1844.] Account of the Tribes of Mahraita Bramins, 



95 



hermit daily fed four thousand bramins. He is the chief of 

 the Desasthas, and by reason of his learning he is styled i?he 

 " Noblest in the Conclave." These are of the Bharad-vaja 

 and Vasishtha families. 



The Konkana bramins are a class by themselves : named 

 from their native place. They are divided into fourteen 

 families ; His highness Bajee Rao (the Paishwa) and Nana 

 Saheb sprung from his race. They left their country and 

 settled at Satara which they erected into a mighty power ; 

 their capital being Poona : and promoted many of their fel- 

 low countrymen. All these read the Rug Vedam. They 

 bear different family names. 



The Carali Bramins are described thus.* Of these there 

 are twelve sorts : they live at Samanta-vadi, in the Concan. 

 They claim descent from Valmik &c. Certain (rishis) saints 

 cursed him to disgorge the texts which he had learnt, and 

 doomed him to be a Chandala (outcast) for an hour and a 

 half daily at noon.f 



These bear the name of Prathama Sakhas or First Learners, 

 (i. e. Those who were first taught the Vedas.) At noon no 

 bramin goes into their houses. £ They are great worshippers 

 of the Bona Dea (Sacti-puja) and beguile Telugu Bramin 

 youths into their houses ; such an one they feed luxuriously 

 and give him a female to attend him, so that attachment for 

 her may keep him there until the anniversary of the " Nine 

 Nights." * On this occasion they feed him amply and then 

 bring him before (Devi) the good Goddess, and as he bows 

 down to her they slay him. This is done in every house ; § 



* In Molesworth's Dictionary of the Mahratta language, page 596 the word " Pancha- 

 misal" is explained " A medley : bramins of the mixed blood, of the Kurar, Chit-pavan 

 Desasth &c." In Sanscrit Ka'rala denotes horrid, frightful. In this place it probably is 

 a fictitious word. 



+ This probably means that circumstances obliged him to live by some business, such 

 fes teaching for his bread : which by the law subjects a man to a curse. 



t This perhaps denotes that they are engaged in tuition : and as they then lock them= 

 selves up, they are suspected of the practices mentioned in the next lines, 



I This alone is sufficient to shew the falsehood of this story , 



