304 
CHAPTER 
July 8, &c. 
Smnrtal 
Brahman. 
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH 
None of them can read or write. Thevare allowed to eat venison. 
c / ' 
mutton, fowls, swine, and fish ; but cannot avowedly drink spiri- 
tuous liquors. They are allowed a plurality of wives, who are very 
laborious, and each costs five Pagoclas [\l. 1 6 s. 7f d . ) , which are 
presented to her parents. The girls continue to be marriageable 
after the age of puberty; but a widow cannot take a second hus- 
band. They bury the dead. They never take’ the vow of Daseri , 
or of dedicating themselves to the service of the gods. The god 
of their cast is Vishnu ; but they pray to Dharrnct Raja , and offer 
sacrifices to the Saktis. They have no knowledge of a future life, 
and pray only for temporal blessings. Their Gurus are the heredi- 
tary chiefs of the Sri Vaishnavam Brahmans , who on the richer part 
of the cast bestow Upadcsa and Cfiahrantikam. The Panchanga, or 
astrologer, attends only at marriages. 
A .Smartal Brahman, reckoned a man of learning, but who' seems 
to be very unwilling to open such stores as he possesses, denies all 
knowledge of the worshippers of Jain, Buddha , or the Linga, far- 
ther than that he has heard them mentioned. The doctrines of all 
other sects, but his own, he considers as contemptible, and not wor- 
thy of notice. 
He believes in a supreme god called Narhyana, or Para Brahma , 
from whence proceeded Siva , Vishnu, and Brahma ; which still, 
however, are all the same god. His sect pray to Siva and Vishnu, 
with many of their wives, children, and attendants, among whom 
are the Saktis, or destructive powers. Siva, however, is the prin- 
cipal object of their worship; for they consider him as the most 
powerful mediator with N hr ay ana, who is rather too much elevated 
to attend to their personal requests. They abhor bloody sacrifices; 
but do not reprehend their followers, of the Sudra cast, for using 
that manner of worship. They say, that it is the custom of the 
Sudrasi and that what these low people do is of little or no conse- 
sequence. When a good Brahman dies, his spirit is united to God; 
but a bad one is first punished in a purgatory, and then by passing 
