1840.] On the Creed, Customs and Literature of the Jangams. 167 



gam is vfater, prithvi Liugam is earth; in like manner pul-Lingam in 

 grammar is mascaline, or the male element, and stri Lingam is the fe- 

 male element or the feminine gender. 



Some very obscene stories regarding the origin of the Lingam have 

 been printed by various European authors. Those stories (with which 

 I never met in Hindu authors) are perhaps braminical ; they have no- 

 thing to do with the Jangams ; in their books there is no mention of 

 the subject; and I have not met with any Jangam acquainted with 

 those fables. 



Regarding Allama. 



AUama is represented as becoming visible on the wish of Siva—he 

 then descends on earth. There is no tale of his birth, death or final 

 disappearance: and some Vira Saivas evidently believe he is still 

 roaming the earth. In the Lila he appears on one occasion as an 

 Adonis, to enamour Maia. Then disappears and visits a (bhact) wor- 

 thy in a distant town : again vanishes and visits another: assumes no 

 pomp, has no followers, and manifests no power. Basava is a ruler, a 

 warrior, a king's minister, the head of a family, and fervent in his vows 

 to nourish Jangams (puritans) and to vanquish Jainas. AUama's dis- 

 position on the contrary is marked with peace, benignity, humility 

 and gentleness. Precisely in this strain do Mahomedan authors speak 

 of our Lord, and unless he had heard such traditions it appears to me 

 impossible to account for a Hindu poet's framing a character like that 

 of the Allama described in the Lila^ so remarkably opposed to human 

 nature as seen among Hindus. 



Allama is represented as entirely chaste, though perpetually sought 

 in love by Maia and other heroines. He remains unmarried. He has 

 disciples but no relations. 



On certain Shrines, 



Though the Lingadharis deny the sanctity of any particular place, 

 the Aradhyas have yielded to the Hindu propensity to worship in cer- 

 tain places as peculiarly holy. Each of these is a temple to Siva and 

 accordingly the priest is a Saiva Bramin. One of these at Canchi (Con- 

 jeveram), one at Jambukesvvarm (near Trichinopoly), one at Arunagiri 

 (Tirunamala), one atCalahasti (near Nellore), and one at Chidambaram. 

 These are respectively called the lingams (bhutams) or elements of 

 earth, water, fire, air and ether. These are holy places frequented by 

 Saivas ; and the Aradhyas assert that to visit them is meritorious 

 though the priests are Siva Bramins. 



