78 ESSAY O^ 



Jaya-chaxdra, and Sultan Gori, are described, is 

 in my possession. 



The Bards of mortal men are not mentioned in 

 any Sanso it book that I e\'er saw : onl}'- those of 

 the Gods. The SicVdhas, ihe Charan'as, and the 

 Cinnaras are the three classes mentioned in the re- 

 tinue of the Gods, besides the Piirohita, or h\^A\ 

 priest: the regent of the planet Jupiter enjoys that 

 high office, among the Gods; and S'ucra, who pre- 

 sides over Venus, among the giants. The Sidd'has 

 are priests, and persons-of uncommon learning and 

 deep knowledge, to whom nothing is impossible. The 

 CJidranas are really the ^^r^^' of the Gods : and were 

 probably the same with xhcSaron class of Druids, called 

 also Sdronides. The Cinnaras are historians ; and the 

 Charanas are also acquainted with the genealogies 

 of the Gods, and of mankind. The bards of 

 mortal men were also called Chliraiias^ according to 

 Abul-fazil. Every great man in India, had B/iatsm 

 his retinue : the practice is still kept up in Guijarat ; 

 where they are highly respected to this day, accord- 

 ing to my Pandit, who is a native of that country. 

 The Bhats or Bhactas, and Clu'iran'as, are mentioned 

 by Abul-fazil, in his description of *S«Z>^/^ Gujarat. 

 Their employment, says he, is to sing hymns, recite 

 genealogies, and warhke songs in battle, to animate 

 tlie troops. They acted also as heralds, as in the 

 case ot CriANDRA-EAiiDAi. Abul-fazil makes 

 some difference between the Bhats, and Charanas : 

 but my Bandit says, that he never knew of any, 

 Charan'a being really the Sanscrit word for Bhat or 

 Bhacta. Ciia'rana, their ancestor, is said to have 

 sprung from the sweat of Mahade'va, who in- 

 trusted him with the care of his Ox Nandi, who 

 resides in the white /.v/^//V^. But I am told, that, in 

 the Buraiias, it is said, that they were born from the 

 churning of the right arm of Ve'na, father of Prithu 

 or Noau. Bards, in this part of /W/^, being with- 



