears: he who is thus defiled, becomes the prey of Yúmů, the king of death. Whatsoever makes a man forget God, renders him unclean. Birth and death are not the

causes of uncleanness; for these events proceed from God.

Nanňkй further taught, that the person who worships God with outward things only, is in an error; that a pure body is the true védů; the mind, the true sacrificial garment; wisdom, the true poita; meditation on God, the proper vessel for worship; and the only true prayer, that in which the worshippers desire to be incessantly employed in repeating the name of God. He who observes these rules, will obtain absorption.

Nanňků reproves men for presenting different essences to God, and anointing their bodies with them after worship, recommending rather the name of God as the incense, and regarding the mind as the stone on which it is ground, and good works as another essence mixed with the former; he adds, that purifying the vessels of worship is useless, the purification of the mind being the only essential requisite.

Črjoonů, in the 224th page, says, that the 330,000,000 of gods, including Brumha, Vishnoo, and Shivů, are all subject to God.

The devout are truly excellent, of whatever cast, or however poor.*— Nanŭků.

*To excite in the minds of his followers the love of devotion, Nanňků, while living, was accustomed to relate the following story: Junŭků, the king, the father of Seeta, was very devout, and had merited heaven; but at the time of death he declared to Yumo, that he was resolved to go to heaven by the way of hell. Yămă informed him, that he had no sins to expiate by suffering, and that such a course was unusual. insisted on seeing this place on his way to heaven; and his request was complied with.

Junŭků, however, On his arrival at the infernal

The devout, however poor, never ask God for riches.-Ruvee-dasu. Nanňků, in p. 409, makes the following quotation from Kuveerů, a mendicant who wrote several small pieces still extant: 'He who merely studies the védů, repeats the gayůtree, and wears the poita, is not the honourable person; the devout alone are to be honoured.' In page 501, Urjoonü commends the example of the man who rejects all outward ceremonies, and worships God only in the mind.

Many pronounce sin an evil, and yet love it; but the devout reject sin, and apply to the concerns of a future state. To obtain wealth, some worship Shivu, others steal, and others endure the greatest burdens, but not an atom of this wealth accompanies them into eternity; while those works of merit, which would accompany. and save them, are totally neglected. The Musulman judge sits on the seat of justice, and, repeating the name of God, and counting his beads, receives bribes, and sells justice; the bramhun puts on his poita, when he eats surrounds himself with a ring to keep off the unclean, and performs daily ablutions, but lives in sin; all the cere◄ monies practised by these persons are profitless.-Nanŭků.

Ŭrjoonŭ says, p. 406, that God is not compelled to grant blessings by any works of merit-devotion alone has this power over God.

Nanukă, in p. 543, defends those who eat flesh, proving that all eat flesh, even the child supported by his mother's milk, and that all men live more or less by injustice; that even herbs obtained by unlawful gains are forbidden food. In the 609th page, he gives an account of the punishments inflicted in different hells by Yumu, the Indian Pluto, on those who have neglected a devout life.

infernal regions, his presence evidently assuaged the torments of the wicked; and the criminals entreated him to remain among them, at least during a short period. He begged to be excused, but entreated Yumi to oblige him by liberating these miserable wretches. Yumă declared, that till their sins were expiated no power could emancipate them. Junŭkŭ then transferred to them the merit of an hour's devotion, and a general goal delivery was the immediate consequence. Such was the power and merit of devotion! Nanňků, at the close of this story, used to add, that remembrance of God, and pious feelings, were beyond all ceremonies efficacious.

SECTION V.

Account of the followers of Choitunyŭ.

IN another part of this work, we have given, amongst the gods, an account of Choitǎnyu, and of the origin of the sect to which he gave rise. We shall therefore now merely notice the principles, numbers, and moral state of this sect.

Choitǎnyu, though he rejected the institution of the cast, does not appear to have introduced any new doctrines among his followers. He adopted as the object of worship one of the Hindoo gods, Krishnů, under the form of Huree; and gave his disciples an initiatory incantation containing this name. He declared, that most of the ceremonies of the Hindoos were unprofitable; but inculcated repetitions of the name of Hŭree; bowing and presenting offerings to his image; as well as devotion of mind to this god, under the characters of servant, friend, &c.-He taught, that there was no merit in pilgrimages to sacred places, but that journies in search of the devout and wise, were not improper. His attachment to Huree, to the exclusion ofthe other gods, had no reference to the doctrine of the unity of God; he admitted the Hindoo mythology, but taught his disciples to devote themselves only to Huree. The other ceremonies of the Hindoos, he did not reject as errors; but declared, that in the kǎlee yoogu they were not necessary. He taught, that the devout worshipper of Huree would obtain heaven by his devotion.

Choitůnyŭ did not leave any works behind him, though he was acquainted with the Sungskrită language: the doctrines that have since been given in writing, as the tenets of the sect, are said to have been delivered orally by him; and the writers belonging to this sect have endeavoured to prove, that they are derived from the works venerated by the Hindoos.

In the article to which we have already referred, (page 172), the reader will find an account of Choitŭnyu's two coadjutors, Ŭdwoită and Nityanŭndă. Both these

survived Choitǎnyŭ, and helped to establish the sect, of which they acknowledged Choitǎnyŭ to have been the founder.

After the death of these leaders, Roopu-Goswamee, Sunatuni-Goswamee, his brother, and Jeevǎ-Goswamee, formed the doctrines of Choitŭnyŭ into a system. These men were all learned in the Hindoo shastrus; the two former were men of some distinction. Their principal writings are the Hŭree-bhüktee-vilasă, a commentary on the Shree-bhagŭvútă, another on the tenth chapter of the Shree-bhagŭvătă, a Săngskritŭ grammar, a poem in honour of Krishnů, a work on poetical allusions, a poetical life of Choitunyŭ, &c.

During the lives of these writers, or soon after their decease, many persons of influence joined this sect, and increased the number of Choitŏnyu's followers very considerably, but the persons most honoured were the descendants of Ŭdwoitu and Nityanŭndů: Choitŭnyŭ left no family. Some persons consider Choitonyŭ as a full incarnation of Vishnoo, Ŭdwoitu as Shivu, and Nityanŭndú as Bălă-ramă, the brother

of Krishnă.

At present, the great leaders of this sect are the heads of the families of Udwoitu and Nityanŭndă, who live at Shantee-pooră and Khurdăhu,* though collateral branches of these families in different places have collected a number of disciples. are known by the general name Gosaee, (Goswamēē).

They

These leaders, however, though at the head of a sect which disregards cast, are as tenacious of these distinctions as the most rigid of the regular Hindoos: they do not eat with their own disciples, and are careful to marry amongst families professing the ancient religion.

The disciples of Choitůnyй are initiated as well as married by the gosaees, to whom fees are given. These gosaees honour the festivals sacred to Krishnů, or Hŭree, and crowds of disciples assemble on these occasions to enjoy the festivities.

This place is about three miles south-east of Serampore.

A number of insignificant temples and images, dedicated to this deified mendicant, are scattered up and down in various places in Bengal. It is supposed that out of sixteen Hindoos in Bengal, five will be found to be of this sect; but many, I am informed, are persons of the very lowest description as it respects moral character, even as many as three in five.

The majority of the followers of Choitǎnyŭ subsist either wholly or in part as public mendicants; and amongst these, numbers of thieves are to be found. It has lately been ascertained, that persons of this description are very numerous: they assume the profession of a voiragee, or religious mendicant, and receive the reverence of the people, as persons eminent for sanctity, but are in reality common robbers. They do not all appear to subsist by mendicity; many of them make necklaces, twine, &c. merely that they may appear to their neighbours as persons subsisting by a lawful profession.

The sect of Choitŭnyň is increasing daily; as it opens a door to the practise of mendicity, encourages an indiscriminate and most licentious mixture of the sexes, and emancipates from the yoke of the cast, without incurring the disgrace usually following that event.

The following works are very popular amongst this sect:-Krishnů-keerttunů, by Govindă-dasă, and Vidya-putee. Choitŭnyă-măngŭlă, the history of Choitŭnyŭ, in verse, by Lochănů, a voishnŭvů. Pashŭndů-dălănă, a work in favour of the voishnŭvůs, by Radha-madhŭvů. Choitǎnyu-churitamritů, by Krishnů-dasă. This is a work in defence of Choitŭnyu, partly in Sungskritŭ and partly in Bengalee. Voishnůvă-bărdhănă, by Doivukee-năndună. Choitŭnyŭ-bhagăvătă, by Vrinda-vůnŭ-dasă. Munů-shikshya, by Núrottůmů. Ragă-mŭyŭ-konŭ, a work on subduing the passions, by Rлopu-goswami. Răsümüyü-külika, on devotedness to Krishnů, by Sănatănă, a voishnŭvů. Prémů-bhüktee-chŭndrika, by T'hakoorů-goswamee.