HORNELL THE INDIAN CONCH 27 



saraya, Sumathendra, and Mulabagal in Mysore, and Uttaraja in South Canara. The 

 followers of the Uttaraja mutt are branded in five places in the case of adult males, 

 and boys after the thread investiture. The situations and emblems selected are the 

 chakra on the right upper arm, right side of the chest, and above the navel ; the chank 

 on the left shoulder and left side of the chest. Women and girls after marriage, are 

 branded with the chakra on the right forearm, and the chank on the left. In the case 

 of widows, the marks are impressed on the shoulders as in the case of males. The disciples 

 of the three other mutts are generally branded with the chakra on the right upper arm, 

 and chank on the left. As the branding is supposed to remove sins committed during the 

 interval, they get it done every time they see their Guru. There is with Madhvas no 

 restriction as to the age at which the ceremony should be performed. Even a new- 

 born babe, after the pollution period of ten days, must receive the mark of the chakra, 

 if the Guru should turn up. Boys before the upanayanam, and girls before marriage 

 are branded with the chakra on the abdomen just above the navel. The copper or 

 brass branding instruments (mudras) are not heated to a very high temperature, but 

 sufficient to singe the skin, and leave a deep black mark in the case of adults, and a light 

 mark in that of young people and babies. In some cases, disciples who are afraid of 

 being hurt, bribe the person who heats the instruments ; but as a rule, the Guru regulates 

 the temperature so as to suit the individual. If, for example, the disciple is a strong 

 well-built man, the instruments are well heated, and, if he is a weakling, they are allowed 

 to cool somewhat before their application. If the operator has to deal with babies, 

 he presses the instrument against a wet rag before applying it to the infant's skin. Some 

 Matathipathis (head priests of the mutt) are, it is said, inclined to be vindictive, and to 

 make a very hot application of the instruments if the disciple has not paid the fee (guru- 

 kanika) to his satisfaction. The fee is not fixed in the case of Sri Vaishnavas. whereas 

 Madhvas are expected to pay from one to three months' income for being branded. 

 Failure to pay is punished with excommunication on some pretext or other. The area 

 of skin branded generally peels off within a week, leaving a pale mark of the mudra, 

 which either disappears in a few months, or persists throughout life. Madhvas should 

 stamp mudras with gopi paste 1 daily on various parts of the body. The names of these 

 mudras are chakra, chank or sankha, gfitha (the weapon of war used by Bhima, one 

 of the Pandavas), padma (lotus), and Narayana. The chakra is stamped thrice on the 

 abdomen above the navel, twice on the right flank, twice on the right side of the chest 

 above the nipple, twice on the right arm, once on the right temple, once on the left 

 side of the chest, and once on the left arm. The chank is stamped twice on the right 

 side of the chest, in two places on the left arm, and once on the left temple. The gatha 

 is stamped in two places on the right arm, twice on the chest, and in one spot on the 

 forehead. The padma is stamped twice on the left arm, and twice on the left side of 

 the chest. Narayana is stamped on all places where other mudra marks have been made. 



1 Properly yopi chandiram, a paste made of white kaolin mixed with sandalwood. 



