OF THE HINDUS. 27 



limits of any of them, exercising a sort of independence both in thought and 

 act, and attached very loosely, if at all, to any of the popular schismatical 

 sects.* 



VAISHNAVAS» 



1 Sri Sampraddyis, or Rdmdnujas. 



Amongst other divisions of less importance, the Vaislinavas are usually dis- 

 tinguished into four principal Sampraddyas, or sects ;t of these, the most 



* Some of the popular works adopt a different classification, and allude to 96 Pdshandas, or 

 heresies, which are thus arranged : — 



Amongst the Brahmans, 24 



Sanyasis, ..^..... 12 



* Yairagis, 12 



Sauras, ^ IS 



Jangamas, , 18 



Jogis 12 



s^ . _ 



St 



f Thus the Bhakta Mdld, -=^1^^ IT^IT 'f 1^ ^^ 1^% ^T'^^T ^^ ^%^^ IT^Z' I 



^■m^^ w^w w^^^^^T^ ^"si^ 1 %^^ -^^-^ ^IttwtI^ I " hari, 



in preceding ages, assumed twenty-four principal shapes, but four were manifest in the Kali Yug : 

 the magnanimous Rumdnvja, a treasure of Ambrosia and terrestrial tree of plenty : the ocean of 

 kindness and transporter across the sea of the universe, Vishnu Swami : Madhu Achdrj, a rich 

 cloj^d in the autumnal season of piety: and Nimbdditya, a sun that illumined the cave of ignorance ; 

 by them acts of piety and obligation were divided, and each sect was severally established." There 

 are also Sanscrit texts authorising the different institution, and characteristic term of each 

 Sampraddya, one of these is from the Padma Purdna. 



