

182 SKETCH OF THE 



obligations to this religious sect.* The most sturdy beggars are also mem- 

 bers of this order, although their contributions are levied particularly 

 upon the Brahmanical class, as whenever a feast is given to the Brah- 

 manas, the Daiidis of this description present themselves unbidden guests, 

 and can only be got rid of by bestowing on them a due share of the cates 

 provided for their more worldly-minded brethren. Many of them practice 

 the Yoga, and profess to work miracles, although with less success than 

 some members of the order in the days of the author of the Ddbistdn, 

 who specifies one Dandadhdri, as able to suspend his breath for three 

 hours, bring milk from his veins, cut bones with hair, and put eggs into a 

 narrow mouthed bottle without breaking them. 



The remaining six and a half members of the Dasndmi class, although 

 considered as having fallen from the purity of practice necessary to the 

 Dandi, are still, in general, religious characters, and are usually denomi- 

 nated Atitsr\~ the chief points of difference between them and the preced- 

 ing, are their abandonment of the staff, their use of clothes, money, and 

 ornaments ; their preparing their own food, and their admission of mem- 

 bers from any order of Hindus. They are often collected in Maths, as 

 ■■■■, ■ 



well as the Daiidis, but they mix freely in the business of the world ; they 

 carry on trade, and often accumulate property, and they frequently offi- 

 ciate as priests at the shrines of some of the deities : \ some of them even 



i 



* Sankara and Madhava are well known by their numerous and excellent works. The 

 chief Vedanta writers, in like manner, were Danclis ; and the author of the Dasahum&ra, R amasrama 

 the Commentator on Amera, and Vjjnyaneswara, the Commentator on the texts of Yajnaval- 

 kya, were of the same class of ascetics. 



•J- From ^rffrfw Atithi, a guest, a temporary dweller upon earth ; or ^ftw Atita, past away, 

 liberated from worldly cares and feelings. 



% The officiating priests at the celebrated shrine of AnnapuRNA, in Benares, are Atits. 



