1840.] On the Cre^d^ Customs and Literature of the Jangams. 173 



Miscellaneous Particulars. 



In speaking of their literature the following distinctions are neces- 

 sary. 



They discriminate three paths or opinions: viz. the Carma-canda, 

 the Jnana-canda, and the Bhacti-canda. 



The Carma-canda, or Law of Works, attributes every good and evil 

 act to ourselves. Accordingly men are to be rewarded or punished 

 according as their lives are virtuous or the contrary. 



The Jnana-canda, or Law of Wisdom, opposes this ; stating that 

 men are the mere instruments of good or evil in the hands of God. 



The Bhacti-canda, or Law of Faith, calls upon men to adhere to 

 virtue or benevolence as being the fruits of faith but adds that 

 the deity is all in all, and our good deeds have nothing to do with 

 salvation. 



The theory of this creed may be traced to the Mi''ma'msa philoso- 

 phy ; which is thus defined in Wii,son's Sanscrit Lexicon. The first 

 part, the purva Mimdmsa, or Mimamsa simply, illustrates the Karma 

 Kduda of the Vedas; or the practical part (the ritual) of religion and 

 devotion, including also moral and legal obligations. The second part, 

 or Uttara Mimdmsa, ascribed to Vyasa, is the same as the Vedanta, 

 founded on the Jnana-canda or theological portion of the Vedas, and 

 treating of the spiritual worship of the Supreme Being or soul of the 

 universe. 



We must however observe that the Lila is often called ShaU' 

 matasammatamy^ that is tolerant or universal, because free from the in- 

 tolerance which we often meet in other treatises. 



While compiling these notes it has been pointed out to me that few 

 of the English are able to obtain the Vira Saiva treatises. This is 

 true, and the manuscripts which we may succeed in obtaining, too 

 often prove incomplete or erroneous. I shall therefore be willing to 

 supply copies to any who may require these works : and the cost of 

 transcription will be found moderate.* 



Likewise copies of the Vedanta Rasayanam, a poem the beauty of 

 which is greatly disparaged by the poet's earnest endeavours to prove 

 that the Christian religion is very analogous to what he considers pure 

 Braminism. He goes so far as to designate Christians Dwija and 

 Bhusura which are mere poetical titles for Bramins as " gods on 



* The Lila contains 6900 dwipada lines, the Puran and the Charitra are each of them 

 about twice that length. 



