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The practice called Dherna, is not only known, but used in 

 many places in Guzerat; it appears to me as singular as any cus- 

 tom among the Bhauts, or any other extraordinary people among 

 whom my lot was cast; and seldom did a day pass without my 

 hearing something extraordinary concerning them. As I cannot 

 describe the dherna from my own experience, I shall introduce 

 lord Teignmouth's account of it, as another instance of the won- 

 derful power the brahmins have obtained over the minds of the 

 Hindoos. 



" The inviolability of a brahmin is a fixed principle of the 

 Hindoos; and to deprive him of life, either by direct violence, or 

 by causing his death in any mode, is a crime which admits of no 

 expiation. To this principle may be traced the practice called 

 dherna, which may be translated caption, or arrest. It is used by 

 the brahmins to gain a point which cannot be accomplished by 

 any other means; and the process is as follows. The brahmin who 

 adopts this expedient for the purpose mentioned, proceeds to 

 the door or house of the person against whom it is directed, or 

 wherever he may most conveniently intercept him; he there sits 

 down in dherna, with poison, or a poignard, or some other instru- 

 ment of suicide, in his hand; and threatening to use it if his adver- 

 sary should attempt to molest or pass him, he thus completely 

 arrests him. In this situation the brahmin fasts; and by the rigour 

 of the etiquette, which is rarely infringed, the unfortunate object 

 of his arrrest ought also to fast; and thus they both remain until 

 the institutor of the dherna obtains satisfaction. In this, as he 

 seldom makes the attempt without resolution to persevere, he 

 rarely fails; for if the party thus arrested were to surfer the brah- 



