1840.] On the Creed^ Customs and Literature of tlie Jangams.. 150 



the Tantricas. The Tantricas take no notice of the lingam : they adore 

 Betala (the devil), and other malevolent powers. The Jangams honour 

 Siva as Daxina Murti or the benefioient and loving deity. 1 he Tantricas 

 say they aim at a perfect release from fleshly lusts. The Jangams do the 

 same. But the former, being hypocrites pretend to yield to their pas- 

 sions as the path to freedom. Whereas the Vira Saivas call on their 

 votaries lo deny themselves in all respects. They attend especially to 

 the rules concerning funerals, marriage, and placing infants in the; 

 creed. On all the^e points the Tantras are silent. The Tantras incul- 

 cate the use of flesh, wine, magic and debauchery, the Jangam creed 

 abhors these. The Jangams are an avowed sect ; the Tantricas as- 

 sume the guise of Sm.artas. The Jangams train up their children in 

 their creed ; the Taniricas (like the Arreoys in older times in Tahiti) 

 merelv admit proselytes. The Jangams are sober, devout and humble. 

 The Tantricas are debauched, atheistical and proud. The Jangam«5 

 are rigid puritans : the Tantricas are licentious atheists. Herein their 

 depravity resembles that of the worshippers of Isis in Rome, the '•'■SociaU 

 ists" of modern daj\s in England, the St. Simonians in France, the ///m- 

 minati, and other philosophers of Germany, the followers of Cagliostro 

 in Italy, and the Nessereahs at Kerrund in Persia.* 



With a few touches of his felicitous pencil, Shakspeare has given a 

 view of their system, or philosophy which is the Sacti Puja or Worship of 

 Power. 



" Thus every thing inchides itself in Power ; 

 Poi^-er into will: — will into Appetite: 

 And Appetite, an universal wolf, 

 So doubly seconded with Will and Power 

 Must make perforce an universal prey, 

 And, last, eat up himself." 



Teotlus, I. 3. 



Again, (Anthony and Cleopatra IT. 1.) 



" Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both : 

 " Tie up the libertine in a field of sweets 

 " Keep his brain faming," &c 



Indeed the sottish aspirations of Gonzalo (Tempest, act II, scene 1) 

 give a summarv of the bacchanalian rites taught in the Tantras. And 

 if the reader has any curiosity regarding their system of magic, he will 

 find it in Dr. Herklots's English translation of the Canoon-e-Islam. 

 or customs of the Moosulmans of India. 



• Regarding the Nessereahs, see Buckin<iham's Travels : cited in New Monthly Maga- 

 zine, 1829 p. 259. 



