SKETCH OF THE SIICOS, ■ 871 



** will prevail every where," Such is this author's record of a divine 

 prophecy, regarding this degenerate age. He proceeds to state what has.^ 

 ensued: " every one followed his own path, and se<5ts were separated; 

 " some worshipped Chandra (the moon;) some Surya (the, sun;) some 

 " prayed to the earth, to the sky, and the air, aad the water, and the fire, 

 ** while others worshipped D'herma Ra'ja' (the judge of the dead) and 

 " in the fallacy of the sedls nothing was to be found but error. In short, 

 " pride prevailed in the world, and the four casts* established a system of 

 " ascetic devotion. From these, the ten se6l^ of Sanydsis, and the twelve , 

 " ?e(5i5 of Togis originated. The Jangam, the Snvira, and ihe Deva 

 " Digamhar, entered into mutual contests. The Brdhmens divided into 

 " different classes, and the Sastras, Veda!;, and Purd7ias"\- contradi6l:ed 

 " each other. The six Ders'ans ( philosophical se6ls ) exhibited enmity, 

 " and the thirty-six Pdshaiids, (heterodox se61:s,) arose, with hundreds of 

 " thousands of chimerical and magical (tantra m antra) se6ts; and thus, 

 " from one form, many good and many evil forms originated, and error 

 ** prevailed in the Qali Tuj, or age of general depravity." 



The Sikh author pursues this account of the errprS)ir^tg;W^i<:h the Hht'.^ 

 dus fell, with a curious passage, regarding the prigjn?nd progress of the 

 Muhammedm religion. 



" The world," he writes, " went on with these numerous divisions, ' 

 "•^when Muhammed Yara]] appeared, who gave origin to the seventy- 

 "two se6ls,§ and widely disseminated discord and way. He established the 



. .J ■ ■ - ■ ■ • ■ ■■'A] 'ir^ '^ '■f ci" • r\ t i-^rft r. •( f . I? r ■:'',■, I ■■ 

 * Brahmen, Cshatrij/a, Vnisrya, ^ndSudra. ■■■ ■- " 



.' + DiQ'erent sacred books of the Jlindus. 



X Y(ir signifies //7>w/, an.l one of iJic proplici's titles, among bi.i rollowcrs, is Jar-j- 



Khudii, or the picnd of God. 



S The Mnhammcdan re'igion is said to be divided into seventy-two sects. 



