i. & EE ete: See Ly ee, 
[N.S., XIX. 1923 ] An Essay on the Hist. of Newar Culture. 613 
APPENDIX B. 
The Bandyas, or Banras, were formerly celibate monks. 
Ja his essays! Hodgson mentions that according to early Bud- 
dhistic literature. the Bandyas were divided into four classes, 
the Arbaa, Bhikshu, Sravaka and Chailaka, all ascetics, differ- 
entiated only by different , degrees of austerities practised and 
holiness attained. In ee literature a fifth division, the Vajra 
Acharya, is mentioned who is a family man Hodgson’s in- 
formant, a Gubhaju admitted that this division was of late 
origin. According to him there are two orders of Banras, the 
recluse Bhikshu and the married worldly Vajra Acharya.? The 
lists given by Hodgson,’ Oldfield* and others however show 
greater diversity. The ator collected from Hodgson 
Oldfield and Lévi, Hamilton,® and the Census Report for 1901 5 
already quoted, has been out in a ‘tabone form for compari- 
son. I have not added Kirkpatrick's erroneous account of 
Ranras (spelt by him Bhanra) as he himself remarks that 
owing to eae oe he does not wish to give an 
account of Newar 
It is evident ron the tables that the class distinctions 
among the Banras are merely official, foliowing the professions, 
not occur elsewhere as priest Later on he himself states that 
the Vajra Acharya and Bhikshu or Bhikhu are the only priests, 
The actual condition seems to be that given by the Gubhaju 
quoted by Gait. The Gubhaju friend of Hodgson and the 
informant of Gait both agree that there is a section of celibate 
recluses, who oc eeupy the highest position, although it is clear 
that these are few in number. Since both were Banras and of 
the practically highest order, the Vajra Acharya, their informa- 
tion about their own class especially in details which must 
€ common knowledge may be accepted as accurate, although 
no mention is made in the other lists. 



on the languages, literature and religion 
: of 
Hodson: Essays oa asia Edition of 1874, Tribner, 
ee: 
hae and Tibet page 63 ct 
2 He d d, ; 
me ae niin etry Bo al page 5 52. and. in his manuscript volume 
entitled ** Eth hy and topography”? 
eld: ibid, Vol. I rk AV: I save included Lévi’s slight cor- 
soliiieg and additions in this c 
gel ; ibid 2 I. The informati ion was furnished by a 
p. 
6c. Bengal, P 
Gubhaju of ak i who discussed Oldfield’s table with Gait. 
7 Kirkpatrik, ibid., pp. 183, 184. 
