8G " KELIGIOUS SECTS 



of India, or as in the case of the Rdmdwats and Kahir Panthis^ to such amongst 

 the mass of society, as are of a bold and curious spirit ; but the opulent and 

 luxurious amongst the men, and by far the greater portion of the women, 

 attach themselves to the worship of Krishi^a and his mistress RadhX, either 

 singly, or conjointly, as in the case of Vishnu and Lakshmi, amongst the 

 Mamdmijas, and Sit a and Ram, amongst the Rdmd'wats. There is, however, 

 another form, which is perhaps more popular still, although much interwoven 

 with the others. This is the Bala G opal a, the infant Krishna, the worship 

 of whom is very widely diffused amongst all ranks of Indian society, and 

 which originated with the founder of the Rudra Sampraddyi sect, Vallabha 

 AcHARYA ; it is, perhaps, better known, however, from the title of its teachers, 

 as the religion of the Gokulastlia Gosains, 



The original teacher of tlie philosophical tenets of this sect, is said to 

 have been Vispinu Swami, a commentator on the texts of the Vedas, who, how- 

 ever, admitted disciples from the Brahmanical cast only, and considered the 

 state of the Sanydsiy or ascetic, as essential to the communication of his doc- 

 trines. He was succeeded by Jnyana Deva, who was followed byNXMA Deva 

 and Trilochana, and they, although whether immediately or not does not 

 appear, by Vallabha SwXmi, the son of Lakshmana Bhatt, a Tailmga 

 Brahman : this Sanydd taught early in the sixteenth century : he resided 

 originally at Gokul, a village on the left bank of the Jumna, about three 

 cos to the east of Mathura : after remaining here sometime, he travelled 

 through India as a pilgrim, and amongst other places he visited, according to 

 the Bhakta Mala, the court of Krishna Deva, king of Vijayanagar, apparent- 

 ly the same as Krishna Rayalu, who reigned about the year 1520, where he 

 overcame the Smdrta Brahmans in a controversy, and was elected by the 

 Vaishnavas, as their chief, with the title of Achdrj : hence he travelled to 

 TJjay'm, and took up his abode under a Fipal tree, on the banks of the Sipra, 

 said to be still in existence, and designated as his Beli'helcj or station. Besides 



