iSr RELIGIOUS SECTS 



correspond with the Sauras of the present day, as to refrain from food until 

 they had seen the sun. 



The sixth class of Sauras, in opposition to the preceding, deemed it un- 

 necessary to address their devotions to the visible and material sun: they pro- 

 vided a mental luminary, on which they meditated, and to which their adoration 

 was offered : they stamped circular orbs on their foreheads, arms, and breasts 

 with hot irons 5 a practice uniformly condemned by Sankara, as contrary 

 to the lav/s of the Vedas^ and the respect due to Brahmanical flesh and 

 blood. 



Ganesa, as well as Surya, had formerly six classes of adorers ; in the pre- 

 sent day he cannot boast of any exclusive worship, although he shares a sort 

 of homage with almost all the other divinities: his followers were the 

 worshippers of Maha Ganapati, of Haridra Ganapati, or Dhundi Raj, 

 , who is still a popular form of Ganesa, of Uch'chishtha G, of NAVANfxA 

 G of SwERNA G and of Santana G. The left hand sub-division of the 

 Uch'chishtha Ganapati sect, also called Hairamba, abrogated all obligatory 

 ritual and distinction of caste. 



The adorers of the female personifications of divine power, appear to have 

 been fully as numerous as at present, and to have worshipped the same objects, 

 or BhavAni, Maha Lakshmi, and Saraswat! : even as personifications of these 

 divinities, however, the worship of Sita aiid RionX, either singly, or in con- 

 junction with Rama and Krishna, never makes its appearance. The worship- 

 pers of SaM were then, as nov/, divided into two classes, a right and left hand 

 order, and three sub-divisions of the latter are enumerated, who are still well 

 known — the PurndbJdshiktas, Akritdrthas and Kritdkrityasamas, 



There can be little doubt, that the course of time and the presence of 



