1840.]* On the Creed^ Customs and Literature of the Jangams, 151 



Another point in which the Aradhyas widely differ from Jangams is 

 their refusal to admit proselytes into their creed. 



In the points now described it is evident that the Aradhyas have very 

 reluctantly and imperfectly obeyed the laws given by Basava, who 

 seems to have treated them leniently, admitting them into his creed in 

 the hope that after a while they would be prevailed upon to lay aside 

 the sacred thread, and the worship of the sun which is connected with 

 it. 



In course of time many of them have done so : and a guru who is one 

 of my principal informants, is the son of a Bramin (an Aradhya), who 

 saw the folly of caste, laid aside the thread and became a Jangam, 

 wherein his instructor seems to have been originally a paria. But 

 being a Visesha Jangam, of course he now is wholly independent of 

 caste. In Sanscrit scholarship, and particularly in a ready acquaintance 

 with the Vedas he is decidedly superior to an old Aradhya, whom I also 

 employed ; who however, is well acquainted both with the Vedas and 

 the Agamas. In the midst of a discussion one day on caste the old man 

 laid his hand on that of the Jangam guru, and said to me, " Sir if I could 

 ©nly lay aside this thread I could go to this good man's house, eat with 

 him, and marry my son into his family 



In all these discussions I observed that the Jangam treated the Arad- 

 hya with kindness, and perhaps pity, but certainly with no respectful 

 deference. A learned Vaishnavite Bramin was present at these dis- 

 cussions, and observed to me that the Aradhya being half Biamin half 

 Jangam was completely placed between two fires : and every concession 

 which in the course of argument he might make to one party enabled 

 the other to disown him. 



Indeed so great is the antipathy between Aradhyas and Jangams 

 that they cannot even write to one another : as the ceremonious civility 

 of Hindus would oblige each to use expressions of regard which his 

 judgment or his antipathies would forbid. 



According to the Basava Puran and other leading books ihe Aradhyas 

 manifestly are unsupported in their claims to superiority. For all the 

 various (bhacta) " worthies," or saints, whose faith and deeds are ex- 

 tolled, are parias or shoe-makers, hunters or weavers. Not one of 

 them is a Bramin. 



And if they cltiim rank in consequence of Basava's having been the 

 son of a Bramin this avails them nothing: as he laid aside his caste and 

 became the willing servant of parias. In fact the Aradhyas being only 

 half converts resemble the " Christian Bramins" we meet with at Mad- 

 ias, who are baptized, but continue to wear the braminical thread, and 



