MANBHAOS. A caste belonging to the Maratha Dis tricts of the Central Provinces and to Berar in India. By origin the 3IAnbhaos are a religious sect or order. They recognise only two of the Hindu deities, Krishna and Dattatreya, the latter a celebrated devotee of Siva, deified as an incarnation of the deity. They accept as their sacred book the Bhagavat-Gita, rejecting the other Hindu scriptures. There are three divisions of the order : the Brahmachari or ascetics, who devote themselves to meditation, prayer and spiritual instruction, and beg for their living; the Gharbari, who lead a mendicant life, but are allowed to marry; and the Bhope or Bhoall, who are purely secular and are allowed to follow any occupa tion they choose. " One of the leading tenets of the 3Ianbhaos is a respect for all forms of animal and even vegetable life, much on a par with that of the Jains.
They strain water through a cloth before drinking it. and then delicately wipe the cloth to preserve any insects that may be upon it. They should not drink water in. and hence cannot reside in, any village where animal sacrifices are offered to a deity. They will not cut down a tree nor break off a branch, or even a blade of grass, nor pluck a fruit or an ear of corn. Some, it is said, will not even bathe in tanks for fear of destroying insect life. For this reason also they readily accept cooked food as alms. so that they may avoid the risk of the destruction of life involved in cooking. The Manbhaos dislike the din and noise of towns, and live generally in secluded places. coming into the towns only to beg. Except in the rains they wander about from place to place " (R. V. Russell).