[304] Rámánanda, the founder of this sect, lived about the end of the 13th century, according to some accounts; Professor Wilson is disposed to place him not farther back than the end of the 14th, or beginning of the 15th century. His residence was at Benares, in a math, or “monastery.” The especial object of the worship of the Rámánandis is Vichnu, in his incarnation of Rámachandra, on which account they are called Rámawats. The mendicant members of this sect, numerous even in our days, are usually known as Váîragis or Viraktas, and consider all form of adoration superfluous beyond the incessant invocation of Krichna and Rama. The school of Rámánand admits disciples of every caste; it abrogates, in fact, the distinction of caste amongst the religious orders: this seems the proper import of the term Avad’huta, which Rámánanda affixed to his followers. It does not appear that any work exists attributed to Rámánand himself; those of his followers are written in the provincial dialects. The ascetic and mendicant followers of Ramánand are by far the most numerous class of sectaries in Gangetic India; some of them acquired a great celebrity; among these are reckoned Kabir, of whom hereafter, and Jayadiva, the author of the beautiful poem Gîta govinda, well known by the translations made of it into English, by Sir W. Jones; into Latin, by Professor Lassen (who places however Jayadéva in the year 1150); and into German, in the metre of the original, by Mr. Ruckert.—(See, on the Rámánandis, the work quoted, pp. 36-52).
[305] According to Professor Wilson (work quoted, pp. 32 and 43), the marks of the Rámánandis are two perpendicular white lines, drawn from the root of the hair to the commencement of each eyebrow, and a transverse streak connecting them across the root of the nose; in the centre is a perpendicular streak of varied colours, besides other marks on the breast and each upper arm.
[306] The marks of the Madhwácharis, according to the same authority (p. 103), are the impress of the symbols of Vichnu upon their shoulders and breasts, stamped with a hot iron, and the frontal mark, which consists of two perpendicular lines, made with Gopi chandana, or the sacred clay from Dwaraka, the city of Krichna, and joined at the root of the nose; a straight black line is drawn down the centre with the charcoal from the incense offered to Náráyana, terminating in a round mark with turmeric.
[307] This name, perhaps very corrupted, is not to be found among those enumerated in Professor Wilson’s Treatise on the Religious Sects of the Hindus.
[308] See the work quoted, p. 125-129. The members of this sect consider a teacher named Hari Vans as their founder. This person settled at Vrindavan, and established a math, or “convent,” there, which exists to our days, and in 1822 comprised between forty and fifty resident ascetics. He also erected a temple there that still exists, and indicates by an inscription over the door that it was dedicated to Sri Rádhá Vallabha by Hari Vans, Samvat 1641, or A. D. 1585. Rádha, the favourite mistress of Krishna, is the object of adoration to these sectaries, who worship Krishna as Rádhá-Vallabah, “the lord or lover of Rádhá,” whose adoration Mr. Wilson thinks an undoubted innovation in the Hindu creed. He says (ibid., p. 125): “The only Rádhá that is named in the Mahábharat is a very different personage, being the wife of Duryodhana’s charioteer, and the nurse of Karna. Even the Bhagavat makes no particular mention of her amongst the Gopis of Vrindhavan, and we must look to the Brahma Váivarta Purána (Krishna Janana Khanda) as the chief authority of a classical character, on which the pretensions of Rádhá are founded.” We know the difference of opinion which exists among the Indianists about the antiquity to be attributed to the Puranas, and which has not yet found a positive decision. It is probably from the last mentioned Púráná that Jayadéva (see [note], p. 180) took the theme of his admirable poem, in which the love of Krichna and Rádhá is described in the most glowing colours.
[309] Rama, obliged to cede the throne to his brother Bharatta, having on that account been banished by his father, lived with his wife Sitá, and his younger brother Lakshmana upon the mountain Chitra Kotá, in Bundelkand, whence he descended towards the south into the woods of Dandakam. Every where he protected the Rishis, destroying their enemies, the Rakshasas. The head of these was Rávaná, king of Lanka (Ceylon), who, in order to take revenge of Rama, carried away by a successful stratagem, Ráma’s beloved consort, Sîtá. The unfortunate husband, to release his wife, concluded an alliance with Hanuman and Sugriva, chiefs of the savage inhabitants, called monkies, of southern India, and by their aid passed over to the island, took its capital, Lanka, and killed the tyrant, Rávańa, in a battle. Sitá was released, but, for proving her purity preserved, she underwent the ordeal of fire: it proved satisfactory; her innocence was manifest to the multitude, but, it appears, not quite so to the mind of her husband, who separated from her.
[310] This is not correct: विराग virága is interpreted “the absence of desire or passion; the disregard of all sensual enjoyments, either in this or the next world.”
[311] तुलसी Tulasí, a small shrub held in veneration by the Hindus, “holy basíl” (ocymum sanctum—W.).
[312] This is not quite exact: for the author has not yet mentioned the Ramanujas, nor the Nîmanujas, of whom he says nothing hereafter.
Rámánuja Acharya was born at Perumbar, in the south of India, about the end of the 11th century; his fame as a teacher was established about the first half of the 12th century; he was a great supporter and propagator, nay, the chief author, of the later Váishnava faith; he founded 700 maths, or “convents,” of which four only remain; but other establishments of this sect are still numerous in the Dekhan.