164 On the Creed, Customs and Literature of the Jangams. [Jaw. 



ofth^m. And surely it is much to their honour that their conduct 

 is not known to he such as makes it a subject for police investigations. 

 Another reason for their never appearing in our courts even as com- 

 plainants or witnesses is, tbat we have forced them (until the "present 

 day, this necessity being now done away by law) to take the common 

 Hindu oath: wl)i(-h they look upon as a crime. Among themselves 

 the oath commonly used is, to make the requisite assertion while 

 holding ihe image in the hand. Or else, to lay the hands on the feet 

 of any Jangam. For, say they, every Jangam is a living image of the 

 god M e adore. 



The Vira Saivas illustrate their creed by a comparison quite in the 

 Hindu style. They say, the guru is the cow : whose mouth is the 

 Jangam or brother in the faith ; and the lingam or image is the udder. 

 The cow benefits its owner by means of the udder : but wbat fills the 

 udder? the mouth. And what connects the mouth and the udder? the 

 body. Accordingly if a Vlra Saiva wishes the image to benefit him 

 (that is, if 111? desires to ohfain the favour of the deity), he must " feed 

 the mouth" — that this, sustain and comfort his brethren. And then 

 the blessing will be conveyed to him by means of the teacher. Accord- 

 ingly the Jangams blame the Aradhyas for neglecting this command, 

 and ask how they can expect the image to nourish them if they neglect 

 to sustain brethren and fellows in the faith. For the Aradhya refuses 

 to look upon any but Aradhyas as brethren. 



The strangest part of their legends regarding Siva is that wherein 

 he is represented in the most contemptible light as completely the 

 servant of various (bhact) worthies or saints. Such stories abound in 

 the Basava Puvan but are excluded from the Lila. In these we are 

 reminded of the Romish legends wherein the Virgin Mary, and some 

 other personages are represented under most degrading circumstances^ 

 as obeying or waiting upon the saint whom the legend extols. Thus 

 in the fourth book of the Basava Puran is a story of a certain *' worthy'* 

 (bhaeta) named Nambi, who by force of faith got Siva so completely 

 into his hands that he employed the god as a mere slave. In another 

 story one of the *' worthies" scolded Siva who was so much alarmed 

 that he slunk round the other side of the image, and ran away into 

 the jungle." Other stories represent this paltry demi-god acting either 

 as a thief or as a receiver of stolen goods, to protect his adorers : and 

 they frequently represent him as acting the part of a pander, at the 

 bidding of one of ihe worthies. 



The Yira Saivas evidently look upon such stories as excellent jokes, 

 and certainly many of the tales are incomparably more amusing as well 



