422 Major Delamaine on the Srdwacs or Jains. 



cannot now witii propriety be admitted of tliat class, so long as they deny 

 the supremacy of their gods and vedas, as at present at least accepted and 

 understood by the orthodox party. Mr. Colebrooke calls them a sect of 

 Hindus ; and the Hindus consider them a separation from their faith. In 

 their Sidd'hdnta the definition of Jain is stated to be one who observes the 

 eight carmas (which will be mentioned hereafter), and spares animal life. 



Even after having got the imiverse ready made, the Jains appear incapa- 

 ble of arranging consistently its parts and movements ; and the pantheon of 

 the Hindus, which they still acknowledge, would seem rather an useless 

 piece of machinery, where tlie divine essence existing in their deified saints 

 is the supreme, if not the sole object of their adoration. An original system 

 would scarcely have introduced immortal gods, to make them of such second- 

 ary consideration. Such, however, having once been a part of their system, 

 would, thougli superseded by saint-worship, still remain in some degree 

 essential appendages to the minor purposes of ceremony and superstition. 

 After all, it is not far removed from the Hindu philosophy, by which a Yogi 

 may at once mingle with the deity without the interposition of the gods. 

 Notwithstanding their want of system for the past, the Jains have the most 

 exact and copious details relating to the future. Prophecy seems their forte, 

 accomplished generally through tlie medium of dixams, a favourite and 

 convenient mode with all antiquit}', being a ground on which they may 

 set ci'iticism at defiance. 



Of their ages past and to come, Mr. Colebrooke, &c. have given in the 

 Asiatic Researches, probably tiie best account of which they are susceptible. 

 But it avails little to useful research to detail aras and sdgaras, periods too 

 extended for the mind to conceive. 



Dr. Buchanan infers the priority of Buddhism from the aggravated im- 

 probabilities of tlie Brahmans. I think he has reversed the case. Tlie 

 greater profusion of gods and ages on the part of the Jains, is a strong 

 evidence that they, at least, have worked on an older and simpler system. 

 No less than sixty-four Indras and twenty-four Devis are enumerated. 

 One or two of them are worshipped daily, the remainder only occasion- 

 ally. Some of these DkvIs appear to be named after their Ehairavas 

 and other deities. One is named Apauajiti j and the fourteenth and 

 fifteenth on the list are named Kali and Mahakali, agreeing with 

 KAla and Mahakala, the names given to two of the gigantic sentinels 

 pointed out at Ellora. I liave only the names of five Bhairavas, which are 



