4. The Vallabheichdryas, or Budra Sampraddyins. The original teacher of this sect is said to have been Vishn'21 Swamin; but it is a later successor of his, Vallabha Swe1min, or Vallabhc• Acha'rya, who; from the influence which his teaching and writing exercised. on the propagation of his doctrines, must be considered the real founder of this sect. lie was born in 1479, in a forest called Champaran'ya, where his parents deserted him on a pilgrimage they had undertaken to Benares. The gods, of course, took care of the infant, and his parents, who recovered him afterward, took him to Gokula, a village on the left bank of the Jumna, a short distance from Mathura, where he received his first education. In his twelfth year he left this place in order to propagate throughout India his tenets, which at that time, it must be understood, he had already framed. On arriving at a certain town in the s. of India, he became acquainted with a person of in fluence, Damoradds, whom he con7erted to his doctrine. Both of them then proceeded together to the city of Vijayanagar, where the maternal parents of Vallabba resided. He was now introduced to the court of the king of Vijayanagara, Krishn'adeva, and succeeded so well in his disputation with the S'aivas and Smarta Brahmans that not only the king bestowed on him rich presents, but the Vaishn'avas elected him as their chief, with the title of A.charya, or spiritual teacher. He then traveled to Ujjayin, Allahabad, and Be nares, and from there for 9 years through different parts of India, until, on his return to Brindava, as a reward for his exertions and faith, he was honored by a visit from the god Kr'ishn'a in person, who enjoined him to introduce his worship, and to found the religion now so widely diffused throughout western India under the sectarian name of Budra Sampradaya. Vallabba ultimately settled at Benares, and there com posed 17 works in Sanskrit, the most important of which are a commentary on the Ve danta (q.v.) and Mimansa (q.v.) Sfitras, and one on the Bhagavata Puran'a; works, how ever, only intended for the learned, and now very rare. He died on a hill in the vicinity of Benares, in his 53d year, after having made 84 devoted disciples. He was succeeded by his second son, Vithalndthji, who was born in 1516, in the village of Parn'at, and is known amongst the sect by the designation of S'ri Gosain J1, his father Vallabha's sec tarian name being S'ri Acharya Ji. Vithalnathji . died in 1583, and left besides four daughters, seven sons, who were all teachers, and formed as many communities, viz.; Girdharji (born 1540), Gocinda Rdy (born 1542), Balkr'ishn'aji (born 1549), Gok,ulmithji (born 1551), Ra,guncithji (born 1554), Jadundthji, (born 1556), and Ghanashyamji (born 1561). It was, however, Gokulndthji who became the most celebrated of the descend ants of Vithalnathji, for to him especially is due the vitality of this sect, and even to the present day the followers of his descendants consider their own Gosains the only legitimate teachers of their faith, while even the adherents of the other sons of Vithal nathji pay them the greatest respect. It is about the period when the sons of Vithal nathji dispersed that they first acquired the title of Makarcij, or "great king," by which the chiefs of this sect are now best known, though besides this proud designation they have other distinctive titles, such as Vallabha Hula, Agni Hula, Guru, etc. The heads of the Gokulnathji division of this sect are usually called Gokul Gosains, or Gok,ulastha Gosciins. The members of this sect are widely diffused throughout Bombay, Cinch, liattywar, and central India. and especially the province of Malwa. Their establish ments and temples are numerous throughout India. especially at Mathura, Brindavan, and Benares. The most celebrated of all is at S'ri Nat'l Dwar, in Ajmeer, and the mem bers themselves belong to the better and wealthier classes of the Hindu community. At present there are about 60 or 70 "Maharajas " of this sect dispersed over India, 8 or 10 of whom reside at Bombay alone, and 15 or 16 at Gokul. .But so much degenerated are they as a body, that only 2 or 3 of them have any knowledge of Sanskrit; the rest, as a distinguished writer on this sect, Mr. Karsandas Mulji, asserts, being grossly ignorant; for, as Wilson remarks, it is a curious feature in the notions of this sect that the vene ration in which he Gosains are held is paid solely to their descent, and unconnected with any idea of their sanctity and learning; and that, though they are not unfrequently destitute of all pretensions to individual respectability, they nevertheless enjoy the unlimited homage of their followers.
The chief authority of the sect is the Bhcigarata Puran'a (q.v.), and after it the works of Vallabba and various books, 74 in number, 39 of which are translations from Sanskrit, and the rest original compositions in the Brijbasha dialect.. The object of their
adoration Is Vishn'n (q.v.) in his incarnation as Kr'ishn'a, whose residence is Goloka, far above the three worlds. There he originally lived alone, but in meditating on the work, of creation, created a female form, which became the primary agent in creation: This was 3laya. He then produced crude matter, the five elements, and all the divine beings, the gods of the Triinfirti, their female consorts, and 300,000,000 of Copts, or cowlieru esses, who are the especial attendants on Kr'ishn'a. The principles of the sect, as laid down by Vallabha. are the following ten: 1. To secure the firm supprt of Vallablilleharya; 2. To exercise chiefly the worship of Kr'ishn'a; 3. To forsake the sense of Vaida opinion and be a suppliant to Kr'ishn'a; 4. To sing praises with feelings of humility; 5. To be lieve that Vallabha is a C-opl, or mistress of Kr'ishn'a; 6. To swell the heart with the name of Kr'ishn'a; 7. To forsake his commands not for a moment; 8. To put faith in his words and doings; 9 To adopt the society of the good, knowing them divine; and, 10. To see not the faults, but speak the truth. Out of this code, however, grew up the doctrine that the Guru or Maharfij is the impersonation of Kr'ishn'a himself, that God and the Guru are necessarily to be worshiped, and that the sectary is bound to bestow on him " his body, organs of sense, life, heart, and other faculties, and wife, house, family, property, with his own self." The gross abuse which was made of this tenet became apparent in a very remarkable trial, the so-called Maharaj libel case, which took place in 1861 in the supreme court of Bombay, and revealed the licentiousness of one of the then Maharajas of the sect of Bombay; the defendant sued for libel by this 3Iaharaj being a highly respected and distinguished member of the sect, Mr. Karsandas who had had the courage of calling, in a native newspaper, on the Maharajas to reform and to return to the ancient Hindu faith, and whose public conduct on that occasion elicited the highest praise of the court, and, it is to be hoped, initiated a better era of this sect. The temples of the sect have images of Kr'ishn'a, and Radha. his principal wife; the former representing a chubby boy, of a dark hue, who is richly decorated, and eight times a day receives the homage of his worshipers. The ceremonials which on those occasions take place are the mangala, or morning levee, about half an hour after sunrise, when the image is washed and dressed, and presented with refreshments; the s'ringdra, when the image having been anointed and perfumed, holds his public court—this takes place about an hour and a half after the preceding; the gicala,.48 minutes after the last, the image being now visited preparatory to its going out; thri rojabhoga held at mid-day, when Kr'ishn'a is supposed to have come home from the pastures and sat down to dine—all sorts of delicacies are then placed before the image, and dis tributed to the votaries present; the uttlidapana, three hours before sunset, when the god is summoned to get up from his siesta; the bhoga, or afternoon meal, about half an hour later; the sandhyci, about sunset, or the evening toilet of the image; and the s'ayana, or retiring to repose, about 7 in the evening; the image then being put upon a bed and refreshments being placed near it, when the votaries retire, and the temple is shut till the ensuing morning.. Besides these ceremonies, there are other annual festivals observed by this sect throughout India; of these the Rath rcitra, or procession of the god in a chair, is the most celebrated in Bengal and Orissa; the most popular at Benares is the Janmashtami, or the nativity of Kr'ishn'a; and the Ras Tatra, or annual commemoration of the dance of Kr'ishn'a with 16 Gopis—a very popular festival, at which all kind of rejoicings take place. The mark on the forehead of the Vallablificliaryas consists of two perpendicular lines meeting in a semi-circle at the root of the nose, and having a round spot of red between them. On the breasts and arms they have the same marks as the Ramilnujas, made with a black earth called S yaniabandi, or any black metallic sub stance; their necklace and rosary are made of the stalk of the Tulasi (holy basil) plant. For a fuller account of this sect, its authorities, festivals, and worship, and the practises of the Maharajas, see the interesting History of the Sect of Maharajas ar Vallabhdehciryas in Western India (by Karsandas Mulji—London, 1866), which also contains the history of the " Mandraj Libel Case " above referred to.