11^ ' RELIGIOUS SECTS 



' The Bit Go sahis of the Bengal Vaishnavas, are RtjPA, San at an, Jiva^ 

 Raghunat,h BHAttj RagmunaTjH Das, and Gopal BnATt. R^jpa and Sana- 

 tan,* were brothers in the employ of the Mohamnfiedan governor of Bengal, 

 and were hence regarded as little better than Mlecli'has, or outcasts, them- 

 selves: the sanctity of Chaitanya's life and doctrine induced them to become 

 his followers, and as it was a part of his system to admit all castes, even Mus- 

 sulmans, amongst his disciples, they were immediately enlisted in a cause, 

 of which they became the first ornaments and supports : they were men of 

 learning, and were very indefatigable writers as we shall hereafter see, and the 

 foundation of two temples at Vindraban, the most respectable reliques of the 

 Hindu faith existing in upper Hindustan, is ascribed to their influence 

 and celebrity.! Jiva was the nephew of the preceding, the son of their 

 younger brother: he was likewise an author, and the founder of a temple at 

 Vindraban, dedicated to Rddhd DdmocLara. Raghunat'h Bhatt and Raghu- 

 nat'h Das were both Brahmans of Bengal, but they established themselves 

 in the vicinity of Mathura and Vindraban. Gopal BnAtt founded a temple 

 and establishment at Vindraban, which are still maintained by his descendants j 

 the presiding deity is Radha RamajSta. 



* From the indistinct manner in which they are conjointly described in the Bhahta 3fdld, it 

 might be thought that Unpa Sandlana was but a single individual, but^ in one passage, the work 

 indicates their being two brothers, conformably to the Charitdnmta, and the tradition in general 

 currency. 



•j- The temples of Got^mc? i5et7G! and BladanmoJian, hoth. in rains; a Sanscrit inscription in 

 the former, however, attributing it to Man Sinh Deva, a descendant of Prithu R'Ao, is dated 

 Sambat 1647, or A. D. 1591. Besides the authority of Krishna Das, for these two brothers being 

 cotemporary with CiiAiTANYA, who died in 1527, I have a copy of the Vidagdha Mddhavay of 

 ivhich KuPA is the author, dated 1525 ; it is not therefore likely, that Sanatan actually founded 

 the te;-nple of Govind Dsva, although he may have been instrumental to its being undertaken. The 

 interior of this temple is far superior to any of the religious structures to be met with along the 

 Ganges and Jumna, and may almost be considered handsome : the exterior of that of Madanmohan is 

 remarkable for its being built something after the plan of the pyramidical temples of Tanjore ; or rather 

 its exterior corresponds with Ihat of the tesnples at Bhuvaneswara'va Cuttaclu As. Hes, vol. xv. plate. 



