154 On the Creeds Customs and Literature of the Jangams. [Jan. 



that of tlie cotrimentator Hardouin, who attempted to interpret all the 

 Odes of Horace so as to give them a Christian import. 



The Aradhyas assert that they ate followers of the Veda and the 

 Jangams are (Veda-bahya) excluded from that code. The Jangam re- 

 phes that all have an equal right to read the Vedas : hut that Aradhyas 

 have like other Braraius perverted the meaning of the text. 



In fact the Aradhyas merely take refuge in the Vedas from the di- 

 lemma in which they are placed by their tenets. Their pretensions to 

 superioriiy are confuted by the very books that teach their creed: by 

 the Lila as well as by the Puran and the Charitra. 



On loss of Caste, 



Caste is lost in two ways ; by sin and by accident. A full Jangam 

 who breaks his vow by tasting wine or betel-nut is excluded from so- 

 ciety : but on expressing due repentance his fiiends can agree to eat 

 with him, and this completes his restoration : which however, is not 

 granted unless there is the strongest reason to believe he will here- 

 after be cautious. Instances of such loss of caste are extremely rare. 



Even if caste be lost the image is not taken away : for it is always 

 looked upon as a part of the body, and they can no more remove the 

 image than they can cut off the man's hand. 



No case is known of the image having been voluntarily laid aside. 

 Accordingly the Jangams declare that no one of their brotherhood has 

 ever embraced the Christian, or the Mahomedan faith. 



If caste is accidently lost, prayer and solitude, they say, will restore 



it. 



But they look with horror on the chance of any one accidentally losing 

 the image hung on the neck or arm. They affirm that this has some- 

 times happened: and of course the loser is instantly devoid of caste. 



Now when a person accidentally loses caste among Bramins or other 

 Hindus, the rest immediately turn upon him as fish or savage beasts 

 do on a wounded member of their communities. Their cruel treatment 

 of the sufferer is remarkably opposed to the gentle temper of the Jan- 

 gam rule. For the Jangam custom obliges them to commiserate the 

 sufferer, to fast and pray with him, until the lost image re-appears in 

 his hand descending through the air like a bee." An Englishman 

 refuses his belief to the stated recurrence of such a miracle, but both 

 Aradhyas and Jangams unite in assuring us in the strongest terms of 

 this miracle having repeatedly occurred ; and they go so far as to de- 

 clare, that their faith rests on this marvel : and were it ever known 

 to fail, their faith would perish. 



