C34 
CHAPTER 
V. 
July 16. 
Doctrines of 
the Adi/ngar, 
or Sri Vaish- 
tiavam. 
\ 
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH 
much less any Vaidika , will eat or intermarry with a Numbi; but 
these receive the same Upadesa with the others, and are permitted 
to read the same books. They all marry, and their offices are he- 
reditary. They are divided into two sects, that do not intermarry. 
Those of the one act in the temples of Vishnu , and follow as Gurus 
the heads of the Adyngar sect. The others are Pujaris in the tem- 
ples of Iswara , and follow as Gurus the Smarted Sannydsis. The Ma- 
dual have no Numbis ; and their Gurus are the only persons of the 
sect who perform the office of Pujctri in any temple. 
The Adyngar say, that Para Brahma , Ndrdyana, or Vishnu , is the 
supreme god. He is represented by images having one head, and 
under that form is worshipped in all temples. He assumed four 
great forms, or Avatars , Anirudha , Pratimdna, Vdsudeva, and Sankar- 
shana : the forms of these Avatars may be seen in temples, but they 
are only worshipped by the angels. The supreme deity then assumed 
eleven incarnations, or inferior Avatars. Ten of these are the 
common objects of worship with men ; the eleventh, or Budha, is 
held in abhorrence. Brahma, the son of thg supreme deity, was 
born with five heads ; but lost one of them in an intrigue which he 
had with the wife of his son Iswara. He is represented in temples 
with four heads ; but his images are placed there merely as orna- 
ments, and never occupy the sacred place where the object of wor- 
ship stands. Iswara, the son of Brahma , has five heads, and is held 
in abhorrence by the Adyngar, as being the husband of Parvati, 
who has taken the form of many destructive spirits, such as Marima, 
Putalima, and the like. Fear of immediate destruction sometimes 
tempts the Adyngar to pray to the destroying powers ; but in 
general they pretend, that they are entirely occupied by thoughts 
of happiness in the next world, which can only be procured by the 
favour of the Avatars of Vishnu, or of their wives, all of whom are 
incarnations of Mdyd. The servants of the Avatars, such as Hanu- 
manta , are not proper objects of worship ; but some Numbis, in. 
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