v. The Madloodehdrya3or Brahma Sampradayins. This sect occurs especially in the peninsula, and was founded by a Braham, 31cicilardehciryci, who is looked upon by his followers as an incarnation of Vayu, the god of wind, after having been incarnate in preceding ages as Hanumat (q.v.) and Bhima. He was born in the year 1199, and edu cated in a convent at Anantcs'war. In his ninth year he was initiated into the order of anchorites by Achyuta Pracha, a descendant of Sanaka, a son of Brahman. At that early age he composed a commentary on the Gila; then traveled to the Himalaya, and, when returned, erected at Udipi the image of Kr'ishn'a, which had been originally made by Arjuna, and miraculously recovered by him.. In addition to the principal temple at Udipi, he established eight other temples in Tuluva, below the Ghats; composed, it is related, 37 works, and, on a controversial tour, triumphed over various divines. In his 79th year he went to Badarikas'rarna, where, the legend says, he continues to reside with Vyasa, the compiler of the Vedas and Puran'as. It seems that lie was originally a priest of the S'aiva faith, and one of his names, Ananda Tirtha, even indicates that he belonged to the class of Das'nami Gosains, who were instituted by Sankarcicluirya (q.v.). He encouraged, therefore, an attempt to form a kind of compromise between the S'aivas and Vaishn'avas; and in the temples of his sect, images of Siva are allowed to partake of the worship offered to those of Vishn'u. Votaries of the Madhwa Gurus and of S'ankarachfirya Gosains offered also the reverential obeisance to their teachers mutually, and the latter visit the temple of the former to perform their adoration at the shrine of Kr'ishn'a. The essential dogma of this sect is the identification of Vishn`u with the supreme soul, as the pre-existent cause of the universe; and this primeval Vishnu they affirm to be endowed with real attributes, and, although indefinable, to be most excellent and independent. But besides this independent, there is also a dependent, principle; for besides the supreme soul, Paramdtman, there is a living soul, which ie dependent on the supreme; and though indissolubly connected with, yet not the same with him. In consequence, they deny the absorption of the human soul into the univer sal spirit, and the loss of independent existence after death. In this respect they differ, therefore, on a vital point of doctrine, from the members of other Vaishn'ava amt S'aiva sects. The manner in which they conceive the universe to have issued from the Supreme Being is to a great extent analogous to that of the other Vaislin'avas; and they also receive the legends of the Vaislin'ava Puran'as relating to the birth of Brahman, from the lotus, which grew out of the navel of Vishn'u, etc. The modes of worshiping Vishifu they declare to be three: marking the body with his symbols,especially by means of a hot iron; giving his names to children and objects of interest; and the practice of virtue in word, act, and thought. That in word consists in telling the truth, giving good counsel, mild speaking, and study; that in act comprises liberality, kindness, and protection; and clemency, freedom from envy, and faith are the practice of virtue in thought. Final liberation, or freedom from future birth, they consider as the reward for having secured the favor of Vishn'n by sedulously worshiping him; and those who have attained it enjoy felicity in Vislin'it's heaven, under one or all of the four condi tions: of being similar to him in form, of remaining in his visible presence or in his proximity, and of sharing equal power with him.
Their worship is not materially different from that of the other Vaishu'avas, except in one peculiarity, which proves that they have a friendly learning toward the S'aiva sect; for the images of Siva, Durgil, and Gan'es'a are placed by them in the same shrine as Vishn'u. The Gurus, or superiors, of this sect are Brahmans and ascetics, or pro fess ecenobitic observances; the disciples live in their maths, or monasteries, and profess also perpetual celibacy. The lay votaries of these teachers are members of every class of society except the lowest. The Gurus adopt the external appearance of ascetics, lay ing aside the Brahmanical cord, carrying a staff and water-pot, going bareheaded, and wearing a single wrapper of an orange color. The marks common to them and the lay
votaries are the symbols of Vislin'u upon shoulders and breast, and the frontal mark, consisting of two perpendicular lines made with the white clay Gopiehanclana, and joined at the root of the nose, like that of the Rilintinujas; but instead of a red line down the center, they make a straight black line with the charcoal from incense offered to Ntirayan'a, terminating in a round mark made with turmeric, The scriptural authorities of this sect are, besides the writings of its founder, the four Vedas,the _LlIalicibluirata, the Panehiirtitra, and the original Rdnuiya.da.
6. The Vaishn'ava• of Bengal, the far greater' number of worshipers of Vishn'u, in Bengal, form one-fifth, or according to another estimate, nearly one-third of the popula tion of this province. Their founder, Chaitanya, was the son of a Brahman settled at Nadiya, but originally from Silhet. He was born in 1485, and his birth was accom panied by the usual potentous indications, described in Hindu legends, of a superhuman event. lie was, in fact, an incarnation of Kr'ishn'a, who appeared for the purpose of instructing mankind in the trite mode of worshiping him in this age. Up to his 24th year Chaitanya seems to have lived without any great pretensions to sanctity; he mar tied, it is said, a daughter of Vallabhachtirya, and supported his mother after the death of his father, which occured in his childhood. At twenty-four, however, he shook off the obligations of society, and became an ascetic, traveled between Mathurti and Jagan n5th, and taught his doctrine. At the end of of his peregrinations, he nominated his two principal disciples, Adwaitilactad and Nitytinand, to preside over the Vaishn'avas of Bengal, and Riipa and &natant& over those of Mathnrit Chaitanya himself then settled at Cuttack, where he remained twelve years, engaged in teaching and controversy, and in intent meditation on Kr'ishn'a. There he had frequent visions of Kr'ishn'a, Radha, and the Gopis, and in one of these fits of ecstasy, was nearly drowned in the Jumna. Ultimately, he disappeared—how, is not known—about 1527. Of his two chief disciples, Adwaitlinand resided at Siintipur, and seems to have been a man of some property and respectability. Nttycinand was a resident of Nadiya, and a householder, and his descend ants are still in existence. Besides these three Prabhus, or chiefs, the Vaishn'avas of Bengal acknowledge six Gosains as their original teachers, viz., Biqa, Sanotan, Jiva, Ragltuniith Blictett, Ragliunath This, and Gopdl Deis; and next to them they hold in veneration S rinivas, GadMh,a• Pan"dit, Sri Seartipa, Rama nand, and others including licirichis, who especially obtained almost equal honor with his master Chaitanya. In addition to these chiefs, the sect claims eight eminent poets, among whom Krishna Dag is the most celebrated. According to the doctrine of the sect, Kr'ishn'a is the supreme spirit, who, for various purposes, assumed specific shapes, in which he became incarnate (see VIsuN'u); and so far there is not much real difference between the tenets of this and other Vaislin'ava sects. But an important innovation, introduced by its founder, is the doctrine of Bitakli, or faith, which, he teaches, is infinitely more efficacious than abstrac tion, than knowledge of the divine nature—as enjoined by the philosophical systems— than the subjugation of the passions, than the practice of the Yoga, than charity, virtue, or anything deemed most meritorious. A consequence resulting from this doctrine is, that all castes become by, such faith equally pure, and therefore that all castes are admissible into the sect; that all are at liberty to sink their social differences in the con dition of ascetics, in which character they may live with each other without regard to former distinctions, and that all members of the sect are equally entitled to the food which has been previously presented to the deity. The Bhaldi, or faith, comprehends five stages: quietism, as that of sages; servitude, which every votary takes upon himself; friendship for the deity, such as is felt by Bhirna and others honored with his aquaint since; tender affection for the deity, of the same nature as love of parents for their children; and the highest degree of affection, such passionate attachment as the felt for their beloved Keishn'a.