Proceeding thus in religious progrefs from hill to hill, I paffed through the Shaum country, and defcending the hills, arrived in Cafhmir, where I halted for devotional purposes, as well as to profecute my ftudies. From Cashmir I went through Thibet to the Great Jowallah, which is fituated in a country where fire rises out of the ground for the space of twelve cofs. In this Jowallah whoever wants to drefs victuals, or boil water, they have only to dig a little fiffure into the furface of the ground, and place the article thereon, which will ferve without wood. On this fide of Peifhore, where the Sendhe falt is produced, there is a village called Dudun Khan's Pend, adjoining to the falt pits. The Rajah of that country was called Rajah BHENDA SINGH. I had here fhut myself up in a Gowpha, or cell, where I vowed to remain doing penance for a period of twelve years. Vermin or worms gnawed my flesh, of which the marks ftill remain; and when one year had elapfed, then the Rajah opened the door of the cell, whereupon I faid to him, "Either take my "curse, or make me a fer-feja, or bed of spikes ;" and then that Rajah made for me the fer-feja I now occupy. During the four months of the winter I made jel-feja upon this feat. Fel-feja is, that night and day water is let fall upon my head. From thence, by the Sindh country, I went to Hingoolauje, a mountain dedicated to Debee. All the country to the weft and fouth I travelled over upon this fer-feja, coming at length to Preyago, or Allahabad; and paffing by Cafhi, or Benares, I went to the temple of Jaggernauth; and visiting Balajee, procceded on to Ramifher, and, after vifiting that place, I journied on to Surat. In Surat I embarked in a veffel, and went by fea to Mufcat in twelve days; and thence returning, came to Surat again. Mr. BODDAM was then at Surat; and he afterwards went to Bombay. I ftayed two years at Surat. Mr. BODDAM granted me fomething to fubfift on with my followers, and built a house for me; and ftill my Cheilas, or difciples, are there. It

is

is thirty-five years fince I made Tupifya upon this fer-feja. I have been in feveral countries. How much fhall I caufe to be written? I have been at every place of religious refort, and have no longer any inclination to roam; but being defirous of fettling in Benares, I have come hither. Three Yugs have paffed, and we are now in the fourth; and in all thefe four ages there have been religious devotees, and their difciples; and they are firft to make application to the Rajah, or to whoever is the ruler of the place; for even Rajahs maintain and ferve us; and it is befitting that I obtain a fmall place, where I may apply to my religious duties, and that fomething may be allowed for my neceffary expences, that I may blefs you.

QUESTION.

In all the eighteen Tupifyas, or modes of penetential devotion, that are made mention of in the Shafter, the one you have chofen is not specified; wherefore it is inferable, that you must have committed fome great offence, in expiation of which you have betaken yourfelf to the prefent very rude mode of difcipline. Declare, therefore, what crime you have perpetrated.

ANSWER.

IN the Suthya Yug, or first age, there was a Rikh, or holy man, called AGNIBURNA, who performed this fer-feja difcipline; as in the Treta, or fecond age, did RAVONO, for ten thousand years; and in the Dwapar, or third age, BHIKMA PITAMAHA, did the fame; and in the Calè Yug, or prefent age, I have followed their example, during a period of thirty five years; but not to expiate any crime or offence by me committed, in which refpect if I be guilty, may VESHWEISHURA ftrike me a leper here in Benares, QUESTION.

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QUESTION.

When you went to Ramisher, at what distance was Lunka?

ANSWER.

We go to Ramifher to worship; ánd at the Setbund, or bridge there, there is a ling of fand, which I paid my respects to: but beyond that nobody from Hinduftan has gone to Lunka. In the fea, your ships are always failing about; but the current is fuch, that they cannot get thither; fo how can we go there? But from Singuldeep, or Ceylon, we can fee the glitterings of Lunka. There I did not go; but my Cheilas have been there, who faid that in Singuldeep is the feat of RAWON; and HUNOOMAN's twelve Chokies, or watch ftations.

QUESTION.

Have you feen RAM's Bridge? If you have feen it, defcribe its length and breadth, and whether it be ftill found or broken.

ANSWER.

Ram's Bridge, which is called Setbund, is afcertained by the Védas to be ten jojun broad, and one hundred jojun long; but in three places it is broken. The people call it a bridge; or otherwife it appears have wood growing on it, and to be inhabited.

to

ENUMERATION

III.

ENUMERATION of INDIAN CLASSES.

THE

By H. T. COLEBROOKE, Efq.

HE permanent feparation of Claffes, with hereditary profeffions affigned to each, is among the moft remarkable inftitutions of India; and, though now lefs rigidly maintained than heretofore, muft ftill engage attention. On the fubject of the mixed Claffes, Sanferit authorities, in fome inftances, difagree: Claffes mentioned by one, are omitted by another; and texts differ on the profeffions affigned to fome tribes. A comparison of several authorities, with a few observations on the fubdivifions of Claffes, may tend to elucidate this fubject, in which there is fome intri

cacy.

One of the authorities I fhall ufe, is the Fátimálá, or Garland of Claffes; an extract from the Rudrajámála Tantra, which in fome inftances correfponds better with ufage, and received opinions, than the ordinances of MENU, and the great D'herma-purána.* On more important points its authority could not be compared with the D'herma-fáftra; but, on the subject of Claffes, it may be admitted; for the Tantras form

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* The texts are cited in the Vivádárnave sétu, from the Vrihad D'herma-purána. This name I therefore retain; although I cannot learn that such a purána exists; or to what treatise the quo tation refers under that name.

form a branch of literature highly efteemed, though at prefent much neglected. Their fabulous origin derives them from revelations of SIVA to PARVATI, CONfirmed by VISHNU, and therefore called Agama, from the initials of three words in a verfe of the Tódala Tantra,

"Coming from the mouth of SIVA, heard by the "mountain-born goddefs, admitted by the fon of V a¬ "SUDEVA, it is thence called Agama."

Thirty-fix are mentioned for the number of mixed Claffes; but, according fo fome opinions, that number includes the fourth original tribe, or all the original tribes, according to other authorities: yet the text quoted from the great D'herma-purána, in the digeft of which a version was tranflated by Mr. HALHED, name thirty-nine mixed Claffes; and the Fátimálá gives diftinct names for a greater number.

On the four original tribes it may fuffice, in this place, to quote the Fátimálá, where the diftinction of Brahmanas, according to the ten countries to which their ancestors belonged, is noticed that distinction is ftill maintained.

"In the firft creation, by BRAHMA, Brahmanas "proceeded, with the Véda, from the mouth of "BRAHMA. From his arms Chatriyas fprung; fo "from his thigh, Vaifyas: from his foot Súdras were "produced: all with their females,

"The Lord of creation viewing them, faid "What "fhall be your occupations?" They replied, "We "are not our own mafters, oh, God! Command us what to undertake.

" Viewing