1847.] 



Gosawees or Gosaeens. 



71 



and great-grandson disciple. The disciple may be alienated by his 

 Gooroo and deprived of his inheritance ; this is done by the Gooroo 

 giving him such portion of his property as he pleases, taking a deed 

 of separation from him, and appointing by a witnessed writing or by 

 word, in the presence of three or four respectable brethren, another 

 person his heir. 



Gosaiounees or Fe- 21. Gosawces being professedly unmindful of 

 male Gosaivees. distinction of sex, admit females into their com» 

 munity, the form of initiation being the same as that for the males. 

 Female children, however, are never selected or purchased as disci- 

 ples, it being necessary to their admission, that they should have ar- 

 rived at years of discretion. 



22. Those Gosawee devotees whose desire it is to be considered 

 free from every natural feeling or prejudice prevailing in this world, 

 appear publicly in a state of perfect nakedness ; their bodies, which 

 are defiled by filth and ashes, are, they say, to them as statues, 



no longer susceptible of any excitement that is not 

 created by the contemplation and adoration of the 

 deity, which engrosses their whole mind and leaves not a thought for 

 this world. The less devout, but less ostentatious and indecent class, 

 bind a cloth round the waist, and the generality of Gosaivees wear as 

 much clothing as other men ; the texture of their apparel is coarse 

 and the colour a dingy red, they sometimes allow their hair to be 

 sufficiently long and matted to be twisted round their heads, some- 

 thing in the shape of a turban. 



23. The Gosawunecs unite in their persons, in token of the per- 

 fect oblivion of sex, the costume of both male and female, they wear 

 the turban, the Ungar or long robe reaching from the neck to the 

 knees, and the Dlioiee. 



24. In Hindoostan Proper, persons of the Brahmin^ Kshutree^ 

 and Wysh castes, can alone be introduced among Gosawees and ini- 

 tiated into their orders ; in the more southern countries of India the 

 members of the Soodra caste are also admitted. 



25. Candidates may be of any age, some are admitted gratuit- 

 ously, others in consideration of the paj^ment of money, and during 

 periods of famine, many sell themselves to Gosawees for personal 

 support. 



26. The candidate is received with the consent of the Gooroo and 

 Chelas of the establishment to which he is to be attached on the one 

 side, and that of his own parents or nearest relatives on the other. 



