SECTION THE ELEVENTH: ON THE TENETS HELD BY THE FOLLOWERS OF BUDDHA. — These sectaries are also called Jatis.* They have no belief in incarnations or Avatárs of the Deity, but they admit the trans­migration of the soul into different bodies; they deny several other dogmas of the Hindus; in their opinion, nothing is more detestable than the doctrine of the Brahmans, and when a misfortune befals any one of them, they say: “Hast thou perchance done some good to a Brahman, or drunk some water of the bone devourer: so they call the Ganges, because the Hindus, after the burning of the dead, throw their bones into that river, and think it a meritorious act. The Jatis take the greatest care of not hurting a living being; on which account they do not like to pass through water, for fear that an animal might come under their feet. They eat no animal food, never put their feet upon grass, and when they drink water, they filter it first through a handkerchief or a piece of cloth, that no living animal may remain in it, and then steep this piece of cloth awhile in water, in order that, if a living being stick thereto, it may be separated, and take its place in the liquid. A great number of the Baníans or traders are of this sect; for the most part they sell corn, and some get a livelihood as servants. The durvishes of this class are called Srivaras and Jatís.* They pluck the hair of their head and beard by means of tweezers.* When they travel, they carry a besom of the bark of a soft tree with them, and out of regard for the life of animals, they sweep the road with it before they put down their feet, that no living insect may be destroyed. When they speak, they hold a hand­kerchief before their mouth, not to swallow a fly or other insect.

They are frequently learned, and pass their life in celibacy and sanctity; these they call Jatis, who never behold the face of a woman. Those of this sect who are married, called Grihasta,* show great regard for the Jatis, before whom, by a refinement of respect, they scarce dare bend their body. When­ever they receive a Jati in their house, they do what­ever he orders, according to their power. They are divided into two classes: the Lunugí and Pujáris. The first are those who adore God as one, and think him free from all imperfections and contradic­tions, descents and conjunctions, and who wor­ship no idol. The Pujáris venerate the image of a deity, and have temples for it. The durvishes of both classes, called Jatis, at the time of taking meals, go into the houses of friends, and take only as much food as may not cause a privation to the people of the house: thus they visit several houses until they get satiated. They drink no cold water, but go from place to place, and wherever any body has warm water for bathing, they take a little of it, and having thus collected sufficient water, they let it cool and then drink it.

Similar to the durvi hes of both classes is a third sect, called Mahá-átma; they have the dress and appearance of Jatis; only they do not pluck their hair with tweezers, but cut it. They accumulate money, cook their meal in their houses, drink cold water, and take to them a wife. Farzánah Khushí says: I saw, in Guzerat of the Panjab, a Śrivara, and requested him to give me a full account, which may be deemed true beyond any doubt, of the people of his sect. He related as follows: “The men of my faith maylive retired from the world, or devoted to business; they do no harm to any body; but there are many of them eager for science, and as many bereft of knowledge.” One of the Maha-átmas was a learned man; the wife of a rich man devoted her­self to his service; one day she complained to him of the unkindness of her husband; the Śrivara gave no answer; wherefore the woman said: “Another time I will not wait on thee, because thou takest no interest in me.” The Śrivara rejoined: “If even thy visit were agreeable to me, it would be of no service to thee.” He then took up a bit of grass, and having breathed upon it, gave it to the woman, saying: “Put on a clean garment, and having ground the grass, rub it upon thy gar­ment until thy husband becomes kind to thee.” The woman returned to her house, and having ground the grass upon a stone, intended to rub it upon her garment, when the husband entered into the room, therefore the grass she had ground remained upon the stone. When night fell in, they shut the door of the house. The stone at every moment jumped from its place, knocked against the board of the door, and fell back: the woman and her hus­band were astonished. The man asked his wife the reason of it, and she, from fear, told him what had taken place. The man rose and opened the door of the house; the stone was set in motion, and rolled on until it reached the house of the Mahá-átma. Many other similar stories are told of the Srí­varas. Khushi said that he had seen the Jati just mentioned, who by the power of incantation put stones into motion; he praised him, but declared that this man was really a Jati, but not a Mahá-átma.

The author of this book affirms he has seen a great number of Srivaras and their followers. From them he knew Meher chand, a Lúnú, in the year 1056 of the Hejira (1646 A. D.), in Dotárah, which is under the dominion of Jodpur Márawár, he found also Síva rama, a Pujári, in Mirta, which place belongs to Mara­war, and one named Jagna, a Banian, in Ráwel Pandi: he was adorned with all the good qualities of Jatis. When he saw a bird in the hands of a fowler, he bought it of him and set it free. This sect do what­ever they can for the liberation of living beings. Many of them are rájas in several places and coun­tries. When one brings a goat which he has bought somewhere, and is disposed to kill it, they come from their shops and buy the animal at a high price; thus it has been seen that, having assembled from person to take care of them. It is said, that in Guze­all hands a great number of sheep, they appointed a rat lived a Banian who was a Jati; one day, a Musel­man Durvish sat down before his shop, and having picked vermin from his coat, was about to kill it; the Banian interposed; the Durvish said: “If thou wilt give me something, I may spare it;” the Banian offered a pie;* the other wanted more and more, until the bargain closed with the sum of one hundred rupees, which the Banian paid for the liberation of the offensive insect. Hafiz Shirázi says:

“Avoid hurting any living animal, and do whatever thou likest,

For in my book of laws there is no crime but this.”