The Yiviizx are, properly sneaking, followers of the Yoga (q.v.) system; and the term implies a class of men \vim ;magic:et the most difficult austerities, in order to become absorhed into the universal spirit, and thus liberated from repeated births. The votaries of S'iva, so called. hold that, by dint of these practices—such as continued suppressions of respirations, slit in 84 d:flerent attitudes, fixing the eyes on the top of the nose--they will be finally united with Vtl, they consider sic the source and essence of all creation. The principal sect of this class is that of the E4nphat'il Yogine, who tr.t..fte their orieln to a teacher named Ge•/Nada, who seems to have lived in the beginning of the 15th c., and, according to his followers, was an incarnation of S'iva. A temple of Gor akhnflth exists at Gorakhpar; a plain, called Goraklikhetr, is near Dwilrakil., and a cavern of his name at Haridwar. The Yogins of Gorakhutith are called Ktinplikfis, from having their ears bored and rings inserted in them at the time of their initiation. They may be of any caste; they live as ascetics, single or in colleges; officiate as priests of Siva iu some places; mark the forehead with a transverse hue of ashes, and smear the body with the same substance; they deal in fortune-telling, profess to cure diseases with drugs and spells; and some play and sing, and exhibit animals.
The Janganots. or Lingavats, are likewise not an important division of the S'aiva sect. Their essential characteristic is the wearing of the Linga emblem on some part of their dress or person.
The Parallothansas are ascetics who pretend to be solely occupied with the investi gation of Brahman, and to be equally indifferent to pleasure or pain, insensible of heat or cold, and incapable of satiety or want. In proof of this, they go naked in all
weathers, never indicate any natural want, and receive from their attendants what is brought to them as their alms or food.
The same apparent worldly indifference characterizes the Aghorins; but they seek occasions for its display. and demand alms as a reward for its exhibition. Their prac tices, ton, seem to betray that originally their worship was not of an inoffensive kind, but required even human victims for its performance. They eat and drink whatever is given to them, even ordure and carrion; and in order to extort money from the credu lous_,_ they_ resort to the most disgusting devices.
The Urdhabaus are solitary mendicants; they extend one or both arms above their heads till they remain of themselves thus elevated. They also close the fist, and the nails being suffered to grow, completely perforate the hand. They usually assume the S'aiva marks, and twist their hair so as to project from the forehead, in imitation' of the matted hair of Siva.
The Alais'intlltins hold up their faces to the sky till the muscles of the back of the neck become contracted and retain it in that position.
The peculiarities of the other sects we cannot afford space to specify; they are equally trifling and, sometimes disgusting. For fuller details on the S'aivas, see II. H. Wil son, A &etch of the Religious Sects of the Hindus; Works, vol. i. (edited by Dr. R. Host, Loud. 1862), pp. 188, ff.
See S'ILIVIIIANA.