RELIGIOUS SECTS OF THE HINDUS. 181 



The spiritual descendants of Sankara, in the first degree, are variously 

 named by different authorities, but usually agree in the number. He is 

 said to have had four principal disciples, who, in the popular traditions, 

 are called Padmapdda, Hastdmalalca, Sureswara or Mandana, and Trolaka. 

 Of these, the first had two pupils, Tirtha and Asrama ; the second, Vana 

 and Aranya ; the third had three, Sarasivati, Puri, and Bhdrati ; and the 

 fourth had also three, Giri or Gir, Pdrvata, and Sdgara. These, which 

 being all significant terms, were no doubt adopted names, constitute col- 

 lectively the appellation Dasndmi, or the ten named, and when a Brahman 

 enters into either class, he attaches to his own denomination that of the 

 class of which he becomes a member; as Tirtha, Puri, Gir, &c* The 

 greater proportion of the ten classes of mendicants, thus descended from 

 Sankara Acharya, have failed to retain their purity of character, and are 

 only known by their epithets as members of the original order. There 

 are but three, and part of a fourth mendicant class, or those called Tirtha 

 or Indra, Asrama, Sarasivati, and Bhdrati, who are still regarded as really 

 SankarX's DaMis. These are sufficiently numerous, especially in and 

 about Benares. They comprehend a variety of characters ; but amongst 

 the most respectable of them, are to be found very able expounders of 

 the Veddnta works. Other branches of Sanscrit literature owe important 



* It is scarcely worth while perhaps to translate words of such common occurrence, but to 

 prove what I have stated in the text, I subjoin their signification : Tirtha, a place of pilgrimage ; 

 Asrama, an order, as that of student, householder, &c; Vana, a wood ; Aranya, a wood ; Sarasivati, 

 the goddess of speech and eloquence ; Puri, a city ; Bhdrati, speech, or its goddess ; Giri, a moun- 

 tain ; in common use it always occurs Gir, which implies speech ; Pdrvata, a mountaineer ; 

 Sdgara, an ocean; the names are always compounded with different terms. One of Sankara's 

 disciples we have seen, called Ananda Giri. The famous Madhava, when he became a DanRi, 

 adopted the appellation of VIdyaranya. Purangir, has been elsewhere adverted to, and other 

 like names occur in some of the following notes. Bhdrati is the prevailing title of the latter 

 Sringagiri Gurus. 



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