250 ACCOUNT OF 



Agreeably to their laws, the Jains ought to make 

 three ablutions daily, in the morning, afternoon, and 

 evening. In the change and vicissitudes of all things, 

 that degree of strictness is omitted, and they now 

 wash only once a day before they eat : generally 

 they eat their food on leaves, and sometimes in brass 

 vessels ; but that is not practised in this country. 



The Cshatris, Vais'i/as, and \Sudras, among the 

 Jahhs, may eat victuals dressed by Jam Brahmens ; 

 but Brahmeiis never eat food prepared by any but 

 their own tribe. 



''To abstain from slaughter is the highest perfec- 

 tion ; to kill any living creature is sin." Hence the 

 Jains abstain from food after sun-set, lest sin be in- 

 curred by depriving any animal, even the minutest 

 insect, of its life, in their food ; for the same reason, 

 they never drink water without straining it through 

 cloth. 



The principal tenets of their religion, translated 

 from a stanza of their books, follows : " The Jains 

 should abstain from the following things, viz. eating 

 at night; slaying any animal; eating the fruit of 

 those trees that give milk, pumpkins, young bambu 

 plants; tasting honey, flesh; taking the wealth of 

 others ; taking by force a married woman ; eating 

 flowers, butter, cheese; and worshipping the gods 

 of other religions. To abandon entirely the above- 

 mentioned, is to be a proper Jain^ The Jains /"even 

 the young lads) never taste honey, as it would oc- 

 casion expulsion from their cast. They never taste 

 intoxicating liquors, nor any other forbidden drink. 



A man who neglects to observe due precautions, 

 that no living creature be exposed to danger, from 

 the following five domestic occupations *, will not 



* See Menu 3, v, 68. The same notibn occurs there ; but the or- 

 thodox have sacparaents to expiate the involuntary sin. The Jains, 



