History of The Sect of Maharajas

THE SECT: OE MAHAEAJAS.
HISTORY
or THE
SECT OF MAHARAJAS, /
ORVALLABHACHARYAS,
WESTERN
1 HAVE NO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE UNFRUITFUL WORKS OF DARKNESS, BUT RATHER

IlEPROTK(OR EXPOSE) THEM."-EPHESTAN8 V. 2.
LONDON:
TEUBNER & CO., 60, PATEEFOSTEll ROW.

1865.
,. HKBTJOBTX
PREFACE.
IT is still a generalcomplaintthat comparatively

little is known of the religious, moral, and socialstate
of the Hindus. This ignorance of their actual con-
dition results not so much from a want of research
and observation,as from the limits imposedon in-

quiries respecting-thepeopleof India, conductedby
distinguishedscholarson the one hand, and by popu-
lar writers on the other. Their creed and customs
are supposedby many to be not only of an immea-

surable antiquity, but of a well-nigh unchangeable
fixedness." The Orientalist, attractedby the singular
philological and mythological curiosities which are
discoveredin the Vedas,the oldestof Sanskrit works,
breathessomuch their ancientspirit, and sympathizes
somuch with the pretensionsagesago urged in their
behalf, that he believes they must, to the present-
day, have no small share of their ancient authority
and respect. The popular observerlooks merely to
vi PBEFACE.
the surfaceof Hindu society, forgetful that the

lousy and seoresyof caste conceal to a great e:
the mainspringand action of Hindu life. Even 3
ligent nativesthemselveslook little beyond their
immediate sphere,having no care or interest ii
affairsof their neighbours. Hinduism is eonsequ
imagined to be*very much an abiding and uni\
systemof faith and manners,without referencet
great changeswhich it has undergonein the com
time, and the great diversity of the forms whi
has assumedover the wide extent of this greal
diversifiedcountry. The fact is that, within a cc
range, Hinduism has been ever on the move.
Vedik songsrecognized,if not very clearly, the
tence of the great Creator and Governor of
Universe. They containedmany fresh and beai
allusions to the phenomenaof nature, and i
striking personificationsof the forces and age
intermediately regulating these phenomena.
lively spirit of these primitive songs had well-
entirely disappearedat the time of the compositi
the Brahmanas (or Brahmanical Directories), "
reverentialworshipwas to a great extent laid asid
1?he art of the magicianand conjurer,dealingwit]
godsthrough mantras,charms,and complicated
PKEFACE.
inonial manipulations* The PhilosophicalSchools,

originatingin the revolt of the inquiring mind of the
countryfrom the puerilities and inanities thus mani-
fested,formed a new era, in which atheistic and
pantheistic speculation becamepredominant. These
Schoolspreparedtheway for the BuddhistRevolution,
which gavesocialand religiousliberty to all its ad-
herents,in oppositionto the Castesystem,which had
begun to be fostered by the Brahmans shortly after
the entrance of the Aryas into India; and which
almost completely altered the national creed. The
revival of Brahmanism by the craft of its partisans,
and the persecutionresorted to by its kingly adhe-
rents, after a thousand years' depression,was not
effectedin its pristine form. Its strength lay in its
religious orders; and its great champions, such as
Sankaraeharya,and his associatesand successors,
assumedan importance
"
never beforeconcededto mere
individuals of the priesthood. They becamethe ora-
clesand pontiffsof the country; but they did not
long maintainan undividedswayamongits various
tribes. The peopleof India had their favouritegods
in the extensivepantheonof Brahmanism,and, par-
ticularly,in its nowestablishedtriads. Theaggrega-
tion of legends connected
with individualgods,gave
viii PREFACE.
scopeto the popularchoice; and the spirit of sec-

tarianismbecame rampantamongthem. The devotees
of the differentgodswere the leadersin this move-
ment, and everywherethey had a large following.
One sect was for the supremacyof Yishira; another
for that of the deified king Krishna,,set forth as an
avatara of Yishnft; a third for that of Siva; and a
fourth for that of his consort (the Devi, or goddess,
emphaticallyso called), or of the female energiesin
general.
In all these changes-'for an elucidation of which
in their main features the reader is referred to Pro-
fessorBL H. Wilson's valuableSketchof the Beligious

Sects of the Hindus-the moral restraints of Hindu-
ism, such asthey were in its earlier days,havenearly

perished. Krishna's conversioninto the god of love
and lust, .and the worship of the /S^Ms, or-female
energies,haveintroduced a moral» plague into India,
the^ravages
of whichareboth appallingand astound-
ing. .Thereadersof this History of the Maharajor
VallabhacharyaSect, and,of the various documents
included in its Appendix, will find this assertionbut
too amplyvindicated It is -put forth simplyin the
interestsof truth and purity. Its authordoesnot
apologizefor its revelations,which have all been
PREFACE.
testedby the keen and impartial investigationsof a

Courtpresidedover by British judges; but he ex-
presses
thehopethattheywill notbelost,either upon
the Europeanor Indian public. The lessonswhich.
theyteacharesoobvious,
that is not necessary.
to
draw themin this place.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION".
PAOK
ThePrimitiveElements
of the Hindu Religion 1
Classificationof ReligiousBooks -
TheVedas-theRig-Veda 3
TheYajur-Veda 6
The Sama-Veda 7
The Atharva-Veda #
TheTendency
of theVaidik Creed 0
The IJpanishads 12
The Six Vedangas 13
The Four Vedop&ngas 14
The Eighteen Puranas ib.
The Four Uparedas 15
CHAPTER II.
RELIGIOUS SECTSOB THE HINDUS.
Causes-which
gaveRiseto variousSects Ill
Chief Sects *. 19
Vaishnavas,
R&manujas 22
Mmanandis 2-1
Kahir Panthis ib.
JDaduPanthis , 23
M&dhw&MrSs 20
Kimb^rka or Kimîvats 27
S'aivas \ $.
Dandis 28
Yogisor Jogis //;.
Jangams 29
Paramahansas ,7,.
CONTENTS.
Chief Sects(continued)- PAGE

S'aktas 30
Dakshinis 31
Yamis #"
Kanchalyas ....""» " « """ 32
CHAPTER III.
ORIGIN OP THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS.
Theworship
of BalaG-opala
orBalaKrishna...
- 34
Yishnu Svami 35
The birth of Yallabha or Yallabhacharya ib.
His Education and Travels * .- 37
His Success
at the Court of Yijayanagar ib.
His Personal Yisit to the God Krishna 38
His Written Works, a List of 39
His Marriage
with MahLakshmi.... -. 40
His Two Sons ib'
His Death,attendedwith a Miracle 41

Yithalnath, his Son, succeeds
Mm,... -...^ ib.
Yithalnath's Travels and Successes 42
His Seven Sons 43
The differentTitles designatingthe Descendantsof Yallabha 44

The wide Dispersionof the Yotaries of this Sect ib.
The Numberof Maharijas in India,...- 45
The Sourceof their permanentRevenue 46
The Homagepaid to them ^ 47
4*
CHAPTEB, IV.
CHIEF AUTHORITY OF THE SECT.
The BhagavataPurana , 43
ThePremSagar(or,Ocean
of Love),a partof theBhagavata
Pur&na ib.
Extracts
fromthePremSagar--the
Amorous Sportsof Krishna
-
Krishnacompels
Cowlierdesscs
to comein a stateof Nudityintohi*
presence 49
TheWomanwhofixedherThoughtson Krishna 51
Krishnasportswith Cowherdesses ,53
TheCowherdesses
deserted
by Krishna 57
CONTENTS.
Extractsfrom the Prem Sagar(continue^)- PAGE

Krishna'sBeturnto the Cowherdesses QI
He danceswiththemthe CircularDance $3
His Separation
fromtheCowherdesses,
andtheirLamentations
thereupon 65
TheMessage of Krishnato the Cowherdesses 57
Krishna's Brother Sportswith the Cowherdesses 72
Krishna, with Ms numerousWivesand Progeny ..*«..',... 75
CHAPTER V.
RELIGIOUS DOCTEINES .OE.THE Sficr.
The Object of the successive

Incarnationsof the God Krishna, in the Person
of Yallahha and his Descendants . 78
The Ten Principlesof the Sect v 80
The SiddhantaRahasya f£.
ThePnnishments
inflictedfor the Neglect-of
dueRespect
to the Maharajas... 82
The Vachnamrat ib.
The Maharajasrepresented
with all the Perfectionsof the Deity 83
The GuruS'eva,or-GuruWorship 84
The Commentaryof Gokulnathji on to, man, and dhan 85
The Doctrine of Adulterous Intercourse . 86-87
The Rasabh&van§;
(LoveFaith)" , 90
TheStoryof GangaKshatriani,
a FemaleDevotee 92
TheStoryof TwoPersons
whoobtainedaHeavenlyPosition,
notwithstanding
their having committedAdultery 93
The Story of Krishnadasofferinghis "Wifefor Immoral Purposes » 95
The Boots of Authority in the BrijabhashS..
(Language),a List of 97
CHAPTER VL
WORSHIP AN3>*PSALMODY.
The Templesof the Sect 99

The Idols andthe mannerin which they are Worshipped 100
The Attendanceof the Yotariesin the Temple 103
TheWorship of the Maharajas ..,. 105
Their Occupations and Amusements 106
Specimenof Hymnsor SacredSongs 109
Ceremonies at the Initiation of Vallabhacharyans , 120
DomesticWorshipof the Sect 123
CONTENTS.
XIV
CHAPEK VII.
EFFECTS
OFTHEDOCTRINES
ANDWOESUIP
OFTHEVALLABHAO
Worship
oftheMahar&jas
asImpersonations
oftheDeity
Sensual
Degradation
oftheIdea
ofSpiritual
Re-union
with«o,I.......
Servile
Submission
of theVallahhach
firyarns
totheMahftrftjus
Corruption
of FemaleVirtue """
The"RasMandalis,"
orCarnal
LovoMeetings
*
CHAPTER VIII.
PEOFLIGACY
OF THISMAIIAI«(JAS.
Character
andTrainingof the Mahfiir(xj
as
Their Influence over "Women ....
NativeTestimonies
to the Profligacyof the Sect
Testimonies
of Anglo-Indians
CHAPTEB IX.
OPPRESSIVE EXACTIONS OF THE MAH.UI.UAS.
The Penaltyof Excommunication.

TaxesLevied by the Mah&rajason their Worshippers
Illustrationsof their Oppression
CHAPTER X
THE MAHARAJAS IN
Causes
of the ImpendingFall of the
Their Disputeswith the Brahmans
TheirObjection
to attendCourtsof Justice
TheComments
of theNativeNewspaper**
TheSlavery
Bond
CONTENTS.
XT
CHAPTER X.I.
THE MA.HARAJ LIBEL CASE.

PAGK
TheMaharajJadunathji'sVisit to Bombay J-Q
Public Discussionon the Re-marriageof Hindu "Widows l~i
Continuation
of the Discussion
in the SatyaPrakdsh 172
The YallabhacharyanHeresy attackedin the Satya-Prakdsh ^
» The Action for Libel , 17.5
Resolution
of the Bhattia Comniunitynot to give Evidenceag-ainstthe
Maharaj 176
Mr. Anstey'sLaboursfor the Defence * 177
Exposureof the Misconduct of the Maharajas
duringthe iVial ... 179
Cost of the Trial 180
Sir JosephArnould's Judgment $,
..Conclusion , 181
SPECIMENS
OFTHEEVIDENCE
Iff TECS MAHA'EAJ
LIBELCASE,
EVIDENCE FOE THE PBOSECUTION
- j,AOK
*
1
Examination
of Mr. Gopaldas
Madhardas .. - ..................... *.......... *
.................................. 6'
Mr. Jainnadas SevaHal ....-
Mr.
EVIDENCE FOB THE DEFENCE -
Examination
of Mr.Karsandas
Mtilji, tae I> ef endant .................... 12
Dr. John Wilson .................. - ............................. 22
3i
Mr. Mathtfcada.5Lavji .......................................
39
Dr.BhtaDfiji ...................................................
Dr. DMrajramDalpatr§.m........................ -........... 43
,, Mr, Lakhmidas Khimji ............ "- ........................ 4-1-.
Mr. Chatur<bhuj..Wfilji
.......................... »............ 51
Mr. DamodarJetha,.......... . ...... .. .......................... 5Ji
Mr. Mangaldas^Tathubliai ................................ .... t^.
- Mr. TMfcarsi N^ranji ........ - .................. .. ............. 63
. Mr. Eavji Sundardks ...... .., ............. ............. ....... ib*
}, Mr. Xarmdashankas Lalsb-arLkar ................ »,..., ..... t5.
Mr. JST^nlibliai
Bustamji, tlie IPrinter ........ ........ ........ 54
EVIDENCE
FOETHEPLAINTIFF.^
Examination
of Yelji Makanji ............. . ...... . .............................. ^.
ShriJadunSithji Brizratanji IMâli§.r6j,the Plaintiff ...... 55
Judgmentof SirMatthew Sausse, ChiefJustice ............................ ........ 70
Judgmentof SirJoseph. Arnould.................. . .............................. ^ft 37
TheIndianPressontheMaharaj LibelCase........ .......................... 130
TheComments of theBombay Vernacular Presson tlie ImmoralPractices of
theMaharajas .......................................... j^y
\ ""
\
HISTORY
OF Tine
SECT OF MAHARAJAS, » '
OE YALLABHACHAKYAS,
IN "WESTEKN" INDIA.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
WE proposeto give in. tlie following chaptersa history of

a corrupt, degraded,and licentious sect in Western India,
usuallydenominatedthe sect of Maharajas,but also known
as the sect of the Vallabhacharya,Rudra Sampradaya, or
Pushti MYirgtt. To showhow widely the tenets and practices
of this sectvary from tl*o doctrineswhich form,a fundamental
basis of the Hindu religion, it will be desirable to present a
succinctview of this religion in its primitive condition.
Theprimitive elementsof the Hindu Religion are found in
the Veda. Professor Max Midler observes-" The key-note
of all religion,natural as well as revealed,is present in the
hymns of the Veda. . . . There is the belief in God, the per-
ceptionof the differencebetween good and evil, the convic-
tion that Godhatessin, and lovesthe righteous." * Mr. H.
* Miillcr's Ancient Sanskrit Literature, p. 638.
1
2 HISTOET
OPTHESECT
OFMAHARAJAS.
T. Colebrooke
remarks-
" Thereal doctrineof the whole
Indianscripture
is theunityof the deity,in whom
the
universeis comprehended!"*
Thecollective
title of theHoly Bookscomprising
the
entirebodyof theprimitive
religionof theHindus,
both
doctrinalandceremonial
is- Vedas.They consistof several
divisions,
eachbranching
off intofurther sub-divisions,
com-
ments,and explanations,
as follows:- "
The Four Vedas.
1. BIG-YEHA. 3. SAMA~YEDA.
2. YAJTJB-YEDA. 4.
Six Veddngas.
1. S'IZSHA.
2. CEHAITOA. 5. JTOTISHA.
3. YYAKAEAKA. 6. KALPA.
Four Vedopdnffas.
1. MIMASTSA. 3. DHAHMA-S'ASTRA.
2. ISTTATA, 4. PtTKAlfAS.
Four Upavedas.
1. ATUEYA. 3. GANDHAUVA.
2. DHAISTAETA. 4. ABTHA-S'ASTKA.
Jdl of thesehaveothersub-divisions, either explanatory,com-

mentatorial,or in the shapeof illustrative indexes. Having
given the generalview to assistin following out the descrip-
tion of the severaldivisions,ive will aow proceed.
The primary books,whenceall the rest emanate,aro the
Veda$ywhichare said"to havebeen revealedby Bramha,
and to havebeenpreserved by tradition until they were
arrangedin the presentorderby a sage who thence obtained
the surname
of Vydsaor Vedavydsa,
that is, the compilerof
the Vedas
"Jr ThewordVedameansknowledge,
and ite
root signifieslight or fire. These Vedas aro written in
Sanskrit,
theancient
sacred
language
of the Brabmana,
with
* Colebrooke
<mtheHinduEeligion,
p. 68. -f.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. ~
o
theDevanagari
character;
andaresupposed
tonaveoriginally
consisted
of three,namely,the Rig-veda,
the Yajur-veda,
and
the Sdma-veda.To these,the Atharva-veda,which is not
considered
of equalsanctity,andis of lessauthoritythan the
pthers, wassubsequently
added.
Each of theseVedasconsistsof two distinct parts: the
Sanhitd, or collection of Mantras, and Brdkmana. The
Sanhitais "the aggregateassemblage, in a singlecollection "
of the prayersand hymns; the Brahmanais " a collection of
rules for the application of the mantras,directions for the
performanceof particularrites,citations of the hymns/3 illus-
trations, and legendary narrations.*
The RIG-VEDAtakes precedenceof the rest; for, as Mr.
Muir says, "the Taittiriyas, or followers of the Slack
Ycyur-veda,recordthat whatever sacrificalact is performed
by means of the Sdma- and Yajur-vedais comparatively
slender; whatever is done by means of the Rig-veda is
strong :"t and the Kaushltaki Brahmana, which does not
mention the Atharva-veda, calls the Yajur- and Sdma-veda
" the attendantsof Rig-veda"J The first of the four Vedo-
pdngas also, the Mimdnsd, makes mention only of the
three first Vedas; and what still further establishes the
priority of the Rig-vedais that someof the hymns of the
Yajur-veda
andall thoseof the Sdma-veda
arederivedfrom
thoseof the Rig-veda. *
It is probablethat originally therewas but onetext of the
four Vedas. Tradition saysthat " Vydsa having compiled
and arrangedthe scriptures,theogonies, and mythological
poems,taughttheseveralVedas to asmanydisciples. These
disciplesinstructedtheir respectivepupils,who, becoming
teachersin their turn, communicated
the knowledgeto their
owndisciples,
until at length,in the progressof successive
* "Wilson'sRig-yedaSanhit&,
i., Introduction,p. ix. andx.
f Muir'sOrig.Sansk.
Texts,i. p. 86. " %MullensAnc.Sansk.
Lit., p. 457.
4 HISTOEY OF THE SECTOF MAEAH&TAS.
instructions,so greatvariations crept into tlie text,

themannerof readingand recitingit, andinto the
sacredpreceptsfor its useand application,
that the
hundreddifferentschoolsof scriptural knowledgearos<
The Charanavyiiha, which treats of theseschools,m
several"byname,and statesthat five, sixty-eight, a tin
and nine, were the respectivenumbersof the Chare
the Riff-, Ydjur-, Sdma-,and Atharva-vcdas.Ilac
original Sdkhdsteen extant in modern times they
perhaps,haveaccounted for someof the superstitions<
days, said to be foundedon, but not countenanced
presenttext of the liig-veda Sanhitd.
"All the versesof the Ydjur-vedaand all the verse;
Sdma-veda are used in one sacrificial act or another, 1
is not the casewith the versesof the Iliy-vcda. Man]
latter, indeed,are likewise indispensablefor sucrifiei
poses,as we are taught by the ritual bookseoimceti
this Veda: yet a large number remain,which ntanx
alooffrom any ceremony. This classbearspurely a ]
or mysticalcharacter;and it maybe lairly inferred th
the strong tendencyof later ages to impress an <
sacrificialstamp on eachof theseVodus,broke dowi
the natural andpoeticalpowerthat had evidentlycalk
thesesongs,as it could not incorporatethem amon
liturgic hymns,"t Oneof thesewo Will give anun c
of the class: it is from the tenth raaudala, and IB ">
teresting,asBhewingthe Hindu original and mystical
of the origin of things. It runs thus :-
" Thentherewasno entity nor nonentity; no world nor
aught aboveit; nothing:anywherein the happinessof i
involving or involved; nor water deepand dangerous. DC
not; nor then was immortality, nor distinction of day o
But THATbreathedwithout afllation,singlewith (Swadha)
* Colobrookconthe Hindu Religion,p. 4.
f Goldsttickcr's
PaperonVeda-Cyclopaedia, p, 577.
INTEOBTJCTOBT
EEMAEKS. g
is within him. Otherthanhim,nothingexisted(which)since(has

been). Darkness therewas;(for) thisuniverse wasenvelopedwith
darkness, andwasnndistinguishahle(like fluidsmixedin) waters;
but that mass,which wascoveredby the husk, was (at length)
producedby the powerof contemplation. Pirst, desirewasformed
in his mind, and that becamethe original productiveseed; which
the wise,recognising
it by theintellectin their hearts,distinguish,
in nonentity, asthe bondof entity. Did theluminousray of these
(creative acts) expandin the middle? or above? or below? That
productiveseedat oncebecameprovidence(or sentient souls) and
matter (or the elements): shewho is sustained^
within himself was
inferior,- and he, who heeds,was superior. "Whoknows exactly,
and who shall in this world declare,whence and why the creation
took place ? The gods are subsequent to the production of this
world; then who can know whence it proceeded? or whence this
varied world arose? or whether it upholds itself or not ? He who
in the highest heaven is the ruler of this universe, does indeed
know; but not another can possessthis knowledge."
This high-toned mysticism of the early Hindu religion
became,aswe shall see,degradedto a debasingand anthropo-
morphic superstitionwhich convertedthis spirituality to a
gross personification. "There is further evidence to show
that the collection of the Big-veda cannot have borne
originally a ritual stamp. When songsare intended only
for liturgic purposesthey are sure to be arranged in con-
formity with the ritual acts to which they apply; when, on
the contrary,they flow from the poeticalor piouslongings of
the soul, they may, ia the courseof time, be usedat, and
adaptedfor, religious rites; but they will never submit to
that systematicarrangementwhich is inseparablefrom the
classof liturgic songs. Now, sucha systematicarrangement
characterises the collectionof the Yajur-vedaand Sama-veda
hymns: it is foreignto theBig-vedaSanhita."*
To giveanotionof the elaborate subdivision
of the Vedas
we may citethat of the Sanhitdof the Kig-veda,whicn
itselfnowexistsonlyin thetext of the Sakhalaschool. This
* Goldstiicker's
PaperonVeda-Cyclopaedia,
p. 578,
g HISTORY
OFTHESECTOF MAHABA7AS,
Sanhitais divided,or arranged, on two methods."Aceo

to thefirst it is dividedinto eightashtdkas,or eightlm
of whichis againsubdivided into adhydyas,or lectures,
adAydya consistingof a numberof varffas,or sections,
varpaof a numberof rich,or verses,usuallylive. Aeco
to the second method, the Sanhit& is divided into ten
dalas,or circles, subdividedinto eighty-five annavdh
lessons,
which consistof onethousandand seventeen (o)
elevenadditionalhymns,of one thousand and twcuty-<
suktas,or hymns; theseagain,containing ton thouHam
hundredandeighty and a half rich, or verses. Tholirnt
of thesemandates
beginwith hymnsaddressed
to Ayni,*
arefollowedby hymns addressed to Jndra. After tlie
comegenerally hymns addressedto tho Vkwa Jkvasi,<
godscollectively,and then thosewhich, arc dovotedto
divinities. Theninth mandalais wholly addroMBod
i
Soma-plant"
sodistinguished
in the sacrificialritew;
thetenthmandala
haschieflyservedfor thocollection
t
Atkarva-veda
hymns."*
TheYAJTJR-VEDA
consists
of two differentVeduH,
'
haveseparately
branched
outintovariounfStikhuH,
Th<
termed
BlackandWhite
Yajur-wda,
or Taittlrtyu,
and
saneyi.TheTaittiriya,or BlackYajur-vodu,
iamoree<
in regardto mantras
thantheWhitoYajur-vmla,
Sanhita,
orcollection
ofprayers,
is arrangediuaoven
1
contain
ingfromfiveto eightlectures,or chapters,
chapter,
orlecture,
issubdivided
into sections
(amw
whichareequally
distributed
in the third andskill 1
butunequally
in therest. Thewholenumber
oxccxx
hundred
andfifty,"t
"The
Vajasaneyi,
orWhite
Yajur-veda,
isthoBhort
theVedas;
sofarasrespects
thefirstand
principal
*t Colebrooke
Goldstucker's
Paper
onVeda-Cyclopedia,
pp.578-9
ontheHindu
Religion,
"$.43.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
y
which comprelieiidsthe mantras. Tlie Sanhita,or collection

of prayersand invocationsbelongingto tHs Veda, is com-
prisedin forty lectures(adhy&ya),unequallysubdividedinto
numerous
sliortsections
(kandika),
each,
of -which,
in general,
constitutes a prayer or mantra. It is also divided, like the
Rig-Veda,into annavakas,or chapters. The numberof anna-
vakas, as they are stated at the close of the index to this
Veda,appearsto be two hundredandeighty-six: the number
of sections,
or verses,
nearlytwothousand."
j*
The Yajur-veda"has largely drawn on the Rig-veda
hymns. But the first differencewe observeis that its con-
tents arenot entirely taken from the principal Veda, and the
secondis marked by the circumstancesthat it often combines
with verses,passages in. prose,which are calledYajus (lit.
*that by which the sacrificeis effected/)and have given to
Yajur-vedaits name. Besides,the ceremonialfor which this
Vedawasmadeup is muchmorediversifiedand elaboratethan
that of the Sama-veda;and the mystical and philosophical
allusions,which now and then appear in the Big-veda,
probably in its latest portions, assumea more prominent
place in the Yajur-veda. In one word, it is the sacrificial
Veda, as its name indicates. Hencewe understandwhy it
waslooked upon in that period of Hindu civilization which
was engrossedby superstitionsand rites, as the principal
Veda,superior,in fact,*to the Rig-veda,where there is no
systemof rites."t
SAMA-VEDA.-"Apeculiar degreeof holinessseemsto be
attached,accordingto Indian notions,to the Sama-veda;if
reliancemaybe placedon the inferencesuggestedby the
etymologyof its name,whichindicatesthe efficacyof this
part,of theVedasin removingsin. Theprayersbelonging
to it arecomposedin metreandintendedto be chanted,and
* Colebrookeon tlie Hindu Religion,p. 31.
t Goldstiicker's
PaperonVeda-Cyclopaedia,
p. 584.
§ HISTORYOF THE SECTOF MAHARAJAS.
their supposed efficacyis apparentlyascribedto this modeof

utteringItem."* " TheSanhita(ofthe Sama-veda) consists
of two parts,tie Archika and Staubhika. The Archika, as
adaptedto thespecial
useof thepriests,existsin twoforms,
calledGanas,or Song-books,theVeyagana and Aranya-
gana. The Staubhika exists in the same manner as Ulm-
ganaandTJhyagana."t As regardsthe Brahmanasof the
Sdmorteda,
Sayana
enumerates
eight:of thesethefirst two
arethe mostimportant,and treat of the sacrifices
which are
performed
withthejuiceof theSoma-plant.Thethird is
remarkable
on accountof the incantatory
ceremoniesit
describes,
"f
THEATHARVA-VEDA.-"
The Sanhita,
or collectionof
prayers
andinvocations
belonging
tothisVeda,
is composed
oftwenty
books(kandas),
subdivided
intosections,
hymns,
andverses/'§
"TheAtharva-veda,"
saysMadlmsudana,
"isnotused
forthesacrifice
; it only
teaches
howtoappease,
tobless,
tocurse,"
etc.Itssongs,asProfessor
Miiller
observes,
" formed
probably
anadditional
partofthesacrifice
froma
veryearly
time.They
werechiefly
intended
to counteract
theinfluence
ofany
untoward
event
thatmight
happen
during
thesacrifice.
Theyalso
contained
imprecations
and
blessings,
and
various
formulas,
such
aspopular
superstition
would
besure
tosanction
atalltimes
andinallcountries."|
There
areintheVedicage,
asProfessor
MaxMiiller
re-
marks,
"fourdistinct
periods
which
canbeestablished
with
sufficient
evidence.
They
may
becalled
the
Chhandas
period,
Mantra
period,
Brdhmanaperiod,
andSutra
period,
accord-
ingtothegeneral
form oftheliterary
productions
which
give
toeach
ofthemitspeculiar
historical
character.
"1fAc-
cording
tothis,
theBrdhmanas
whichform
thesacrificial
and
* Colebrooke
TcSooke on
on the
Hindu
th. ReKgion,
p47.*f^^^P^
Mtiller's
Anc,
Sansk.
Lit,
P- note
»<>'.
*
IIMutter's
Anc.Sansk.
Lit.,p.447. IFIbid, p. 70.
INTBODTJCTORY
BEMAEKS. g
ceremonialportions of the Vedaswerewritten in the third

periodof the Vedicage. With regardto the Sanhitas-col-
lectionof hymnsandprayers,thoseof theBig-vedaonlybe-
long to the first period. The Sanhitasof otherVedas" were
morelikely the productionof the Brahmanaperiod." *
The hymn we haveextractedin a formerpassage
from
the tenth mandalaof the Big-vedapointsto the fact that the
Yaidik creed establishedbut one God,or principle of crea-
tion, and that the many gods which occur in the Vaidik
hymns are but poetical allegoriesof the One Great Soul.
" The deitiesinvoked/' as observedby Mr. H. T. Colebrooke,
"
appear on a cursory inspection of the Veda to be as various
as the authorsof the prayersaddressedto them; but, accord-
ing to the most ancient annotationson the Indian scripture,
those numerousnamesof personsand things are all resolvable
into different titles of three deities,and, ultimately, of one
Grod. TheNighanti, or glossaryof the Vedas,concludeswith.
three lists of names of deities,-the first comprising such as
are deemedsynonymouswith fire; the second,with air ; and
the third, with the sun. In the last part of the Nmikta>
which entirely relates to deities, it is twice assertedthat
there are but three gods: ' Tisra iva devatdL' The farther
inference, that these intend but one deity, is supported by
many passagesin the Veda; and is very clearly and con-
cisely statedin the beginning of the index to the JRiff-veda,
on the authority of the Nirukta and of the Vedaitself,"t
The chief deities addressedin many of the hymns of the
Big-vedaare Agni and Indra; and there are besidesSurya,
Vishnu, and Varuna, and Mtira of inferior distinction. Agni
is the Grodof Fire as it exists on earth, in the fire of lightning
and in the fire of the sun. Deities subordinate to him are
the Marutas, or winds. Indra is the God of the Firmament.
It is he who fixed the starsin their position,and raisedthe
* Mutter'sAne.Sansk.
Lit., p. 457. t Coletoooke
onthe Hindu Religion,p. 12.
IQ EISTOBY
OFTHESECT
OFMAHARAJAS.
sunaloft; butheis peculiarly
the conqueror
of Vritra (the
enveloper),
thedemon whohides thesun;andhepierces the
clouds which threaten to withhold their waters from the
earth with his thunderbolt, and the waters are let down.
Vishnu
is identifiedwith thesunin its threestagesof rising
culmination,
and setting;and Varunais the all-embracing
heaven,the orderer and ruler of the universe,who esta-
blishedthe eternal lawswhich governthe movementsof the
world, and which neither TTnTn.ort.al
nor mortal may break : he
regulatesthe seasons;appointssun, moon, stars,and their
courses;and givesto eachcreaturethat which is peculiarly
characteristic. From his station in heaven he sees and hears
everything; nothingcanremainhiddenfrom him: he grants
wealth,avertsevil, andprotectscattle. Mitra is the divinity
that presidesoverthe day,andis "a dispenserof water."*
"We mustnot," saysProfessorMax Miiller, " comparethe
Aryan and the Semitic races. Whereas, the Semitic nations
relapsedfrom time to time into polytheism,the Aryans of
India seemto haverelapsedinto monotheism... . Thereis a
monotheism that precedesthe polytheismof the Veda; and,
evenin the invocationsof their innumerablegods,the re-
membranceof a Grod,one and infinite, breaksthrough the
mistof an idolatrous
phraseology,
like the bluesky that is
hidden by passing clouds."t
" Thuswe read,' I knownot what*thisis that I am like;
turnedinwardI walk, chainedin my mind. When the
firstbornof timecomes
nearme,then I obtainthe portion
of this speech/
" In the30thverseof thesamehymnweread: eBreathing
liesthequick-moving life,heaving,yet firm,in'the midst of
its abodes.Thelivingonewalksthroughthepowers
of the
dead;theimmortalis thebrotherof themortal/ Sometimes
when
these
oracular
sayings
havebeen
pronounced,
thepoet
* Wilson's
Eig-Yeda,
L,p.xxxiy. f Miiller's
Anc.
Sanak,
Lit.,p.558-9.
INTRODUCTORYREMARKS. 11
claimsMs due. *One who had eyes/lie says,'saw it; iibe*

blind will not understandit. A poet,who is a boy,lie has
perceived it; he who understands
it will be the father of his
father/
" In the samehymn oneverseoccurswhich boldly declares

. the existence of but oneDivine Being though invokedunder
differentnames(R. V. i. 164,46).
" *They call (him) Indra, Mitra, Varuna,Agni; then he
is the well-wingedheavenly Grarutmat;that which is One
the wise call it many ways; they call it Agni, Yama,
Matarisvan.' *
"I addonly onemorehymn,in which the ideaof one God

is expressedwith such power and decision, that it will make
us hesitatebeforewedenyto the Aryan nationsan instinctive
monotheism(B. V. x. 121).
" 'In thebeginningtherearosethe Sourceof goldenlight. He
wasthe only born Lord of all that is. He stablishedthe earth, and
this sky;-Who is the Godto whomwe shall offerour sacrifice?
" i He who giveslife, He who givesstrength; whoseblessingall
the "bright gods desire; whoseshadowis immortality; whoseshadow
is death;-Who is the God to whom we shall offer our sacrifice?
" 'He whothroughHis poweris the only king of the breathing
and awakeningworld; He who governs all, man and beast;-Who
is the God to whom we shall offer our sacrifice ?
" 'He whosepowerthesesnowymountains,whosepowerthe sea
proclaims,with the distant river; He whose theseregions are, as it
were,his two arms;-Who*is the Godto whomwe shall offerour
sacrifice ?
" 'He through whom the sky is bright, and the earth firm; He
throughwhomthe heavenwasstablished-nay,thehighestheaven;
He who measuredout the light in the air;-Who is the God to
whom we shall offer our sacrifice ?
{'' He to whomheavenand earth,standingfirm by His will, look
up, trembling inwardly; He over whom the rising sun shines
forth;-Who is the God to whom we shall offer our sacrifice?
'"Wherever the mighty water-cloudswent, where they placed
* Miiller's.Anc.Sansk.
Lit., p. 567.
12 HISTOEY
OFTHESECT
OFMAHAEAJAS.
theseed
andlit thefire,thence
arose
Hewhoistheonlylife of the
bright
gods;-Who
istheGod
towhom
weshall
offeroursacrifice
?
" 'HewhobyHismightlooked evenoverthewater-clouds,
the
cloudswhichgavestrengthandlit thesacrifice;
Hewhois God
aboveall gods;-Whois theGodto whom we shallofferour
sacrifice ? .
" 'MayHenotdestroyus,He thecreator
of theearth;orHe,.
therighteous,
whocreated
theheaven;He whoalsocreated the
brightandmightywaters.-"Who
istheGodtowhomweshalloffer
our sacrifice ?' " *
"Wehaveshownthe tendencyof this Vaidik creed,that

we may shortly displayits applicationto the existing
worship;andwe nowproceed to the further elucidationof
the severaldivisionsof the Sastras. In speakingof the
Vedas,we shouldnot feel justified in leaving unnoticedthat
classof works known by the name " Upanishads"which are
so intimately connected with them, and which were held by
later generationsin the sameaweas the Vedas. They con-
tain the theologicalor theosophicalwritings which have
sprung from the Br&hmana. The word Upanishadsignifies
the sciencewhich destroyserroneousideasor ignorance,or
the entering into that which is hidden. The knowledge
which the Upanishads intend to conveyis chiefly that of the
productionand nature of the world, of the propertiesof a
Supreme Divinity,andof the humansoul,which theycon-
ceiveto hepartofit. Theycontain, thehighestauthorityon
whichthevarioussystems of philosophyin India rest. "The
old Upanishads did not pretendto givemorethan ' guesses
at truth/ andwhen,in course of time,theybecame invested
with an inspired
character,
they allowedgreatlatitudeto
thosewho professedto believein them as revelation. Yet
thiswasnot sufficient
for therankgrowthof philosophical
doctrines
duringthelatteragesofIndianhistory;andwhen
noneof the ancientUpanishads
couldbe foundto suit the
* Miiller'sAnc.Sansk,
Lit., p. 568-70.
INTRODUCTORY
REMARKS. 13
purpose,the foundersof new sectshad no scruple and no

difficulty in composing
newUpanishadsof their own."*
The Veddngasare called the Limbs of the Vedas, and dis-
play the modein which scientificresearchsprung from the
sacred texts. The first Vedanga is Sikshd, which treats of
"the scienceof orthoepy, or proper pronunciation; the second,
called ChhandaSy
treats of prosody; the third, named Vyd-
karana, treats of grammar. Upon this the celebratedPdnini
wrote a treatisewhich is consideredas equal to the best
grammaticalworks of any nation or age: it is in eight
chapters, consisting of thirty-two sections and three thou-
sand nine hundred and ninety-six rules. So great was the
renown of this wonderful labour (of which we have an admir-
ableeditioneditedby Dr. Goldstucker),that it wassupposed
to have beeninspired by the god Siva himself, and it is still
to the present day the standard of Sanskrit speech. The
fourth Vedangais Nirukta, which treats of etymology; the
fifth is Jyotisha,which treats of astronomy; and the sixth
Ved&ngais the JZalpa,or ceremonial,and constitutesthe
code of the Brahmanic rites. Two other classesof Sastras
completethe codeof theseKalpa works, and are the Grihya
and the Samaydcharika Sutras; the former describes the
domesticceremoniesas distinct from the great sacrificial
acts, and consistsof the marriage ceremonies,those per-
formed on conception, at various periods before birth, at
birth, on naming the child, of carrying him out to seethe
sun, of feedinghim, of cutting his hair, and " of investing
him as a studentand handing him to a guru, under whosecare
he is to studythe sacredwritings. ... It is only after he has
servedhis apprenticeshipand grown up to manhoodthat
he is allowedto marry, to light the sacrificialfire for himself,
to choosehis priests, and to perform year after year the
solemnsacrifices prescribedby Sruti and Smriti* The latter
* Mailer's Anc. Sansk.Lit., p. 317.
14 HISTOEY
OFTHESECT
OFMAHABAJAS.
are described in later books of the Grihya-sutras, i
last book containsa full accountof the funeral cere
andof the sacrifices
offeredto thespiritsof the depa:
TheSamayacharika Sutrasregulatethe relationsoJ
daylife, andin themwehayeto lookfor the origi
the metrical law books,suchas Manu, Ydjnavalkya,'<
rest.f
Thenext classarethe Vedopdngas, which are divid
four, viz.: first^the Mimdnsd,which explainsportions
Veda, both doctrinal and ceremonial; the second
which containsa refutationof atheism,by way of reas
the third, Dharma Sdstra, containing the ordinat
Manu,a complete codeof morality,anda poeticalace
God,spirits,andthe originof theworldandman; £
fourth classare the Purdnas,which consistof eight
which are appendedas many Upapurdnas,or comp
and explanations. Taken collectivelythey are of n
and philosophicalcontexture,cosmogonical, theogonic
chronological;and contain extensivelegendarynar
"Wewill briefly enumerate
them, with their contents:-
1. Vishnu Pur ana, the history of Vishnu and his i
tions, in 23000 Slokas. 2. Ndradya Purdna, the hi
Narad, as god of music, in 25000 Slokas. 3. J3h(
Parana,the history of Krishna or Vishnu, in twelve
11000 Slokas. 4. Garuda Purdna, in 19000 Slok
Padma Purdna, the history of Lakshmi, the Con
Vishnu,in 55000 Slokas. 6. Vardha Purdna, the
of the third incarnationof Vishnu, in 24000 Slol
MatsyaPurdna,the history of the first incarnationof"
in 14000Slokas.8. Linga Purdna,the history of j
11000Slokas. 9. Siva Purdna,in 24000 Sloka
SkandaPurdna,the historyof Skanda,the sonof j
81000Slokas. 11. AgneyaPurdna,the abstractof al
* MiiHer's
Anc.Sansk.
Lit.,p.204. -f-Ibid,p,2
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 15
ledge,in 15500§h&a8.12. XurmaPurdna,in 17000

Slokas. 13. Brahmdnda Purdna, the history of Rama-
chandra, in 12000 Slokas. 14. Brahma Vaivartta Purdna,
which is especiallydedicatedto Krishna as Qovincla,and is
principallyoccupied
by him and his mistressUadha: it is
alsofull on the subjectof Prakriti, or personifiednature, in
18000 Slofcas. 15. Mdrkandeya Purdna, the history of
Durga,which containsthe famousChandiPdtha,in 9000
Slokas. 16. Bhavishya Purdna, in 14500 Slokas, 17.
Vdmana Purdna, in 10000 Slokas. 18. Brahma Purdna, in
10000 SloMs.
The four Upavcdascomprise-1. Ayurva, winch treats of

surgeryandphysic. 2. Dhanarva,which treats of the art of
war. 3. Gandharva,which treats of music and dancing'.
And 4. Artha-Sdstra,which treats of political economy.
Togetherwith those canonicalbooks may be classedthe
two ancient and excellent Epics-namely, the Rdnidyana,
thework of Vdlmika,containingthe history of li&mu,king
of Ayodhya,the seventhavatar of Vishnu; and the Mahd-
Widrata,containingthe war betweenPdndamsand Jiauraras,
the descendants
of the ancientIndian king Bhdrata, in
eighteen books and more than 100,000 SloJcas,the celebrated
episodeof which, the BhagavadGitd, is well known.
CHAPTEE II.
EELIGIOTTSSECTSOF THE HINDUS.
IN thelastchapterwetooka briefandrapidreview-
sacredwritingsof the Hindus. It wasto be expecte<
manyconflicting
opinions
wouldoriginate
in sucha m
doctrine,commentary,andinterpretation, the heterogc
subjects
introduced,andtheerrorsandmisconceptions
polatedby transcribersin the lapseof centuries.
opinionsled progressively
to divergentviews,strained
timesto excessby the subtleartificesof a c'rafty pries'
promptedby the instigationsof a paramount self-int
and sometimesby the enthusiam of the devotee, who
scientiouslyconceiving that he had, in his meditc
detectedthe true path, was anxiousthat his contempt
and posterityshouldnot be lost in intricate by-ways, t
promulgatedhis peculiarviews,which ensuredadvocate
followers.Thus,in the thousand
and onemodesby "
new opinions are disseminated and adherents fouuc
Hindu religion, like the other religions of the worlc
generated sects and sectaries,and the number of thos
are dissentient in their tenets and their ceremonies is )
tudinous.
" Theworshipof thepopulace,

beingaddressed
to dif
divinities,
thefollowers
oftheseveral
gods
naturally
sep
intodifferent
associations,
andtheadorers
ofBrahma,
V
andSiva,or otherphantoms
of their faith, becomedi
andinsulated
bodies
in the general
aggregate.Thecc
of opinionon subjects
onwhichhumanreasonhasnev<
EELIGIOUS SECTSOF THE HINDUS. ]_/
agreed,
ledto similardifferences
in thephilosophical
class,
and resolveditself into the severalDarsanas,or schoolsof
philosophy."*
"To theinternalincongruitiesof thesystem,whichdid not
affectits integralexistence,,
otherswere,in time,superadded
that threatenedto dissolveor destroy the whole. Of this
nature was the exclusive adoration of the old deities, or of
newformsof them; and even,,it maybe presumed,, the intro-
ductionof newdivinities. In all theserespects,,
the Pur anas
andTantraswereespecially
instrumental;atodtheynot only
taughttheirfollowers
to assert
theunapproachable
superiority
of thegodstheyworshipped,but inspiredthemwith feelings
of animositytowardsthosewho presumedto disputethat
supremacy.In this conflictthe worshipof Brahma htus
disappeared,
aswell as,indeed,that of the wholepantheon,
exceptVishnu,Siva,,and Saftti, or their modificatioriH. With
respectto the two former, in fact,,tlio representativeshave
borne away the palm from the prototypes,and Krishna,
Jftdma,
or theLinga?,
arealmostthe only formaunderwhich
Vishnuand Sivaarenow adoredin xnostparts of India.
"The varietiesof opinionkept pacewith those'ofpractice;
and six heretical schoolsof philosophy disputed the pre-
eminence with their orthodox brethren. Wo have little or
no knowledgeof thesesystems,and eventheir namesarenot

satisfactorilystated: they seem,however,to be the Sangata,
or Bauddha;Arhata,.OYJaina; and Vdrha&patya, or atheist-
ical, with their several subdivisions*
"Had the differenceof doctrine taught in the heretical
schools
beenconfinedto tenetsof a merely speculative
nature,theywould,probably,haveencounteredlittle opposi-
tion,andexcitedlittle enmityamongthe Brahmanical
class,
ofwhichlatitudeof opinionis a verycommoncharacteristic.
Vrihaspati,the founder of the atheistical school,however,
* H. H. Wilson'sWorks,vol. i. p. 2.
18 HISTOBY
OFTHESECT
OFMAHARAJAS.
attacksboth the Vedasand the Brahmans,and assertsthat
the wholeof the Hindu systemis a contrivanceof the
priesthood,
to secure
a means
of livelihoodfor themselves;
whilst the Bauddhasand Jainas, equally disregardingthe
Vedasand the Brahmans,the practice and opinionsof the
Hindus,inventeda set of godsfor themselves,and deposed
the ancientpantheon.Theseaggressions provokedresent-
ment: thewritingsof thesesectsare alludedto with every
epithetof angerandcontempt,
andtheyareall anathematised
as heretical and* atheistical. More active measures than
anathemas,it maybe presumed,were had recourseto. The
followersof Vrihaspati,having no worship at all, easily
eluded the storm; but the Bauddhas of Hindustan were
annihilatedby its fury, and the Jainas apparentlyevadedit
with difficulty,althoughthey have undoubtedlysurvivedits
terrors,andmaynow defyits force.
"The varieties thus arising from innovations in practice
and belief, have differed, it may be concluded,at different eras
of the Hindu worship. To trace the character of those which
havelatterly disappeared, or to investigatethe remotehistory
"of somewhich still remain and are apparently of ancient
date,aretasksforwhich we arefar from being yet prepared:
the enquiryis in itself sovast,and solittle progresshasbeen
madein the studiesnecessaryto its elucidation, that it must
remain in the obscurity in which it has hitherto been
.enveloped."*
The adorers of these divinities, as Vishnu, Siva, and SaM,
aboutnine centuriesago spreadinto a multitude of sects,a
merecatalogueof the names of which, without the discrimi-
nationof their creeds,wouldbe an almost profitlesslabour;
for it wouldwant the muscularfleshto give the skeleton
form. The learnedBrahmanSankara,did, indeed,aboutthis
* H. H, Wilson'sWorks,vol. i. p. 3 to 6.
RELIGIOUS
SECTSOF THE HINDUS. IQ
period endeavour,by great exertions,to suppressthesedif-

ferent sects,and to re-introducethe sole recognition and
worshipof Brahma, Para Brahma, the Supreme and sole
ruler of the universe; but he saw no reason to distrust the
faith of thosewho worshipped the personifications of Brahma,
Vishnu,
and&iva,theynot beingcompetent
to the abstrac-
tion andelevationof mind requisitefor the comprehensionof
the oneGreatFirst Causeand animatingprinciple. For he
observed: " In the present impure age, the bud of wisdom
beingblighted by iniquity, men are inadequateto the appre-
hensionof pure unity; they will be apt therefore again to
follow the dictatesof their own fancies,and it is necessary
for the preservationof the world, and the maintenanceof
civil and religiousdistinctions,to acknowledgethosemodifi-
cations of the Divine Spirit which are the works of the
Supreme."
His successwas not of permanent duration; for, in the
course of time, other teachings were introduced, and ulti-
mately and gradually resolvedthemselvesinto the present
conditionof the Hindu religion. The worshippersof this
faith consist now of the Vaisknavas,Saivas and Sdktas; or
the adorersof "Vishnu9Siva, and Sakti.
Amongstthesemust not be enumeratedthe few learned
Brahmanswho may be found, and who considerthemselves
as the soleorthodoxad<jrers, admitting the Vedas,the Law
Books,the Puranas,and the Tantras as the only ritual they
recognise;although they evenselect someparticular deity
&stheir Ishta Devata,or chosengod. A very remarkable
featureof sectarianismin the presentday is that the distinc-
tion of castealmostmergesin the identity of schism. The
followinglist * enumerates,
if not all, at least the chief of the
sectsinto which the Hindu religion is now divided:
* H, H. Wilsons Works, vol. i. p. 31.

Ig HISTOBY
OFTHESECTOFMAHARAJAS.
attacks both the Vedasand the Brahman*, and assert

the whole of the Hindu system is a contrivance (
priesthood,
to secure
a means
of livelihoodfor thems
"whilst the Sauddhasand Jainas, equally disregards
Vedasand the JBrahmans,the practice and opinions<
Hindus,inventeda setof godsfor themselves, andd<
the ancientpantheon.Theseaggressions provokedi
ment: thewritingsof thesesectsare alludedto with
epithetof angerandcontempt,
andtheyareall anatheir
as heretical and* atheistical. More active measures
anathemas, it maybepresumed,were had recourseto.
followers of Vrihaspati,having no worship at all,
eluded the storm; but the Bauddhas of Hindustan
annihilatedby its fury, and the Jainas apparentlyeva
with difficulty, although they have undoubtedly survi\
terrors, andmaynow defy its force.
"The varieties thus arising from innovations in pi
and belief, have differed,it may be concluded, at differei
of the Hindu worship. To trace the character of those
have latterly disappeared,or to investigate the remote 1:
of somewhich still remain and are apparently of a
date, aretasksfor whichwe arefar from being yet pre]
the enquiryis in itself so vast,and so little progressha
made in the studiesnecessaryto its elucidation, that it
remain in the obscurity in which it has hitherto
"enveloped."*
The adorers of thesedivinities, as Vishnu, Siva, and
about nine centuries ago spread into a multitude of s
mere catalogueof the names of which, without the dis
nationof their creeds,
wouldbe an almostprofitlessIs
for it wouldwant the muscularfleshto give the si
form. The learnedBrahmanSankara,did, indeed,abo
* H, H, Wilson'sWorks,vol.i. p. 3 to 6.
20 HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAHA'EAJAS.
The Vaishnavascomprisethe-
1. "Rdmantijas,
or SSri
Sampraddyis,
or SriVaish-
2. Bamdnandfs, or Bam£vats.
3. Kabfr Panthls.
4. Khakis.
5. MaMk Basis.
6. D&dii Panthis.
7. BayaD&sis.
8. Senais.
9. YaUabMcli&ris;or Rudra Samprad4yis.

10. Mira Bais.
11. Madliwacli&ris,or BralrmASampraddyis.

12. Mmayats,or SanakadiSamprad^yis.
13. Vaislmayasof Bengal.
14. R&dM VaUabhis.
15. S&kM BMyas.
16. Oliaran Dasls.
17. Harisahandls.
18, Sadtna Panthis.
19. Mddhavis.
20. Sanny&sis,
Vairdgisând Nagas.
The Sawascomprise the-

/"«
1. Dandis and Dasn^mis.
2. Jogis.
3. Jangams.
4. Paramahansas.
5. UrddhabdhliSj Ak4s Mtdshis, and Mkhis.
6. Gudharas.
7. Bukharas, Siikharas, and Ukharas.
8. Kar& Lingis.
9, Sannydsis,etc.
RELIGIOUS SECTSOF THE HINDUS. 21
The Sdktascomprisethe-
1. Dakshinis.
2. Vamis.
3. Kanchaly&s.
4. Kar&ris.
There is a further miscellaneous class which cannot be

arrangedwith the above,whosetenetsagain differ, and some
of which, even amongstthemselves,admit of further sub-
division, as they deviate in their belief from their own
branch.
These Miscellaneous Sects are the-
1. OMnapatyas.
2. Saurapatas,
Siirya-Upashakas.
3. N&nak SMhis, of which there are sevenclasses,viz.
a. Uclisls.
b. Ganjbakhshis.
c. Eamrayis.
d. Suthra Shfflxis.
e. Govind Sinhis.
f. ISTirmalas.
g. Nagiks.
4. Jainas,of two principal orders;
a. Digambaras.
b. Swet&mbaras.
5. BaMLalis.
6. PranNathis.
7. SAdhs.
8. Satnamis.
9. SivaNdraydnls.
10. Sunyav£dis.
This long enumeration

might be still further lengthened
did we introducethe manysub-sectsand affiliatedcommix-
22 HISTORY OP THE SECTOF MAHARAJAS.
nities which adopt modificationsof the doctrine ar

monial of the sects from which they haye seceded;
may be well consideredthat the multitude of these
make the Hindu religion a maze of confusion,th<
minable intricacies of which cannot be threaded for w
clue.
We shall nowbriefly noticea few of the sectsgive:

precedinglist, in orderto shewthe leading features
doctrines.
YAISUJSTAVAS.
The Vaishnavasare usually distinguishedinto foi

cipal Sampraddyas,
or sects,viz.: Ramanuja,Vishnu
Madhavdcharya, and Nimbarka; of these, the most
and respectableis the first, calledalso the Sri Samj.
foundedby the Vaishnavareformer Rdmdnuja,al
middleof the twelfth century.
RAMANWAS.
" The worshipof the followersof Rdmdmyais add]

Vishnu and to Lakshmi, and their respectiveinca]
either singly or conjointly; and the Sri Vaishnavas,
i
generalnamethe sectis known,consistof correspond
divisions,asNdrdyanaor La/ts/imi,or LakshmiNdrd
Rdma or Sitd, or Sitd Rama or Krishna, or Ruk
any other modificationsof Vishnu,cr his consort,is
ferential object of the veneration of the votary." *
"The moststriking peculiaritiesin the practices
sectare the individual preparationand scrupulousp:
their meals: they must not eat in cotton garme
having bathed,must put on woollen or silk: the
allow their select pupils to assist them, but, in gei
the ftdmdnujascook for themselves;and should 1
during this process,,
or whilst they are eating, atti
* H. H. "Wilson'sWorks, vol. i, p. 38.
BELIGIOUS SECTSOF THE HINDUS. 23
the looksof a stranger,the operationis instantlystopped,

andtheviandsburiedin the ground. A similardelicacy,in
this respect,prevails amongstsomeother classes of Hindus,
especiallythe Rdjaput families; but it is not carried to so
preposterousan extent.
" The chief ceremonyof initiation in all Hindu sectsis the
communication, by the teacherto the disciple,of the Mantra,
which generallyconsistsof the nameof somedeity, or a short
addressto him.: it is communicatedin a whisper,and never
lightly made known by the adept to profane ears* The
Mantra of the Rdmdnuja sect is said to be the sis syllable
Mantra, or Om Rdmdya namak; or Om, salutation to Rama.
" Another distinction amongstsects,but merelyof a civil
character,is the term or terms with which the religious
memberssalute each other when they meet, or in which
they are addressedby the lay members. This amongstthe
jRdmdmyas is the phraseDdso'smi, or Ddso'ham,I am (your)
slave; accompanied with the Pran&m,or slight inclination,of
the head,and the applicationof the joined handsto the fore-
head. TotheAchdryas,or supreme
teachers
of thissect,the
rest perform the AshtdngaDandawat, or prostrationof the
body, with the application of eight parts-the forehead,
breast,hands,knees,and instepsof the feet, to the ground."*
" The chief religious tenet of the Ramanujasis the asser-
tion that Vishnu is Br&hmd; that he was before all worlds,
and was the cause and the creator of all. Although they
maintain that Vishnu and the Universeare one, yet, in.
oppositionto the Veddntadoctrines, they deny that the
deity is void of form or quality, and regard him as endowed
with all good qualities, and with a two-fold form: the
supremespirit, Paramdtmd,or cause,and the grossone, the
effect, the universe or matter. The doctrine is hence called
the Vimhthddioaita, or doctrine of unity with attributes. In
* H. H. Wilson's "Works, vol. i. p. 39 and 40.
24 HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS,
theseassertionsthey are followedby most of the Va\

sects."* The Rdmdnujasare decidedlyhostile to th
sect, and are not on very friendly terms wiiih the :
votariesof Krishna, althoughthey recognisethat deit
incarnation of Vis/imt.
RA'MANAND-IS.
" The followers of Raxnanand are much better loio^

thoseof Ram&nujain Upper Hindustan: they are
considered as a branch of the Rdmdnuja sect, and
their devotionspeculiarly to Rdmachandra,and the
manifestations connected with Vishnu in that incarna
Sitd, Lakshmana, and Hanumdn"^
" The especialobject of the worship of Rdmdnanc
lowers is Vishnu, as Eamachandra : they, of course,re
all the other incarnationsof Vishnu, but they maini
superiorityof Rama, in the present or Kali Tug:
they are knowncollectivelyas Rdmdvats,although tl
variety prevailsamongstthem as amongstthe Rdmw
to the exclusive or collective worship of the male and
members of this incarnation, or of Rdma and Sitd si
jointly, or Sitd Kama. Individuals of them alsopa;
cular veneration to some of the other forms of Vishn
they hold in like estimation,as the Rdmdnujasan<

Vaishiiavasect,the -Sdlaffrdmstoneand T'ulasiplant.
forms of worshipcorrespond
with*those of the
generally; but someof the mendicantmembersof t
who are very numerous, and are usually known as T
or Viraktas, consider fill forms of adoration supc
beyondthe incessantinvocation of the nameof JSTm,
KABtR PANTHrS.
"Amongst the twelve disciplesof Udmdnand,t!

celebratedof all, and one who seemsto have j:
* H. II. Wilson's Works, yol. i. p. 43. f Ibid, p. 40. J Ibi
EELIGIOUS SECTSOF THE HINDUS. 25
directly or indirectly a greatereffect on tlie state of popular

belief than any other,was Kabir. With an unprecedented
boldnesshe assailedthe whole systemof idolatronsworship,
and ridiculed the learning of the Pandits and doctrines of the
Sdftras, in a style peculiarly well suited to the genius of
ids countrymento whomhe addressed himself; whilst he also
directed his compositionsto the Musalm&n, as well as to the
Hindu faith, andwith equalseverityattackedthe Mulla and
Koran. The effect of his lessons, as confined to his own
immediate followers, will be shown to have been considerable,
but their indirect effecthasbeenstill greater; severalof the
popular sectsbeing little more than ramificationsfrom his
retook,whilst Nanak Shah, the only Hindu reformer who has
establisheda national faith, appearsto have been chiefly
;indebtedfor his religiousnotions to his predecessor
Kabir."*
" The moral code of the Kabir .PantMs is short, but, if
-"observedfaithfully, is of a rather favourabletendency. Life
is the gift of God,andmust not thereforebe violated by his
i creatures. Humanity is consequentlya cardinal virtue, and
,the sheddingof blood?whether of man or animal, a heinous
Berime. Truth is the other great principle of their code,as
;all the ills of the world, and ignorance of God, are attributable
to original falsehood.Retirementfrom the >worldis desirable,
'because the passionsand desires,the hopesand .fears,which
the social state engender^ are all -hostile to tranquillity and
purity of -spirit, and preventthat undisturbedmeditationon
-man and God which is necessaryto their comprehension,"t
BADIT ;PANTBrS.
""This class is one of the indirect -ramifications of the

iRdmdnandi
stock,and is alwaysincludedamongstthe Vaish-
navaschisms:its founderis saidto havebeena pupil of one
* H. H. "Wilson's
"Works,vol.i. p. 63-9. f Ibiid,p. 94.
26 HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS.
of the Kabkr PantM teachers and to be the fifth in

from JRdmdnand,.
accordingto the following geneologj
1. Kabir. 4. Vimdl.
2. KamaL S. Buddhan.
3. Jamdj. 6. Dddu\
Theworshipis addressed to Ham®,but it is restricted

Japa,or repetitionof his name,and the Ramaintende
deity, as negatively described in- the Veddnta th<
templesand imagesareprohibited."*
MADHWACHARI'S.
" The institution of this sect is posterior to that of

Vaishnavas, or Kamanujas."t " The essentialdogma
sect,like that of the Vaishnavas
in general,is the id*
tion of Vishnuwith the SupremeSpirit as the pre~<
cause of the universe, from whose substance the wo
made. Thisprimeval Vishnuthey alsoaffirm to be e
with real attributes,mostexcellent,,althoughindefina
independent..As there is one independent,howeve
is alsoonedependent, and this doctrine is the chara<
dogma of the sect, distinguishing its professorsfr
followersof Rdmdnuja,as well as Sankara,or the
maintain the qualified or absoluteunity of the deifr
creed of the Mddhazvsis Dwaita, or duality. It
however,that they discriminate betweenthe princ
good and evil,, or even the differencebetween spi
matter, which is the duality known to other sects
Hindus. Their distinction is of a more subtle charac
separatesthe Jwdtmdfrom the Paramdtmd,or the p
of life from the SupremeBeing. Life, they say,is <
eternal, dependent upon the Supreme,and indissolul
nected with, but not the same with him. An iir
consequence
of this doctrine is the denial of Moksh
* H. H. Wilson'sWorks, vol. i. p. 103. f Ibid, p. 1
EELIGIOUS SECTSOF THE-HINDUS. 27
moregenerallyreceivedsense,or that of absorptioninto the

universalspirit, and loss of independent existenceafter
death.33*
NIMBABKA, OR NTMAVATS.
"" This division of the Yaishnava
" faith is one of the four
primary ones,and appearsto be of considerableantiquity :
it is onealsoof somepopularityand extent,althoughit seems
to possessbut few characteristicpeculiaritiesbeyondthe name
of the founcfer,and the sectarial mark. Nimbdditya is said
to havebeena Vaishnavaascetic,originally namedBkdskar
Achdrya,and to have been, in fact, an incarnationof the
sun, for the suppressionof the- heretical doctrines then
prevalent." t
" TheMmdvatsare distinguishedby a circular black mark
in the centreof the ordinary doublestreakof white earth, or
Gopichandan:they use the necklaceand rosaryof the stem
of the Tuiasi: the objectsof their worship areKrishna and
Rddhdconjointly: their chief authority is the Bhdgavat,and
thereis said to be a Bhdshya on the Vedasby Nimbdrka:
the sect,however,is not possessed of any bookspeculiar to
the members,which want they attribute to the destruction of
their worksat Matfaird, in the time of Aurengzeb."£
S'AIVAS.
The worship of Siva "appears to be the mo&tprevalent

and popularof all the modesof adoration,to judge by the
numberof shrinesdedicatedto the only form underwhich
Siva is reverenced,that of the Linga"§ "Sambhuis de-
claredby Manu to be the presiding deity of the Brahmanical
order,and the greater number of them, particularly those
whopracticethe-rites of the Vedas,or who professthe study
of the Sdstras,receiveSiva as their tutelary deity, wear his
insignia,and worship the Linga, either in temples,in their
* H. H. "Wilson'sWorks, vol. i. p. 14=3-45. t Ibid, p. 151.
t Ibid, p. 150. § Ibid, p. 188.
28 EISTOEYOPTHE SECTOFMAHA'EAJAS.
houses, or on the sideof a sacredstream,providing

latter case,extemporeemblemskneadedout of the
clayoftheriver'sbed/'*
"There are no teachersof ancient repute except
dcMrya,andhis doctrines
aretoophilosophical
and
tive to havemadehim popular,"t
" TheDandiis distinguishedby carrying a small1

wand, with severalprocesses
or projectionsfrom ii
pieceof clothdyedwithxedochre,in whichthe Bral
cord is supposedto be enshrined,attachedto it: h<
his.hair and beard,wearsonly a cloth round Ms lo:
subsistsuponfood obtainedready-dressed from the 1
the Brahmansoncea day only, which he deposits
small clay pot that he carriesalwayswith him. Th
has no particular time or mode of worship, but sp<
time in meditation,or in practicescorrespondingwi
of the Yoga,andin the studyof the Veddntaworks,es
accordingto the comments o£^Sankardchdrya" +
YOGIS, OE joars.
"The term Jogi, or Yogi, is properly applicable

followersof the Yogaor Pdtanjala school of phi
which, amongstother tenets, maintainedthe practi
of acquiring,evenin life, entireCommand
overele]
matterby meansof certainasceticpractices."§
"Accordingto standardauthorities,
theperfectfu
of the rites which the Yogi has to accomplishre<
protractedexistenceandrepeatedbirths, and it is dec
beunattainablein thepresent,or Kali, age. Theati
thereforeprohibited,andthe Yogais proscribed in
times. This inhibition is, however,disregarded, i
* H. H. Wilson'sWorks,vol.i. rp. 191. f Ibid, t»
J Ibid, p. 193-4. $ Ibid, p
RELIGIOUS SECTS OF THE HINDUS. 29
individualswho arethe subjectsof our enquiry, endeavourto

attain the superhumanpowerswhich the performanceof
the Yogais supposed to confer. They especiallypractisethe
variousgesticulationsand posturesof which it consists,and
labour assiduouslyto suppresstheir breath and fix their
thotfghtsuntil the effect doessomewhatrealiseexpectation,
andthe brain, in a state of over-wroughtexcitement,bodies
forth a hostof crude and wild conceptions,
and ' givesto airy
nothingsa localhabitationand a name/ " " Somewho have
commencedtheir career in this line have carried the prac-
tice to several hours' duration, at which time they have
describedthemselvesas becomingperfectly exhausted,with
strangeobjects passing before them, and sparks of fire
flashing in their eyes."*
JANGAMS.
" Oneof the forms in which the Linga worship appearsis

that of the Lingdyats, Lingavants,or Jangamas,the essential
characteristicof which is wearing the emblemon somepart
of the dressor person. The type is of a small $ize,madeof
copperor silver, and is commonlyworn suspended in a case
round the neck, or <som.etimes
tied in the turban. In com-
mon with the Saivas generally,the Jangamassmear their
foreheads
with mbhutior ashes,and wearnecklaces,and carry
rosaries,made of the Mudrdkska seed. The clerical members
of the sectusually stain thtfir garmentswith red ochre."t
PAEAMAHANSAS.
" TheParamahansa istheascetic

whoissolelyoccupied
with
the investigation
of Brahmd,or spirit, andwho is equally
indifferentto pleasureor pain, insensibleof heat or cold, and
incapableof satiety or want. Agreeably to this definition,
individualsare sometimes
met with who pretendto have
* H. H. Wilson's"Works,vol. i. p, 207-8. f Ibid, p. 224-20.
30 HISTOEYOF THE SECTOFMAEA'KIJAS.
attainedsucha degreeof perfection; in proof of which they

gonakedin all weathers,
neverspeak,andneverindicateany
natural want: what is brought to them as alms or food, by
any person,
is receivedby the attendants,whomtheir sup-
posedsanctity,or a confederation
of interest,attachesto
them; and by theseattendantsthey are fed and served"on
all occasions,
as if they wereas helplessas infants/' *
SAKTAS.
" Theworshippersof the Saktiythe poweror energyof the

divine nature in action,are exceedinglynumerousamongst
all classes
of Hindus. Thisactive energyis, agreeablyto the
spirit of the mythologicalsystem,personified,
andtheform
with which it is invested,consideredas the especialobjectof
veneration,depends upon the bias entertainedby the indivi-
duals towardsthe adoration of Vishnu or Siva. In the former
casethepersonifiedSakti is termedLakshmior MdkdLakshmi,
and in the latter, Pdrvati, Bhavdni,or Durga. Even Saras*
vati enjoyssomeportion of homage,much more than her
lord, Brahma; whilst a vast variety of inferior beings of
malevolent character and formidable aspect receive the
worship of the multitude."! "The worship of the female
principle, as distinct from the divinity, appearsto have
originated in the literal interpretation of the metaphorical
languageof the Vedas,in which the mil or purposeto create
the universeis representedas originating from the creator,
and co-existentwith him as his bride, andpart of himself."}
"Another set of notions of someantiquity which con-
tributed to form the characterof the Sakti, whethergeneral
or particular,were derivedfrom the Sdnkhyaphilosophy.
In this system,nature,Prakriti, or Mula Prakriti, is defined
to be of eternalexistence
and independent
origin, distinct
from the supremespirit, productive though no production,
* H.H, Wilson'sWorks,vol.i. p. 231-32. f Ibid, p. 240-11. J Ibid, p, 241.
RELIGIOUS SECTSOF THE HINDUS. 31
andtheplasticorigin of all things,includingeventhe gods.

HencePrakriti has coine to be regarded as the mother of
o-ods
andmen,whilst, as onewith matter, the sourceof error,
it is againidentified
with Maya,or delusion;and asco-
existent with the supreme as his Sakti, his personified
energy,
>orhisbride/'* "Thesemythological
fancieshave
beenprincipallydisseminated
by the Purdnas,in all which
Prakriti, or Mdyd,bears a prominent part. The aggregate
of thewholeis givenin the BrahmaV&ivarttaPurana."1"
DAKSIIINrS.
"When the worship of any goddessis performed in a

public manner,and agreeablyto the Vaidik or Purdnic
ritual, it doesnot comprehendthe impure practiceswhich
are attributed to a different division of the adorers of SaJtti,
and which arc particularly prescribedto the followers of this
system. In this form,it is termedthe JJakshina,
or tight-
hand form of worship. The only observancethat can be
supposedto form an exceptionto the generalcharacter of
this mode is the Bali, an offering of blood, in which rite u
number of helplessanimals, usually kids, are annually de-
capitated.In somecaseslife is offeredwithout shedding
blood,whenthe morebarbarous practiceis adoptedof pum-
melling with the fists the poor animal to death: at other
timesbloodonly is offeredwithout
r
injury to life." J
VAMTS.
" TheVdmismean the left-hand worshippers,or thosewho

adopt a ritual contrary to that which is usual,and to what
indeed
theydarepubliclyavow." "The worshipof the Vdmd-
chdris is derived from a portion of the Tantras." <cThe
objectof the worshipis, by the reverence
of Deri or Sakti,
whois onewith Sim,to obtainsupernaturalpowersin this
* H. H. Wilson's
Works,vol.i. p. 243. f Ibid,p, 244. { Ibid,p, 250-1.
32 EISTOEYOF THE SECTOF MAEAEAJAS.
life, and to be identified after death,with. Siva and Sakti.

Accordingto the immediate objectof theworshipper is the
particularformof worship; but all theformsrequiretheuse
of someor all of the five MaMras, Mdnsa,Matsya, Madya,
Maithuna,and Mudrd, flesh, fish, wine, women,and certain
mysticalgesticulations."*"In this, andmany of the*ob-
servances practised,solitudeis enjoined; but all the principal
ceremonies comprehend the worship of Sakti, and requirefor
that purposethe presence of a femaleas the living representa-
tive andthe type of the goddess. Thisworshipis mostlycele-
bratedin amixedsociety,the menof whichrepresentBkairavas
or Viras,and the womenBhairavis and Ndyikds. The Sakti
is personatedby a nakedfemale,to whom meat andwine are
offered, and then distributed amongst the assistants,the
recitationof variousMantrasand texts, and the performance
of the Mudrd, or gesticulations
with the fingers,accompanying
the different stagesof the ceremony; and it is terminated
with the most scandalousorgies amongst the votaries. The
ceremonyis entitled the Sri Chakra>or Purndbhisheka, the
Rijig, or Full Initiation." t " The occurrenceof theseim-
purities is certainly countenancedby the texts, which the
sectsregard as authorities,and by a very generalbelief of
their occurrence. The members of the sect are enjoined
secrecy,which, indeed, it might be supposedthey would
observeon their own account; and consequently,will not
acknowledge their participationin suchscenes."
}
KANCEALYAS.
" Theworshipis that of Sakti,and the practicesaresimilar

to those of the Kaulas or Vdmdchdris. It is said to be dis-
tinguishedby one peculiarrite, the objectof whichis to
confound all the ties of female alliance, and to enforce not
* H. H. "Wilson's"Works,vol. i, p. 254-56. f Ibid, p.

* 257-8
t Ibid, p. 259-60,
RELIGIOUSSECTSOF THE HINDUS. 33
only a communityof womenamongstthe votaries,but dis-

regardevento natural restraints. On occasions of worship,
the femalevotariesare said to deposit their uppervestsin a
boxin chargeof the Guru. At the closeof the usualrites,
the^male
worshippers
takeeacha vest from the box,andthe
iemaleto whomthe garmentappertains,be sheeverso nearly
of kin to him, is the partner for the time of his licentious
pleasures."*
* H. H. "Wilson'sWorks, p. 263.
34 HISTOBY OF THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS =
CHAPTER III.
OEIGIN OF THE SECT OF
THE Vaishnavas, or worshippers of Vishnu, are, as we

have seen, sub-divided into a multiplicity of sects, some of
which are absoluteascetics,and others of a bold sold inqxiir-
ing spirit ; but the opulent,the luxurious,and tiie indolent,
in the large massof society,and especiallyferaoJLes,attach
themselvesto the worship of Krishna, adored -under this
name, and his mistressBadha, either conjointly or singly,
by the namesof Vishnu and Lakshmi. But thezre is a still
more popularform of the worship of the divinity than this,
although its legendsare much interwovenwith tliose of the
others. This is -fclie worship
of the BalaGopaJLa,orBala
Krishna, the injGant Krish-
na, a worship -widely dif-
fusedthroughoxrt all ranks
of Indian society, and
which was first promul-
gated by the founder of
|r|Lthe sectunder the name
If? of Eudra Sajtnpradaya.
The name of th.0 instituter
BfilaKrishna. Offl^ gectwaB yallabha-

chaiya,whosehistory we shall proceedto relate, remarking
merelythat the heresyitself is possiblybetter koaown from
the title of its teachers,as the religion of the Gfokulastha
Gos&ins.
ITS ORIGIN. 35
In tracing it, however,to its spring-headand source,

we shall find that the first teacher of the philosophical
tenets upon which the presentdoctrines of the sect are
founded was Vishnu Svami, wrhowas a commentator on the
texts of the Vedas. He was followed in his teaching by
Dnana Deva, who was succeededby Kesavacharya, and he
by Hirdlal,whohadsixsons,themostdistinguished
of whom
was Sridhar, who, after a time, was succeededby Bilava
Mangala,
who strengthened
the sect. BilavaMangalaway
succeeded,
but how soonis not known, by VaUabhacharya.,
who was the secondson of Lakshman Bhatt, a Tailing^
Brahman. This Lakshman Bhatt was descended from a
BrahmannamedN&rayanBhatt, dwelling in a village called
Kankrava, and wasthe fourth in direct descentfrom him. He
lived somewhere about the commencement of the sixteenth
century,but the particulars of the exact period are not
preserved.He promulgatedthe idea, which the peoplein
their monstrouscredulityand ignoranceput entire faith in,
that he had beenpromisedby Krishna that he shouldhave
three sons,and that his secondson should succeedhim as the
incarnationofhimself,the god. His wife's namewasElmagar,
and the first son of the marriage was Edma Krishna.
After the birth of this child, LakshmanBhatt, taking his
family with him, went on a pilgrimage by the route of
Allahabadto Benares,where, after dwelling sometime, a
violentdisputetook placebetweenthe Mussulmans and the
Sanny&sis,which resultedin a bloody conflict. Lakshman
Bhatt,apprehensive for the safety of his family, fled away
with them. In the courseof their flight through the country
theyeventuallyarrivedat a wild spotcalledChamparanya.
Theterrorof theflight, combined with the wild savageness
of the countrythroughwhich they were fleeing,had the
effectuponthe intimidatedElm&g&rof accelerating labour,
shebeingat the time pregnantwith her secondchild; andin
36 HISTORYOF THE SECTOF MAHARAJAS:
the wilderness of this entangled forest she gave birth to an

eight-months'child, on Sunday,the llth of Vais&khYddya,
Samvat1535 (A.D.1479).
In a work calledNijvart&, it is statedthat when Vallabha
was born in Champaranya, a palaceof gold sprungup on the
spot,and the godsfrom the heavensshowereddownflowers,
the houriesdancedaround,and the Q-andharvas (heavenly
songsters)sang: divine music filled the air, and gods de-
scendedin vim&n(celestialcars)to seethe prodigy. Whe-
ther, embarrassed by*the encumbrance of this offspring,or
promptedby confidencein the promiseof Krishna that this
infant should be his incarnation,and so trusting to his pro-
vidential interventionto protect it, they forthwith abandoned
it, placing it gently upon leavesin the shadeof a wide-
branchedtree. Still pursuing their flight, they at length
arrived at a placecalledChowd&-nagar, where,after residing
Bornetime, intelligenceat length reachedthem that quiet
wascompletelyrestoredat Benares,upon which they setout,
to return to that place, and taking purposely the route by
which they had come,they speedilyreachedthe spotwhere
they'had desertedtheir helpless infant.
Here they found their faith in the promise of Krishna
verified,for they beheld the little creaturealive and well,
and playing in the midst of a flameof sacrificialfire, in a pit
sunk on the spot. This miracle exalted their hopes,and,
after someshort reposeand refreshmentthey resumedtheir
journey,taking it with themto Benareswhichthey eventually
reached. The name they gave the child was Vadtrabha, but
who was afterwards called Vallabha, and acquired celebrity
as the founder of a widely prevailing sect in Western India,
but wliose -divergent corruptions which derogate from the
doctrines on which he founded his teaching, lie had not the
propheticalinspiration to foresee. In the courseof time,
prompted by their zeal and love, his followers erected a
ITS ORIGIN. 37
templeuponthespotof his birth, whichis still in existence.

His youngerbrother'snamewasKesava.
"WhenVallabhahad reachedthe age of six or sevenyears
he wasplacedfor instruction under the tuition of Narayan
Bhatt; and the legend of his life, written in Brrjabhasha,
assertsthat the rapidity of his apprehension
was so great and
miraculous, that in the short space of four months he suc-
ceededin learning the whole of the four Vedas, the six
S£stras(schoolsof philosophy),and the eighteenPuranas-
an accomplishment which a mature scholar cannot hope
thoroughlyto acquireby the prolongedlabourof a whole
life. But, of course,the supernaturalattendedhim through-
out,andthe incarnationof Krishna would receiveby intuition,
and momentarily,what would be hopelessto the laborious
applicationof the uncanonizedthroughout 'anytime. Valla-
bha on attaining his eleventh year lost his father. The
following year he took leave of his mother, and bidding
farewellto Gokul, the village of his residence,on the left
bank of the Jainuna, a short distance from Mathurd, ho
startedon his pilgrimage through India.
Onarriving at a certain town in the South of India, he
becameacquaintedwith the son of a rich and important man
of the place,whosename was Ddmodardas,and who by the
forceof his arguments,or the plausibility of hiw reasoning,
wasmadea proselyteto his doctrines. For it is to be under-
stood that Vallabha had already framed his tenets and
schemeof tuition, and, with a view to their promulgation,
had undertakenhis pilgrimage. They then both proceeded
togetheronward and arrived at the city of Vijayanagar,
wherethe maternalparents of Vallabha resided. Krishna
Devawasthe king of this place,to whosecourt he wus
introduced.Herehe wasinvited to a religiousdisputation
withthe&aivists?
thefollowers
of 6iva,at the courtof thin
king, whowassopleasedwith Vallabhafor the ability ho
33 HISTOHYOFTHE SECTOF MAEAKAJAS
:
displayed,
that he bestowed uponhim rich presentsof gold
andsilver. A portionof thesehe devoted
to themanufacture
of a handsome
goldenwaist-ornament
with which to decorate
the imageof thedeityin a templeof that city, andanother
portionhe appropriated to the dischargeof debtsincurred
by his fatherandleft unpaidat his death. The fourthonly,
of thepresentsdid he reserveto himselfto meetthe possi-
bility of his needs.
It was his successin this disputation with the Smarta
Brahmans which causedhim to be elected by the Vaishnavas
as their chief, with the title of A'charya,and thence dates
the rise of his great influence. "He travelled to TJjayin,
and took up his abodeunder a pipal tree, on the banks of
the Sipra,which is said still to exist and is designatedas his
baithak, or station. Besides this we find traces of him in
other places. Thereis a baithak of his amongstthe ghatsof
Muttra; and about two miles from the fort of Chanar is a
placecalledhis well, Achdrj JKudn,comprisinga templeand
math)in the court-yardof which is the well in question. The
saint is said to have residedhere sometime/'* He then pro-
ceededonwardsto Allahabad, and thence to Benares,where he
remained to completehis studies,preparatory to inculcating the
doctrineshe hadbeenalwaysmeditating. His pilgrimagestill
continued, and he went to Badri-kedar and thence to Haridwar.
He travelled for nine years throughout different parts of
India, consideredby the Hindus as exclusivelycomprising
the world, twice circling this world, and in his peregrination
passing over a space of twelve thousand miles. On his re-
turn to Brinddvan, as a reward for his fatigues and for his
faith, he was honouredby a visit from the god Krishna in
person,who then enjoined him to introducethe worshipof
B&la Q-opala or B&la Krishna, the infant Krishna, and found
his faith, which becamewidely diffusedthroughout"Western
* H. H. Wilson's "Works,yoL i. p. 120.
ITS ORIGIN. 39
India, under the sectarian name of Rudra Sampradaya.

Owing, however, to the fearful corruptions which subse-
quently, and by degrees,crept in, through the perverted
sensualityof his descendants, this worship is now declining,
andit is hoped,for the sakeof degradedhumanity,approach-
ing extinction,
unlesshealthyreformsbeintroduced
to restore
it to comparative
purity.
Yallabhacharya ultimately settled at Benares,and it was
whilst dwelling there, either at first, or subsequently,or
during his previoustravels,that he is saidto havecomposed
the workswhich bearhis name, and in the compositionof
which he is reportedto have had the assistance of certain
learned Brahmans, paid by him as his amanuenses. Some
of theseare,however,reputedto be suppositions. Theworks
thuswrittenarechieflythe following,which,althoughstyled
works,consistin somecasesof but a few pages,or even
merelya fewlines. They are-
Vyas Sutra Bhashya.
JaiminiSutraBhashya.
Tattva Dipa Mbandi.
ifffil ^tfST'ft Bhagavata
TikdSubodhini.
Siddh£nta Muktavali
PushtiPravahaMary£da.
SiddhantaEahasya.
" Antah-karana Prabhodha.
Nava Ratna.
VivekaDhairdsraya.
Krishnasraya.
Bhakti Vardhani.
Jalabheda.
SannyasNirnaya.
Mrodha lakshan.
Sev4phala.
Purushottam Sahasrandma.
40 HISTOBYOFTHE SECTOF MAHA'EAIAS
:
Thefourth of theseworks,tlie BhagavataTika Subodhim,

is tlie commentary
of Vallabhacharya
upontlie Bhdgavata,
tlie chief sourceof tlie doctrines of tlie sect, and to wMcli we
shall Lave occasionsubsequentlyto refer. But the most
popularwritingscurrentin the sect,and which,is also,at-
tributed to Vallabha,are the Vishnu padas,stanzaswritten
in Brijabhdshya
in praiseof Vishnu. It was at Benares,
after the compositionof severalof theseworks,that Vallabha
marrieda Brahmangirl of the nameof M4h Lakshmi,shortly
after whichhe went to Vraja, where he establishedan image
of SiriNathji, in Samvat1576,correspondingto A.D.1520,on
a sacred hill called Govardhan Parvata,* which had been
removedby the Muhammadans.
It was at one of the former visits of VaUabhdchdryato
Benaresthat he is stated to have posted on the walls of the
templethe challengeto a disputation,suchasfrequently took
placein the universitiesof Europe during the middle ages,
immediatelyafterthe inventionof printing, and in which the
learnedmenof the dayor placeparticipated. This invitation
wasresponded
toespecially
bythefollowers
of&ankarach&rya,
the great Hindu philosopher,whose comment on the Vedasis
held in such high esteem;and the booksof the Maharajas
narrate that they were all defeated. It is evident that
Vallabhacharya derivedconsiderablerepute from this occur-
rence; and it is mostlikely that"a man of suchdisputatious
renown,and so prominentand esteemed for his sanctity and
knowledge,wouldhave frequently to enter into thesedis-
cussions
uponhis arrivalat anycelebrated
city, or seminary.
In Samvat1567(A.D.1511)Vallabhacharya's first sonwas
born, and was namedGfoprnatha.His secondson, named
Vithalnathji,wasbornin Samvat1572(A.D.1516),in the
* Thishill is fabled
to havebeen
renderedsacred by thecircumstancethaton
oneoccasion,
whileKrishna wasplayingtherewith his companions,
it began to
rain,andthathe,toprotect thosewhowerewithhimfromtheshower, liftedthe
hill upononeof hislittle fingersasanumbrellaoyerthem,
ITS ORIGIN. 41
village of Parnat,and it was to this sononly that the incar-

nation of the parent descended.Vallabhachdryahimself
educatedboth his sons,thus fitting them for their progress
through life, after which he withdrew from his family to
Benares,wherehe becameSannyasi,which implies absolute
asceticism, or total abstinence from all intercourse with the
world and all participation in its doings. He dwelt at the
place only forty-two days,when he died,as it is said,on a
hill calledHanumanGrhata,in the vicinity; but his followers
assertedthat he had been translated to Lila, which means
amoroussport. Another report gives a different accountof
the miracle in which he disappeared. It states that he
" finally settled at Jethan B£r, at Benares,near which a
math still subsists;but at length having accomplishedhis
mission,he enteredthe Grangesat Hanuman Grhata,and, when
stoopinginto the water,passedout of sight: a brilliant flame
arosefrom the spot,and in the presenceof a hostof spectators
he ascendedto heaven, and was lost in the firmament."
From the time Vallabhacharyabeganto inculcateMs new
creed,which he calledPushti Marga, or the eat-and-drink
doctrine,up to the dayof his death,he had madeeighty-four
devotedproselytes. The recordof the lives of thesedisciples
is contained in a large volume entitled the Stories of Chorasi
Vaishnavas,andwritten in Brijabhasha. At the period of
his quitting the earthVallabhacharya wasfifty-two yearsand
thirty-sevendays old. On his death it is said a dispute
ensued betweenhis sonsrelativeto the succession to his gadi,
whichliterally means" his seat/7but implies his position as
a teacher. This dispute, it appears,was decidedby the
interventionof the late king of Delhi in favour of the eldest
son,Gopinatha, who dying, togetherwith his son,Vithalnath
becamethe solerepresentative of Vallabhacharya.
Vithalnathis represented as an ablesuccessorof his father,
having madetwo hundred and fifty-two devotedproselytes
42 HISTOEYOF THE SECTOF MAHAEAJAS:
to the new creed,whosehistory is also narratedin a thick

book. He likewisemadelong journeys,visiting MathurS,and
Gokul, towns in the province of Agra which possessed a
traditional celebrity, being renowned as the birthplace of
Krishna. He resorted also to Dwarka, a place situated in
Gujarat,sacredin the annalsof Hindu superstition.The*
originalDwarkais saidto havebeenswallowed up by the
ocean,and the spotwhere it is supposedto have stoodlies
aboutthirty miles southof Porabandar. From Dwarka he
progressedto Cutch,and thenceproceedingto the centreof
India, he conveyedhis doctrines to Malwa and Mewar,
makingproselyteseverywhere. He thenceturned southward
and visited Pandarpura,in the province of Bijapur. This
wasanothersacredlocality,wherehe propagatedhis doctrines
very extensively,his conversionstaking a wide range. He
madeproselytesamongthe Banias,or bankers; the Bhattias,
the Kanbis,or cultivators; the Sutarasor carpenters;and the
Lowars, or blacksmiths: a few Brahmans became also his
followers, as well as someMusalm^ns. It is a circumstance
of a remarkablecharacterthat thesesectaries,who belonged
to different castes,were permitted to eat and drink on the
sametable, which is a completeviolation of the system
of caste. These privileges have, however, long been re-
scinded.
Vithalnathji, who is also knownobythe nameof Gusainji,

went in Samvat1621 (A.D.1565)to Qokul, the birthplaceof
Krishna, with the full determinationof passingthe rest of
his days there. After residing at this place for sometime
he was induced to alter his intention, promptedby a cause
which does not appear, and he accordingly removedto
Mathura. Vithalnathji evidentlyhad very strong locomotive
propensities,for he is saidto havevisited Gujarat six times
during his life, and he even now seems to have been con-
siderablyunsettled,or he had accomplishedthe sectarian
ITS ORIGIN. 43
objectwhich induced him to visit Mathura; for we find

him, in Samvat 1629 (A.D.1573), eight years afterwards,
again at Gokul. It was in consequence of Ms ultimate
permanentresidencein this sacredcity that he acquiredthe
nameof GokulGus&inji,which is perpetuatedin all his male
Descendants.
He appearsto have written severalworks of repute,and
especiallycommentariesupon older treaties. In one of these
works,Vidvanmandan,he has severelycriticisedand abun-
dantlyabusedthe sectand works of Sankaracharya.
At the ripe ageof seventyyearsand twenty-ninedays,in
Samvat1649(A.D.1583),Vithalnathji quittedthe earthonthe
sacredhill of GovardhaiiParvata,wherethe imagewassetup
by his father. He was twice married,the name of his first
wife being Rukmini, and that of the secondPadmavati.
By thesewiveshe had sevensonsand four daughters. The
nameof the first son,born in Samvat1597,wasGirdharji;
that of the second,born in Samvat 1599, Govinda Ray; the
third was Balkrishnaji, born in Samvat1606; the fourth,
Gokulnathji,born in Samvat 1608; the fifth, Eagunathji,
bornin Samvat1611; the sixth, Jadunathji,born in Samvat
1613; andthe seventh,Ghanashyamji,born in Samvat1618.
His daughters'nameswere Sobha,Jamuna,Kamala, and
Devaka.
All thesesevensons,upon the deathof Vithalnathji, esta-
blishedeachhis own gadi, or seat,assumingto be the
incarnationof Krishna,and they dispersedthroughoutIndia
to diffusetheir doctrinesand makeproselytes,
It wasthe fourth son,Gokulnathji, who becamethe most
celebrated
of all thedescendants
of Vithalnathji. He is dis-
tinguished
for havingwritten a commentary
on the Siddhanta
Eahasya,
andothers.It is thevitality whichhe infusedinto
the tenetsof his particular communitythat has.givenit its
persistency;
for evento the presentdaythefollowers
of his
44 HISTORY OF THE SECT OP MAHARAJAS:
descendantskeep themselvesseparatefrom all the com-

munities of Ms brothers, considering their own Gosdins as
the only legitimateteachersof the faith. The followersof
the other sons of Vithalnathji have an equal degree of
veneration for all the communities of the descendants of
Vithalnathji,whilst restrictingtheir exclusivepreference
tQ
their ownparticular division.
It was about the period of this dispersionof the sonsof
Vithalnathji, that it is presumedthey first acquiredthe title
of Maharaj,which effectuallyconveysin its significancethe
full forceof their wide swayand influence. They havemany
distinctive titles; they are called, for instance, Maharaj
Gus&inji, Gusdinji Mahdraj, Vallabha Ehila, Agni Kula,
Agni Svarupa,Acharya, Guru, Mah Prabhu, etc.; but the
namefor which they havethe greatestrespectappearsto be
that of Gausvami,which signifies Lord of Cows,applicable
also to Krishna.
The headsof this division of the sect are usually called
Gokul Gosains,or GokulasthaGosains. The worshippersof
this sectarealsowidely diffusedthroughout Bombay,Cutch,,
Kattywar, and central India, and especiallythe provinceof
Malwa. In all these places they are numerous and opulent,
comprising the most wealthy merchants and bankers, and
consistingchiefly of bhattias, banias, and lowanas. They
have many establishments throughout India, especiallyat
Mathura and Brindavan, which latter place containssome
hundreds,amongstwhomare three personsof great opulence.
In Benaresthe sect has two temples of great reputeand
wealth. The city of Jaganndth,in the east,as one of the
great centresof Hindu worship,is particularly veneratedby
them; and the city of Dwarka,in the extremewest,at the
extremity of the peninsulaof Gujarat, which,completesthe
zoneof India, hasequalrespectpaid to it.
There are at presentabout sixty or seventyMaharajas
ITS ORIGIK 45
dispersed
throughout India. In Bombaythere are eight or
ten,fifteen or sixteenat Grokul,and one or two at eachof the
followingplaces, namely,Surat,Ahmedabad, ISTagar,Cutch,
Porabandar,Amreli, Jodapur,Bundi, Koti, etc. Of these
sixtyor seventy Maharajas,
there are onlytwo or threewho
"haveanyknowledge of Sanskrit:the restaregrosslyignorant
andindulge merely in sensualityand luxury. They,how-
ever,fear no desertion,owing to the infatuationof their
followers,a,nd never take the trouble to preach,but give as
an equivalent public exhibitionsin their templesto divert
attention. ff "Vallabhacharyataught that privation formed
no part of sanctity, and that it was the duty of the teacher
andhis disciples to worshiptheir deity not in nudity and
hunger,but in costlyappareland choicefood; not in solitude
and mortification, but in the pleasuresof society and the
enjoyment of the world In accordance with these
preceptstlie gosains,or teachers,are always clothed in the
best raiment, and fed with the daintiest viands, by their
followers, over whom they have unlimited influence
Thesegosains are often largely engagedin maintaining con-
nectionamongst commercialestablishments in remoteparts of
the country : they areconstantlytravelling over India under
pretenceof pilgrimage to the sacred shrines of the sect; and
on these occasions they notoriously reconcilethe profits of
tradewith, tlie benefits<5fdevotion. As religious travellers,
however,this union of objectsrendersthem more respectable
than the vagrants of any other sect." Priestly craft is ever
alert to obtain by fair means, or foul, the wealth needful to
the sustentation of its power and self-indulgence. This is a
vicenot limited in its operationsto India, or to the chiefsof tlie
sectsof the Hindu religion: it pervadesall humansociety,
with greater or lesserenergy. The schemeis supported
.by veryplausible andjust reasoning, for it is but right that
thosewhosefunctionis exercised for the behoofof societyat
46 HISTOBY OF THE SECTOP MAEABAJAS:
large, and "whoare precludedfrom obtaining the meansof

livelihoodfrom thosesourcescommonto the majority, should
be supportedby that majority for whom their labours are
performed; and it is only whenurged to excess,for culpable
purposes,that this becomesreprehensible. The Maharajas,
consequently,as teachersof a doctrine and priests of a
religion, when duly restricting themselves
within their pro-
vince,arethoroughly entitled to the meansof living at the
handsof thosewhom they teach. It is merely perversion
and excessthat can be complained of. The source of the
permanentrevenueof thesepriests is a fixed Idgd, or tax,
upon everyarticle of consumptionwhich is sold. This tax,
although but trifling in eachindividual case,amountsto a
considerable sum upon the innumerable commercial trans-
actionsthat take place,and is alwaysmultiplied in eachcase
where articles pass from hand to hand for a consideration.
Thereseemsto exist an unlimited power on the part of the
severalMahar&jasto imposethis tax and to add laga upon
Idffd. "When,therefore,we considerthe swarmingpopula-
tion, the great consumption and consequently the thriving
business which is carried on, and the fact that the fixed
revenue is often greatly augmented by the presents and
votive offerings which are made by their followers from
affection,or fear-the wealth, indolence,and luxury of the
Mah&rajasfollow as a matter of coifrse,and the corruptionof
societyensuesas the result of their dissoluteand effeminate
teaching.
It is not necessarythat we,should further particularise the
branchesof the genealogical tree springing from the root of
Vallabhacharya:it sufficesthat, like the deadlyupas,they
overshadow societywith their malignantinfluences,
in Western
India especially; and it is with a view to counteractthis
blighting tendencythat the presentwork hasbeenundertaken,
in the hopethat the exposureof their actsand doctrinesmay
ITS ORIGIN. 47
eventuallybring their convertsto reflect upon the depravity

of their practicesand the utter incompatibility of suchvicious
doingswith a pure faith. The original teachersmay have
beenwell disposedmen, but their descendantshavewidely
diverged
" C3 from their courses. The infatuation of the Vaish-
*iavasis so great,that all the descendants
of the Mahdrdjas
are held from infancy in extreme veneration, and are nur-
turedin ignorance,indolence,and self-indulgence:they are
empowered by their votaries to gratify through life every
vicious propensity; and, when, exhaustedby vice, they pass
awayin prematureold age, they are held by their votaries
to be translatedto the regions of perfect and ecstaticbliss;
for, as remarkedby Mr. H. II. Wilson, it is a peculiarly
remarkablefeature in this sect that tlie veneration paid
to their gosainsis paid solely to their descent, without
any referenceto their individual sanctity or learning: and,
althoughtotally destitute of every pretensionto even per-
sonal respectability,they neverthelessenjoy the unlimited
homageof their followers.
CHAPTEE IV.
CHIEF AUTHORITY OF THE SECT.
IN treating-generally
of thesacredwritingsof the Hindus,
we havebriefly noticedthe eighteenPur&nas,which are
evidently the productionsof the later or nonvedic period.
TheBh&gavata Puranais the chief authorityof the sectof
Maharajas, or Vallabhacharya.It consistsof twelve books,
in the tenth of whichthe historyof Krishna,*asthe eighth
incarnationof Vishnu, is given in ninety chapters. This
tenth book has beentranslatedfrom the Sanskrit into Brija-
bhasha,under the name of "Prem Sagar, or the Oceanof
Love;" and it was this that Vallabh&charyaselected,on
which to founddoctrineshe designedto teach. To this work
we must look as the source whence the Maharajas deduced
originally the ideaswhich they have gradually expandedinto
the desecratinglibertinism which they practise.
We shall commence by quotingthoseportionsof the "Prem
Sagar" which weconceivehavemostdirectly led, by the force
of exampleand possiblyby infatuation, to the practices at
presentfollowed in the temples of the Mah&rajas. Vy£sa
(believedto be the metamorphosed Vishnu) is the reputed
author of this work, and it is therefore held as a revelation
from the deity himself,is consideredof the highest authority,
* The worship of deified heroesis no 'part of the Vedic system; nor arc the
incarnationsof the deitiessuggestedin any other portion of the text which I have
yetseen. Accordingto the notionswhichI entertainof the real historyof the
Hindu religion, the worship of Rdma and Krishna by the Yaishnavas, and of
Mahddeva
and Bhavdniby S'aivasand S'aktas,has "beengenerallyintroduced
sincethe persecutionof the Bauddhasand Jains. The institutions of the Vedas
are anterior to Bauddha,whosetheology seemsto have been borrowed from the
systemof Kapila.-Cokbrooke on the Hindu Religion,p. 67, 68.
CHIEF AUTHORITY OF THE SECT. 49
,andis receivedwith profound respect. Doubtlessits true

characteris symbolicalor allegorical,whereasthe Maharajas,
by interpretingit literally, havethusconvertedits abtruse
significations
intoa codeof viciousimmorality,-notmerely
sanctioning,butinculcatingthemosthideous
sensuality.
" The followingare extracts from the " Preni Sagar,"
describingthe amoroussports of Krishna with Gopis, or
femalecowherdesses (known as the Hid of Krishna), from
Mr. E. B. Eastwick'sEnglish versionof the work:
"As soon as the Autumnal Season departed, "Winter came on
(November and December), and excessive cold and frost com-
menced. At that time the young women of Braj began to say, one
to the other, *Listen, companions!from bathing in the month
Aghan (the 8th Hindu month) the sins of every successive
birth
are removed, and the wish of the heart is attained. Thus we have
heard it said by aged people.' Having heard this, it entered into
themindsof all to bathein Aghan,in orderthat they might surely
obtain the divine Krishn as a bridegroom.
"With these reflections all the youthful women of Braj rose at
early morn,and having put on their clothesand ornaments,
came
to the Yamuna to bathe. Having made their ablutions, and offered
an oblation of eight ingredients to the Sun, they came forth from
the water, made an earthen image of Gaur (a name of the goddess
Parvati), offered to it sandal wood, unbroken grains of rice,
flowers and fruits; and setting before it incense,lamps, and
consecratedfood, performed their worship, and with joined
hands and bent heads, having propitiated Gaur, said, "0 god-
dess
! repeatedlywe ask this boonof you, that the divine Krishn
maybeour husband/ In this mannerthe cowherdesses continually
bathed,and fasting the whole day,at evening,having eatencurds
and rice, slept on tb.e earth, in order that the fruit of their religious
abstinencemight quickly be obtained.
"One day all the young women of Braj went togetherto an
unfrequented place, furnishedwith stepsto descendto the river,
andonarrivingthere took off their clothes,and, having laid them.
onthebank,enterednakedinto the stream,and begansingingthe
praisesof Hari, and to sport in the water. At that time the divine
Krishn, alsoseatedin the shadeof an Indian fig-tree,-wastending
the herds. It chancedthat, having heard the soundof their songs,
4
50 HISTOEYOFTHE SECTOFMAHARAJAS.
lie alsosilentlyapproached,
andbegan
fromhisconcealed
position,.
to look on. At last, ashe gazed,a thought enteredinto his mind,
whereupon,
haying
stolen
all theclothes,
heascended
intoaKadam
tree, andhavingtied themin a bundle,placedthem beforehim.
Heanwhile, when the cowherd
esseslooked,the clotheswere not on
the bank;then,beingconfounded,
theybegan
to stretchforththeir
necks and look in all directions, and to say one to the other, * Just
now not evena sparrowhascomehere; sister,who has carried off
our clothes?' Meanwhile, one cowherdessobserved that, 'with a
diadem on his head, a staff in his hand, an ornamental mark on his
forehead made-with saffron, wearing a necklace of wild flowers,
clothed in yellow silk, havingthe clothestied up in a bundle,and
maintaining profound silence,the divine Krishn, mounted on a
Kadam tree,is seatedconcealed.'She,on beholdinghim, cried out,
*Companions ! seehim, the stealerof our hearts,the stealerof our
clothes, holding the bundle, is seated,enjoying himself in the
Kadam tree.' Having heard these words, all the other young
femalesof Braj beholdingKrishn, were abashed, and, plunginginto
the water,with joinedhandsand bent heads,said,in a supplicating,
coaxing manner,
"' Friend of the poor!-grief-dispeller!-dearone! please,
Mohan! gire us-
back our clothes.'
Hearingthis,Kanh&fsaid,' Thuswill I not givethem,I swearby ETand;
Oneby onecomeforth, then receiveye backyour clothes.'
"The girls of Braj angrily replied, 'A goodly lesson this which
you havelearned,to bid us comeforth naked! now, if we go and
tell our fathersand our brothers,then they will comeand seizeyou,
raising the cry of '' Thief!" and if we tell Jasodaand Nand, they
will teachyou a pretty lesson. We have somemodesty," you have
done away with all respect.'
"As soon as he heard these words, Krishn, enraged, said,
*!N"owyou shall get back your clothes when you send and fetch
them; and if not, not.' Hearing this, the cowherdesses said,
alarmed,*Kind to the poor! thouwhocarestfor us,thou truly art
theprotectorof ourhusbands."Whom shallwe bring? For your
sakeit is that, fasting,we bathe in the month of Magashir.'
Krishnsaid,<If youarebathingin the monthAghanfor me,giving
meyouraffection, thenlay asideyour bashfulness
andevasion, and
come and take your clothes.' "When the divine Krishn Chand
spakethus, then all the cowherdesses,
having consultedwith one
another,
began
to say,'Come
on,companions!
whatMohansays,
that aloneis to be attended to; since he knows all the secretsof our
minds and bodies, what place for bashfulnesswith him ?' Ttfus
having determined
amongstthemselves,
and obeyingthe words of
Krishn, hiding with their hands their breasts and the parts which
modestyconceals,the young women all issued from the water, and,
having bent their heads, stood before him on the bank. Then
Erishn, laughing, said, 'Now let each join her hands and advance,
then I will give the clothes.' The cowherdesses
said,
"* Why doesNand's darling act deceitfully to us, simple maidensof Braj ?
He hastricked us; our consciousness
and senseare gone,.suchpranks have
you played,0 Hari !
Taking courage,we havedonewhat we are ashamedto do ; now, 0 lord of
Braj ! performyour part.'
"When the cowherdesses, having spokenthesewords, joined
their hands,then the divine Krishn Chandgavethem their clothes,
and approaching them,said,' Do not takethis matter ill ," this is a
lessonwhich I have taught you, for in the water is the habitation
of the god Yarun. "Whoever, therefore, bathes in the water naked,
all his moral and religious qualities passaway- Seeingthe affection
of your mind I was pleased,and have revealed this secret to you.
Fow go to your houses,and, returning in the month of Katik (the
secondHindu month), dance with me the circular dance.'"
" One woman of Mathura, whose husband would not suffer her
to go, fixed her thoughts on Krishn, and, quitting her body, went,
and, beforethem all, was united with him, as water goes and unites-
itself with water; and, after her, all the others, proceeding on,
arrived there, where the divine Krishn Chand, together with the
cowherds,was standing, under the shade of a tree, leaning with his
hand on the shoulder of a comrade, with a triple bend in his body,.
and holding in his hand a lotus-flower. Soon as they arrived, they
placedbeforehim the plates, and making their obeisance,and gazing1
in the face of Hari, beganto say to one another, ' Sister ! this is he,
the sonof Nand, whosename we have heard from time to time, and
on whom we have fixed our thoughts. Now, beholding his moon-
like countenance,
gratify your eyes,and enjoythe fruition of life.*
Thus having spoken,and having joined their hands,with humble
supplication they beganto say to the divine Krishn, ' Compassionate
Lord! without thy favour,whereis a sight of thee accorded
to any
one? Happyis our fate this day,that we have obtaineda sight.
of you, and becomefree from the sins of each successivebirth.
52 EISTOBY OF THE SECT OF MAHABA7AS.
"lThe fooli-sli,sordid,and proudBrahman,whosemind is soiledby riches,

pride, and avarice,
Regards
theDeityasman: blindwiththisworld'sillusions,
howshould
he
recognizethe truth ?
For whosesakeyou performinvocation,penance,
and sacrifice;on him
wherefore not bestow food ?
Sire! that riches, those relations, and that shame, is worthy Oof
praise,which is usefulto you, and that aloneis penance,
invocation,
and knowledge,into which thy name enters.' Having heard these
words,the divine ErishnChand,having inquired after their welfare,
began to say, -
111
Make no reverentialsalutationto me ! I am hut the blue hoyof the chieftain
Nand.
Do they who causethe wivesof Brahmansto pay homageto them,

obtain high estimation in the world? You, deeming us hungry,
showed kindness to us, and, coming into the forest, took thought
for us. Now what hospitalitycan we showyou here?
1Bririd&ban,our home,is far away ; how canwe show you courtesy?
Had we been there, we would have brought someflowers and fruits

and offered them. You, for our sake, undergoing trouble, have
come into the jungle, and here we are quite unable to perform
the duties of hospitality, and our chagrin on this account will
always continue.' Thus courteously having spoken, again he said,
(It is long since you came; now depart to your homes, becausethe
Brahmans, your husbands, will be expecting your return, since,
when wives are absent,the oblation is not attendedwith happy
results.' Having heard these words from Krishn, the Brahman
women, having joined their hands, said, * Sire ! we have attached
ourselvesto your celestial feet, and have abandoned all regard for
our family, and, hence, how can we return to the house of those
whose words we have disobeyed,in hastening hither ? It is better,
therefore,that we shouldremainunder your protection,and, Lord !
one womanof our company,having formed the desireof meeting
you, wascoming,whenher husbandstoppedher; upon which that
woman,being afflicted,surrenderedher spirit,' Soonas he heard,
the divine Krishn Chandsmiled, and showed her, who, having
abandonedher body, had cometo him. 'Attend!7 he said, 'He
who showsaffectionto Hari, shall neversufferdeath;-this woman
-cameand joined me before you all.' "
Thus far having recited,the saintly Shukadevsaid, " Sire! BOOH
as theybeheldher,all were,for the moment,astonished.After-

wards their understanding returned, and then they began to sing
thepraisesof Hari. Meanwhile
the divineEIrishnChand,having
eatenfood, said to them, ' Now depart to your own abodes; your
husbands
will not rebukeyou.'
"
* ""When the divine EIrishn carried off their clothes, he then gave
this promiseto the cowherdesses,
that in the monthKatik, he
would dance with them the circular dance. Prom that time the
cowherdesses,
cherishing the hope of this dance, remained solicitous
in mind, and continually, when they rose up, user! to propitiate
especiallythe monthKatik. It happenedthat as they persevered
in their propitiations,the pleasure-givingAutumnal Seasonarrived.
" From tlie time when the month K&tik commenced,an end was put to fierce
heat, cold,and rain,
The lakeswerefull of pellucidwater,and the expanding
lotuswasfreshly
"blooming.
Thenight-flowering lotusandtho Bartavello,
like lover andmistress,gazed,
rejoicing,on themoonat night.
The ruddy goosewith the lotus droop, who over regard tho sun as their
friend.
"One day the divine Ivrishn Chanel,issuedfrom the houseon

the night of the full moon in the month Katik, and beheld the
stars sprinkled in the clear sky, and tho moonbeamsspread in the
ten quarters. A cool and gentle breeze,fraught with odours,con-
tinued blowing, and on one side the appearanceof the thick forest
imparted exceedingbeauty to the scene. On seeing such a scene,it
occurredto the mind of Krislm, that he had promised to the cow-
herdesses,that in the Autumnal Season he would dance with them
the circular dance,and that tht>promise must be fulfilled. Having
thus reflected,the divine Krishn entered tho woods, and played on
the flute. Having heard the sound of the Bambu, all the young
women of Braj, who were inflamed with desire, through separation
(from Krishn) were greatly agitated. At last, abandoning all regard
for their relations, dashing from them the modesty belonging to the
well-born, and forsaking their household duties, in great confusion,
with their ornamentsput on at random, they arose and hastened.
One cowherdess,who, when she arose from beside her husband, to
go, was stoppedon the road by her husband, led back to the house,
and not permitted to depart, fixed her thoughts on Hari, and,
quitting her body, went and joined him before all the rest,
54 HISTOEY OP THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS.
Beholding the affectionof her mind, the divine ELrishnChand

immediatelyconferredon her beatitude."
Thus far having heard,king Parfkshit inquired of the saintly
Shukadevasfollows, "Gracious Lord! the cowherdesses not knowing
the divine Krishn to be God,did not regard him as such ; they only
lookeduponhim as a sensualobject. How had that womansalva-
tion conferredon her ? This explain to me and tell, that the douT^t
of my mind may depart." The saintly Muni Shukadevsaid,
t' Incarnation of Justice! they who even ignorantly sing the praises
of the greatness of the divine Krishn Chand, they too undoubtedly
obtain the reward of faith and final beatitude. Just as if any one,
without knowing what it was, should drink nectar, he also be-
comingimmortal would live (for ever); and, if he drank it with
knowledgeof its properties,it would affect him in the sameway.
This all know,that the quality of a thing and its fruit cannotbut
result; and just such is the powerful efficacyof worship paid to
Hari; whoeverworshipshim, with whateverdispositionof mind*
obtains beatitude. It is said,
"' Invocation,the rosary,the denominationaland sectarialmarks,* all of them
are useless.
" *The vain-mindedman plays his antics (lit. dances)to no purpose; the true
only pleaseB&m.'
"And, attend ! I will now relate to you the different persons,and

their different feelings towards the divine Krishn, who obtained
beatitude from him. Nand and Jasodalooked on him as their son,
the cowherdesses as their lover; Kans worshipped him through fear;
the cowherds, regarding him as their friend, repeated his name;
the Pandavsas their darling; Sisupalrespectedhim.asan enemy;
the family of Yadu held him to be one of their own members; and
Jogis, Jatis, and Munis, knowing hjim to be the Supreme Being,
fixed their meditations upon him: but in the end all, without
exception, obtained beatification. If, therefore, one cowherdess,by
fixing her thoughtson the Deity, passedthe oceanof existence,
what marvel is it ?"
Having heard this, Parfkshit said to the saintly Muni Shukadev,
" GraciousLord! the doubt of my mind has departed; now be
gracious enough to continue the history/' The saintly Shukadev
said, " Sire, when all the cowherdesses,each in her own different
company, ran and joined the Light of the "World, the Ocean of
* Of a lotus,trident,etc.,madeon the bodyor forehead
of worshippers
of
Vishnu and other gods.
Beauty,the divineKrishnCliand,as,duringthefourrainymonths,
the riversrun violently and mingle with the ocean,then the scene
wassuchthat Bihari Lai hasno powerto expressthe heautyof that
adornment, for Hari, deckedout with ornaments,and dressedas a
juggler,appeared
soheart-delighting,
beautiful,andcharming,that
theyoungwomen
ofBraj,beholding
him,remained
amazed.Then
]$ohan,
afterinquiringaftertheir welfare,assumed
a peevishtone,
andsaid,* Tell mehow,at this time of night-the hourof goblins
and ghosts-youhavepassed
this dreadroad,and comeinto th©
vastforest,with your clothesand ornamentscast on at random,ia
a stateof extremeagitation,and having abandoned J;heregarddue
to your family ? It behovesnot women to act so boldly. It is
said, that " should a womanhave a husband,who is a coward,
vicious,stupid,deceitful,ugly, leprous,blind of oneeye or of both,
lame of hand or foot, poor, or aught else, even then she ought to
servehim, and from this alone her welfare and estimationin the
worldarise.7' It is the duty of a well-born and chastelady not to
leaveher husband,evenfor a moment,and that wife who, quitting
her own spouse,goesto anotherman, finds, in successivebirths,
hell asher habitation/ Thus having spoken, he added, ' Hearken !
youhavecome,haveseenthe denseforest,the clear moonlight,and
the beautyof Yamuna'sbank " now return home,and,with earnest-
nessof purpose,wait on your husbands. By this your welfare will
be in everyway consulted.' Soonas they heard thesewords from
the mouth of the divine Krishn, all the cowherdesseswere for a
time indeed, bereft of sense,and buried in a boundless ocean of
thought;-afterwards,
" "Withdowncast
lookstheydrewdeepsighs,aridstoodscratching
the ground
with the nails of their feet;
Fromtheir eyesa stream
of tearsdescended,
like abrokennecklace
of pearls!
"At length, beingdeeplyagitatedby grief, they beganwith sobs
to say,'Ah, Krishn! you are a greatdeceiver! At first, indeed,by
playingonthe flute, you stoleawayour judgment,thoughts,mind,
andall that we possessed;and now, turning pitiless,and practising
deceit,you desire,by your cruel words, to deprive us of life.' Thus
having spoken,they added,
" *Polk, kinsmen,
house,andhusband,wo have left; neglected,
too, the re-
proachof people,to which wo arc exposed.
We aredefenceless,
thereare noneto aid us; give us protection,
Lord of
Braj!
And thosepeoplewho attendon thy celestialfootsteps,

theycare
56 HISTOEY OF THE SECT OF MAEA'KAJAS.
not for wealth, corporealthings, character,or greatness;of them,

indeed,you arethe husband,from birth to birth, 0 Deity! 0 soul's
Beauty!
" *Whereshallwe goandmakeourabode
? ourspiritsareboundupin affec-
tion for you/
" On hearing thesewords, the divine Krishn Chanel smiled,rand
called all the cowherdessesto him, and said, ' If you are imbued
with this affection, then dancethe circular dancewith me.' Having
heard thesewords, the cowherdesses laid aside their grief, and gladly
assembledon all sides, and, continually gazing on the face of Hari,
beganto reapthe enjoymentof their eyes.
" The dark-blue Krishn, with body of the hue of clouds, stoodin the midst;
and suchwas the beautyof the fair ones,asthey sported,
That they resembledgoldencreepers,growing from beneatha blue mountain.
"Then the divine Zrishn gave this command to his Illusive
Power, ' "Wewill engagein the circular dance,wherefore do thou
preparea fair place,and remain standinghere,and whoevershall
ask for anything, whatever it may be, do thou bring and give it.'
Sire! the Illusive Power, on hearing this, went to the bank of the
Yamuna, and prepared a large circular terrace of pure gold, and
having studded it with pearls and diamonds, fixed on all sides
plaintaintreeswith young shoots,for pillars, fastenedon themgay
festoons of various kinds of flowers, and, returning to the divine
Krishn Chand, told him. On hearing it, Krishn was pleased,and,
taking with him all the young women of Braj, went to the bank of
the Yamuna. Having arrived there, they saw that the brilliance .of
the circular terrace erected for the circular dance,was four times
more beautiful than that of the moon's orb, and on all sidesof it
the sand was spread out like the moonbeams. A cool, sweet,
fragrant breeze,continued blowing, a*id on one side the verdure of
the denseforest derived increasedloveliness from the night.
" On beholding this scene, all the cowherdesses were much de-
lighted. Near that spot was a lake named Man Sarowar, to the
banks of which they.went and put on clean robes and ornaments,
such as their minds desired, and having adorned themselves from
headto foot,returned,playingin harmonyonfineinstruments,such
as the lute and timbrel. Then, intoxicated with love, they laid
aside all care and diffidence, and, in company with the divine
Krishn, began to play on instruments, to sing and dance. At that
time the divine Govind, in the midst of the circle of the cowherd-
esses,
appeared
asbeautifulas the moonin a circlet of stars."
CHIEF AUTHOEITY OF THE SECT. 57
Thusfar havingrelated,the saintlySlmkadev

said," Hearken,
Sire! whenthe cowherdesses,having abandoned,in the dance,
judgment
anddiscernment,
mentally
regarded
Hariastheirnatural
husband,
and thoughthim utterlyundertheir influence
; then,the
divineKrishn Chandreflectedin his heart as follows:
" <Thesenow imagineme subjected
to them; they mentallyregardme UKa
natural husband;
Theirjudgment
is gone;modesty
hasleft theirpersons;
theytwinothem-
selves
aroundme,andwith fond affectionembrace
me,astheir beloved
one.
Theyhaveforgotten
knowledge
andreflection
; I will go andleavethorn,
sincetheir pridehasincreased/
" ' Let us seewhat they will do in the forest without inc, and
what will be their condition?' Thus having reflected, the divine
EJtishnChand,taking with him the divine Iladlukii, disappeared
from sight. "
The saintly Muni Shukadevsaid," Sire! upon the suddendis-

appearanceof the divine Krishn Chand, it became dark "before tho
eyes of the cowherdceses,and being much ailiictcd, they were as
distressedas a snake that has lost its crest-gem. Hereupon ono of
them beganto say,
" ' Tell me sister! whoreis Mohan departed,having1loft UH?
But lately he claspedmy neck with bin urm, mid umlmujwlme.
Just now,in truth, closelyunited with us, he wasdancingand re-

joicing. In theseshortmomentswhorehas ho departed? ' Did no
oneamongyou seehim ashe left us?' Having heard thesowords,
all the cowher4esses,deeply dejectedat separationfrom their bo-
lovedone,said,drawingdeepsighs,
" 'Whither shall we g-o,what shall we do? To whom shall wo cull aloud and
tell (our loss)?
Do notyouknowat all whereheis ? HowahullworejoinMurfiri?*
"Thus havingspoken, beingintoxicated
with, the lovoof Hari,
all thecowherdessesbegan,as theysearched,
ami sangtho praises
of Krishn,to exclaim,
lamenting,thus:
"<Whyhaveyouleft us,Lord of Bruj? We haveboatowod
nil woPOHSISHH
upon, you.'
"When theyfoundhim not, then all, as they went on, said

amongstthemselves,
'Sister! here, indeed,we Beeno one; of
whom
shallweasktheroadwhichItari hastaken!' Thushaving
58 HISTORYOF THE SECT OF MAHAEAJAS.
heard,one of the cowherdesses said, ' Hearken,Sister! an.ideahas

occurredto me,that all the beastsand birds and treeswhich arein
this forest,areEishis andMunis, which have descended on earthto
beholdthe sportsof Zrishn: ask ye them! Thesestandinghere
are spectators. They will point.out to you the direction which
Hari has taken.' On hearing these words, all the cowherdesses,
distressed at their separation(from Krishn), began to question eacji
individual thing, both inanimate and animate :
" * 0 fig-treesof variouskinds! youhaveobtainedyour lofty stature"byyour
meritorious acts!
You, most ofrall, havebeenbeneficentto others,in that you have taken on
Earth the form of trees.
You have enduredthe pain inflicted "byheat,cold, and rain, and for the sake
of othersyou have remainedstanding.
0 bark ! blossoms! roots! fruit! and branches! with which (ye trees)
advantageothers!
Nand'sdarlinghas"bereftus all of mind and property; say,kind beings!
hashe passedthis way ?
0 Kadam! mango! and Kachnar! have you seen Murari going in any
direction ?
0 Asoka, Champaca,and oleander! have you seenBalbir passingby ?
0 bloomingTulsi, very dearto Hari! Thou whom he neverseparatesfrom
his person,
HasHari to-daycomeandmetyou? "Whowill tell us? whowill pointout
the way ?
Dear jasmine,Juhi, Maltl! did the youthful Kanhai comein this direction ?'
To the Antelopesthe womenof Braj calledaloud,£Have youseenthe forester
(Krishn) passinghere?' "
Thus far having recited, the saintly Shukadev said, " Sire! in
this mannerall the cowherdesses, continually inquiring of beasts,
birds, and creepingshrubs,and filled with (thoughts of) Krishn,
began,in childishsport,to imitate the slaughterof Putana,and all
the other exploits of the divine Kri*hn, and, at the sametime, to
searchon. At last, as they continuallysearched,after proceeding
some distance, they saw the footsteps of the celestial feet of the
divine Krishn Chand,togetherwith the lotus, barley, banner,and
iron goad (imprinted)on the sand, continueglittering. Soon as
they sawthis, the womenof Braj, having madea reverentialobeis-
anceto the dust,which gods,men,and Munis searchfor, placedit
on their heads,and, resuminga confidenthope of meetingHari,
proceeded on. Thentheybeheldthat near the tracesof thoseceles-
tial feetthefootstep
of afemalealsowaseverimprinted. Beholding
this,surprised,theywent forward,andsawthat in oneplacethere
hadfallen,upona bedof softleaves,a fair andjewelledmirror. Of
it they beganto ask,but when, filled with the pangsof separation,

it alsowas silent, then they beganto inquire of oneanother,' Tell,
me, Sister! why did he takethis with him ?' Thenone,who knew
well the feelings of lover and belovedone,madeanswer,/Friend!
when the lover sate down to wreathe the long back hair of his
mistress, and his lovely form was hid from sight, at that time the
fair "one took the mirror in her hand, and showedit to him she
loved, and then the image of his divine face appearedbefore her.'
Having heard thesewords,the cowherdesses.
felt no resentment,but
beganto say, 'Well must she have worshippedShivaand Parvatf,
and great must have been the penanceshe performed, that alone she
is privileged to sportsecurelywith the soul'sLord.J
" Sire ! all the cowherdesses indeed in this direction were wander-
ing about in search
(of Krishn) bewilderedwith the emotionscaused
by separation from him, prattling and talking, and in the other
direction the divine Badhika, enjoying excessivedelight in the
societyof Hari, supposed
her lover wasentirely underher influence,
deemedherselfthe principal personof all, and admitting pride into
her mind, said, ' Dear one! I am now unable to proceed further,
takeme on your shoulders
and sogo on with me.' Immediatelyon
hearing these words the divine Krishn Chand, the destroyer of pride
and searcher of hearts, sat down smiling and said, ' Come! be pleased
to mount upon my shoulders.' When having stretched forth her
hand she was about to mount, then the divine Khrishn vanished
from sight and she (Radhika) remained standing with extended arm
as (at first) she put forth her hand, just as having parted from the
"cloudthe lightning would remain separate, or as the moonbeamsat
variancewith the moon(might appear) when left behind by it.
And the dazzling brightness cast from her white body shadowed
upon the earth was beautiful, like a lovely woman standing on a
golden ground. From her eyesa stream of water continued flow-
ing, and she was unable even to drive away the black bees which,
attracted by the sweet perfume, cameperpetually and settled on her
mouth. Thus uttering deepsobs,sheremainedalonein the forest,
weeping through the pangs of separation in such a manner that,
hearing the soundof her lamentation, all beastsand birds, trees and
creepingthings, wereweeping,and shecontinuedexclaimingthus-
'Alas,Lord! chiefof benefactors!
"Whither,0 capricious
Bih&ri,hastthou gone?
I amthy suppliantat thy feet,thy slave! Ocean of mercy!recallme to thy
thoughts.
**Meanwhileall the cowherdesses

alsosearchingon, arrivedbeside
60 HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAEA'BAJAS.
her, and continually embracingher, all of them, as they in turn

cameup, receivedsuch gratification as he doeswho, having lost
greatriches,findsmoderatetreasure,or half of that he lost.
"At length, all the cowherdessesperceiving her deep distress,
took her with them, and penetrated into the great forest, and as far
asthey couldseethe moonlight, so far the cowherdesses
soughtfor
the divine Krishn in the forest. "When in the darkness of the dense-
forestthey couldnot find their way, then they all returnedthence,
and, taking courage,and assuring themselves of rejoining Eaishn,
came and sat down on that same bank of the Yamuna, where the
divine Krishn Chand had conferred much delight upon them."
The saintly Shukadev said, "' Sire ! all the cowherdesses
seatedoil
the banks of the Yamuna, intoxicated with love, began to sing the
exploits and virtues of Han, saying, 'Beloved one! since you came
to Braj, ever sincethat time, having come here, you have diffused
new joys. Lakshmi, placing her confidence on your celestial feet,
has comeand fixed here her perpetual abode. "We cowherdesses
are your handmaids, shew compassion and quickly direct your
thoughts to us. Since we beheld your dark, comely, and piquant
figure, we have becomeyour slaves without purchase. The arrows
of your eyes have smitten our hearts, and therefore, dear one!
wherefore should not they be accounted your own? Our lives are
departing; now, then, compassionateus. Lay cruelty aside, and
quickly return to our sight. If it wasreally your purposeto slay
us, then wherefore did you save us from the venomousserpent, fire
and water, and why suffered you not us then to die ? You are not
merelythe sonof Jasoda;Brahma,Eudr, Indr, and the othergods,
by their humble supplications,havebrought you for the protection
of the world.
" 0 souls'Lord! at onething we greatly marvel,that, if you will

slay thosewho are your own, whom will you defend? Beloved
one! you are the searcherof hearts,why do you not removeour
distress,and fulfil the hopeof our minds? "What,is it againstweak
women that you will display your valour ? 0 dearest! when we
recallyour gentlesmilingglances,fall of love, and the arch of your
eyebrow,and your coquettisheyes,the bendof your neck,and your
gay discourse,
then what pangsare therewhich we do not suffer!
And when you were going into the forest to pasture the cows, at
that time fromfixing our thoughtson your celestialfeet, the gravel
and thorns of the forest camethence and were rankling in our
hearts. Departing at dawn, you were returning at eve, yet still
thosefour watchesappeared to us four ages. "Whenseatedhefore

you we were gazingon your handsomeform, then we usedto think
in our minds that * Brahma is an utter dolt to have made the eye-
lid, as it -were,to impedeour steadfastgaze.'"
Thus far havingrecited,the saintly Shukadevsaid," Sire! during
this.samenight, all the cowherdesses,
afflictedwith the pangsof
separation,sangon in many variouswaysthe virtues and exploits
of the divine Krishn Chand till they were exhausted, but still
Biharf camenot. Thentruly being very dejected,yet still cherish-
ing a hope of union (by death) they abandoned all confidence of
surviving him, andthroughextremeimpatience,becameinsensible,
and falling down, so wept and exclaimedthat, on hearingthem,
animate and inanimate things also were oppressedwith heavy
affliction."
Thesaintly Shukadev said,"Sire! when the divineKrishn Chand,

searcherof hearts,perceivedthat the cowherdesses
couldnot survive
without him,
Then amongst thornappeared Nand'sfeon,just as
A juggler eludesthesight,lieshid, andagaindisplays
himself.
When theysawHari returned,all startedup to consciousness,
As when life is infusedinto a corpse,the senseless
membersrevive.
Deprivedof seeing
him,the mindsof all hadbecomeagitated,
As thougha mind-agitating
snakehadbittenall anddeparted.
Their lover, knowing their grief to be unfeigned,camearriving,
He wateredthe creeperswith nectar, and revivedthem all.
As the Lotus dejectedat night, so were the fair onesof Braj;
Having seenthe beautyof the sun's orb, their large eyesexpanded."
Thus far having recited, the saintly Shukadev said, " Sire! on
beholding the divine Krishn Chand, the root of joy, all the cow-
herdess"es
havingsuddenly
emerged
fromthe ocean
of painfulsepa-
ration, approached him, and were as delighted as one who, drown-
iugin an unfathomable
sea,rejoiceson finding a ford. And being
collectedon all sidesthey stood. Then the divine Krishn, taking
them,with him, camewherehe had first indulged in the circular
dance,and otherdelights. On arriving a cowherdess took off her
mantle and spread it for Krishn to sit down on. "When he sat on
it, some of the cowherdesses,
incensed,said,* Great sir! you are
verydeceitful, and knowhow to take away the minds and wealth
of others,hut youneveracknowledgethe favoursof anyone.' Thus
having spoken,theybeganto sayamongthemselves,' Goodqualities
he forsakes,andtakesthebad,deceitcontinuespleasingto his mind.
See,sister! andreflect,how shallwe dealwith him effectually?'
Having heardthis, oneamongthem,said, ' Companion!do you
62 HISTOBY OF THE SECTOF MAHARAJAS.
stand aside,since from our own words we derive no advantage.

Lo! I will make Krishn himself avow it.J Thus having spoken,
sheaskedthe divine Krishn with a smile,' Sire! Onepersonconfers
favours (or is grateful) without having receivedany; a second
reciprocatesa benefit; a third, in return for benefits,givesbackthe
reverse; a fourth doesnot so much as even admit into his min4 the
senseof having receiveda favour at all; of these four, which is the
good,andwhich is thebad man-this doyou explainto us and tell.'
The divine Krishn Chand said, <Attend, all of you and listen! I
"will point out to you the goodand the bad. The best,then, is he
who confers kind officeswithout receiving them, as the father loves
his son; and to do good for good done is not meritorious, as in the
caseof the cow which yields milk for the food given her. As for
the man who looks on a benefitas an injury, know him to be an
enemywho doesthat. The worstof all is the ungratefulman,who-
obliterates all senseof obligation.'
""When, on hearing thesewords, the cowherdesses,
looking in
one another'sfaces,began to laugh, then, indeed, the divine Krishn,
beingconfused,said,' Attend! I amnot to bereckonedamongthese
four, as you suppose,and are,therefore,laughing; but my way is
this, that whoeverdesiresanything of me, whateverit may be,I
fulfil the desireof his mind. Perhapsyou will say,if this be your
custom, then why did you thus forsake us in the forest? The
reason of that is this, I put your aifection to the proof; do not take
this matter ill, but considerwhat I say to be true.' Thus having
spoken,he added,
" NowI havemadetrial of you; youpersevered
in remembrance,
andthought
of me.
You haveincreasedyour affectionfor mo, like a poor man who hasobtained
wealth.
Thus you came for my sake,and cast Siwayregard for popular report, and
respectfor the Vedas.
As the Bair&gi (anascetic)abandonshis dwelling, and with entire purposeof
mind, fixes his affectionon Hari.
How can I give you exaltation
? (thoughI recompense
you)the obligation
I oweyou will not receiveits equivalent.
Though we shouldlive a hundred years of BrahmS.,yet the debt I owe you
will not be discharged."
The saintly Muni Shukadevsaid, "King, when the divine Krishn
Chand had thus fondly spoken, then, indeed, all the cowherdesses,
laying asidetheir anger,were pleased;and, havingrisen, enjoyed
"variousdelights in the society of Hari; and, filled with emotions of
joy, beganto indulgein sports. At this time,
CHIEFAUTHORITYOF THE SECT. 63
Erishnused the Jogi's illusive power,-the particlesof his body became"'

many differentbodies.
To all he gavepleasure
to the full of their desire,sportingwith perfect
affection.
As manycowherdesses
as there were,just so many bodiesdid the
divine Krishn Chand assume,and, taking all with him to that same
terrace of the circular dance, he again commenced dancing and
delight.
Eds Mandala, or Circular Dance.
The cowherdesses joined hands two and two, between each two was Hari,
their companion;
Eachthought him besideher-so thought all; noneperceivedhis other forms;
Each put her fingersinto the fingers of another,and dancedgaily, circling
round, taking Hari with them;
Here,intermediate,
(danced)a cowhcrdcss,
thero,intermediate,
the sonof
Nand, like denseclouds on all sides,and betweenthem the flashing
lightning,-
Krishn,of the dark bluehue,and thefair girls of Braj-like a necklace
of
gold beadsand sapphires.
£4 HISTORY OF THE SECTOF MAHXRA7AS.
Sire! in this manner the cowherdessesand Krishn, standing up,

began."to blend the tunes of various kinds of instruments, and
running overin preludethe notesof very difficult airs,to play and
sing, and, selectingtunesin a high key, pleasingand full of con-
trast, and others raised half a tone higher, or a whole tone, or two
tones, and others which they extemporised while they sang them,
represented,by the dance,the emotionsthey were intendedto con-
vey. And their joy wasso exuberantthat they retainedno longer
their consciousness,
corporealor mental. In one place,the breasts
of someof them were uncovered; in another, their diademsfell off.
Here, necklaces of pearls, snapping asunder, were falling down;
there, wreaths of forest flowers. The drops of perspiration on their
foreheadsglittered like strings of pearls; and the ringlets on the
fair faces of the cowherdesses were, in their dishevelled state, like
young snakes,which, through desire of nectar, had flown up and
fastened themselves on the Moon. At one time, a cowherdess,
blending her voice with the sound of Krishn's flute, was singing in
a treble key; at another, one of them sang, unaccompanied. And
when a cowherdess,having stopped the sound of the flute, was
bringing from her throat its entire note with exact agreement, then
Hari remained fascinatedwith delight, just as a child, beholding its
image in a glass, standsriveted.
"In this manner, singing, and dancing, and displaying various
kinds of emotions, and blandishments, and coquetry, they were
giving and imparting delight; and mutually pleased,and laughing
gaily, they were embracing, and making a propitiatory offering of
their clothes and ornaments. At that time, Brahma, Eudr, Indr,
and all the other deities and celestial musicians, seated on their
cars, together with their wives, beholding the bliss of tho circular
dance,were, through joy, raining <Jownflowers, and their wives,
beholding those pleasures, and filled with desire, were saying in
their hearts, 'Had we been born in Braj, we also should have
enjoyed the circular dance,and other delights, with Hari.' Such
was the concert of musical modes(the Bags of which there are six),
andairs (the Baginisof which arethirty), that, hearingthem, even
the winds and waters ceasedto move, and the moon, with the circle
of stars,being fascinated,
was pouring down nectarwith its rays.
Meanwhile,.the night advanced,
and six monthspassedaway,andno
onewasawareof it, andfrom that time the nameof that night has
been-the night of Brahma."
Thus far having related,the saintly Shukadevsaid, " Earth's
Lord ! sportingon in dancesand diversions,a fancy enteredinto

the mind of the divine Krishn Chand; whereupon, taking the' cow-
herdesseswith him, he went to the bank of the Yamuna, and,
having plungedinto the water, and sportedthere, he dispelledMs
fatigue,and cameforth, and thus, having accomplished the wishes
of allj he said, l RTow,four gharis(aboutonehour and a half) of the
night remain; do you all depart to your own homes.' Having
heard thesewords,the cowherdesses, being dejected,said, 'Lord!
how canwego home,quitting your celestiallotus-feet? Our greedy
hearts listen no whit to this direction.' The divine Krishn said,
'Listen! as Jogisfix their, thoughts on me, so too do you abstract
and fix your minds: whereverye may be therewill I remainwith
you.' Onhearingthis, all were pleased,and taking leave, departed
to their own houses; and none of the inmates knew of this secret,
that the womenhad been away."
Krishna speaksto his father.

4Listen, father! Kans hassentfor us; our undo Akrfir lias brought thesetidings.
Takemilk, sheep,and goats; it is the sacrificeof the "bow; there offer them.
Let all accompanyyou: the king- lias said it; the caseadmits not of delay. .
When the divine Krishn Chand, with such explanations and advice,
had addressedNand, then that chieftain, at that very time, having
summonedcriers, causeda proclamation to be made throughout the
city to this effect,' To-morrow,at early dawn, all will togetherpro-
ceed to Mathura: the king has summoned us.' On hearing this
intelligence, all the inhabitants of Broj, as soon as it dawned, came,
bringing presents; and £Fand also, taking with him milk, curds,
butter, sheep, goats, and buffaloes,having caused the cattle in his
carts to be yoked, went with them. Krishn and Baladev also, tak-
ing with them the cowherdyouths, their companions,mountedon
their cars,- «,
In frontwereNandandUpanand;in rearof all, HaldharandGoyind."
The saintly Shukadevsaid, "Lord of the earth ! all of a sudden,
having heard of the departure of the divine Krishn Chand, all the
cowherdesses of Braj, much agitated and distressed,left their homes?
and aroseand hastenedin confusion,and lamenting and talking
incoherently,stumblingand falling, camewherethe divine Krishn
Chandwasseatedin his car. On comingup, they stoodaroundthe
car,and,joining their hands,beganto saywith humility, ' Why, 0
Lord of Braj! doyouforsakeus ? we have'givenall we possessed to
5
you. The affectionof the goodnever suffersdecrease:it everre-

mains,like the writing in the lines of the hand; but the regardof
the fool is not lasting, but resembles a wall of sand. "Whatsuch
crime have we committedagainst you that you are departingand
turning your back upon us?' Having thus addressed the divine
Erishn Chand, the cowherdesses,having turned their eyes'towards
Akrur, added,-
* This Akrur* is very cruel; he is altogether ignorant of our pain.
That being-to be deprivedof whose companyfor a single momentrenders
us desolate-him he takesaway along with him.
He is deceitful,cruel, and stern of heart. "Whovainly gavehim the name
of Akrtfr?
0 Akrur! cruel, and void of understanding. Wherefore do you injure weak,
dependentwoman?'
Using such harsh words, and abandoning all consideration and re-
serve, they laid hold of the car of Hari, and began to say among
themselves, ' The women of Mathura are very wanton, artful,
beautiful, and accomplished; Biharf, having formed an attachment
for them, and being overcomeby their good qualities and taste, will
take up his abodeentirely there. Then how will he rememberus ?
Great is their good fortune, indeed, that they will remain with their
beloved one. "What such fault has occurred in our invocation and
penancefrom which the divine Krishn Chand forsakes us ?' Thus
having spokenamong themselves,they again addressedHari, 'Your
name truly is the Lord of Cowherdesses; wherefore do you not take
us along with you ?
How will eachmomentpasswithout you? If you are absentfor an instant
our bosoms burst with sorrow.
After shewingus affection,why separatefrom us ? relentless,pitiless, youfeel
no attachment/
Thusthe fair onesutteredtheir supplications
there,andwere thoughtful
plunged in a seaof grief:
Jfheyremainedstcdfastly
gazingin the directionof Hari,-like afascinated
antelope,or the Chakorlooking at the moon;
The tearsfell droppingfrom their eyes; andtheir curls,fallingloose,were
spreadover their faces.
The saintly Muni Shukadevsaid, "King! at that time this indeed

was the state of the cowherdesses,
which I have described.toyou;
and the lady Jasoda-with the tenderness of a mother-embraced
her son, and, weeping, was saying, with intense affection, f Son!
* Thereis anequivoque
here. A-krur signifies"not cruel," thoughit is here
a proper name.
take with you, as you go, provisionssufficientfor the numberof

days(which will elapse)till you return thence. And whenyou
have arrived there, placeyour affectionson none; but quickly re-
turn, and presentyourselfto the sight of her who gaveyou birth.'
Hearing thesewords,the divine Urishn, having dismountedfrom
his carândhavingcomforted and admonished all, tookleaveof his
mother,and,having madehis obeisance, and receivedher blessing,
againmountedhis carand departed. At this time, in the onedirec-
tion, Jasoda,with the cowherdesses, in great emotionand sobbing,
werecalling out ' Krishn! Krishn!' and,in the otherdirection,the
divine Krishn,standingup in his car, and calling out,*was saying,
as he departed,'Do you go home,and have no anxiety; I will
return in four or five daysat most.'"
" Sire ! these cowherdesses,distracted by separation from the

divine Zrishn, and singing his praisesalone, in their several com-
panies,with their thoughtsfixed on their belovedone, beganon
their way to sing of the exploits of the Supreme Being.
Onesaid, ' Kanhai mot me;' another,' He hasrun off andhidden himself.
From "behindhe seizedmy arm; there standshe, Hari, in the shadeof the
Indian fig.'
Onesays,' I sawhim milking;' another,11beheldhim at early dawn.'
Oneaversthat,l He is pasturingthe cattle; listen! given ear,he plays the flute
By thisroad,sister,
wewill not go; theyouthKanhaiwill demand
almsof us;
He will break our water-pots,and untie the knots (of the cordson -whichwe
carry them), and,having surveyedus a little (i.e.with a mere glance),will
stealaway our senses;
He is concealed
somewhere,
andwill comerunning; thenhowshallweheahle
to escape?'
Thusspeaking,
thewomenof Braj departed,
their framesbeinggreatlyagitated
through separation
from Krislm."
The saintly Muni Shukadev said, " Lord of the Earth! when
Udho had finished repeatinghis whispered invocations,then,
having issuedfrom the river, having put "on his clothesand orna-
ments, and taken his seatin his car, when he took his way from the
bank of theKalindi towardsthe houseof Nand, then the cowherd-
esses,who had goneforth to fill water,beheldhis caron the road,
comingfrom a distance. Onbeholdingit, they beganto sayamong
themselves,' Whoseis this carwhich is comingtowardsus ? Let
us take a surveyof this, then let us advance.' Hearingthis, one
cowherdess amongthemsaid,' Sister! it maybe, perhaps,that the
deceitfulAkrur mayhavecome,who led the divine Krishn Chand
to Mathura,and causedhim to dwell there, andbroughtaboutthe

death of Kans.' Having heard this, another of them said, 'Eor
what hasthis betrayerof confidence
come? on oneoccasion,indeed,
he has carried off the root of our life; now will he take our life
itself ?' Sire! having spokenmany suchthings amongthemselves,
Thewomenof Brajremained
standingthere; theysetdowntheir water-pots,
having lifted them from their heads.
Meanwhile,when the chariot drew near, then the cowherdesses,

having seenU'dhofrom a small distance,beganto say amongthem-
selves,* Sister-! this truly is some one of a dark-blue colour, with
lotus eyes,anda diademon his head, wearing a garland of wild
flowers, dressedin yellow silk, and with a silken scarf of the same
colour, who, seatedin the car of the divine 3£rishn Chand, comes
lookingtowardsus.' Then onecowherdess from amongthem said,
' Sister! this personhas,sjnceyesterday,cometo thehouseof Nand,
and his nameis U'dho,and the divine Krishn Chandhas,through
him, sent somemessage/
" On hearing thesewords,the cowherdesses, seeingthat it wasa
solitary place, abandonedreserveand modesty,and ran up and
approached Ifdho, and,knowing him to be a friend of Hari, made
obeisanceto him, and, having inquired after his welfare, joined their
hands, and stood stirrounding the chariot on all sides. Having seen
their affection, U'dho also descendedfrom his car. Then all the
cowherdesses,having caused him to sit down under the shadeof a
tree, themselvesalso took their scats, surrounding him on all sides,
and, with much tenderness,began to addresshim:
'Well have you done, TJdlio, in coming; you have brought us tiding's of
MCidho(Krislm);
You have always remained near Krislm; give us the messagewhich he
deliveredto you.
You wcro sentonly for the sakeof his mother and father; he takesthought
for no one else;
We havegivenall we possessed
into his hands;our soulsare entangled
in
his feet.
He pursues
onlyhis ownobjects;lie hasnowafflictedall, withoutexception,
in departing.
And as the bird deserts the tree which is destitute of fruit, just so
Hari has abandonedus; we have bestowed on him our all; but still
he has not becomeours/ Sire! when the cowherdesses,inspired
with love, hud in this mannerspokenmanysuchwords, thenU'dho,
havingbeheldthe firmnessof their affection,whenhe wasaboutto
rise "with the intention of making his obeisanceto them, then, im-
mediately, a cowherdess,having seen a black bee sitting upon a
flower, under pretenceof addressingit, said to Udho,- .
"'0 honeymaker! thon has drunk the juice of the lotus-feetof
Madhav; hencehast thou the name of Madhukar (the honeymaker),
and tkou art the friend of a deceitful one; for this very reason he
has madethee his messenger,and sentthee; touch not thou our feet,
for we know that all of a dark-blue hue are deceitful; such as thou
art, just suchis Krishn; wherefore,do not thou saluteus. Just as
thou wanderest about, drinking the juice of various flowers, and be-
longingto none,just so Krishn also makeslove,yet*is constantto
^none/ The cowherdesswas thus speaking, when another black bee
came,seeingwhich, a cowherdess,named Lalita, said,-
* 0 bee! doyouremain apartfrom us, and go and tell this in the city of Madhu,
Where the divine Krishn Chand and his humpbacked consort dwell
at ease; for why should we speak of one birth ? this very custom is
yours through successivebirths. King Bali gave you all he pos-
sessed
; him you sent to Patal, and a virtuous wife like Sita, you,
" innocentas she was, expelled from your house. "When you brought
this conditionon evenher, then what greatlosshavewe suffered?'
Thus having 'spoken, all the cowherdessestogether joined their
hands,and beganto sayto Udho, 'Illustrious Udhoi we, deprived
of the divine Krishn, are widowed; do you take us with you.'"
The saintly Shukadev said, " Sire! on these words proceeding
from the mouth of the cowherdesses,Udho said, ' The message
which the divine Krishn Chand sent, that I will explain to you and
tell-do you listen with attention. It is written, ""Do you abandon
the hopeof sexual delight and practise devotion, I will never sepa-
rate from you;" and Krishn. says,"ITight and day you flx your
thoughts on me, and for this same reason I hold none so dear as
yourselves."'
" Thus having spoken Udho added, ' He who is the First Male,
the ImperishableOne, Hari, on him you have always fixed your
affection, and whom all extol as the Invisible, the Unseen, the
Impenetrable,him you regard as your husband; and as earth, wind,
water,fire, and air dwell in the body,BOthe SupremeBeing dwells
in you,but by the quality of illusion appearsseparate. Continue
to fix your recollectionand your thoughts on him; he always
remainsaccessible to his votaries,and from contiguity,perception
and meditationare destroyed;on this account,Hari has goneto a
distanceand fixed his habitation, and the divine Krishn Chand
70 HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAHA'BAJAS.
explained this also to me and said, that, playing on the flute he

called you to the woods, and when he saw your love and the pain
you felt at separationevinced,then he dancedtogetherwith you
the circular dance.
"When
youforgothis divinity,the chiefof Yaduvanished
fromsight.
t«
" *Again, whenrecoveringyour perception,you mentally fixed
your thoughts upon Hari, then forthwith, knowing the devotion of
your hearts,the SupremeBeing cameand appeared
to you." Sire!
soon as these wordsissued from the mouth of U'dho,
Thensaid the cowherdesses,

incensed,
'We haveheardyour words,now
remain apartfrom us;
You have told us of knowledge,devotion,wisdom; you tell us to abandon
meditation,andpoint out to us the sky,-
On whosesportsour mind is fixed; him you call N&rayan.
He who, from his childhood,bestowedpleasureuponus, how has hebecome
Invisible-the Unseen ?
He who is possessed
of all good qualities, and gifted with all beautiesof
form, how canhe be quality-lessand form-less;
Sincein his dearbodyour soulsarewrapped
up, whowill giveearto your
words ?"
Oneof the companyarose,and, after reflection,said,*Conciliate Udho.
Saynothingto him,sisters! but hearMswords,andcontinuegazingonhis
countenance/
Onesaid, ' It is not his fault; he camesentby Kubja.
Now, asKubja hasinstructed him, that very strain he sings.
Krishn would neverspeakthus, as, sincehis arrival in Braj, he has spoken.
By hearing suchwords, sister! thorns pierceus-we cannotendureto hear.
He tells us to abandonsexualdelight and practisedevotion; how canMtidho
(Krishn) havespokenthus?
Inaudible repetition of the Divine name, penance,abstinence,vows, and
religious observances;all theseare the (befitting) practicesof widows.
May the youth Kanh&i live on through successive ages; he who bestows
happinesson our heads.
While one'shusbandsurvives,who makesuseof the ashesof cowdung? tell
us where this custom is observed !
For us vows, devotion,fasting are in this, to regardwith unceasingaffection
the feet of the son of Nand.
Who will imputeblameto you, Udho ? Kubja hasled us all this dance.
Thus far having related, the saintly Muni Shukadev said, " Sire !
when U'dho heard from the mouths of the cowherdesses words such
as these, imhued with affection, he then mentally regretted that he
had spoken to them of penance, and with a feeling of shame he
preservedsilenceandremainedwith hent-downhead. Then a cow-
herdesssaid, ' Say, is Balbhadr well ? and doeshe, too, thinking on

the affection of his childhood, ever recall us to his mind or not ?*
"Having heardthis, anothercowherdess
from amongthem said,
in answer,'Companions!you, indeed,are hut rustic cowherds'
wives, and the women of Mathura, are fair to see; captivated by
them,Hari indulgesin delight; why shouldhe now take thought of
us? Since he went and dwelt there, 0 companions! from that
time he has becomethe spouseof others. Had we known this at
first, how would we have sufferedhim to depart? Now, we gain
nothingby our regrets,whenceit is better to abandonall grief, and
remainwith hopesfixed on the stipulatedtime. Forjust as during
eight monthsthe earth,the forests,and the mountains,in expecta-
tion of therainy clouds,endurethe heat of the sun,and when the
rain comesit coolsthem, so Hari also will come and visit us.'
" Onesaid, t Hari lias effectedhis purpose,lias slain Ms foes,and assumedthe
government,
Whereforeshouldhe cometo Brindaban? "Why should he abandonempire
to feed cows ?
Abandon,0 companions!hopeof the promisedreturn ! anxiety is gone,for
it hasbecomedespair/
One-womansaid,disquieted,' Whereforeshouldwe abandonhopeof (seeing)
Krishn ?
"'In the forest,hill, and on the bank of the Yamuna, wheresoever

the divine Krishn and Balaram had sported, beholding these same
places,recollectiontruly returns of our souls' Lord Hari/ Thus
having spoken, she added,
" 'This Braj hasbecomea sea of grief, his name is a boat in the midst of a
stream;
Thosewho are sinking in the water of the pangs of separation; when will
Krishn-bring them across?*
How hasthe recollectionthat he wasthe Lord of Cowherdesses departed?
Does he not feel some sense of shame on account of his name ?'
"Having heard thesewords, I/dho, having reflected in his inmost

heart, beganto say, ' All praise to these cowherdesses,and to their
firmness!that theyhaveabandoned
all theypossessed,
andremained
immersed in contemplation of the divine Krishn Chand.' Sire!
l/dho, indeed,havingbeheldtheir affection,wasjust then applaud-
ing them in his heart of hearts, when, at that moment, all the
cowherdessesarose and stood up, and conductedU'dho, with much.
ceremonyto his house. Having perceivedtheir affection,he also,
havingarrivedthere,and having taken,his food and reposedhim-
narratedstoriesandPuranas;goodandholymensangthe praises
of Hari duringthe eightwatches;charioteers,
yokingcontinually
chariotsandcars,broughtthemto theroyalgate; demigods,
heroes,
champions,and warriors-of tbe race of Yadu, mountedon cars,
chariots,elephants,and horses,came to salute the king ; skilful
personsamusedhim by dancing,singing,and playing; panegyrists
and bards,chantingeulogiums,receivedelephants,horses,clothes,
weapons,grain, money, and ornaments of gold, studded with
jewels."
Having related thus much of the history, the saintly Shukadev
saidto the king, " Sire! in that direction indeed,in the royal city
of king TJgrason,in this manner, various kinds of amusementwere
going on, and in this direction the divine Krishn Chand, the Root
of Joy, with his sixteenthousandonehundred and eight youthful
wives ever indulged in sports. At times, the youthful ladies, over-
poweredby their love,dressedthemselves
in the guiseof their Lord;
at times,the enamoured Hari adornedhis wives. And the sports
and pastimeswhich they mutually practisedexceeddescription;I
cannotdescribethem,that couldonly be doneby a spectator."
Having said this much, Shukadev said, " Sire! one night the
divine Krishn Chandwas diverting himself with all his youthful
wives., and beholding the various actions of the Supreme Being,
celestialchoristersand musicians,playing on lutes,timbrels,pipes,
and kettle-drums, were singing the excellences(of the Deity), and
there was a harmonious concert, when, as they sported, a thought
entered the mind of the Supreme Being, whereupon, taking all with
him, he went to the bank of a lake, and, entering the water, began
to sporttherein. Then, asthey playedin the water,all thewomen,
being filled with blissful love ibr the divine Krishn Chand,lost their
corporealand mentalconsciousness,
and seeingthe male and female
Anas Casarcaseatedon oppositesidesof the lake, and calling to each
other, they said,
10 rudelygoouc
! whydostthen call out mournfully? whyslccpost
thounot
at night from separationfrom thy lover ?
Deeplyagitated,thou eallcsteverfor thy husband;to us thou everdis-
courscstof thy spouse.
"We,indeed,are become
the slave-girlsof Krishn;' thus havingspoken,
they went on.
" Again theybeganto addressthe ocean,saying,*0 Sea! thou

who drawest deep sighs, and wakest night and day, art thou then
separated
from any one,or grievestthou for the fourteengemsthou
CHIEFAUTHORITYOF THE SECT. 77
hastlost?' Havingspokenthus again,beholdingthe moon,they

said,' 0 Moon! why remainest
thou with wastedbodyand sad
mind; what, hastthou consumption,
that thy framedaily wanes
andincreases;or whilst thou beholdestthe divine Krishn Chand,
art thou fascinatedin body and mind as we are?'
Having related thus much of the history, the saintly Shukadev
said to the king, " Sire! in this samemanner,all the youthful
womenaddressed manywords to the wind, the clouds,the cuckoo,
the mountains,rivers, and swans,which you canimagine. After-
wards,all the womensportedwtth the divine Krishn Chand,and
ever continued'inhis service,and in singing the praisesof the
Supreme Being,andderivedenjoymentsuchas their minds desired;
while Krishn dischargedhis duties, as a householder, as became
him. Sire! to the sixteenthousandone hundred and eight queens
of the divine Krishn Chand, whom I have before mentioned, to each
of them was born ten sonsand one daughter,and their offspring
was numberless;I cannot describeit. But I know thus much,
that there were thirty millions, eighty-eight thousand, and one
hundredschools,for teachingthe offspring of the divine Krishn,
and as many teachers. Moreover, among all the sonsand grandsons
of <thedivine Krishn Chand, not one was deficient in beauty,
strength, prowess,wealth, or piety; every one was superior to the
other ; I am unable to describethem/7
Having said thus much, the Eishi said, " Sire! I have sung of
the sports of Braj and of Dwarika, which give pleasure to all.
"Whoeverrecites them with affection shall, without doubt, obtain
supremebeatitude. "Whatever advantage results from performing
penance,sacrifice,alms,and religiousvows, or bathing at placesof
pilgrimage,the sameresultsfrom hearingthe history of Hari."
78 HISTORY OP THE SECT OP MAHARAJAS,
CHAPTEB Y.
EELIGIOUS DOCTRINES OE THE SECT.
YALLABHACHAKYA, his sonVithaln&thji, and all his de*-

scendants,
are knownas the incarnationsof the god Krishna.
The object of their incarnationhas been statedin Nijv&rta.
According to this authority, the residenceof Krishna is
denominatedGrouloka,a place far abovethe three worlds,
and having, at five hundred millions of yojansbelowit, the
separate
regionsofVishnuandSiva. Theregionof Krishna
Groulokais indestructible,whilst all the rest is subjectto
annihilation. In the centreof it abidesKrishna, of the colour
of a dark cloud,in the bloomof youth, cladin yellow raiment,
splendidlyadornedwith celestialgems,and holding a flute.
He is in the full and eternal enjoymentof his wife K4dh&
and three hundredmillions of gopis or femalecompanions,
each gopi having a separatepalaceof her own, with three
millions of female attendants. Two of these gopis, named
Priy& andChandr^vati,oncequarrelledaboutKrishna. Priya
sentfor Krishnato spenda night with her; and asKrishna
was, accordingto engagement,going to her palace,he un-
fortunately met Chandr&vati,who, knowing his intention,
contrived to seducehim to her own palace,telling Krishna
that she sawYarshabhanu,Priya's father, going along-the
road.- Krishna, fearing the anger of Priya's father, went
with Chandr&vati. When this came to the knowledgeof
Priya, the two gopisquarrelled,and cursedeachother,their
imprecationsbeing to the effect that they should fall from
BELIGIOUS DOCTRINESOF THE SECT. 79
heavento the earth with all their retinue and everything

belonging to them. Upon this Krishna, out of affection to
bothof them,promisedthat hewoulddescend
asa manto
work out their salvation, and restorethem to their original
abodeîn the highest of heavens. Prijâ, who was the
first to fall from heaven, appeared on the earth as a new
born babe at a spot called Champaranya. The fall of
Ghandravati followed, and she made herself known as a child
at Charanadiri. Krishna followed them both, and appeared
first incarnatein the personof Vallabhach&rya,at Cham-
p&ranya,and at the momentof his birth effectedsalvationfor
Priya. In his secondincarnation,in the personof Yithal-
n&thji, Vallabhacharya'sson, at Charanadiri, he effected
salvationfor the secondgopi, and thus restoredthemboth to
their former state of bliss in the highest of heavens. Each
of the gopis had, previous to their descentto the earth, three
millions of attendants in the heavens, some of whom accom-
paniedtheir mistressesat the time of their fall; while, of
thosewho remainedbehind,multitudesare daily descending,
one after the other, in the personsof the followers of the sect,
to securewhoserecoveryto the heavenlyabodethe successive
generationsof Yallabhacharyaareborn asincarnationsof the
godKrishna. They redeemtheir followersby sendingthem
to Gouloka, where the disciple, if a male, is changed into a
female,who obtainsthe everlastinghappinessof living in
sexual intercourse with Krishna in the heavens.
We now come to the doctrines promulgated by Yallabha-

cMrya, and which constitute his claim to be the founder of
the sect. He condensed his teachingsinto the compactform
of the Pushti M&rga,or the way of enjoyment,a sort of creed
for the convenience of those of his votaries who had neither
leisure,education,nor inclination to study his doctrinesin
detail,and whoweresatisfiedto adoptthe faith in which they
hadbeenbrought up.
80 HISTOEY OF THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS.
Accordingto Dwarkesh,there are ten principlesof the

Pushti M&rga,or the sect of Yallabh&cMrya.They are
known as DASMARAMS,
meaning ten principles or ten sects,
and are as follows :-
(1.) To securethe firm supportof Yallabhacharya.

(2.) To exercisechiefly the worship of Krishna.
(3.) To forsakethe senseof public or Yaidik opinion,and be
supplicant to Gopisha (Krishna).
(4.) To sing praiseswith feelingsof humility.
(5.) To believe that I am a gopi* of Yraj.
(6.) To swell the heart with the nameof Krishna.
(7.) To forsake not his commandsfor a moment.
(8.) To put faith in his words and doings.
(9.) To adoptthe societyof the good,knowing them divine.
(10.) To seenot the faults, but speakthe truth.
"Whetherthe Siddh&ntaEahasyabeintendedas a commen-

tary upon this Pushti Marga or not, it is evidently an
amplificationof someof the tenets of the sect; Yallafcha-
chdrya gives it as a direct revelationwith which he was
inspired. Thetext and the translationof it are asfollows:-
HW^^T *nfTf*rflI I
ii q
ii
11^ 11
H8 n
fern^ acrmWT^f^m^ ^wf wfpT CRT:

Pemalecompanioix
of B&dha,oneof Krishna'swives.
[RELIGIOUSDOCTRINESOF THE SECT. 81
tflIQ.ll
"At midnighton JZJcddashi,in the month of Shrawan-shud,God
visibly utteredthe (following) wordswhich are hererepeatedword
for word :
" By enteringinto relationwith BRAHMA,
all persons'sinsof body
and mind are washed away. Thesesins are said to be of five kinds,
viz., thosewhicharecongenital; thosewhich owetheir origin to time
and place; thosedescribedin profaneworks and in theYedas; those
which are resultsof intimateassociation,
and suchasar£producedby
contact. Thesesins are not, and are never believed in, (after the above
relation has been established). Otherwise (that is when such a rela-
tion has not been contracted)expiation of sins never takes place.
That which has not been in the first instance dedicated should not
be accepted. Offerers,after making their offerings,shoulddo with
them what they like ; such is the rule. That offering which has (in
the first instance) been enjoyed by its owner is not acceptableby the
Godof gods. Thereforein thefirst instance,in all doings,all things
should be dedicated. That that which is given should not be taken,
becausethe whole comesto belong to Hari, is the doctrine of other
sects. (With us) the relation which subsistsin the world between
(a masterand his) servantsholds good; and everythingshouldbe
doneaccordingly; that is, after dedicating,it should be enjoyed:
hence it is that the Brahmatva, or the quality of BHAHMA,is ob-
tained. As when all merits and demerits obtain the quality of
Ganga,* all of them promiscuously have the quality of Ganga;
so now such is the case here. Thus is concluded, in Siddbanta
Rahasya,composedby Vallabhacharya."
<*
Herewe havethe doctrineof the origin of sin,andits mode

of expiationor absolution; and here is the first insinuationof
the paramountimportanceof the Gosciinji, or Gruru,as the
direct mediator.
In the next extractwe give will be found the punisliments

awardedby the doctrinesof this sectto thosewho neglectdue
inspectto their spiritual teachers,which is enforcedas a para-
mount,jchitj,the neglectof which involvesfearful consequences.
* The sacredriver (Ganges).
82 EI&TOBY OP THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS.
The extractsgivenaretranslationsof someof the articlesof a

work in Brijabhasha,written by Harirayaji, the work itself
being entitled "The sixty-sevensins and atonements,and
their consequences."
32. "Whoeverholds(his) spiritualguide,and S'ri Thakurji (or
god) to be different and distinct, shall be born a Sichdnd*
34. Whoever
disobeys
theordersof (his)spiritualguide,shallgo
to Asipdtra*\ and other dreadful hells, and lose all his religious
merits.
37. "Whoeverdivulges the secretsof (his) spiritual guide,or of

S'ri Thakurji, shall for threebirths beborn a dog.
39. Whoever,beforehis spiritual guide, or S'ri Thakurji, sitsin
the posturecalledPadmasan, shall be born a serpent.
54. Whoeverdisplays(his) learning beforehis spiritual guide,
shall for three births be dumb. For threebirths he shall be a dog
(or) an ass.
55. Whoever displays activity before his spiritual guide shall be
born bjardkha.
56. Whoever,without paying his respectsto his spiritual guide,
performs worship, (his worship) shall becomeentirely fruitless.
59. Whoever shows the solesof his feet to his spiritual guide, or
to S'ri Thakurji, shall be born a serpent for ten.years.
Thenext extractwe shall give is a sortof commentary

upon
the Pushti Mdrga, enforcing its tenets,with the penalties
attachedto the neglect of them. It is written by the cele-
bratedSriGokulnathji,
thefourthsonofYithaln&thji,
whose
followers are so exclusive as to avoid all intercourse with
other sectaries. The work is written in Brijabhasha, and is
entitled "Vachn&mxat (Precept as sweetas nectar) of the
Pushti Marga."
" He who, getting angry in his heart, maligns (his) Guru, and
utters harsh terms towards his Guru, becomesdumb, and after that
he becomes a serpent. Ho is then bom a creatureof the region,of
the vegetablekingdom,and after that he is born a creatureof the
region of the dead(or ghost). As he (Vaishnava)remembersS'ri
Bhagvan. (god), iu the sameway he remembersand repeatsin his
* A kind of bird. t The nameof a dreadfulhelL
RELIGIOUSDOCTEDsTES
OP THE SECT. 83
mind the name of his Guru. One having become a Vaishnava

should not see faults of (or in) others. He should not hear them
with his ears. Even if he should seethemwith his eyesand hear
them,\vith his ears, still he should not consider anything of them in
(his) mind. He understands or (says to himself) as follows:-I,
who having fallen into this avidya (ignorance) in the form of ma"ya
(delusion) seenothing but the faults; (but) there is not a particle of
fault therein He doesnot consider himself happy
by the acquisition of anything. By hearing the S'astrasof the duties
of Graliasta doctrines from any one, he does not allow himself to be
absorbed into the Lowkik andTaidik. The moral preceptsof the
S'astras
connected with the PushtiMargashouldbe freely heardand
related. All other S'astras cause one to swerve from the Pushti
Marga. This should be firmly believed in one's own mind.'7
Herein the Guru is assimilatedto Sri Bhagvdn, and severe
punishmentthreatenedfor evil actstowardsthe teacher.
Thenextextractis a laudation
of &ri Gosainji
or Vithal-
nathji, the sonof VaUabhacharya. It is fulsomein its com-
parison,and is extractedfrom a manuscriptin Brijabhasha,
entitledAstaksharTik&. Its evident object is distinctly to
enhancethe supremacyof the Maharajas,by the commenda-
tion of their ancestors,whosequalities it is here insinuated
they inherit. It runs thus:-
" Behold! how is S'ri Gosainji.*4 He is totally without desires;
he is without wants; he is with desires fulfilled; he desires all
virtues; he is possessedof all virtues; he is the very personifica-
tion of the most excellent being (God); he is all incarnations; he
is as beautiful as a million of EL&ndevas;* he is possessedof the six
virtues; he is the head of all those who appreciate sensualor in-
tellectual pleasure, or poetry; he is desirous of fulfilling the wishes
of his devotees. Such is S'ri Gosainji. "Why should he want any-
thing ? He is himself the creatorof the endlesscroresof worlds
wherein his glory has diffused all over. He is the inspirer .(or pro-
peller) of the soulsof all animatedbeings. He is praised by Brahma,
S'iva, Indra, and other gods. Such is S'ri Gosainji."
We next take a passagefrom a commentary,in Brija-
bh&sha, on a work called the " Ohaturslocki Bhagvat," the
* Yitlialn&tliji, sonof YallabMcliJxrya. f Kandeva is god of love,
34 HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAHABA7AS.
objectof which,is to exhibit the paramountimportanceof the

Guru.
" Therefore in Kali Yuga there is no means of salvation similar
to worship. Thereforewhena man seeksprotectionof S'ri^char-
yaji** alone, all bis wishes are fulfilled. We should regard our
Guru as God, nay, even greater than Godj for if Godgetsangry,
the Guru-devais ableto save(onefrom,the effectsof God'sanger);
whereasif Guru is displeasednobodyis ableto save(onefrom the
effectsof the Guru's displeasure)."
Thenext extractalsomakesthe Guru superiorto Hari (god)
himself, in his powerof salvation,and ordainsofferingsand
promulgatesthe idea of the Mahar&jasbeing the manifest
incarnationof the deity. It is from a work in BrijabMshd,
entitled" Guru&eva,
or GuruWorship."
" "WhenHari (god) is displeased(with any one)the Guru saves
him (from the effectsof Hail's displeasure). But when Guru is
displeasedwith any one no ono can save him (from the effectsof the
Guru'sdispleasure).Thereforea Vaishnayashould servethe Guru
with his body and money, and please the Guru.
" But the principalGurusare S'ri Acharyajiand S'ri Gosainjiand
the whole family calledthe Yallabhafamily. They are all Gurus
as is mentioned in the SarvottamjL
" ThereforeGod and the Guru aro necessarily to be worshipped.
If a manworshipsGod he goesto Vyapi Vaikuntha.f But, by the
worshipof God,he goesto Vyapi Yaikuntjia only whenhe worships
the Guru. The worshipof the Guru is to be performedin thesame
way as the worshipof God.
"Offerings are to be madeto tfio Guru. Thereis no particular
quantity of offerings(ordained). You aro to make suchan offering
as you feel inclined to mako. But you are to reflect thus: ' In this
world there aro many kinds of creatures : of thorn all we are most
fortunate that we have sought the protection of the illustrious
Yallabhacharyaji, S'ri Gosainji, and their descendants, who are
manifestly (incarnations of) God the excellent Being himself."
Herewe have the manifestationof the Mah&r&jas in their
extremecupidity. In orderthat the offeringsto them should
be as unlimited as possible,it is not prescribed what they are
* Yallabh&ch&rya. f The highest of heaven?,Gouloka.
RELIGIOUS DOCTRINESOP THE SECT. 85
to be. It is also ordainedthat they should be worshipped,

and the promised reward for this is the highest heaven,
whereasthe mereworshipof Grodentitlesonly to an inferior
paradise.
We comenow to a most important seriesof extracts,which
fully developethe entire doctrine of adulterine intercourse.
Theseare evidently inculcatedto satisfythe lewd propensities
of a libidinous priesthood,who, under the shield of religion,
avert the avenginghand of outragedmanhood,which suffers
the chastity of its femalesto be openly violated, and the
sacredpurity of home defiled. They may well ask, "are
thesemy children?" when the first form of adjurationthat
their religion demands is the Samarpan, the consecration of
tan, man, and dlian, viz., " of body, organs of sense,life^
heart, and other faculties, and wife, house,family, property,
and self," to Krishna, or his representative,the Maharaj.
The term tan implies the body in all its relations; man is
the mind, with all its faculties and qualities ; and dkan, as
explainedby the Maharajas,signifiesthat the sectariesshould
placeat their disposalsons,wives,daughters,and everything
elsebeforeapplying them to their own use.
The first passagewe shall cite is from a commentaryby
Gokuln&thji (in Sanskrit,called" Virchita Bhakti Siddh£nta
Vivruti") upon his grandfather'swork called " Siddh&nta
Rahasya."
i it
" Thereforein the beginning, even,before ourselvesenjoying,

wives, sons, etc., should be made over; because of the expression,
*'Sarvavastu" (i.e. all things). After marriage, even before our-
selvesusingher, [her (the wife's) offering should be madewith the
86 HISTOBY OP THE SECT OF MAHAMJAS.
view that she may becomeuseful to ourselves. So likewise, even

after the birth of a son,sons,etc.,should also be madeover]. On
all occasions,and on accountof all occasions,
the thing to beusedon
that occasionshould bemadeover. After making the things over,
the different acts should be done."
This commentary thus enjoinson the sectariestotal abne-

gation of self in behoofof the Maharaj. The next extract
designatesthe Maharaj by the characterwhich he is so
ambitiousto sustainamong his deludedand outragedvota-
ries. In Vithalesha-ratnavivarana:
" The ^charya is calledl ShrisM,' which is renderedby the com-

mentator to mean the ' Priya? or husband of many women. He is
also described as ' the ocean of the fids lild? and as one whose sole
aim is the Rds tild, which means amoroussports with many
women."
A confirmationof this is found in a manuscriptcopy,in

Brijabhasha,of Pushti Prav&haMary&daTik£, by HararaijL
" It is stated in Pushti Marga that God abides in the housesof
the Yaishnavasby the adulterinelove which (I) now describe: as
whenwe bring another'sson to our house,and (or) whenwe keep
another's husband in our house by any mode whatsoever, he is won
over by excessiveaffection. If we serve by our body, mind, wealth,
or by any other mode, then -another's son or husband will remain
with us. In the same way does God ever abide in our house in
union."
We may askhow shouldGrodabidein thesehousesbut by

his conceptions
in the progenyof the Vaishnava,through the
mediumof the Mahiraj.
It wouldseemthat the fatuity of the sectof the Vaishnavas
has attained its culmination; for in the next extract, which is
ratherlong,and of moderndate,beingpublishedin Oct. 1860,
by the TaishnavaDharmaPras&rakaMandali (Societyfor the-
diffusionof the VaishnayaEeligion), in a book printed in
Gujarati,called"SwadharmaYardhak andSanshayaChhedak,"
that is to say, "Promoter of our religion and destroyerof
doubt," the apologyor explanationof "adulterine love" was
RELIGIOUS DOCTRINES OF THE SECT. 87
attempted. It was clearlyunderstoodby thesesectariesthat

societywas aroused,and tliat it was necessaryto do something
to allaythe ferment. The extract commences
at page27 of
]STo.
2, vol. i., and runs thus:-
" In the above chapterit is statedthat God himself hasbecome,
by parts, all the forms: consequentlythis whole universeis his
spirit; consequentlyhe is at play with his own spirit. "With God,
therefore,(the relation of) my-own-and-another's doesnot exist.
All is his own. Consequently the sin of adultery doesnot affect
Him. The sin of enjoying other people'sthings affecffcsthis world.
"WithGodnothing whateveris alien. God has thereforeordained
the sin of adultery for this world. "Now the ignorant say this :
' Shoulda daughter or a son proposeto (her or his) father to become
his wife, what sin and immorality are contained therein. How
sinful, therefore, are thosewho entertain towards God the adulterine
love.' Thus have they argued, ITow the intelligent should con-
sider this matter as follows: The gopis made the adulterine love
with S'ri Krishna, (is it to be maintained that) therefore they com-
mittedsin? IFurther,MahadevajiandIlamachandrajimarriedwomen
of this world, namely, Parvatiji and Sitaji; and S'ri Krishna married
sixteen thousand princesses; (now) it would follow from the argu-
ment of these fools that they too acted improperly. If, as between
God andthis world, there has existed only the relation of father and
children (as maintained by them), then S'ri Krishna would not have
married these maidens. But in God all relations abide. Both man
and woman, have sprung from God. "Wherefore,with God, the two
speciesof man and woman do not exist. Both these are the spirit
of God. Consequently he is at play with his own spirit. In that
no sin is incurred either by God or by (this) world. If any sin be
committed (by such conduct) S'ri Krishna would not have married
the daughtersof the kings. Thus (you) seehow muchcontraryto
the S'astrasliave they represented the subject, and confounded the
ignorant.
"If there he any sin committed in entertaining the adulterine
love towards God, then the most excellent Being would never have
granted to tlie Yedas their request to entertain the adulterine love.
The story is related by Brahmaji to Bhrigu Bishi in Brahad Yaman
Pura*n,which we now recount for the information of the people.
"Having heard the long offered prayers of the Yedas, the Lord
spokein a Jieavenly voice: ' Oh! you Traditions,I ampleasedwith
90 HISTORY OF THE SECTOF MAHARAJAS.
qualified like the gopis, nor could our soulshave immediatecon-

nection,with God. We will illustrate this by an anecdote. A
certain woman was one evening going to her paramour. At the
sametime a Fakir was sitting in her way prayingto God. But as
it was dark s*hedid not observethe Fakir, and accidentallystruck
him with her foot in passing, of which she was unconscious. Just
then the Fakir did not say anything; but when that woman re-
turned, the Fakir addressedher thus : i Oh hussy, you struck me
with your foot and passedon; but then, my attention being fixed
on God, I did not speak.7 Thereuponthe womanrepliedthus:
' Had your afcention been so fixed on God, you would not have been
conscious of my having struck you with my foot. See, owing to
my contemptible love in my paramour, I did not observeyou, and
wasnot even consciousof having struck you with my foot. Oh
man, had your love really been in God, and your attention fixed
upon him, how could you have known of my foot having struck
you ?' !No soonerhad the Fakir heard this than he seizedhis own
ear, and prostrated himself at her feet and said: ' Oh mother, what
you have now observedis true. From this day I have adoptedyou
as my spiritual guide/ In this anecdotealso a lessonis drawn from
love. As Dattatraya Rishi derived instruction from twenty-four
things, so should we draw the moral from the adulterine love."
We shall now seehow tlie position of their sectariesis

strengthenedby a further citation from the works of Gokul-
ncithji, in a tract written by him. in the Brijabhcish<i,entitled
" Kasabhdvana" (Love Faith). It is as follows:-
" Thus cameKrishna to be called a great charioteer (a warrior).
Similarly in this Pushti system(i.e. doctrinestaught by Vallabha-
charya),the most excellentLord himself having conquered millions
of Svaminijisin the Yrij devotees'forestof sexualenjoyment,came
to be called a great charioteer. Therefore he beganto dance with
S'riSvaminiji (the chiefmistress)whenhe couldnot copein dancing
with Svaminiji,and wasdefeatedin othersexualcommerce.
"Thereafter the femalecompanions(of S'ri Svaminiji) having
collected all her hair, and twisted it with a string, and tied it
into a knot, whereforethe sameshould be regardedthus:-The
string in the form of S'ri Svaminiji, and the hair in the form of
Krishna, having coupledtogether after enjoying in a contrary
manner.
BELIGIOTTS DOCTRINES OP THE SECT. 91
"There are maidensin the houseof Jasodaji(motherof Krishna;

they regardKrishna (who is now a child) as their husband. The
maidens,therefore,preparea swinging bed instead of a cradle,
whereonthey lay Krishna, and enjoywith him.
"The Lord plays with the followers of Pushti Harga (i.e. fol-
lowersof Vallabhacharya). Suchplay is fearful to the opponents,
whereassuch play is poetic happiness(ecstacy) to devotees or
initiated.
" The elephant's ivory toys are (symbolic)of the internal desires
of S'ri Svaminiji(the chief mistress). So when she goes into the
forestS'riSvaminiji,by meansof those toys, sheenkiftdles(in him)
the desire to amuseor enjoy like elephants.
"S'ri Chandravaliji,and S'ri Yamunaji, and the virgins, and all
the married women of Vrij, join together in an humble speechto
S'ri Svaminiji thus: £Let us become your servants. We are not
like you. We are your servants. How canwe reachGodin your
presence ? Still we areyours.' Having heard this humblespeech,
S'ri Svaminiji addressedthem us: ' Though sagaciousand possessed
of the sixty-four good qualities, yet she is guileless; though the
foremost among the accomplished, yet she is guileless/ "Wherefore
S'ri Svaminiji, seeing the humility of all the females, was pleased,
and spokethus : 'Your nameis Vrij Eatna (i.e. the jewel of Vrij),
for you arethe jewel in Vrij ; for thereis no other love as the love of
husband which you cherish towards Grod. Therefore you are the most
excellent among the excellent. Therefore your love for him is greater
than mine. Firstly, you keep yourselves always holy; you have no
connectionwith any gopi. Even sons, husbands, etc., in this world
are for show in the world's intercourse, but they have no connection
with you. And, secondly, you are harmless. You are useful in
your sexual commerce. You have no harm or jealousy in you.
Thirdly, you are penetrated with the passion of love. Your pas-
sion is for the different modes of sexual commerce. You are very
dear in my heart. In your coupled form, you act as our servants,
and with affection wait on us. Therefore .S'ri Svaminiji, being
pleased, tells Grodthus: * Becausethey are dear to you, they are
exceedingly dear to me. They should be therefore allotted separate
groves, so that you might carry on sexual commerceseparately with
them/
" Then S'ri Svaminiji producesfrom her person millions of female
companions. They were named Lalita, Visakha, and so forth.
Those that were exceedingly skilful and beautiful in sexual com-
Q2 HISTORY
OFTHESECTOFMAHA'IUJAS.
merce are called Lalita; those that are very expert in the inverted
and other posturesor positions (at sexual commerce)are called
YisakhSs."
Here we havean exaltationof tlie-Prem Sagaritself. Its

most voluptuous
versesare less lascivious-
tlian this; and
"Love Faith" here mantleswith its wings-"'the Oceanof
Love/' hoveringoverthe deepabyss*
A remarkable instance of how strongly these doctrines im-
presstheimagination
of youngfemales
is relatedby thesame
Gokulndthji,in his accountof the two hundredand fifty-two-
devotees of his father,Vithalnathji, the Sri Gos&injiMah&raj'i'.
It is written in Brijabhdsha. The following is the story:-
"]STowthere was Ganga Kshatriani, a female devoteeof S'ri
Gosainji,who was living in that Mahaban. This is an accountof
her. The mother of that Gangabaiwas very beautiful, and she was
alsovery goodlooking, and shewasin the bloomof her age. On
one occasionGosainjiwent to the Mahabanand put up at the house
of a Yaishnava, and that Kshatriani was then residing closeto the
houseof that Yaishnava. That Kshatriani paid her homageto S'ri
Gosainji, whefe she witnessed a very great beauty equal to a crore
of Kandrapas.*Peelingsof lust werethen excitedin that Kshatriani,
and she then becamevery much enamoured; so that she did not
feel easywithout seeingS'ri Gosainji once daily. So shedaily got
up and cameto S'ri Gokul, and having seen S'ri Gosainji, she used
then to go to her house; and she constantly said in her mind, '"Were
I to meethim in a solitary or private place,the wishesof my heart
would be fulfilled.' But she could not find an opportunity. Then
one day that Kshatriani thought in her mind, ' When S'ri Gosainji
goesto the privy I will go there.' So oneday that Kshatrianire-
mainedconcealed in the privy, and afterwardsS'ri Gosainjiwent to
the privy, when that Kshatriani said, "Mahanij, pray fulfil the wishes
which I have in my heart.7 But S'ri Gosainji refused, saying, 'I do
not know anything about that matter.' That Kshatriani then became
very obstinate, when S'ri Gosainji, getting angry, said, " Bo not be
obstinate, and the wishes of your heart will now be fulfilled without
your leaving your house. These are iny prophetic words, and there-
fore you maygohome.' That Kshatriarii,having heardthesewords
* Kandrapais a god of love.
KELIGIOUS DOCTRINESOF THE SECT. 93
of S'ri Gosainji, went away. Afterwards one day, when that Ksha-
triani was asleep, she dreamed a dream in her sleepthat she had
connectionwith S'ri Gosainji,and from that very day that Ksha-
triani was in the family way. Afterwards, when the time of
pregnancywas completed, she was delivered of a daughter. She
was extremely heautif ul, and was a fountain of good qualities. She
was then named Gangabai. Then that girl grew up; after which
she was causedto tell her name to S'ri Gosainji.'
The next extract will showwhat care the Maharajastake
to free from blame the immoral practices which,their doctrines
inculcate. It is a storyof adulterybetweentwo low persons,
expiatedin blood,but rewardedby a re-birth,in a yery high
social position.
"A narrative related first of all by S'ri Acharyaji with his own
mouth to the Yaishnavas on a certain occasion, and afterwards
related by S'ri Gopinathji to the Yaishnavas. There was a Bhil and
a Bhilan, being two persons,husband and wife. They used to go
to a jungle and to bring firewood daily, and they used to maintain
themselvesby selling the wood. There was another Bhil, who was
also in the habit of going to the samejungle to fetch wood, and an
intimacy then rose between the wife of the one Bhil ami the other
Bhil. At first the two persons,husband and wife used to go
togetherfor wood. She then fell in love with the other man.
Afterwards that woman commenced going for wood to another
jungle with the other or (stranger)man, with whom she had con-
tractedan intimacy. Sothe womanwentwith hinl to a jungle, and
therewasa templeof Godin a certain spot in that jungle. The
two personshavinggonethere used to sweepand cleanthe temple,
and then,rest themselvesthere. They did so for several days,
when,being overpoweredwith love, they took to singing. They
then both got up from that place and went to their respective
houses. Afterwards some one came and told the husband of the
woman that his wife lived, or was in love, with such and such a
man, and that those two personswere in the habit of going to such
and such a place in such and such a jungle. Afterwards, one day,
the husband of the woman followed his wife to the jungle. The
two persons went first, and having gone there they swept and
cleared the spot all around the place of God that was there, and
the,n sat there in happiness. The husband of the woman then
witnessed,
while standingthere, all the actsof the two persons,and
94 HISTORY OF THE SECTOF MAH43MJAS.
"when{he two personshad completed their worldly (or carnal)

pleasures,
the husband
of the womankilled thembothon thespot.
The angelsof Dharmarajathen camefor the two persons,and im-
mediately
afterthemcamethe angelsof Vishnu; whenthe angels
of Vishnu said"to the angelsof Yam, ' "Whyhave you comehere?
S'ri Thakurji (God)has conferredon them the best place (in the
heaven),and these two personswill moreoverobtain better and a
more desirableplace than this (in the heaven)/ The angelsof
Vishnu then tookthe two persons with them,and having gonethere
they made them stand before S'ri Thakuiji (God). "When S'ri
Thakuiji told the two personsto ask for anything they liked; they
then,having folded their hands together(in a suppliantmanner),
madethe following representation :-' Maharaj,we havecommitted
a very mean act; what is the causeof your showing so great a
regardtowardsus ?' "Whenthe angelsof Vishnu told them as
follows:-' It is true you two persons have committed a mean act,
but you cleanedthe templeof (God) and Srri Thakuiji (God)has
favorablyaccepted the serviceperformedby you ; and thereforeyou
both have now obtainedthe best place (in the heaven). Having
thereforebecomepleasedwith you, I tell you two personsthat yon
may ask (for anything you like).' The two personsthen said,
' Maharaj,if you are pleasedwith us, and wish to confera favour,
then we pray that we may beborn in the mortal world, and that
we, having becomehusbandand wife, may serveyou. Pray favour
us with a compliancewith this (request).' When S'ri Thakurji
(God)said, ' Go,your wisheswill be fulfilled.' Thenthe two per-
sons became incarnate in this world. The man was born a son of a
Eaja;and the womanwasborn a daughterof a Baja."
We are heartily glad wo are approachingthe termination.

of this odioussubject,for the next extractwill closethe series.
We have consideredit necessaryto make tliese quotations in
order fully to elucidatethe reprehensibletendenciesof the
doctrines of these sectaries in reference to " adulterine love."
Perhaps,without such positive and certain proofs obtained
from the Maharajasthemselves, our readersmight havesus-
pectedus of misrepresentingor exaggeratingthe foul prac-
tices of thesepriests. Here, however, the public has the
"plain unvarnishedtale" of their hideousimmorality.
RELIGIOUSDOCTRINESOF THE SECT. 95
The following extract suggestssomeremarksupon the

strangeinfatuationof a peoplewlio miglit evidentlybe made
pureand goodif the delusion
which,corruptsthemcouldbe
removed. The writer evidently had a heart to feel the virtue
of the Banian, although not to loathe the perverting doc-
trines of his sect. The translationis from a book in Brija-
bhasha,containingthe accountof the eighty-fourVaishnavas.
"A narrativeof KrishnadasBrahmin,a devoteeof S'riA'charyaji,
the great lord. Krishnadaswas living in a vilhga: he was a
worshipperof Bhagvant(God). Therewere five or tenVaishnavas
who, on oneoccasion,weregoing to Adel for the purposeof paying
their homageto S'ri Acharyaji, the great lord. They cameto the
house of Krishnadas. At that time Krishnadas was not at home :
he had gone out on somebusiness, and the wife of Krishnadas was
at home. When the Vaishnavas cameto the village, S'ri Krishnadas
had gone out to someother village. After that she went inside the
house and began to consider as to what she should do now. She
then recollected that Banian Daimaro always said to her that she
should meet him, and that he would give her what she might ask
for. So she said to herself, 'I will fetch provisions and other
articlesfromhis shopto-day, and will tell him, I will meetyou to-
day; give me the provisions and other articles that I require."
Having made this determination, she set out, went to his shop, and
having given a promise to him, the woman brought all the pro-
visions and other articles, and having come home, prepared the
dinner,andpresentedan offering of it to S'riThakurji (God); and
having removed the offering at the due time, she causedthe Vaish-
navasto feaston the blessedfood,of which the Vaishnavaspartook
in goodstyle. After that Krishnadascamehomein the evening,
met all the Vaishnavas, and after saluting them, he entered his
house and asked his wife what the news was, and whether she
had given food to the Vaishnavas. She replied that she had given
them food. Then Krishnadas inquired whence she had got the
provisions and other articles, when the woman related to him all
that had taken place: Krishnadas was thereupon much pleasedwith
Ms wife. Afterwards the husband and wife both jointly partook of
the blessedfood, and Krishnadas then went to the Vuishnavas and
passedthe whole night in talking of the praise of God. When it
was morning, Krishnadashaving dispatchedall the Vaishnavas,
96 HISTORY OF THE SECTOF MAEABA7AS.
they walkedaway,andKrishnadaswent with themfor a short dis-

tance to seethem off. Afterwardshe camehome,presentedthe
food offering to S'ri Thakurji (God), and then, having removed
it, as usual he coveredit up and placedit aside. When Krish-
nadas returned home in the evening, both the husband and the wife
jointly partook of the blessedfood. Krishnadas'then said to his
wife, t You gavea promiseyesterdayto tho Banian,and the Banian.
must be expectingyou, and thereforethe promisegiven to him
must be fulfilled/ Thewife thereupon,
havingrubbedher body
with an ointment,andbathedherself,and having ornaments, as are
usualamong-the women,shesetout It wastherainy season, and it
had rainedthat tiny, and there"vyas
mud on tho road,in consequence
whereof Krishnadassaid,' If you placeyourself on my shoulderI
will conveyyou thereand return, otherwiseyour feet will be soiled
with mud, asthereis a great dealof mud on the road; and if your
feet should get soiled,the Banianwould treat you with disrespect/
Krishnadasthereuponplacedhis wife on his shoulder,and put her
downnearthe shopof the Banian,whenthe womancalledout to the
Banianandaskedhim to openthe door. TheBanianthenopenedthe
door and took the woman inside, and then brought her somewater to
washher feet with, whenthe womansaid to the Banian,' My feet
arc not soiledwith mud/ Tho Banianthen said, ' Thereis a great
deal of mud on the road, and how is it that your feet are free from
it?' Then the womansaid to the Banian,'You hadbetter proceed
with your business;'whenthe Baniansaid, * You must tell methe
circumstance/ The womanthen said to the Banian,' My husband
placed me on his shoulder, brought me here, and went away/ On
healing the account, the Baniaa was struck with wonder, and he
questionedher on the wholesubject,and asked the causeof it, and
requested her to tell him all, when the woman related to him all
that had occurred. On hearing it the Banian thought of himself
with contempt, and said, ' Happy is your life whose mind is so
pure;' and having put his hands togetherin a suppliantmanner,
he saluted her, and said, ' Pardon me iny offence: regard mo with
kindness;you are my Bister/"
"We have thus terminated our accountof the Mah&r&j
doctrines. Wo think it cannot bo read without exciting
indignation against the priesthood who promulgate these
immoralities; and perhapsnot without provoking pity and
contemptfor thosewho submitto their domination. We hope
DOCTEINES OF THE SECT. 97
that the fall exhibition of these enormities made in the

extractsalready given, and in the next following chapters,
will help towards the eradication of a vile and debasing
superstition.If this work shouldat all contributeto that
goodend,weshallhavereapeda rich reward.
"Weshall concludethis chapterwith a list of the various
books,written in Brijabhdshdlanguage,which areconsidered
as authoritiesby the sect. The first thirty-nine are transla-
tions from Ihe Sanskrit, with commentaries,and the rest are
original,in Brijabhdsha
language:
1. Sarvottam. 25. Sarn-dshtaka.
2. Vallabh-dshtaka. 26. Ndmdvali-dchdraji.
3. Krishna-prenidmrita. 27. Bhujanga-prdyn-dshtaka.
4. Yithalesha-ratna-vivarna.
28. Namdvali GusdijL
5. Yamun-dshtaka. 29. Siddhdnta-bhdvand.
6. Bdla-bhodha. 30. Siddhanta-rahasya.
7. Siddhanta-muktdvali. 31. Virodha-lakshna.
8. Nava-ratna. 32. Shrinagdra-rasamandala.
9. Antahkarana-prabhodha.33. Vaidhavallabha.
10. Viveka-dhaird-shraya. 34. Agni-kumdra.
11. Krishnd-shraya. 35. Sharana-upadesha.
12. Chatura-slokL 36. Rasasindhu.
13. Bhakti-vardhani. 37. Kalpa-druma.
14. Jalabheda. 38. Mdld-prasanga.
15. Padedni. 39. Chita-prabhodha.
16. Sanidsa-nirnaya. 40. Pushti-dradha-vdratd.
17. Mrodha-laxana. 41. Dwddasa-kunja.
18. Sevd-fala. 42. Pavitrd-mandala.
19. Sikshd-patra. 43. Purnamdsi.
20. Pushti-pravaha-mary&dd.
44. Nitya-seva-prakdra.
21. Gokul-dshtaka. 45, Basa-bhdvand.
22. Madhur-dshtaka. 46. Vallabh-akhidna.
23. Nin-dshtaka. 47. Dhola.
24. Janmavaifal-ashtaka. 48. Nija-vdratd.

7
98 HISTORY OF THE SECTOF MAHAKA7AS.
49. Chords!-v&ratd. 62. Sevd-prakdra.

50. Baso-bhcLvana-vdrati 63. Mula-purusha.
51. Nitya-pada. 64. Sata-bdlaka-charitra..
52. Shriji-prdgata. 65. Tamundji-pada.
53. Charitra-sahita-yaratd. 66. Vacliaiidmrita.
54. Gusdiji-prdgata. 67. Pusliti-marga-siddlidnta.
55. Ashtakdviya. 68. Dasa-marama.
56. Vanshdvali. 69. Vaishnava-batrisa-laxana.
57. Vanaydtrd. 70. Chor&si-siksM.
58. 71. Sadasatha-pradha.
[kruta.
59. 72. Dw&rkesha-krata-nita-
60. Guru-seva. 73. j^clidr
61. Ghitayana. 74. Otsava-pada.
WORSHIPAND PSAXMODY. 99
CHAPTEE VI.
WORSHIP AND PSALMODY.
THEdoctrines
of the Maharajas
we havelaid*beforeour
readersin the last chapter. Of their mode of worship we
have now to treat. The present ceremonial or ritual has of
coursebeen the growth of time, being formed, or added to as
circumstanceshaveoccurred,or the promptingdesiresof the
priestsmay havesuggested. "We shall endeavourto give as
clear and distinct a statement as is practicable, premising
that much of the information contained in this chapter is
derived from the works of Mr. H. H. "Wilson, and from the
oral testimonyadducedupon oath in the courseof the trial
for libel, as well as from other sources of a true and unim-
peachablecharacter. We hope to lay before our readersa
complete picture, as graphical as such collective means will
enableus to paint, so as to sustain the judgment we shall
haveto pronounce,after deliberatelysumming up the facts,
in the few concluding words of this chapter.
A Vallabhdchdryantempleconsistsof three successive
com-
partments. The central one is larger and more open than
the other two, being intendedfor the accommodation
of the
numerous worshippers who daily throng there. Of the re-
maining two, one is the residence of the Mahdrdj, and the
otheris dedicatedto the worshipof the imageof Krishna.
The templesare numerousall over India,' especiallyat
Mathura and BrindSban, In Benares there are two very
celebratedandwealthytemples,one of which is dedicatedto
100 HISTOEY OF THE SECTOF MAHARAJAS.
Krishna under the nameof L&lji, and the other to the same
godunderthe nameof Purushottamji.Thoseof Jagann&th
and Dw&rik& are also particularly yenerated;but the most
celebrated
of theseestablishments
is thatat &ri N&thadwar,
in Mew&r. "The imageis saidto hayetransporteditself
thither from Mathurd,whenAurangzeb
orderedthe temple
it stoodin to be destroyed. The presentshrineis modern,
but yery richly endowed,and the high priest, a descendant
of Q-olailn^thji,
is a manof greatwealthandimportance."*
The image of Thdkurji, or the idol, in the different
temples,is either of stoneor brass,and representsKrishna
in various attitudes,correspondingto thosewhich he is sup-
posedto hayeassumed
in the severalperiodsof his earthly
existence,
either whenperforminguncommonfeatsor miracles,
or living at particularplaces,or engagedin any peculiarly
interesting scenes. Each of these is worshippedunder a
different name. That of Sri Nathji, being the most im-
portant and mosthonoured,
is at N&thadwar.Krishnais
here representedas a little boy in the act of supportingthe
mountainQ-ovardhan on his little finger, to shelterhis play-
mates from a heavy shower of rain which had suddenly
overtakenthem while at play. This imageis alwayssplen-
didly dressed,and richly decoratedwith ornaments,which
are often of the value of several thousand pounds.
Vallabh&ch&rya,the founder of the sect,is said to have
distributed among his disciplesmore than thirty images,
under various forms and names. These are still extant, and
held in more reverence than modern ones; and the Maha-
l^^jaa,too, who possessthem, are in consequence more re-
spectedthan the other membersof their fraternity. But of
the thirty-five, the sevenof Navanita-priydji (literally, he
who is fond of fresh butter), Jlfat-huresJyi,
VithalndtJiji,Dwd-
rikdndthji, Gohtlandthji, Goltulachandramaji (the moon of
* II. H. "Wilson's Works.
WOBSHIP AND PSALMODY. 101
Q-okula), and Madanamohanji (the Lord of Lust-illusion)-

thesewere procured by the seven grandsonsof Vallabha-
charya, eachhaving one for himself, and are held in even
greaterreverence. The five first are now at Sri ISTathadwar,
Kotta, Kanoja, Kankroli, and Gokula respectively,and the
the two last at Jaypora, The Maharajasare so covetousof
possessing these, as well as the others distributed by the
VaUabhacMrya,that instancesare related of their having
endeavouredto possessthemselves ,of them by irhe meanest
of actions. Oneof them, namedGirdharji, was, aboutthirty-
five yearsago,convictedof having stolen onefrom a Vaish-
iâva at Daman. The images are sometimes so small and
overloaded
with ornaments,that the votariescan seenothing
but their lustrous embellishments, which have an attraction
of their own, apartfrom that of the image.
The worship of the imagesis very sedulouslyperformed,
the most devoted homage being paid to them at fixed periods.,
eight times every day- There are also -seasonalfestivals,
when they are worshippedwith more ceremony. On these
occasions the image is profusely decorated,and especiallyin
the spring, when it is beautifully adorned with flowers
arrangedwith much taste. According to the nature of the
festival,the imageis madeto sit on a seat,or is placed in a
cradle,or is so disposedas to reclinein a swing- The cradles
and swings and seatsare either of wood or of brass or silver.
. Crowdsswarmto the templeson theseoccasions, flocking to
seethe Thakurji in all his glory. At thesetimesthe Maha-
rajasostentatiously
decoratethemselvesin their gayestattire,
that they may attract the attention of female devotees, The
following arethe eight regular daily services."*
1. " Mangold,the morning levee: the imagebeing washed
and dressed,is taken from the couch,where it is supposedto
* In theintervals,or whennoparticularfestivalis beingcelebrated,
that part
of the templein which the idol is placedis closed,and the deity is invisible.
102 HISTOEY OP THE SECT OP MAHARAJAS.
haveslept during the night, and placedupon,a seat,about

half an hour after (and during winter about three hours
before)sunrise: slight refreshmentsare then presentedto it,
with betel and pan. Lamps are generally kept burning
during this ceremony.
2. " Sringdra: the imagehaving been anointedand per-
fumed with oil, camphor,and sandal,and splendidlyattired,
now holds its public court: this takes place about an hour
and a half âfterthe preceding,or when four gharis of the
day haveelapsed.
3. " Gwdla: the image is now visited, preparatoryto its
going out to attend the cattle alongwith the cowherd: this
ceremonyis held aboutforty-eight minutesafter the last, or
when six gharis have elapsed.
4. " Rdja-B7wga, held at mid-day, when Krishna is sup-
posed to come in from the pastures and dine: all sorts of
delicaciesare placedbeforethe image, and both theseand
other articlesof food,dressed
by the ministersof the temples,
are distributed to the numerous votaries present, and not
unfrequently sent to the dwellings of worshippersof rank
and consequence.
5. " Utthdpan: the calling up, or summoningof the god
from his siesta: this takes place at six gharis>or betweentwo
and three hours before sunset.
6. " Bhoga: the afternoon meal, about half an hour after
the preceding*
7. "Sandhyd>aboutsunset:the eveningtoflefof the image,
when the ornamentsof the day are taken off, and fresh
unguentsand perfumesapplied.
8. "Skayan, retiring to repose:the image,aboutsevenin
the evening,is placedupon a bed,refreshmentsand waterin
proper vases,together with the betel box and its appur-
tenances,are left near it, when the votaries retire, and the
templeis shut till the ensuingmorning."*
* H. H, Wilson's Works.
WORSHIPAND PSALMODY. 103
For the first of these services, in winter, the temple is

openedat four o'clockin the morning,when it is quite dark,
to givean opportunityto the Maharajto communicatewith his
favourite female devotees,who much frequent it at this time.
"Uponall these occasions
the ceremonyis much the same,
consisting
of little morethan wavinga light, andpresenting
flowers,
perfumes, andfoodto the imageby the priests. At
certainseasons the ceremonyalsoincludesrocking the swing
or cradleof the image,or throwing guldl (red powder)over it.
The votaries,on beholdingthe image or its lustrous embel-
lishments,do nothing but repeat the name of the idol or
Thakurji severaltimes, with a variety of protestationsand
obeisances. This is the worship. There is no established
ritual for generaluse,nor any prescribedform of worship.
Previouslyto the openingof the division of the temple
wherethe image of the idol is placed, the Maharaj takes
his standnear the image. Here, after the entranceof the
votaries,he occasionallyswings the image, or wavesbefore
it a small metallic lamp, in which burns a light, fed by
clarified butter. The Yaishnavas, with their wives and
daughters,having previouslyassembledin the passage,the
door is opened,and the crowd rush to enter, crying out
Jaya ! Jay'a! to prevent the doors being closed. The noise
and confusion are immense. "No time must be lost, for in.
ten or twentyminutesthe doorsare again closed. It is im-
possible all can get into the small room at once, and the
weaker of the crowd have to await their turn to enter. To
accelerate
the devotionsof those who have got in, and to
induce them to make room for other devotees, who are
anxiouslywaiting outside,oneof the guardiansof the temple
mountsupon a rail, with a thick cord in his hand, to whip
them along. Many of the devoteesreceive a very severe
beating; and it hasevenhappenedthat an eyehasbeenlost
or other severeand permanentinjuries inflicted. It is cus-
104 HISTORY OF THE SECTOF MAHABAJAS.
ternary for theseguardiansof the temple to receivea con-

siderablebribe in money to stay them from inflicting this
castigationupon personswho can afford to be thus mulcted.
But in the eventof this douceurnot beingforthcomingêither
from incapacityor unwillingness,the malice of the guardians
is exasperated,and they are unmerciful in the applicationof
the cord.
During the four periodsof worshipin the afternoon,females
visit the temples in large numbers; and at these times the
crush is fearful and shameful, for males and femalesare inter-
mixed, and many men who have intruded for vicious and
immoral purposes,assaultthe modestyof femaleswith im-
punity. The crowd is so dense that, on extraordinary occa-
sions,femalesare totally denudedof their slight and loose
clothing in the crush. The practice,therefore,of permitting
men and women to associate promiscuously in the room
where the idol is worshippedis highly objectionable. Fre-
quent applicationshave beenmadeto the Maharajasto put a
stop to theseindecentproceedings, but they appearto sanc-
tion them, by their indifference.
The first duty of the Vaishnavaswho cometo worshipthe
image is to go to the Maharaj, who is found seatedon a
raised couch, and to prostrate themselves at his feet. The
worshippersplace their fingers on the toes of the Maharaj,
and then apply them to their eyes. When femalestouch his
toes,the Maharaj, who may have been attracted by one of
them in particular, to indicate that he wishes for a further
interview, pressesher hand, and thus gives her the sign of
solicitation. This is considereda high and distinguishing
honour: it is fully understood and appreciated, and the
favour is readily reciprocated. The parties avail themselves
of the first opportunity to carry their purpose into effect, and
we shall shortly see how readily such an opportunity is
obtained. "When it is understood that this distinction has
a consecratingforce,the excusefor infatuated complianceiiSv

at once found.
Uponthe door of the templebeing opened,the musicians
andsongsters placedtherecommence a successionof lascivious
chaunts, descriptiveof Krishna'samoroussportwith the gopis.
Thesechoristersand musiciansoccupya place oppositethe
imageandthe MaMraj, but behindthe worshipperswhothrong
throughthe openinterveningspace. The modeof solicitation
by the Maharaj during this worshipis the throwing upon the
votariesof guldl, a red powder,madeof a certainwoodground
down; but this is done only in the spring and upon high
festivals. In throwing this powder,which is often madeup
into small balls, the Maharaj aims chiefly at the breastsof
the females. It is alsocustomaryfor him to project a yellow
extractobtainedfrom flowers,from a syringe, at the wor-
shippers,and particularly at the females,
Besidesthe adorationof the image,worshipis performed
to the Maharaj himself. There are generally eight or ten
Maharajasin Bombay, eachhaving a separatetemple, the
dimensions of which vary accordingto the meansand in-
fluenceof the high priest. In oneof the apartmentsof his
residence,the Maharaj,during the time that divine honours
arepaidto him, seatshimselfon a raisedseat. TheBhattias,
the Banias,the Lohanas,the Multanis, and other persons,are
the followers of his religion, and are known as sevakaSjor
servants. All of them, rich and poor, adorehim by saluting
his feet; and for a short time after these devotions, the rich
or influential areaccommodated
in the hall, while personsof
moderatemeansare left to shift for themselvesin a large
public room or courtyard. One apartmentof the building
knownas the zandna-khdnd(seraglio)is occupiedby the
Maharaj'swife and daughters,who -never appear in the
sightof men: their residence
is considered
sacred,
and only
the sevakis
(femaleworshippers)have permissionto enter it.
106 HISTORY OF THE SECTOF MAHA'RAJAS.
!N"extto the Mahdraj himself,his wife (paJiuji)and daughter

(betiff)receivehomagein the zandna-khdnd from his female
devotees.
The Maharaj can be otherwiseworshippedat all hours of

the day; that is to say,in the intervals of the worshipof the
idol, at which times his presenceis required adjacent to the
imageof the god. It is at thesetimes of his separateworship
in his own residence that females are presented with the
facile opportunityof showing their appreciationof the high
honour of the selectionhe has made of them by throwing
guldl, pressingtheir hands,or projecting on their breaststhe
yellow liquid extract of flowers.
Up to eight or nine o'clockevery morning the Mah&r&jis
engagedin performingablutionsand saying prayers,the rest
of the day being whiled away at meals,in conversation,in
repose,and in pleasure. After his meals,he seeksthe privacy
of his bedroom,which adjoinsthe sandna-khdnd, and except
on any urgent business-for instance,that of attending the
worship of the idol-lie doesnot leavethis apartmentuntil
three or four o'clock in the afternoon. During the Utthapan
period of worship, which begins at two p.m., the wives and
daughtersof the Vaishnavasvisit the wife and daughtersof
the Mah&rajin the zandna-Jthdnd, from whencesomeof them
proceedwith presentsof fruits, milk (in silver goblets),and
other things, to the Mahdr&j'sbedroom; and the most for-
tunate of them, accordingto their notions,comesout purer
than before. If, while the MaMr&j is in the sitting-room
speakingto his followers,a femalehappensto corneto the
temple with her presentof'fruits, or whateverelse it may
be, he immediatelyretires into the zandna-khdnd, and there
acceptsthe presentfrom her, and ministersto her lust.
The dust on which the Mah&r&jhas walked is eaten by
the votaries. Even his very woodenshoesare worshipped,
as is also his gddi or seat. His feet are champooed, he is
WORSHIP AND PSALMODY. 107
decoratedwith preciousornaments,lie is frequently "bathed

by his votaries in saffron and milk: money and many pre-
ciousarticlesare presentedat his feet with, humiliating pros-
trations,andthe worshipis directednot only to the Mahar&jas
personallybut to their very pictures.
In the morning,when the Mah&raj is at his ablutions,a
number of Vaishnavas collect at a short distance ; and as he
standsup to wipe his body, one of the Vaishnavas,or minis-
tersof the temple,approacheshim with,reverence? takesinto a
vesselthe waterdroppingfrom his dhotar (the cloth covering
the lower part of his body). This dirty impure water is
esteemedto be of high virtue, and is distributed among all
present
at thetemple,whodrink it with feelingsof prideand
"satisfaction! "What remains is reserved for some hours for
"thepurificationof absentVaislmavas. The remnantsof the
Mah&raj'smeals,calledJuktan,arepreserved,beingconsidered
very precious,and canbe had on a formal applicationby any
Vaishnavas who desireto eatthem. In private banquetsand
«castefeasts,givenwith the Mah&raj's permission,theseim-
pureremnantsare first served,and are eatenas though they
were ambrosia! The pdn-sopdri(leaf and betelnut) which
-theMah&r&jthrows out after chewing,is calledogdr, and is
collected and preservedto be distributed to males and females,
whotake a greatpleasurein chewingit over again.
In the month of Shr&vaii,the Mahar&j takes delight in
sitting on the hindold (a sort of swing),when his male and
female followers move it backwards and forwards with their
hands. This privilege of swinging his Holinessis purchased
with presentsto him. At the time of the Holi holidays (the
saturnaliaof the Hindus),the Mah&r&jstandsin front of the
temple and permits his followersto hail him.with guldl (red
powder). Someof the Mahar&jason theseoccasionsthrow
theguldlin returnonsomeespecial favouritefemaleworship-
per,andindulgepubliclyin actsof improprietyandindecency.
108 HISTOBY OF THE SECTOF MAHAIUJAS.
The other occupationsand amusements

of the Maharajas
consist in social intercourse, in riding about and driving in
their carriages,and in talking of the amoroussports of
Krishna. In the intervals of their official priestly duties,.
they have recourseto everyvariety of amusementand plea-
sure ; and not a few of them rejoice exceedingly in displaying
indecentpicturesto their femaledevotees,to excitethem to
amoroussports. The Maharajas also undertakethe settle-
ment of caste disputes; they are usually solicited to be arbi-
trators in caseswhere the right of property is contested,and
generallythey subtly contrivethat but very little of it shall
comeinto the possessionof the litigants. Theyarevery great
epicures,andconsummate judges of everyspeciesof delicacy
and good living, severalof them indulging excessivelyin
intoxicating drugs, such as Ihdng and opium. In the evening
they are usuallyinvited to the housesof the wealthy Vaish-
navas,whither they resort sumptuously attired, and fragrant
with attar of roses and other luscious perfumes, in order that
they may be the more attractive to those with whom they
comein contact. Their visits are always of a semi-religious
character; and therefore, upon these occasions,wives and
daughtersof the Vaishnavaswhom a Maharaj thus honours
by visiting, entertain him with the songs which may be cha-
racterisedas the psalmodyof their religion. Ten or twenty
minutes after he has taken his seat, all the members and
friends of the family join in applying to him odoriferous
stuffs,in offering him wreaths of flowers,in waving a light
round him, in presentinghim with money,and in prostrat-
ing themselves at his feet.
" The hymns, or sacredsongsof a sect,are generallythe
mostfervid expositionof their religiousfeelings. The hymns
sungby the womenof the Vallabh&charyasect,in honourof
the Mah&r&jasand in their presence, are certainlyno excep-
tion to this generalrule. They are passionate with all the
WORSHIP AND PSALMODY, 109
passionsof the East, erotic pantings for fruition of a lover

whois also a god. As it is said of the gopisin the Vishnu
Purana, eeveryinstant without Krishna they counta myriad
of years,and, forbiddenby fathers,husbands,brothers,they
go forth at night to sportwith Krishna, the object of their
love/ so thesehymns, sung at this day by the wives and
daughtersof the Vallabhacharyansto their Maharajas,ex-
pressthe most unbridled desire,the mostimpatient longing,
for the enjoymentsof adulterinelove." * t>
Thesefemalesyield themselves unhesitatinglyto the ignoble

taskof excitingthe grosspassions of thesepriests,for whose
pleasure,and to stimulatewhoselusts,they, upon thesevisits,
and also on festiveoccasions,sing songswhich we quote as
specimens of the lasciviouspoetry in which the MaMrdjas
find pleasure.
MU-i Mt-tMm
55m C-ivA
Mil,
MR
oi
[TEAN-SLA.TIOIT
op THEABOVE.]
Molian merrily cameto [my] house,
"With pearls[by throwingthem oêr him] I welcomedhim ;
My belovedonelookedwith an affectionate eye:
0 sister ! of this husbandmy heart is enamoured;
[To marry] the sonof NandaI amdestined;
And how can I now conceal it ?
Let thewickedsaywhat they may,
Darling1 let my heartbe thy dwelling place.
* Judgmentof Sir Joseph.Arnould.

HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS.
«vi«U4-11 Ml^fl
CftB ^
\£ 11
il M II
OPTHEABOVE.]
An excitement, extreme and great, in my body is created;
The azure-colouredbeauteoushusband with me is sitting. 1
Without seeing[his] beauteous
face, evenwater I will not drink ;
The amorousand beauteoushusband,by seeingoft and oft I'll live, i
Eestrain me not, Oh ! my mother,
To pay my homageto him, daily I will go. 3
As to the connectionship,.that of the Savalya^4is the only true one
[And] all othersappearto be but imperfect. 4
He who tells may tell, we will permit to do so,
And to them [with indifference]weshall listen. 5
(3M*
c-tlHi
cu ifttl î î£? <ivi n
* Aa appellation of Krishna.
WOESE1P AND PSALMODY.
OFTHEABOTE.]
If to foreignlandsyou,the descendants
of Yallabha, shouldgo,
Soon do you return.
Andto [us] gentlewomen
messages
doyousend.
If to foreign lands. 1
To your commands obedientwe are,
Us,the suppliant,youhaveaccepted with all your heart.
If to foreign lands. 2
A pleasantlook,youthe compassionate,
by castinguponus,
Of our bodiesand heartshave deprived us.
If to foreignlands. 3
For your sakethe sense
of public shameI havenot entertained,
A great desireI entertain for your feet.
If to foreignlands. 4
Manysuchintreaties[your] femaleslavesare making,
If soonyouwill return,pleased
will become
[your] Ibmaleslaves.5
-t ii 3
tffl omi^ c^C-t|| M II
||
ii
OB-THEABOVE.]
Thedescendant
ofYallabha
is theamorous
Kami
Enamoured,
hehas
made
[us],intheroads
ofVraj.
Jlowingdownr 1
See, sisters, the full moon-like face,

"With his sharp eyesmy heart he has enticed and attracted.
Bowing down ? 2
To that dear[soul] havingbecomea femaleslave,
The public shameI will now no longerfear.
Bowing down ? 3
Now, sisters,the household
affairsI cannotperform,
By seeingthe dear[soul]my hearthasbecome
enticed.
Bowing down ? 4
A descendantof Yallabha is the amorousElana,
Thesoundof the jinglingof [his] toe-ringshasdeprived
meof my
heart. Bowing down ? 5
The very personification
of Godyou are,
Havingmarried[or accepted] theYallabhahusbandwith extremelove.
Bowing down ? 6
By our submittingto the Yallabhahusband,happywe shallbecome
By his association,
the Yaikuntha**we shall obtain.
Bowing down r 7
MR 01
aiî
[TEANSLATIOK OFTHEABOVE.]
May it pleasethecto visit my palace,lord ;
"Welcomebe thou to my palace, charming lord.
Increase,0 king of Yraj ! thy love [to me] ;
Welcome be thou to my palace,etc.
* The paradiseof Vishnu.

Manya story, and accumulatedsecrets

Of the heart I have to relate;
I shallnarratethem, if you but meet[me],
Overflowedhas it up to my lips.
"Welcomebe thou, etc.
You have many like myself,

But' you are the only one I have;
I cannotlive without you, my lord,
To whom shall I expressmy pangs ?
Welcome be thou, etc. %
Bespread
with flowersis the bed,
The heart cannot keep the joy within itself:
Life-nourisher, thou liest there;
Thy servantsshampoothy feet.
Welcome be thou, etc.
Similarly I am also thy humble servant.

As thou hastheld niy arm,keep thou thy pledge:
The bloom of my youth is fading away;
Believe,my Lord, what I say.
Welcome be thou, etc.
Gallantof [your] slaveDaya*,

Prince of Vraj, bestower of Life,
Satisfy the long felt desire;
"Welcome
be thou to my palace,charmingLord.
114 HISTOBY OF THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS.
<n<lfclfe*HU^ty, *fl 458=11^1
[TEANSLA.TJOK
OETHEABOVE.]
0 life of Vraj ! I pray thee,
Illustrious "beloved
ono[sourceof] pleasure,Moon,of Gokul,
An invitation send with speed.
Without seeing tliee, 0 illustrious, beloved one,
Say, dear, how am I to live ?
How shall my heart be restrained ?
[My] eyeswith tearsare suffused[0 Life of] Vraj ! 1
Hearkenattentivelyto [my] prayer,0 reveredmotherJamna!
The pangs of separationare unendurable.
]STow,
how amI to live ? [0 Life of] Yraj ! 2
How shall I abide at a distance ?
Say, dear, whencethis law.
Neither of us is of to-day or yesterday:
[Our] loveis fromthe first [0 Life of] Yraj ! 3
0 Hari, in thy heart retain
[Our] love [which] is of formertimes.
Be merciful, 0 Lord of the lowly and destitute !
Otherwise I will put off this earthly tenement.
0 Life of Yraj ! an invitation send. 4
I want a restingplaceamidstthe jasmine[bowers]of Yraj,
That always exist in the town of Gokul,
On the banks of the Kalindri,
At the landing place of Thakarani,
0 Life of Yraj ! an invitation send. 5
"Whenshall 1 satisfymy eyeswith a full view
Of the landing place of Thakarani.
Inwardly I have a great desire,
I amlonging to be calledto Yraj,
0 Life of Yraj ! an invitation send! 6
I amwitheredlike [dried] cinnamon:

0 Hari, brother of the plough-bearer,
I canhavepatiencenolonger.
[My eyes]are constantlyfilled with tears,
0 Life of Vraj ! I beseech
thee! 7
"Whatwrath is this against[me] an innocentperson?
0 Lord, [who art] mercifulto the humble,
Regarding[me] as thy servant,
Protect[me thy] servant,
0 Life of Yraj, I beseech
thee! 8
ct S;
l, 41
i, 41*
i
?Ani6
i, 41
i, 41
B clMl cMMl, 41 c>

, -il ^, 41
in§|, 41o
sj^, 41<>
cTi^ /HI^TM,41o
i^, 41 o.
, 41 o
cTtHim <^ î ^j ^°
"HÎ^-flîrj 3l>i ri@f 41o
<Hloii
-iy\ll, ai ^fcT^HiÎ, 41
<n<lHl,41o
116 HISTORY OF THE SECTOP MAHARAJAS.
, 41 o
l Hl'cM, 41 o
ill 4lT£, 41o
, 41 o
41 o
cl^fl, 4)o
[_TEAI<rSLATIO]Sr
OPTHEABOYE.j
Gallant Lord !
If you tarry a while, I'll tell you a tale.
On your account,I havewastedmy body:
Since meeting at Yranda,
I havebeensufferingfrom anxiouslonging and hankering;
To whom shall I speakof the pangs of separation?
How can I suppressthe inward flame?
Bewildered do I roam in the woods;
I do not feel a moment'srest day or night ;
The whole village reckonsme as mad.
How can I expressadequatelymy agony ?
My heartburnswith a longingand hankeringdesire;
Constantecho runs in my ears;
Our souls are threaded together.
I cannot expressthe uneasinessof my mind ;
Prom window to window, to and fro, I run.
How long shall I suffer from such eagerness?
Thou- the gemof [my] forehead,adeptin all secrets,
What shall I sayto thee?
As thou hast loved me, now fulfil thy pledge;
Eeject not one who has sought thy protection :
Thou mayst possessa thousandlike myself ;
[But] I cannotexist without thee;
The sound of any one pleasesme not :
My eyesbeing enticed, now where can I go ?
From top to toe you are full of beauty and perfection.
"Who could have made thee so beautiful ?
Thou smilestsweetly,glancingasidej
Thy wink as a daggerwoundedmy heart,

Thesoundof thy flutebreatheswoesof separation:
How can the weaker sex preservetheir modesty?
The diseasedcan only feel the agony of pain ;
Other diseasesare nothing when comparedwith this.
Let peoplesaywhat theymay, but thou art my Lord ,*
0 Lord of Daya,I amthy servant.
n
fcu
34a<j
01
II
-11
^ II
*U$QI n
cu -iUl i6 ^^ ll
n
n ^HI^ ^ Sinl£? II
II
II
118 .HISTORYOP THE SECTOF MAHARAJAS.
1-S2
VU
[TKANSLATION
OFTHEABO
YE.3
If yon stopa while, I'll tell you a tale.

"Whydo you turn your facefrom me?
I have not fulfilled the word I gave,
And this I believe has offendedyou :
I'll offer an apology, should you listen to it :
It's no fault of mine, do you see:
In my appearanceI am a young married girl ;
And being of the weaker sex, I am very meek.
My husband'srelations all keep a watch over me ;
My married one would not, if I go out, but follow me ;
Kb false pretence would stand before my husband'ssister.
If I go to bearwater, or sell the productsof the dairy,
My companionsare in crowd with me.
Therefore,I havedelayedfor want of an opportunity:
We should dread the wicked people.
Do not think I am proud of my beauty ;
It's nothing when comparedwith yours.
Since we have exchangedglances,
I have dedicatedto you my bodyand mind ;
I cannot relish food at dinner,
Nor can I get sleep when I lie down ;
My heartburnswithin itself day and night ;
WRSEIP AND PSALMODY. H9
I have no rest on account of your separation:

There is no other fault but this.
If an opportunity occurs happy we shall be ;
All the day this is the only thought engaging my mind.
But opportunity offers itself to-day;
My husbandleavesfor a foreigntown;
My husband's .sisteris sentbackto the houseof herhusbandto-dayj
To dispose
of theproductsof the dairy is my important business.
Come,therefore, early at sunset,
To the grove of Bamilatt, where we shall meet;
Take no companionwith you,
And I too will not bring any.
Thus they both met
And sportedto their completesatisfaction:
The cnerisherof Daya was delighted,
And conqueredthe unconquerable cupid.
It is the fatal result of the grossand indecentreligion thus

inculcated andpractisedby the Vallabhacharyans, that females
arerenderedcallousto the moral degradationinto whichthey
arebetrayedby their religious preceptors. Thesepreceptors
imbue their teachings with the idea that all emanatesfrom
the highestsonrceof spiritual inspiration, they themselves
beingabsolutelyits full impersonationuponearth; and their
doctrinesimpressivelyinculcatingthat they areevensuperior
to the Divinity himself,because,
although ostensiblythe mere
mediumof communication betweenhim and the worshippers,
theycansavewhen it is beyondthe powerof the god,and
can grant absolution and ensure pardon to the positive cer-
tainty of their votaries eventually enjoying the delights of
paradise. The moral nature of the devoteesbeing thus
controlledand subjugated,they succumbslavishlyto the in-
fatuation,unconscious of the foul snareinto which they fall;
and under the suppositionthat they obtain honour and
spiritual exaltationby immoral contact with theseincarna-
tions of deity, lend themselves willingly to minister to their
corrupt pleasures.
120 HISTOET OF THE SECTOF MAHARAJAS,
The MaMrdj is invited to the housesof the Yaishnavas

when they are sick or on the point of death: in the latter
case,he putshis foot on the breast of the dying person,with
a view to free him from sin, and receives, in return for the
blessingshe thus confers,from ten to a thousandrupees.
In Bombayalonethere are from forty to fifty thousand
Vallabhachdryans.We may thereforeform someconception
of the manner in which the depravity of which we have
spokenpei^colatesthrough this community, which, as we have
beforeseen,consistsof the mostwealthy andmostintelligent
inhabitants; and to how much greater an extentit mayin-
directly corrupt societyby its contaminatinginfluence. The
Vaishnavasare strictly prohibited from showing to the fol- "
lowersof other sectsthe bookcontainingthe amorouspoetry,
and, indeed,all the booksissuedby the Maharajas.
The preliminary initiation of the Vallabhach&ryans com-
mencesvery early in life. The first instruction takesplace
at the age of two, three, or four years. The child is then
taken to the Maharaj, who repeats to it the " Astakshar
Mantra/' or formula of eight letters, viz., ^ftâsj;
1 23
^Tj
45078
3T*T
S f
(SWKrishna sharnanammama),that is, "Sri Krishna is my
refuge." This the child is madeto repeatafter the Mah&raj,
who then passesround its neck a string with tulasi (ocymum
sanctum)or grassbeads,called kanthi or necklace;andthen
the ceremonyis complete. The secondinitiation, called
samarpana,which signifiesconsignment,takes place in the
caseof a maleat the ageof elevenor twelveyears. He then
becomesa full member of the sect, and is fitted for the duties
of life. In the caseof a female, it takes place upon her
marriage,or shortly previous. This celebratedsamarpana>
or
absoluteself-dedication to Krishna, and his incarnation, the
Mah&r&j,is also known as Brahm-sam'bandha,
which means
connectionwith BKAHMA(the SupremeBeing). Thevotary
WORSHIPAND PSALMODY 121
is requiredto repeatit daily, mentallyand alone,after bath-

ing, and it may not be recited to any one. It is in Sanskrit,
and its form is as follows :-
ii <* ii
TRANSLATION".
" Om ! S'ri Krishna is my refuge. I, who am suffering the in-

finite pain and torment produced by enduring, for a thousand mea-
suredyears, separationfrom Krishna, do to the worshipful Krishna
consecrate my body, organs of sense,life, heart, and other faculties,
and wife, house, family, property, with my own self. I ain thy
slave, 0 Krishna. n *
For the performance of each of these ceremonies, the

Maharajis paid a fee in money,which is not usuallyre-
stricted to the prescribed amount, but is ordinarily accom-
paniedwith collateralpresents,depending"uponthe opulence,
position,or devotionof the votary. Its technicalnameis the
bhetyor present.
This samarpana> which professedlyabsolvesfrom all sins
previouslycommitted,is deducedfrom the Siddhdnta-rahasya,
andincorporates the dedicationthere referredto. It is not a
'barrenprinciple, it must bear fruit; as the preceptorsays:
" To eachof us (himself a Krishna) you thus offeryour body,
your soul,your wives, your sons,your daughters, your body,
mind and property. Before you enjoyany portion of dhan,
youmustofferit, him or her, to your god personifiedinus."f
The newfull sectarythus goesforth, although disencum-
beredof his sins,yet heavily burdenedmorally, andwithout a
claim to any possession
; for in this formality he hasrenounced
everypossession
to his Maharaj. He goesforth to repeathis
* Translated"byDr. John "Wilson.
f Speech
of Mr. T. C.Ansteyin the Libel Case.
122 HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS,
mantra,whilstnumbering
thebeadsof his rosary,whichcon-
sistsof onehundredand eight, madeeitherof the stemof the
tulasi plant or sandal-wood. He is marked on his forehead
with two perpendicular
red lines,whichconverge
in a semi-
circle (with a red spot in it) at the root of the nose. These
marksaredaily renewedafterbathing. He goesforth thusto be
recognisedby his brothersectarians,
whomutuallysaluteeach
other with hands raisedto the face and the palms united,
exclaiming,,
JcnjaSriKrishnaor Jaya Gopdla,
Victoryto Sri
Krishna! Victory to Gopala! He goesforth with these
marks upon him to be recognised as the enthusiasticdevotee
of the Maharoj,to whomlie hasdesecrated
thepurity of his
home, under the terrible threat of the denial <(of the deli-
veranceof his soul,and of its re-absorptioninto the divine
essence;" under the threat here, also, of excommunication
from all intercourse with his fellow devotees,and under the
prohibition of enjoyingfood, or participationin the worship
of his idol. His contemptcan be purged only by presents
and submission,or by the strong act of renunciation of the
sect, which few have the moral courageto resolveupon,
chained as they are by the relations of life, or the artificial
bondageof a conventionalconditionof society.
The woman goesforth a ruined victim. Sheis undoneby
the obscenitieswhichshehaswitnessedandpractised,through
the dissolutenessof the Mah&r&j,whom shehasbeentaught
to solicit by meansof everypossibleartificeandblandishment,
and by enticingpresents. Sheconceives herselfto havebeen
honouredby the approachof her god, to whoselust shehas
joyfully submitted. Her wholenatureis thus corrupted.
After receivingthis initiation, it is incumbentuponthe
votarytovisit the temples
at Gokuland&ri Nathadw&r
at
least once in their lives. Having done so, the greatest
devoteesbecomesmarjddis,*and can then be attendedonly
* Devoted
to the worshipof the god.
WOESEIPAND PSALMODY. 123
by suchpersonsas shall have alsovisited the sametemples.

The mereperformanceof samarpanais not sufficient to attain
this object,for "such disciplesmay eat only from the hands
of eachother. The wife, or the child, that has not exhibited
thesamemark of devotioncanneither cookfor sucha disciple,
nor eatin his society."*
The followersof these Mah&r&jashave usually in their
houses an imageof Krishna and a small book or woodencase
containingportraitsof Krishna in variousattitude^ aswell as
of Vallabhacharya and someof his descendants, which they
worshipafter the morning ablutionsand bath. The image
represents a young child, and the worshipconsistsin playing
beforeit with toys and childish,trifles. But previously to
this worship,the suppositionschild mustbe arousedfrom the
slumbersof the night by the ringing of a bell. It is then
bathedand dressed, and offeringsof fruit and otherthings are
placedbeforeit; a lampis wavedbeforethe image,the light
beingproducedby the combustionof clarifiedbutter; a rosary
of one hundred and eight beads is gone over, and with the
numberingof eacha repetitionis madeof the mantraof eight
letters, asfollows:-Sri Krishna s/iarnanammama(Sri Krishna
is my refuge). After this the thdJsurji(idol) is placedon his
bed,and the votary takes his morning repast, and proceeds
aboutthe usual routine of his daily avocations.
Theseare the chief ceremonies
of worship, and it will be
seenthat they aredeeplyimpregnatedwith the vice inherent
in the doctrines on which the ceremonial is framed. It must
astonisheveryonethat such debasingpracticesshould pro-

ceedfrom the religious codeof intelligent, if not educated,
persons;and thosewho are accustomedto think and to test
everythingby reasonand commonsense,canscarcelybelieve
that suchfanaticismcan exist in an enlightenedage. India
wasthe centreof civilization for ages,while otherportionsof
* H. H. "Wilson's Works,
124 ' HISTOKYOFTHE SECTOFMAHAEA7AS.
the world were in a state of barbarism; and it is therefore

the more remarkable that it should be the locale of this
pestilentialmoralmiasma,
whichthe rapid andalmostuni-
versal spreadof intelligencehas failed to dissipate. The
existenceof so foul a plague-spotwould suggestthat our
moral nature has its antithetical phases,and, like the lumi-
nariesof the sky, is now at its zenith and now at its nadir;
and that the absoluteprogressionof our race, without Divine
aid, is but an idle dream and a baselesshope. It would
almost seem to be the duty of the rulers, of the realm of
India to prohibit thesepractices,in the interestof our com-
mon humanity*leavingto publicopinionthe delicatetask of
correctingmeresocialfollies and aberrations. Our govern-
ments may be legitimatelyheld to be guardiansof publio
morals. At any rate, the effortsof philanthropistsfor the
enlightenmentand reformationof India shouldbe increased
a hundred fold.
CONSEQUENCESOF VALLABHACHABYAN TEACHING-. 125
CHAPTEE VII.
EFFECTS OF THE DOCTRINES AND WORSHIP OF
THE VALLABHACH^RYANS. P
ALTHOUGH
in tlie precedingchapterswe haveincidentally
adverted
to the naturaleffectsof the dissolute
teachings
of
Vallabhacharya
and his immediatedescendants,
and of the
commentators who have endeavoured to elucidate the tenets
of the sect,we shall here briefly recapitulatethem, and
showat oneview the tendencyof the teachingsthemselves
andthe banefuleffectof the ceremonialwhich has grownout
of them.
One of the most conspicuouseffects of the doctrines and
ceremonialis to draw away the attention of the sectarians
from the knowledgeof the true God. The superstitions
whichtheMah&rajas
haveintroduced,
to subserve
their pur-
poseof controllingthe consciences
of their adherents,lead
themto seeGodonlyin their religiousguides,andtoworship
them,as absoluteimpersonations
of the Deity. " According
to theoldBrahminical
tenet,"developed
in thephilosophical
Upanishads
onwhichthe Ved&ntasystemis founded,"Brahma,
the all containingand Indestructible, the Soul of which the
Universeis the Body, abidesfrom eternity to eternity as the
fontalsourceof all spiritualexistence:reunionwith Brahma,
absorptioninto Brahma,is the beatitudefor which every
separatedspirit yearns,andwhich after animatingits ap-
pointedcycleof individuated
living organisms,
it isultimately
destinedto attain. This,then, is the pureand sublimenotion
126 HISTOBYOPTHE SECTOF MAHAEAJAS.
of thereunionof all spiritsthat animateliving but perishable

formswith the EternalSpirit,not limited by form,debased
into a sexual and carnal coition with the most sensuousof
the manifestations or 'avatars' of God The religion
whichthusdegrades the pureideaof spiritualreunionwith
Godinto the grossrealityof carnalcopulationwith its here-
ditaryhighpriesthood,appearsto be sensuous
in all its mani-
e
festations. Eds Lild, or amorousdalliance/ is held forth as
thehighestblisshere; EdsLild is the principalemployment
of Paradisehereafter:oneof the many amatorynamesof the
Mahar4j is the ' Oceanof Eds Lila/ and when a Mahdraj
expireshe is not saidto die,but to extend himself to an im-
mortality of Eds Lild." *
" If thesethings are sanctionedby the authoritativeworks
of the religious sect; if reunionwith God is figured under
the emblem of sexual intercourse; if love for God is illustrated
by the lustful longing of an adulteressfor her paramour; if
paradiseis spokenof asa gardenof amorousdalliance; finally,
if the hereditaryhigh priestsof the sect are directedto be
worshippedasgodsandreverenced asthe incarnationsof God,
it is not a matterof surprisethat the ordinary devoteesshould
make little practical distinction between Krishna and the
Mahdrdj-that they shouldworshipthe Mahdrdj with blind
devotion,and that their wives and daughtersshould freely
give themselves up to Ms embraces,in the belief that they are
therebycomminglingwith a god." f
Multitudes of the populace,therefore,servilely sxibmitto
all that thesepriestsmay choseto dictate; and they yield
themselves passivelyto thesedelusions,
which obtain an entire
ascendancy over them. They are so subduedby this moral
andintellectualparalysis,
andso thoroughlydebased by the
apprehensionof the consequences
of thwartingtheir priests,
that theyhavenowill to exertin resistance
to thedebasing
* Judgment
of Sir Joseph
Arnoutd. f Ibid.
CONSEQUENCES
OF YALLABHA'CEAEYAIS"TEACHING. 127
practices
which,the Mah&r&jas hayeintroduced,in supreme
contemptof their abjectand deyotedfollowers.Were the
Mahirajas,as the Jesuitswere, an intellectual and highly
educatedclass,we might conceiveof such a subjectionto
them; but the instancesof culture among thesemen are so
extremelyrare, and their spiritual ascendancyis so entirely
maintainedasa hereditaryright, without any respectto their
characteror qualificationsfor the sacerdotaloffice,that there
is nothing by which we can accountfor the influencethey
exercise. That men who, in the ordinary businessof life, and
in their daily intercoursewith others, are acuteand intelli-
gent,quick to perceivetheir rights and persistentin main-
taining them, should submitto be the victims and the dupes
of thesepriests,and should adoptand allow the vile practices
theyhaveintroduced,is a mystery which we are unableto
solve,exceptby a referenceto the power of superstitionto
enthral the mind. It may be laid down as an axiom, that we
aremoreusuallyand effectivelyactedupon by what is near
thanby whatis remote. In the daily and hourly agitations
of society,we seemen act both deliberatelyand impulsively,
uponproximateinstigations,withoutweighing thepossibilities
of distantconsequences and contingencies.And, in this case,
the threatof being born a thousandtimes as a dog, a serpent,
an ape,or an ass, after passingfrom this life, makes the
deludedfollowersof this superstitionthe serfsof the priests,
whosewills they slavishlyobeyevento the extentof suffering
the mosthideoushumiliation. Hope alsocomesto thehelp of
fear; andthe futile promisethat they shall pass,without any
interveningtransmigration,direct to Goloka,excitesin the
mindsof theVaishnavasa strong desireto give to their priests
valuablepresents,and blinds themto the degradationto which
they aresubjectedin their familiesby their craft and lust.
Uponthe females,who are entirely destitute of education,
andwho live in a climatewhich early developes the passions,
and in a moral atmospherein many respectsunfavourable to

purity and delicacy,the superstitionhas still more baneful
effects.By it a doorisopened
to everytemptinginducement,
and for the outlet of a flood of evils. Where there is no
knowledge
of moralturpitude,the females
of the country
yieldto theirworstimpulses,
andthink that theyare doino-
right. Theyaretaughtby their parentsandfriendsto obey
their ownnaturalpromptings,andto submitunhesitatingly
to thosesolicitationsfrom without, compliance
with which has
the promise of both temporal and spiritual reward. The
explanation
hereis easierthan in the caseof the man;for
althoughwoman,normally,hasperhapsa keenerperception
of right and wrong than man, her intelligenceis enfeebled
by the want of educationand enlightenedsociety,and the
forceof exampleand the powerof precept. Thusshealmost
necessarily
becomesthevictimof herownexcitedimagination.
Hindus! weexhortyou to educateyourfemales,
thatyou
mayhavea virtuousprogenyfrom a pureanduncontaminated
source;for, underthecircumstances
wehavebeencompelled
to narrate, often to our utter disgust,a man cannotbe sure
that Iris child is his own,and not the offspringof a licentious
voluptuary. Virtue is inherent in the femalebreast,and if
duly nurtured,like a fair tree properlycultivatedand tended,
will in its seasonyield its noblecrop of cheeringblossomand
sustainingfruit. Abjure the degradingtenets that debase
you; arouseyourselvesto the dignity of manhood,and cast
the chain from your necks. Trample down this vile priest-
hood into the mire they create around you, and raise your-
selvesto the positionyour intelligencefits youto hold. Divest
your femalesof the notionthat intercoursewith the Maharajas
is an honour, and that amorous connection wit}* them is bliss.
Makctthem renouncethis vile superstition. Claim them as
yourownonly,andbindthemto yourselves andyourfamilies
by the strongandhallowedties of conjugal,parental,and
CONSEQUENCES
OFTALLABEA'CH
ARYANTEACHING. 129
affection. Let not your homeshave the scentof the

ities of the temple,whoseodourshould be disgustingto
nostrils.
other conspicuous result of the effect of the precepts

satedby the Mahar&jasis the formation of the " Eds
Lalis." These are " carnallove meetings/* The institu-
if it maybe so called,or rather the practice,is derived
the accountof the H£s Lild, the ancient mythological
of the gopis,or femalecowherds,mixing, dancing,and
aingpassionately enamouredof Krishna. The meetings
jsesocietiesare held privately at the residence of some
dox and rich Yaishnavas. They take place in the
ng, and at them are read stories from "The Tales
e Eighty-four Vaishnavas/' and from " The Tales of
Vo Hundred and Fifty-two Vaishnavas,"which pro-
to relate respectively the histories of the converts of
hhlcharyaand of Vithalndthji. We havehad occasion,
.r chapteron the doctrines of the Mahdr&jas,to quote
of these licentious narratives, to which we refer our
rs backfor illustration, not choosingto cite any more
such prurient sources. The reading of thesebooks
3sandstimulatesthe passions,andwemay be preparedto
it what must follow. Indeed, it is very questionable
ler this stimulationis not the ostensibleand main object
3meeting,ratherthan any religiousmotive. Theseread-
principallyfor the purposeof exciting concupiscence, is
eatedby the religion. Friendly Vaishnavastake their
j, andpossiblyfemalesof their acquaintance, with themto
meetings,andadiscourseon mattersof loveandaffection
id. It is not to be supposed that thesesocietieshaveany
iblance to the Platonic concourse of the middle ages*
led the Cours d'Amours, a Parliament of Love, which pro-
.cedits "arrets," or sentencesdetermining casesof con-
.ce,or propounded
ingenioussubtletiesfor discussion.No!
130 HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAHABAJAS.
These
meetings
areof a practicalcharacter,
withhut a step
from word to deed. To them sweetmeatsare taken, which
are consecratedto the books, after reading, and these
theyput bit by bit into eachother'smouth,eachfeeding
another's wife.
"The wife of oneVaishnavawill put a morsel into the

mouth of another Vaishnava, who, in return, does the same
to her, with all the practical manifestations of the most ardent
love. After they haveexhausted
the sweetsof thesepre-
liminaries, the intoxication of delight so overpowersthem,
and they become so enrapt with the ardour of the love that
inflamesthem, that, forgetting the earth and its platitudes,
they ascend to the very summit of celestial beatitude, and
blendtogetherin the ecstacyof superlativebliss."
"Wehavebut given a paraphrase of what this passage
says
in plainer and unmistakable
language. "Wewill proceednow
to some of the rules which regulate the Eds Mandali. These
direct that if onemaleVaishnavawishto enjoythe wife of an-
other Vaishnava,the latter shouldgive him that liberty with
great delight and pleasure. Wot the slightest hesitationis to
be -made. It is a primary condition that a Vaishnava who
wishesto be a memberof this Mandali shouldjoin it together
with his wife. The Vaishnava who has no wife, or who has not
beenmarried,canalsojoin the Mandali, and enjoythe wives
of other Vaishnavas. There are two or three such Rds
Mahdalisin Bombay,and they are found in other parts of

India whereVaishnavas dwell. Capt. McMurdo, the Resident
in Kutch, has noticed the Eds Mandali. He.says:-"The
well known Eds Mandalisare very frequentamongthem (the
Bhdttias) asamongother followersof Vishnu. At these,per-
sonsof both sexesand all descriptions,high and low, meet
together; and, under the name and sanction of religion,
practice every kind of licentiousness."
It is not to be supposedthat the Mah&r&jaspermit their
CONSEQUENCESOF VALLABHA'CHARYAN TEACHING.
votariesto havethe exclusiveenjoymentof theseRas Man-

dalis;for thiswouldbe an act of self-denial,
not consistent
with their tenets. They themselvesperform the part of
Krishna with the gopis, and representthe Ras Lila. It
occursin onepart of the evidencein the Libel Casethat the
enactmentof this "amorous sport" may be witnessedupon
thepaymentof a fee,andoneof thewitnesses
hadactually
paidthefeeto seeit performedbetweenthe Mahardj,as
Krishna,anda youngBhdttidgirl.
132 HISTOEYOF THE SECTOP MAHAKA7AS.
CHAPTER VIII.
PEOFLIGACY OF THE MAHARAJAS.

<t
OURwhole narrative has been scarcelyanything hut one

continuousrecital of the profligacy, debauchery,and licen-
tiousness of the notorious Maharajas. They find their in-
fatuatedvotaries suchwilling victims, that their unresisting
weaknesstendsto perpetuateand aggravatethe evil; for all
propensities,
goodandhad,by theveryforceof habit,become
strengthenedand confirmed. "We cannotwonder,then, that
theseMah&rajas,accustomed from infancy to be treatedwith *
veneration,and to have every desire immediatelyand pro-
fuselymet andgratified,shouldnot desistfrom practicesthat
have become bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh.
Nurtured in indolence and sensuality, with the barest smat-
tering of education,what can it be expectedthey shouldbe-
comebut the precociouspractitioners of every depravity?
Accustomedto delicatenurture, the choicestviands, the richest
habiliments,the smilesof women,and the abjectand debasing
servility of men, they unwittingly becomegrosssensualists;
and the greatwonderis, that, in the continuouspracticeof so
much debaucheryand dissipation,they should live even to the
ageof manhood. Comparativelyfew of them reachold age.
The Maharajas must be often well-favoured,to inspire
womenwith so strong a passionas to purchaseintercourse
with them at any cost,as they have sometimesdone; for this
surelycannotalwaysbe traced to a religioussource,but must
often arise from depravedsensuality. Women have been
PEOFLIGACY
OFTHEMAHABAJAS. 130
knownto partwith their personal

ornaments
to purchase
in-
tercourse
withthese priests;and,uponreturninghome,they
havepretendedto their husbands,or to the elders of the
house,
thattheornaments
werelostin thecrushofthethrong
whichpressed
to payadorationto the imageof the idol. The
Mah&rSjas
aresolicitousto obtainthe notice of all their female
votaries;but only their particularfavorites,or the excep-
tionalcharmsof a beautifulfemalenovice,speciallyallure
them. Thattheymaynot loseanyopportunityof-fascinating,
they go to the temple attired in the choicestraiment, from
whichstreams
the rich perfumeof the unguentsthey have
been anointedwith: they are as odorousand as iridescent
as a parterre of bright colouredand sweetscentedflowers.
Canwe wonder,then, at the infatuation of the females,thus
assailedthrough every sense,and whoseimaginations are
intoxicatedby the desireand expectationof realizing sensuous
connectionwith an incarnate god? Some females, in their
impassioned devotion, dedicate themselveswholly to this
sensualenjoyment; and are so strongly impressedwith its
beneficialand meritorious efficacy,that they dedicatetheir
daughters to the sameservice. It hasoften happened,in the
caseof the sicknessof husbandor child, that, in orderto pro-
cure their recovery, women have vowed to dedicate their
daughtersto the embracesof the priest. But it must be
remembered that females,whenyoung, are alreadyinitiated,
as far assight is concerned,in the alluring mysteriesof this
profligatereligiousfrenzy: they behold from infancy all the
. processes
of the atrocious superstition, and grow up to matu-
rity in the pestilentialatmosphereof moral impurity. They
arethuspreparedfor what follows.
Theprofligacy,debauchery, andlicentiousnesswhichcharac-
terizethesectof Vallabh&chdrya
havebeennoticedby several
distinguished
persons,two or three of whom flourishedsome
hundred
yearsago. D&modar
Sv4mi,a dramatic
writer,com-
134 HISTORYOFTHE SECTOF MAHARAJAS.
poseda SanskritdramaentitledPdkhanda DharmaKhandan

(TheSmashing of HereticalBeligion),in theyearof Samvat
1695(aboutA.D.1639),in whicha distinctreference
toValla-
bhach&ryaand his sectis madeas follows:-
<ft
. f«1MMHUl^
[TKANSLATIOIST
or THEABOYE.]
" The Siitradhara(saysto the USTati)
:- 0 dear, the Vedaahave
fledsomewhere
; no oneknowsthestoryof their flight (Le.whither
theyhavegone). The collectionof the Sankhya,Yoga,and tho
Puranas,
hassunkinto the bowelsof the earth. ]STow,
young
damsels,,
look to the self-dedication
preached
by ShrimatVallabha
Yittaleshvara,
whohasconspiredtofalsifythemeaning
of theYedas.
" EntersaYaishnava,havingonhis neck,ear,hand,head,and
aroundhisloins,a wreathmadeof the Vrinda(Ocymum Sanctum,
PROFLIGACYOF THE MAHA1UJAS. 135
or Tulsi),havingonhis forehead
Gopichandana,
(a substitute
for
sandalwood). He is onewhorepeats
Eadha!Krishna! Being
opposed
totheShruti,
heis thereproaohor
of those
whoadhere
to
the Yedas, He findsat everystepcrowdsof femalesfilled by fcdma
(lustorcupid).Heisthekisser
of female
Vaishnavas.
YeVaish-
navas,yeVaishnavas,
heartheexcellent
andblessed
Taishnava
doc-
trine:'theembracing
andclasping
with thearmsthelarge-eyed
damsels,
gooddrinkingand eating,makingno distinctionbetween
yourownandanother's,
offering
one'sselfandlifo togurus,is in
the world the causeof salvation.
" Mutual dining, carnal intercoursewith femaleswght and day,
drinking, forming endlessalliances,arc the surpassing,beautiful
customsof the personswho have consecratedtheir souls to Sri
Gokulesha.Charity, devotion,meditation,abstraction,the Yedas,
and a crore of sacrifices,are nothing : the nectarine pleasure of the
worshippers
of thePdduM (wooden-slipper),in S'riGokula,is better
than a thousand other expedients. Our own body is the source of
enjoyment,the object of worship reckonedby all men lit towbe
served. If sexual intercourse do not take place with the Gokulesha,
the paramour of men is useless,like a worm or ashes.
" The chief religion of the worshippers of the PdduM is the con-
secration of a daughter, a son's wife, and a wife, and not the wor-
ship of Brahmanaslearned in the Vcdas, hospitality, the Shrati-dha
(funeral ceremonies),vows, and fastings." *
S&malBhatta,a distinguishedGujar&tipoet,whoflourished
in Gujaratabouta hundred and fifty years ago, in his poem
entitledSudaBoteri (Seventy-twoParrots) makesthe follow-
ing remarksin the twenty-fourth story of the book: -
-ItM II
II
<\{\
* Translated
by Dr. JohnWilson.
136 HISTOET OF THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS.
u
II ^ U
'*ft*v<i II "U'UM M^flni H*H II
""u «iut >!*& iteii II A& $41SS^M
II û u
[TRANSLATION
or THEABOTE.]
In the Yaishnava religion it is said
Kanaya(i.e. Krishna) did this business
-
He gratified sixteenthousand(gopis),
Arflh-actor is his name.
(They) whosehigh priest is Gosaiji,
The headof the Samarpanis(dedicators),
Make overto him their bodies,minds, andwealth,
(And also)their pnre females
'(or wives).
The Yaishnavas among themselvespractice
The observances of the Has Mandali :
The Yaishnavassportamongthemselvesthe spring sports,
Having great love towards each other.
Some Yaishnavas are dark,
Some Yaishnavas are indecent talkers,
SomeYaishnavas are effeminate,
Some(areevenlike) widows.
(They) make foppish seal-impressions,* 1
(And) put on indecent brows ;
They debasetheir appearance by adultery,
Being destroyerof female(virtue).
Another sect is that of Braj ;
Their religion (is) called the husband's religion ;
(Among them) the males (and) females mix together
And do wicked acts.f
Atha Bliagat,a man of distinguishedpiety, who flourished
in Grujarat about the same time, and who was once a follower
of the Mah&r&jas,usedto recite a couplet which has since
becomea proverbial saying among the Gujarati people,and
which is as follows :-
A n \ u
* On their persons-with the gopechandan
or white earth.
t Theattentionof the authorwasdirectedto this passage
by Kalidas.
PKOFLIGACYOF THE MAHARAJAS.
[TBANSLATIOK
OE1THEABOVEJ.
" I adopted
Gokulna*th
for my guru,andthusput a stringin the
nostrilsof an old bullock: one who lightens wealth hut doesnot
lightenthe pressure
(on the heart),- what goodcansucha guru
confer?" »
In theK&vyaDohan(theCreamof Poetry),or Selections

fromtheGujar&tiPoets,wefind tlie followingpiece,written
probablyabouta hundredyears ago, by Krislmardm,a
Gujarati poet:-
HM, Hi^l PUH
[lEANSLATION
OFTHEABOVE].
Having assumed the appearanceof a Vaishnava,
They worshipthe feeblesex.
They hate (the true) religion,
And accomplishthe defamation of Shiva.
HavingbecomeSamarpani(dedicators)(they) indulge
In (the senseof tasteby) eating Sird-pure.
Theyreceivethe consecrated food from their guru,
(And) play with women.
(Thoughts
of having)connection
with otherwomen
Habitually occupy their minds.
Having deckedup their persons,
With ornamentsthey sit.
* K&vyaDohan,pp. 110,111,2ndedition.
138 HISTOEY OF THE SECT OF MAHAEAJAS.
(Their) non-Vaidiktenets
(They) daily readand praise.
The deeds of Krishna Chandra
(They) regardas (if they were their) soul.

They becomethe slaves of impostors,
(To whom they) bow their heads.
The mindsof (these)Shiidra (Yaishnavas)like
To place their faith in Yithal.
SajjanandSwtuni,better known as Sw4miNar&yan,who

flourished,
in Gujarat!aboutsixty yearsago,andfoundeda
new sect, exposedtlie immoralitiescommittedby the Maha-
rajas, and thus inducedthe intelligent portion of the Yaish-
navacommunityto becomehis followers.
Mr. II. Gr.Briggs, the author of " The Citiesof Ghija-
r&shtra,"in tlie eleventhchapterof his work,referringto
SajjanandSw&mi,says:-
" No longer influenced by those dreads which had hitherto inter-
cepted his career, he commencedhis crusade against the Vallallia
I£ula, better known asthe GosainjiMaharaj. He boldly denounced
the irregularities theyhad introducedinto their forms of worship,
andexposed
theviceswhichcharacterized
thelivesof their clergy"
(pp. 237, 238).
In the "Transactionsof the Literary Societyof Bombay"

(nowthe BombayBranch of tlie Hoyal Asiatic Society),vol.
ii.? publishedin the year 1S20,Oapt.McMurdo,Residentin
Katclih, writing about Katchh.and its people,makes refer-
enceto the MaMr&jasas follows:-
" The Bluittuts are of Sindh origin. They are the most numerous
and wealthy merchantsin the country, and worship the Gosainji
Maharajas,of whom therearc many, The Maharajis the masterof
their property, and disposesof it as ho pleases;and such is the
venerationin which he is held, that the most respectable
families
considorthemselveshonouredby his cohabitingwith their wivesor
daughters. The principalMaluiraj at presenton this sideof India
is namedGopiuathji,a man worn to a skeletonand shakinglike a
leaf,fromdebauchery
of everykind, exceptingspirituous
liquors.
PEOIXIGACY OE THE MAHARA7AS.
Heis constantly
in a stateof intoxicationfrom opiumandvarious
otherstimulantswhich theingenuity of the sensualhas discovered.
Hewasoriginallya Brahman"(vol.ii. pp. 230,231).
Mr. Frederick Hall, formerly Professorof the Govern-
mentCollegeat Benares, publishedin. 1854KashiISamah,
oneof thePersian,
worksofthedeceased MunshiShilalSheikh,
in which the author makes a distinct reference to the sect of
the GokulGosains,
or the Maharajas. "Wegive belowthe
text andits English translation:-
^t V T(J*t
140 HISTOET OF THE SECT OF MAHA'BAJAS.
JjjL ^ j\ Jlfl i.£/fc>j];

^fii-Uj
[TEAKSLATIOK
OPTHE
" The Gokul Gosdinjis.- They are generally known (by the name
of) Gokulasth. In all their outward manners they are like the
BandrabanGosaiDs, and they applythe Kaslika (mark madeby the
Hindus on the forehead)in a differentway, and their followersare
mostly Gujarati grocers(or banians),who carry on the businessof
mahajans (or bankers). Pew other people are inclined to become
their followers. Their followers, 'whether men or women at the
time of becoming their followers, make an offering to the guru (i.e.
the spiritual guide) of these three things, namely, body, mind, and
wealth,- that is, for (his) serviceand gratification; and they with-
hold not from him their bodies, hearts, and gold. Men and women
unfailingly go onceeveryday,and someof themthreetimes(daily),
in order to behold the face of their spiritual guide, or the adoredidol.
And, besidesthis, they are so firm in their good faith, that when they
marry,theyfirst sendtheirwivesto their spiritualguidewithout having
made use of them ; and the leavings of their accomplishedguide are
afterwardstastedby the ignorantdisciples. Should any oneof the
disciples hesitate to send his wife as mentionedabove, she becomes,
agreeably to their belief, a barren women, and her husband will not
benefit by her ; and as this dread has disordered the brains of those
foolishpeoplefor a long time, they, from fear,exercisethis obnoxious
act. Besides the newly married wife, should the guide desire the
wife of any followers,as soonas they discoverhis intentionsthey
pro'duceher ; and all these fools regard the wicked and sinful deeds
of their guide as the gambols of Krishna, and, considering their
adoredguide as God, they respecthis words as revelationsfrom
heaven, and concealhis doings. The food and drink of these
(Gosains) are delicious, and luxurious, and most of them are
wealthy/'
PROFLIGACY OF THE MAHARAJAS.
Theimmoralitiesof the Mahdrdjaswereprovedbefore

the Supreme(now High) Court of Bombayin the year
1862. Dr. JohnWilson, who (in the wordsof Sir Joseph
Arnould),"has studiedthe subjectwith that comprehensive
rangeof thought-the resultof variederudition-whichhas
madehis namea foremostoneamongthe living orientalistsof
Europe/'saysin histestimonyasfollows:-
" The sect of Yallabhachdrya is a new sect, inasmuch as it has
selectedthe god Krishna in one of his aspects-thafcof his ado-
lescence,and raisedhim to supremacyin that aspect. It is a new
sect,in as far as it has establishedthe PusMi-mdrga,or way of en-
joyment,in a naturaland carnalsense. The sectis newin its
objects,andnewin its methods. The godKrishnais worshipped
by its members
in the form of images,and in theformof the per-
sonsof their gurus, the so-calledMaharajas. The Maharajis con-
sideredby a great many of his followers as an incarnationof God,
as godincarnate
according
to Hindu notions,whicharepeculiaron
that subject. TheYaUabhacharyans
hold that Yallabhacharyaand
his official descendantsare incarnations of the god Krishna, without
holdingthat thereis a completeembodimentof him in any oneof
them. According to Hindu notions, there have occurred nine in-
carnationsof Yishrm, the last of them being that of Buddha. The
orthodox Hindus do not believe in any incarnations which are said
to havetakenplacebetweenthe time of Buddhaand the presentday.
The Yallabhacharyans, on the contrary, hold that Yallabhacharya
and his descendants
are incarnations of Krishna. They view the
Maharajas intermediatebetweenthemselvesand the godKrishna,
in the senseof being entitled to have his dicta received as equal to
those of Krishna himself. . . . Tan, man, and dhm (in the formula
of Yallabhacharya
initiation) are used in an all-comprehensive
sense
-tan, embracing the body in all its members and functions; man,
referringto mind in all the mental powersand faculties; and dhan,
comprehending all property and possessions,
which haveto be placed
at the disposalof the god through the Maharaj, accordingto the
doctrinesof the sect. I have seenpassages in works publishedby
the Maharajasof the sect,accordingto which the sectariesshould
makeovertheir sons,wives, daughters,and every thing elsebefore
applying them to their own use."
We shallnot dwelllongeruponthis subjectthanto recite

142 HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAELO&JAS.
an extract from the judgment of Sir MathewSausse,in the

Mah&r&jLibel Case:-
"It appears abundantly
from"works
of recognised
authoritywrit-
ten by other Maharajas,and from existing*popular belief in the
Vallabhacharya sect,that Vallabhacharya is believed to hare beenan
incarnationof thegodKrishna,andthat theMaharajas,asdescendants
of Yallabhacharya, have claimed and received from their followers
the like characterof incarnationof that god, by hereditarysucces-
sion. The Maharajashavebeensedulousin identifying themselves
with thegodKrishnaby means
of their ownwritingsandteachings
andby the similarity of ceremonies
of worshipand addresses which
they require to be offeredto themselvesby their followers. All
songsconnected with the god Krishna, which were brought before
us, were of an amorouscharacter,and it appearedthat songsof a
corruptingand licentioustendency,both in ideaand expression,
are
sungby young femalesto the Maharajas,upon festiveoccasions, in
whichtheyareidentifiedwith thegodin hismostlicentiousaspect,
In these songs,aswell as in stories,both written and traditional,
which latter are treatedas of a religious characterin the sect,the
subjectof sexualintercourseis most prominent. Adultery is made
familiar to the minds of all: it is nowhere discouragedor denounced;
but, on the contrary,in someof the stories,thosepersonswho have
committedthat greatmoraland social offenceare commended;and,
in one of them, the actors are awarded the highest position in the
heaven of the Vaishnavas, although for some attention paid on one
occasionto the clearing of a temple of the god. The love and sub-
serviencyinculcatedby the Hindu- religion to be duein a spiritual
senseto the Supreme Being, has been by those corrupt teachings
materialised, and to a large extent transferred to those who claim to
be his living incaraations. It is said to be ceremonially effectedby
a mystic rite, or dedicationof 'mind/ ' property,7and 'body,' (or
man>dhan, and tan\ which is made in childhood by males, but by
females in the ceremonyof marriage ; and a popular belief appears
to exist to a considerable
extent,that this dedicationconfersuponthe
Maharajasabsoluterights overthe 'minds/ ' properties/and 'bodies'
of Iheir followers. The Maharajas,however,appear,uponthe evi-
dence,to have undoubtedly availed themselves of the existenceof
thoseimpressions
to gratify licentiouspropensitiesanda loveof gain.
These doctrines and practices are opposedto what we know of the
original principlesof the ancientHindu religion, which are saidto
be found in the Vedas."
PROFLIGACY
OF THE MAHABXJAS. 143
Theobservations
wehavebeeninducedto makeresultfrom
theimpressions
wehavereceived
in treatingthesubject;and
wefeelconfident
that our readerswill concurwith usin de-
nouncing
theflagrantabuses
wehavepointedout,andhelp
us to hold themup to the indignationof the world. WQ
sincerely
hopethatthispublicexposure
of gross
social
evils
will tendto their ultimateandspeedyabatement.
CHAPTER IX.
OPPEESSIVE EXACTIONS OF THE MAHARAJAS.
SINCEthe Maharajasexercisesuchunlimited spiritual autho-

rity over their adherents,it follows that they should possess
considerabletemporalinfluenceand power. Great personal
respect is paid to them; they are invited to sumptuousenter-
tainmentsby their votaries,are constantlyin the receipt of
valuableand choicepresents,are consultedupon mostmatters
of importance,and their sway over societyis consequently
great. "Whena rumour reachesa town that a Mahardj is
approaching,a large throng of his devotedfollowersgo forth
to meet him, and, forming themselvesinto a procession,he
enters the town with great pomp and jubilation. The most
influential and rich membersof the sectthink it no degrada-
tion to performthe mostmenial officesin his service.
Whoever displeases a Mah&r&jincurs the penalty of ex-
communication, whichis thus carriedinto effect: TheMaharaj
pressesthe most influential personsbelongingto the sectto
interfere in the matter, and a meeting is convened, at which
the conduct of the offending Yaishnava is discussed. As, in
all such cases,the voice of the wealthy and powerful pre-
ponderates; and as thesehavealreadybeenprivately solicited
and won over by the Maharaj, the issueis never doubtful.
The personwho hasincurred the displeasureof the Mahardj
has no alternative but to endure all the pains and penalties of
excommunication, or to makethe mostabjectsubmission,and
atoneby the offer of costlybribes. Any onewho resiststhe
EXACTIONS
OFTHEMAHARAJAS. 145
impositionof a tax which the 'MaTidrajdesiresto levy is

punishedin a lighterway,although,oneequallypowerfulin
its consequences,
for he is prohibitedfrom worshippingthe
image,or the Maharaj,until he submit. It thus happens
that eventhe rich and influentialare oftenkept soliciting
pardon,
andfasting,
at thedoorof thedwellingof theMaha-
raj,for theymaynottakeevenfoodor wateruntil theyhave
paidtheiradoration
to theimageandto the Maharaj,which
theyarenotpermittedto do until theyhavesubmittedto the
imposition,
"After the Europeans
and P&rsis,the Gujarat! community
engross
thelargestportionof thecommerce
of Bombay.They
includeBhattias,M&rwadis,Lowanas,and others. They may
becharacterised
generallyasa communityof shopkeepers,and
havealwaysshownan instinctive aptitude for commerce.. .
By far thelargerportionof this tradingcommunityacknow-
ledgethe Mahar&jas for their spiritual guides. Our whole
KapadBazar,cloth market,is almost exclusivelymonopolized
by the devoutTaishnavas. They deal also very extensively
in cotton,opium,sugar, spices,gold, silver, and in almost
everyimportant article of trade. The Mah&rdjas, taking
advantage of the commercialcharacterof their worshippers*
havesecured to themselvesa permanentsourceof income,by
imposinga tax upon every article or commodityin which
their votariesare trading. How such a tax cameto be im-
posed uponthemis easilylearnt from a little brochurepublished
ten yearsago by the specialauthority of Jivanji Maharaj*
whichfurnishes informationregarding the amountand nature
of the tax that goesto him. It appearsfrom this that, in
1811,when Gokulnathji Maharaj, the ancestorof Jivanji,
cameto Bombay,all the Yaishnavasof the island of Bombay,
collectingin a body,requestedHis Holiness to settle per-
manently withhisfamily *for the purificationof their souls;'
offering,
-atthe sametime,to build a templefor him; andto
10
makearrangementsto meet his expensesin connectionwith

the temple. To securepermanencyto his income,and that,
too, in a way the leastburdensome to his followers,the Mah&-
rdj pitched upon articlesof trade for taxation. Accordingly
agreementswere signed by Bh&ttid, Banid, and Low&na mer-
chants,in which they boundthemselvesto add to the priceof
everyarticle theymight buy or sell accordingto the following
scale:-
AMOUNT Or TAXATION.
1. Silk,sugar,spices,
mefals,sack-1J annaper everyhundred
cloth,cotton,
andopium......... } rupees
of saleeffected.
2. Cloth, silk, cotton, and everyother )
species
..............................
|Dltto-
3.T..,,
Bills
ofexchange,
. drafts,
i /a.etc.
. ...(1anna
rupeesFtransac
per
every
thousan
4. Gold and silver specie ............ Ditto.
5. Bills and speciebrokerage ...... Ditto.
6.Cloth
brokerage
.....................
(± anmPOT ever7 hundred
( rupees transaction.
7. Agencybrokers..................... Ditto.
8. Brokers to European houses...... Ditto.
9. Grain brokers ................... ,. Ditto.
10. Pearls and jewels .................. Ditto.
11. Pearls and jewel brokerage ...... Ditto.
12. Insurance brokers .................. Ditto.
«,,.". annas per every hundred
13. Muccadams ........................
rupees of their income.
14. Every patimar laden with goods \
from Malabar, and consigned to >Es. 1|- per vessel.
a Yaishnava........................ J
15. Every padow(native craft) from \
Raj&pur, and of which the goods >9 annas per vessel.
areconsigned
to aYaishnava
... )
16. Grain of all kinds .................. ] anna per candy.
] 7. Ghi (clarifiedbutter)............... J annaper maund.
18. Oil .................................. .. -J-anna per maund.
19. Bice .............................. ... 1 anna per "muda."
20.Malabar
cloth
.....................
f1
EXACTIONS
OF THE MAHARAJAS. 147
ARTICLES. AMOUNT OP TAXATION,
/'Es. 1£ per jsvery"hundred

21.Dealers
ingold j rupees'
worthof gold
\ bought for trade.
22. Cottonyarn 2 annas per maund.
/ 1 rupee per every hundred
23.Rope " ]( rupees' worthof sale
effected.
24. Iron 1 anna per candy.
25. Pepper,etc 1J annaper cwt.
" It will be seen that there is not an important article of
tradein whichthe Vaishnavasare engagedthat has escaped
the Maha-raj'sclutches. Small and inappreciableas the rate
of Idgd(tax)mayappearon a superficialview, the proceeds
of the whole, when collected together, amount to 50,000
rupees. This large sum goeseveryyear to fill the coffersof
Jivanji, the ownerof the great templein Bombay, and now
one of the richest among the natives of our island,
" But this is not all. It is not enoughthat so muchmoney
goesto oneMaharaj. Other high priestshave comeforward
in succession
to assert their several claims, and to have their
needsuppliedby fresh impositions. For instance,there is a
Idgd on most of the other mentioned articles (the rate of
which, however,is not the same asthat of the first one), which
goes
to provide
for the templeof SriNathjiin Mewar. It
would be tedious to mention the different rates on different
articles. Sufficeit to saythat the proceedsof this secondtax

amountto 80,000rupeesa year, of which the tax on piece
goodsalone,which is one anna per every hundred rupees'
worth of goodsbought or sold,furnishesthe important item
of 42,000rupees,Jivanji Maharaj deriving from this same
sourceabout11,000rupees. The Idgdsappearto have grown
with the growthof the Mah&r&jas'number* Hardly two or
threeyearspassbut a fresh Idgdis sureto be imposed.About
threeyearsagoChimanlalji,Gopkeshji,and Lai Maniji
Mahdrdjas
imposed
threeIdgdsfor their respective
benefiton
14:8 HISTORY OF THE SECTOF MAHARAJAS.
some of the above-mentionedarticles, from which they derive

12,000,5,500,"and 4,500 rupeesrespectivelyeveryyear. The
total amount of the six Idgdswe have now describedis as
follows:-
RUPEES.
For S'ri Mthji 80,000

Jivanji Maharaj 50,000
Chimanlalji ditto 12,000
Gopkeshji ditto 5,500
,t LalManiji 4,500
BabuEarjaji 10,000
Es. 162,000
" Perhapssomeof our readerswill be surprisedto find that
a tax of one anna or half an anna on every hundred rupees
shouldproduceso large an amount. But the fact is that the
rate of tax on every article is doubled, trebled, or quadrupled,
as it passes
"from onemerchantor shopkeeperto another,and
from another to a third, and from a third to a fourth, and so
on, for every Yaishnavamerchantpays his Idgd for what he
buys or sells.
" Upon whomdoesthis burdenof 162,000rupeesfall ? It
is certainthat it doesnot fall upon the orthodoxYaishnavas.
It would be a differentthing altogetherwerethe taxeslevied
on the profit of his trade. The Bhattid merchant is at liberty
to spendwhat he pleasesout of his profits. But it mustbe
bornein mind that the Idgds,or taxes of the Mah&r&jas,are
levied upon articles of trade, and the burden thereforefalls
upon the community at large. The Yaishnava merchant pays
not a farthing. Let us seewhat he does. He buys,saypiece
goods in lump from European merchants, and puts such a
price upon them as will covernot only his profits but all he
has to pay in the shapeof Idgdsto the Mahdr&jas. He has
no fear of his goodsbeing undersold,for his brother mer-
chants, who are alike Vaishnavas, are in similar circumstances.
He is generallya retail aswell as a wholesaledealer. Mer-v
EXACTIONS
OFTHEMAHABAJAS. J49
chantswhobuy goodsfromhim, in payingtheincreasedprice

(increased
on accountof the taxes),pay actuallythe taxes
themselves;
but theylosenothing,sincetheymustselltheir
goodsafca profit, howeverlow. The consumers of the articles
arethe real payersof the Maharajas'taxes. Thus Christians,
Zoroastrians,Mahomedans,and the non-VaishnavaHindus,
are called upon to make this little contribution to the Mahd-
rajas. Again, merchantsfrom Arabia, Persia,or Zanzibar,on
the coastof Africa, buy piece goodsand other articleson a
very extensivescalefrom the Bh&ttia dealers; and they, too,
.pay for the Mah&r&j'simposition. These merchants,how-
ever,suffernothing from it, for they chargeit uponthe price
of the articlesthey sell to the peopleof Arabia, Persia,and
Zanzibar,as the casemay be. Foreign consumers, therefore,
certainly,though unconsciously,comein for a shareof the
holy tax." *
Thus the power and influence of the Mahar&jasis col-
laterally aided by their wealth, which tends to increasethe
respectin which they are held, especiallyby the populace,
with whom a poor priesthoodis usually an objectof ridicule
or contempt.
Men holding societyby the throat with so powerfula grasp
as theseMaharajas,for the gratification of their evil passions
andpropensities,
would be dangerousto societyat large,were
there not firm laws which impose limits upon their power.
Of their misdeeds,
so long asthey are kept within the bounds
of their sect, and are limited to such acts as affect only their
devotees,the law takes no notice, for these are private wrongs
of whichthe law takes no cognizance,if the individualwho
sufferschoosesto submit to them. If, however, its protection
be claimedit will vindicate its supremacy. The Mah&r&jas
are careful not to attempt to exerciseauthority in such a
manner
aswouldbringthemwithin thegraspof thelaw; but
* <Ttow of India, February 1, 1862.
150 HISTOEY OF THE SECTOF MAHARAJAS.
tlaeprivate -wrongsthey inflict are nevertheless

of sufficiently
gravea characterto be held up to public censure. Although
all-powerfulwithin their own area and pale,their sacerdotal
characterdoesnot exemptthem from the castigationof intelli-
gent .opinion.
We purposegiving a few instancesof their misconduct,
which might not otherwisecomeclearlyto the knowledgeof
the public.
"Abou-t twenty-sevenyears ago, when Sir Henry (then
Colonel)Pottinger,wasthe Residentat Katchhja Mahar&j
from Katchh despoiledthe housesof theVaishnavas of Sindh:
this manhad twenty-twoMussulmansepoys in his pay; andfor
disguise,wepresume,he kept;his beardlike that of a Mussul-
man, .After robbingthe Vaishnavasof somevillagesbetween
Luckpat andTera,he startedfor Katchh Mdndavi,the inhabi-
tants of which communicated the intelligenceto the Resident
through DevanLakhmidds,meht&of that place. Upon this
the Resident sent a military guard, and directed that the
Maharaj shouldnot be permittedto enterthetown. Accord-
ingly, whenhe cameto within two milesof the place,he was
informedthat he wouldbe punishedif heremainedwithin the
boundariesof Katchh. Upon this the Maharaj immediately
fled."
"Another Mah&raj(whodiedin Bombayabouttwelveyears

.ago) went once to Katchh M&ndavi. Here he found a person
who had a claim againstoneHansdTilv&niv&lla. Thisclaim
was barred by law, and the man therefore made over the bond
to the Mahdraj,and told him so. The Mahardjimmediately
sent for Hansd Tilvaniv£ll& and demanded the money from
him. The poorman statedthat he wasnot legally boundto
pay the money,and that, besides,hewasin impoverishedcir-
cumstances, and couldnot. Hereupon,the Mahar&j,without
attendingto what he had said,madehim lie all dayin the sun*
and had a large stoneplacedon his breast."
EXACT10HSOF THE MAHA'RAJAS.
" In anothercase,aboutthreeyearsago,a subscription

list
wassetonfootby ChimanjiMaharajfor the purposeof con-
structinga greattemple. In that list manyVishnavashad
willingly contributedlarge sums; but others, who had at-
tachedbutsmallsumsagainsttheir names, hada greatdeal
of zulum(tyranny)practiseduponthem by the Mahdraj.
To extortlargecontributionsfrom them,they werethreat-
enedwith the closingof Chimanji'stempleagainstthem.
Somewereactuallyconfinedin the temple. ^The same
Maharajthrew one of his worshippersfrom a staircaseof
his house,
andtherebyinflicted great personalinjury upon
him."
Authority hasbeen exercisedin other casesin a similar

manner,for the purposesof extortion; but the personalinjury
"inflicted
in thiscasewould.havebroughttheMahdrajwithin
reachof the law if the votary had chosento claim its pro-
tection.
" In anothercase,Grokuleshadhishji Mah&rajthought right

to. possess
himself of the house of one Manikbai, widow of
Kali&nji Okhai, late mukkadam to Messrs.Graham and Co.
After confiningher in his temple for somelength of time, he
forcedher to deliver to him all the documentsrelating thereto,
and extortedfrom her a writing to the effectthat shehad of
her own free will made over the house to the Maharaj as a
gift. Sometime after, the widow sued the Maharaj in her
Majesty'sSupremeCourt, and when the casewas about to
comeon, the Maharaj caused a private settlementto be
made,he making over to her the deed of the house(worth
about12,000rupees)and receiving from her 1,500 rupeesin
consideration."
Herethereligionof the votarydidnotsheltertheattempted

robbery;butit wasapity the actionwascompromised, aswe
haveno doubtthe SupremeCourtwouldhavestronglyex-
pressed
itself uponthe nefarioustransaction. But we presume
152 HISTOEY OF THE SECT OP MAHARAJAS.
the plaintiff wasinducedby castereasons

to foregothe pursuit,
and was content to recover her own even at a cost.
" Again (and as the last instance we shall adduce, and to

which we shall have occasion to advert in a subsequent
chapter), about five years ago all the Maharajasof Bombay
frameda documentwhich becamesubsequently celebratedas
the ' SlaveryBond.' In this slaverybond it was statedthat
no Vaishnavashould servethe Maharajaswith summonsto
appearin a court of justice; that a fund shouldbe raisedfor
the purposeof trying to get an act passedin the Legislative
Councilby which no Mahfiraj could be summonedbeforea
court of justice; and if, during the interval, a Mahdr&jwere
servedwith a summonsby an outsideparty, the Vaishnavas
should undergo any expenseto put a stopto it; that, if any
VaishnavawroteagainsttheMaharajas,he should,be punished
by his castepeople."
" The Vaishnavaswere not at all willing to sign sucha
rigorously framed document; but when, for eight daysto-
gether,the Mah&r4jasclosedthe doorsof their templesagainst
them, and did not allow any Vaishnava to seetheir faces,all
the Vaishnavashetssignedthe document. Someof the shets
werealtogetherunwilling to do so,but they becameafraidof
the Maharajas,and at last signedthe (SlaveryBond.'"*
The inference to be drawn from these instances is that the
Mahdrdjas,if resistedin their tyranny, wouldbe controlled;

but while their infatuated votaries receive the dogma of the
creed they follow, that theseMah&rajasare the incarnations
of Krishna, and adhere to the dedication of tan, man, and
dhan,they must necessarily remain the victims of theseart-
ful, crafty, and dissolutepriests.
* A pamphleton the
THEMAEAEA7AS
IN DIFFICULTIES. 153
CHAPTER X.
THE MAHA'BA'JAS IN DIFFICULTIES.
IT might havebeenforeseenthat power suchas that exer-

cisedbytheMah&r&jas,
restingon hereditarysuperstition
of
themostdebasingcharacter,and maintainedby craft and
cunning,must ultimately be overthrown. It wasimpossible
that an authority having no other support could continue
whenthe light of intelligencewas thrown upon it. It must
necessarilyexpire amidst the ridicule and scorn of thoseto
whomits true characteris shown. The impending fall of an
illegitimatebut long continued domination, arbitrary and
tyrannousin its pressureon the consciences of men, is often
acceleratedby strange and unexpected circumstances. And
thus it is with the powerand influence of theseMah&r£jas.
The circumstances that have conduced to Jiasten the deserved
overthrowof their monstroustyranny may be summedup as

follows:-.
1* »Thereligiousdisputesbetweenthem and the Brahmans.

2. Theirobjectionsto attend courtsof justice.
3. Theopinionsof the pressupon them and their deeds.
4. Their infatuated mistake in the endeavour to enforce the
" SlaveryBond."
Letusfirst noticethe religiousdisputesbetween
themand
the Brahmans.
In theyear1855,theGujaratiBrahmansin Bombay,wish-
ingtomake
theoffering
to Mahadeva,
or &iva,of Chhapan-
154 HISTOEY OF THE SECT OF MAHAE^JAS.
bhoga(whichmeansfifty-six kinds of consecrated,

food,and
consistsof as many differentsorts of vegetables,grains, etc.,
and is very expensivefrom the quantity made),commenced
a subscriptionfor the purpose. This met with success, and
the consecrated food was made and offered at the shrine of the
idol, after which it wasparticipatedin by the Brahnians,and
widely distributed.
The Mahar&jas,seekinga pretext for disputingwith the
Brahman s, contended that what is consecratedto Siva, is,
accordingto the Hindu &&stras,
SivaNirmdl (whichmeans
holy to Siva), and consequently
ought not to havebeenpar-
takenof byrthe Brahmans.TheBrahmans.inBombayare,
as a class,supportedby begging; and throughout Gujarat
and the adjacentparts, as well as at Bombay,they are wholly
supportedby Vaishnavas, it being customaryfor all sectarians,
without exception,to presentgifts to the Brahmans,whose
sectis consideredthe chief. The object of the Mahdrajasin
originating this disputewas to acquire the supremacy,thus
virtually held by the Brahmans. To effectthis, the Maha-
rajas urged upon the Vaishnavas,and especiallythe Bhattias,
who werethe chief supportersof the Brahmans,that, having
committedthis seriousreligious error of consumingthe food
consecratedto Siva, they were unworthy of supportand pa-
tronage, and urged that the customarygifts and supplies
should be withheld from them. For a considerabletime pre-
vious to this there had beenmuch dissatisfactionamongthe
Vaishnavas on account of the conduct and practices of the
Maharajas; and as the latter prosecutedwith great vehemence
the schemefor withholdingthe suppliesto the Brahmans,the
Vaishnavasthought it a favourableopportunity for obtaining
somereform,of the abuses they complainedof, which consisted
in the notoriousadulterousintercourseof the Mahdrdjaswith
the femalesof their families(especiallyin the winter serviceat
four o'clock in the morning), and the frequentravishmentof
THEMAEAEA'JAS
IK DIFFICULTIES. 155
girlsoftenoreleven
years
ofage.These
atrocities
hadonly
heensubmitted
to with anypatience
by the mostinfatuated
anddevoted
of theVaishnavas;
fortheHindus
generally
set
a highvalueon the chastityof their females,andtheviola-
tion of it, asa point of doctrine,is severely
reprehended
asa
sinin theirancientreligiousworks. Profligacy
is nowhere
inculcated
in theSacred Booksof theHindus,andrestsupon
a corruption
of symbolismfrom its truemeaning,
introduced
by theseinfamousmen to sanctiontheir own misdeeds.Much
dissatisfaction
also grewout of the quarrelsanddisputesin
familiescausedby the Maharajasrequiringthe wivesand
daughtersof the Vaishnavas to makethempresents of orna-
mentsandjewellery; for the females,beingwilling to gratify
thecupidityof their priests,urgedtheir unwilling husbands
to consent. Another ground of complaintwasthe treatment
of the femalesin the thronged crowdsof the temple,where
they wereindecentlyabused. The Vaishnavaswere also dis-
pleased on account of the large sumsof moneyexactedfrom
themin variousways, on pain of being exposedto the injury
andannoyance which the Maharajasalwaysknewhow to in-
flict on those who provoked their animosity. They were
indignantthat, in caseswhere private, commercial,family,
or castedisputeswere referred to the arbitration of the Maha-
raj, the dissatisfiedparty, againstwhom a decisionhad been
given,because he had bribed the arbitrator less munificently
than his opponent,was required to consentto the decision,
underthe penalty of incurring serious displeasure. These,
however, werenot the only grievances. The Mah&rajascom-
mand the labour and services of their followers without giving
themanyremuneration,and eveninsist that, whenbusily
occupied in their own ordinaryavocations,
they shall,when
required,instantlyquit themto obeytheordersof theMaha-
rajas,by attendingto the imageof theidol, or wreathingits
cradle,etc.,with flowers. The practiceof the guardianof
156 HISTOBY OF THE SECT OF MAHABAJA8.
thetemples
beating
theworshippers,
to hasten
theirpassage
throughthetemples,
wasanother
subject
ofcomplaint.
A favourableopportunityseemed to havearrivedfor the
redress
of all thesegrievances,
andtheVaishnavascollectively
consented
to the wishesof the Maharajasin referenceto the
Brahmans,upon the condition that theseabusesshouldbe
absolutely reformed. OneinfluentialpersonnamedGropaldas
Mddhavadas persistedin supportingthe Brahmansin de-
fianceof the,Mah4r4jas;andtwo others,alsoof greatweight
in their different sects,namedKdmbal Thakursidasand Sa-
kh&ramLaxmanji,supported theBrahmans.TheMaMrajas
yieldedto the pressureput uponthem,andconsented
to the
demandsmade upon them, even to the minor reforms; but
theyrequiredthe respiteof a yearbeforecarryingthemout,
and demandedcomplete secresy,conceiving that if they
yieldedto immediateexecutionthey would be tacitly admit-
ting the existenceof evils, and putting a weaponinto the
handsof their opponents-the Brahmans.
The dispute betweenthe Maharajas and the Brahmans,
however, led to newspaper controversy, and causedmuch bad
blood. The Banias and Bhdttias, the most devoted followers
of the Maharajas, were commandednot to salute either of the
three gentlemen who sided with the Brahmans, and otherwise
to withhold the respectthey had always beenaccustomed to
showto them. TheBrahmans,convincedthat theywereper-
fectly orthodoxin what theyhad done,convenedseveralmeet-
ings,to whichthey invited the Mahdr&jasto discussthe matter
with them ; but the Mah&rajas,knowing the weakness of their
cause,and consciousof their ignoranceof Sanskrit,abstained
from attending the meetings,or taking part in discussions
which they wereawaremustend in their defeatand disgrace.
To obtain,however,the victory in the eyesof their votaries,
they assembleda meeting of their own,which was attended
by a beggarBrahman,whom they had previouslybribed.
THEMAHXE^JAS
Iff DIFFICULTIES. 157
Thisman,whorepresented
thathewasdeputed
bytheentire
bodyof hisbrethren,
publiclyhumiliated
himselfbyasking
pardonof theMaharajas
in theirname. Thepardon,
sought
was,ofcourse,
graciously
granted, andtheMaharajas
thought
they wererestored to the good opinion of their followers.
But, unfortunately
for them,the trick was exposed,
and the
publicdiscussed,
andthenativenewspapers
commented
upon
it. Thiswasa heavyblowto the Mah£r£jas. But, asthey
hadnot succeeded
againstthe Brahmans,they d?dnot carry
out the reforms they had consented to, and the affair ter-
minatedalmostwhereit commenced,
to the disgustof all
parties. Thepower of the Maharajaswas, however,shaken.
It wasat thisperiod,anopportunitybeingafforded
by these
disputes,that the SatyaPrakdsha (Light of Truth), a weekly
newspaper, wasfirst issued. It waspublishedby the defendant
in the Libel Case,and its objectwas the advocacyof social,
educational, and religious reforms. In consequenceof the
excitedstate of public opinion at the time, the newspaper
immediately obtained a wide circulation.
The secondcircumstance conducing to accelerate the over-
throw of the power of the Maharajaswas their objectionto
attend courtsof justice. The Maharajas conceivethat their
dignity is lowered and their personspolluted by attending
courtsof justice; but the SupremeCourt of Bombay required
themto obeythe summonsof the law, on the occasionof an
actionbeingbroughtby &ri JivanjiMaharajagainstEarn-
dayalMotiram. The plaintiff's affidavit wasto the following
effect.-
"I, S'riJivanji Maharaj,theplaintiff above-named,

solemnlyaffirm
and declare that on or about the 2nd day of August instant, I was
servedwith a subpoena from theabove-named defendantto appearand
give evidenceon the trial of this cause; and I further saythat I am
thechiefMaharajof"a verylargesectionof theHindu community,
consistingof Banias,Bhattias,Bhansallis,Marwadis,Lowanas,
Ehatris,and otherHindu castes;and that it is contraryto the
158 HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAHARA'JAS.
religion of the said castesthat I shouldappearin any public place,

except our temple and in the houses of members of the said castes
for religiousand ceremonialpurposes.I thereforesay that I cannot
attend personally in the Supreme Court to give evidenceat the trial
of this cause;but that, if I did so attend,I shouldsubjectmyselfto
the liability of leing deposed
from my office; and I further say that I
havevery little personalknowledgeof any of the matters in this
action; but my mehtds (clerks), who are fully acquainted therewith,
will attend in court with all books and documents relating to the
issues. And I lastly say that my sole reason for not obeying the
said subpcena<isthat given; and inasmuchas the defendant's advisers
well knew that I could not attend, I verily believe they only caused
the subpoenato be servedin order to create annoyanceand expense.
If, however, the defendant think fit to do so, I am ready and will-
ing to be examined at my own house and at my own expense."
The Bombay Gazetteof August 12, 1856, says:-
" The applicationwas opposedby the counselon the other side,
who contended that sufficient causehad not beenshown to exempt
S'ri Jivanji Maharajfrom the usageof the court. The Maharaj,the
learned gentleman was informed, was in the habit of attending
public placesand visiting the housesof other natives. He onceor
twice took a sea trip in the steamer Phlox, travelled by railway
alongwith low casteHindus, inspectedthe Observatory, the Mint,
the spinning machinery, equestrianexhibitions, native nautches,
etc. etc. Surely if his person were not polluted by these things,
much less would it be by attending the Supreme Court.
The Chief Justice (Sir William. Yardley) with whose view of the
caseSir Mathew Sausseentirely concurred, expressed himself very
strongly againstthe expediencyof exemptingany individual, how-
ever high or dignified his station might be, from the usual process
of the Court, saying that once an exception were made in favour of
any person,there wouldbe no endof applications
of the same
nature. The head of every petty sect and caste in the island would
be calling himself a Maharaj, and demandingas a right that the
Court should have him examined at his private residence."
The objection,which in a greatmeasurewassuggestedby
the fact that the Mah&rajasfeel it to be a degradationto sit
lower than an European,whom they regard as only equalto
thevery lowestof their own caste,wasthusdefeated;and
this defeatfarther tendedto reducetheir importance.
THE MAHARAJAS
Theopinions
ofthepress
uponthe Mahdrajas
andtheir
deeds
havealsotendedto undermine their influence.
Owin°-to the circumstances
just noticed,andthe excited
state
of public
feeling,
thedoctrines,
worship,
power,
andin-
fluence,
theignorance
andevillivesoftheM'ah&rajas,
become
notonlywellknown,
but muchtalkedof. Thecommunity
wasthoroughly
aroused,
andmenbegantothink,totalk,and
to act. Thepress,
stimulated
by thismovement
of society,
gained
courage
to makeits comments.
Thereareabout
fifteenor sixteenGrujarati
papersprintedin the vernacular
idiom and three or four English local paperspublished at
Bombay.All thesemadetheir comments,andseverelycen-
suredthe Maharajas.The SatyaPrakdvh,whichwas con-
ductedby the defendant
in theLibel Case(whowashimself
a Bania,andfollowerof the Mahdrajas,and familiar with Mil
theirmysteriesandevil practices),
frequentlydenounced and
exposedtheir immoralityand corruption. This,in. the fer-
mentwhich continuedto exist, greatly shockedthe feelings
of the public,whichhad no conceptionof the existenceof tho
enormitiesthus exposed. The Maharajas themselveswere
peculiarlysensitive
to the censureof this particularpaper,
knowingthat it wasconductedby oneof their own followers,
and they thereforeinstinctively apprehendedthat it would
havea mostprejudicialeffect. Thebodyof tho Mahar&jus
consequentlyresorted to every available means to endeavour
to silence
thewriter, by holdingout considerable
pecuniary
inducements,
proposedthrough the mediumof someof their
mostinfluentialvotaries.But theywerethoroughly
frustrated
in thisobject;for not onlywerecomments publishedin tho
various
newspapers,
but pamphlets
andhandbills
werefreely
circulated,all tendingto the destructionof their influence.
Extracts
of thecomments
somade,andwhichwill givean
ideaof howmuchthesubjectoccupied
publicattention,
aro
givenin the Appendix,Ho. 2.
160 HISTOftY OF THE SECTOP MAHARAJAS.
The SlaveryBondwas anothermeansof underminingtheir

influence.
In consequenceof the excitedstateof the public mind,re-

sulting from the perusalof the severalpamphletsand hand-
bills, and the censoriouscommentsof the newspapers,an
advertisement appeared in the Satya Prakdsh of the 25th of
January,1857,proposingfor competitiona prize essayupon
the duties of Grurus(spiritual guides), and the rule of conduct
of their femaledevotees. The object of the proposedessay
wasto showthe line of conductthat ought to be pursuedby
the Mahdr&jastowardstheir femalevotaries,as well as how
thesewere bound to act in return. Severalessayswere the
result of this announcement, and one of them was crowned
with approval. Whilst this was being printed for circulation,
the Parsi editor of the Chabak newspaper wrote a series of
articles in his issues of the 17th and 24th-August, and 3rd
Septemberof 1858, advocatingthe causeof the Maharajas,
and criticising the conductof the reforming party, no doubt
stimulated to this by some interested motive. Some of this
party he personallyabused,and publicly namedthem; oneof
them, indignant at this proceeding, brought a civil action for
damages,for it becamewell known that this editor had written
at the instigation of a certainjustice of the peacewhostrongly
supportedthe causeof the Mahdrdjas,he being oneof their
most influential followers. This the editor himself made
known through his journal of the 25th January,1859; for,

being cast in the action and disappointedin not receiving
promisedpecuniaryassistance, he thus retaliated.
In justice to the Chdbak,it is but properto mentionthat
the editor of this paper,beforehe wasreducedto extremities,
had advocatedreformin the Parsi community,and had writ-
ten ably and freely upon the subject,the Chabakthen being
oneof the most popular and bestvernacularpapersin Bom-,
bay. Things unfortunately talking an adverseturn, he was
THE MAHARA7AS IN DIFFICULTIES.
induced,
bythehopeof betteringhis interest,to veerround"
but he wasfrustrated and disappointed. Whilst the action
waspendingin theSupreme
Court,he wasmuchpressed
for
moneyto makeadvancesto his lawyers; and, to overcomethis
difficulty,it was suggestedto him to subpoenasomeof the
Maharajas
aswitnesses.TheMaharajas,
onthis,tookevery
careto avoidthe serviceof the subpoena,
and at the sametime
theyclosed
theirtemplesagainsttheir followers. Thisocca-
sioned
muchcommotion andgreatconfusion, in theCommunity
of the Yaishnavas."Whenthe templeswere thus closed,the
members of the sect,including the rich and influential, would
nottaketheirmealsandwaterasenjoinedby their religious
duties,
withoutfirst payingtheir adorationin themorningto
theimageof the idol andto the Maharaj. Theywerekept
outsideall dayfasting. Upon the Vaishnavasentreating the
Maharajas to opentheir temples,they refusedto do so unless
all theleadingmen in the sectwould subscribetheir signature
to the document of which th.efollowing is a translation:-
" To Bal-Krishnaji, greeting.
"Samvat,1915,month of Poushsood
12 (Sunday, 16th January,
1859) in Bombay to wit:-We Yaishnavas, Bhattias, and Yanias,
and Lowanas,and Bhansalis, and Marwadis, and Multanis, etc.,
(and)all conjointly, have madethis agreement. Its object is to
wit: that we must make arrangements in any way, by making a
petitionto the Governmentthat our G-urus,all descendantsof
Gosainji,shouldnot attend the courtsin caseof any difficulty from
Governmentor on being summoned. The fund subscribed by those
who haveframedthis draft (agreement)for expensesthat will be
incurredby this, to be kept in somesecure place. This businesswe
all conjointlyshould conductwith Government,and (in this busi-
ness)we shouldcontinue to join to the last, and sparenothing.
Henceforth,if any Yaishnavapublishesor causesto be publisheda
defamationof our religion, to that person,his own caste men must
certainlygivepunishment.And noYaishnavashouldsummontheclass
of Maharajas; and if a memberof anothercastesummon,then all the
Yaishnavas
conjointlymust certainlymakecompromise
aboutit.
11
162 HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAHAE.A7AS.
This kind of agreementwe all conjointly,with freefaith, of our own

will and accordhave made. Every one must certainly conductin
this manner; any oneacting contraryto the agreementis guilty of
a crime against his religion and caste."
(Here follow the signatures).
" Thisdocumentwas signedby almostall the leadingmem-

bers of the Vaishnavacommunity, someof whom were her
Majesty's Justicesof the Peaceand membersof the Grand
Jury. Its oimmediateobjectwas to punish the editor of the
SatyaPraJcdshby excommunication,and to make an appeal
in the Legislative Council to pass an act which would secure
a permanentexemptionfor the Mah&rajasfrom attendancein
courtsof justice/'*
This bond (a thorough "slavery bond/' by the articles
which thus stringently bound all who appendedtheir names
to it) the Maharajaswere eagerto get subscribedby all the
rich and influential Vaishnavas without exception; and to
fulfil the objectof this bond it wasfurther agreed:-
" 1st. That a barrister of first-rate talents should be sent to
Englandwith a viewto securea permanentexemptionfor the

Mahar&jasfrom attending in courtsof justice. For this pur-
pose60,000rupeesare to be subscribedamongthe Hindus.
"2nd. That all casesin which the Mahardjashappento be
one of the contending parties should be referred to arbitration.
"3rd. That personscriticising the doings of Mahdrdjas,
evenin a spirit of fairness,should be punishedwith excom-
munication." f
The Mah&r&jas put everyschemeinto operationto compass
their designs: they actedupon the females,who,beatingtheir
breastsand imploring with tears,solicitedtheir husbandsto
yield to the wishesof thesepriests. They thus createdcon-
siderable disturbance in the domestic circles of their followers,
* A pamphleton the Mah&rajas.

f The BombayGazette,January 26,1859.
THE MAHARAJAS IN DIFFICULTIES.
forit wasnotmerely
thewillingwhomtheythussolicited,
buteventheunwilling,whowereknown to be the advocates
ofreform,
whomtheyhoped
to constrain
bythesestrongand
illegitimatemeasures.This was a period of severetrial to the
editor
oftheSatya
Prakdsh,
fortheveryfriends
whosecretly
approved
andapplauded
the criticismsof his paper,subdued
by theseinfluences,
appended
t3aeirnames
to the " Slavery
Bond." By this he was greatlyperplexed,and for sometime
wasat a lossto knowwhatcourse
to take,for hswasfully
consciousthat those influential friends who had subscribedthe
" SlaveryBond" would be unable to assisthim in castemat-
ters. Calmlyreflecting upon the Hne of action he should
adopt,
hesawthat, if he yieldedto the attempted
tyrannyof
theMaharajas,
he wouldneveragainbe ableto put pento
paperin animadversionupon them, and that all the Vaish-
navaswouldbe subjectedto the full force of this despotism,
andremainthe slavesof the Mahdrajas. Having, therefore,
made
uphismind not to submit,hewrotean articlestrongly
reprehending
the severalclausesof the document,and the
wholebodyof the Vaishnavasbecameeagerlyanxiousfor the
next issueof the paper, to learn what the editor had said. We
quotethe translationof the SatyaPraMsh in regard to the
"Slavery Bond:"-
" TheMaharajasof the Hindus, having shut out their followers
fromDarshan,made them pass an important writing. The social and
moralconditions
of the Hindu followersof the MaMrajasis greatly
dependent
uponthis writing. If, therefore,we omitted to bestow
our own attention upon the document, we should at the same time
be omittingto do what, as public writers, we ought to do. We
considerit our bounden duty to lay our thoughts before our readers
in anindependent manner,and draw their attention,to them. The
followingare theonly principal articles insertedin that document:
"1. The peopleof each casteshall contribute what moneythe
MaMrajasfix for their caste; and thus raising a large sum of fifty
or sixty thousandrupees,send a learned and experiencedbarrister
o Englandto get an act exemptingthe Mahdr&jasfrom the opera-
164 HISTORY OP THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS.
tion of a summonsof a court of justice passed. If the above-men-

tioned sum be not sufficient, the Yaishnavas shall raise such other
sum as may be required, and use their private meansto the accom-
plishment of this undertaking.
" 2. No Yaishnava from among the followers of the Maharajas
shall, for any causeor for any risk, issuea summons
of a court of
justice againsta Maharaj.
" "No Yaishnava from among the followers of the Maharajas shall
publish, either himself or through others, even a word tending to in-
jure the Maharaj's feeling in any newspaper, pamphlet, or handbill.
If anypersoninfringethe second and third articles,their castepeople
shall inflict properpunishmentsupon them.
"4. If persons belonging to casteswhich do not believe in the
Maharajas issue summons against them, all the Yaishnavas shall
combine, and come to an amicable settlement with the party or
parties who summoned the Maharaj, submitting to the loss of any
sum; and shall take such measures as shall not necessitate the
attendance of a Maharaj at any tribunal or court of justice.
" The Maharajas have taken a writing from their followers con-
taining the above-mentioned four articles. It has been already
signed by such Hindu Shetias as , and other Yaishnavas.
Those who have not yet signed it are shut out by the Maharajas
from Darshan. It is reported that these will sign in a day or two.
" The fifth article which the Maharajas had inserted in this writ-
ing, stated that no Yaishnava should buy or peruse such newspapers
as containedanything likely to injure the Maharaj'sfeelings. But
the Shetias objected to this, and got it struck off. "We publish be-
low our own thoughts on each of the above-mentioned articles, and
invite to them the attention of the Yaishnavas and other readers.
" About the first article. In this article the Maharajas seek to
claim exemptionfrom the operation of a summonsof a court of
justice at an expenseof the large sum of fifty or sixty thousand
rupees. Thosewho are familiar with the technicalitiesof English
laws, and tactics of English politicians, will at once pronounce that
the Maharajas will fail in the accomplishment of their desire, and
that this large sum.of money will be thrown into the water. Any
barrister or European will undertake to be the champion of the
Maharajas with great pleasurearid thankfulness,in order to fill his own
pocket, and enjoy for a short time the sweets of his native land. But
we hope the Maharajas, and the Shetias, their followers, will con-
sider well before they incur such a large expense. They must know
THEMAH&IUitfAS
IN DIFFICULTIES.
that,under
thejust andequitable
swayoftheEnglish,
every
subject
hasarighttosummons
anypersonwhatever
toappear
in acourtof
justicein orderto preserve
Ms rights andliberties. Neverwill the
Maharajas
beexemptfromthe operations
of this process.Even
greatofficers,
whosetime is extremelyvaluable,whoseoneminute
is sometimes
equalto onemonth,are obliged,
whennecessary,
to
waitfor alongtime in a courtof justice. In considerationof the
valueof their time, no act hasbeen passed
to excusetheir attend-
anceevenfor emergent
business.It must,therefore,
befully con-
sidered
uponwhatpowerfulgrounds anactconferring
suchaprivi-
legecanbepassed
in favourof the Maharajas,
whospenda greater
portion
of theirtimein jollity andpleasure,
andmakenoobjection
to seethedockyard and theMint, and travel on railways. Let the
petitionbe signedby the greatestnumberof persons, howeverre-
spectablethey may be, the English politicianswill neither pay
attentionto thesignatures
norto the personswhomadethosesigna-
tures. They will ponder over the request in the petition, and it
theyfindthatit is likely to tarnish the fair fameof Englishjustice,
theywill in no casecomply with it. "We heartily wish that before
this large sumof fifty or sixty thousand rupeesis thrown into the
water,the GosaiMaharajas and their principal followersmay con-
sider this matter fully and seriously. On our part we advisethe
Maharajas and their leading followers, that, insteadof throwing this
large sum of fifty or sixty thousand rupees into the water, they
should rather expend it on the Victoria Museum, by which means
they would be expressing affectionate and loyal regard towards her
graciousMajesty, and would be aiding an important undertaking.
"Wesuggestan easy and plain way, that would be universally liked,
by which the Mahdrajas might be exemptedfrom appearingin a
courtof justice. If it is adopted,we confidentlysaythat the Mahi-
rajaswill haveno needto appearany day in any court. "Whatplan
is this? TheMahdrajasshould never interfere in anyman'sprivate
quarrelsandconcerns; they should win the love and affectionatere-
gardof theirfriendsandfollowersby upright andmoralbehaviour;
theyshouldalwaysaidsuchundertakingsaswill improvethe cause
of their country'sprogress
j they shouldceaseall moneydealings
with peopleof othercastes;they shouldpreaclumorality
everyday,
and observeno distinction between their rich and poor followers.
If theyactin thismanner,
we confidently
saythattheywill never
have to appearin a court.
"About the secondarticle. This article suggeststhat no Yaish-
navasshallfor anycausesummons a Mahdrajto appearin a court

of justice. "Wesay,withoutfearof persecution,
that thisis hard
andoppressive.
If theMaharajas
donotinterpose
in a man'spri-
vateconcerns,
andimproperly
wronganyYaishnava,
it is plainthat
no necessitywould remainat all to take one'sreligiouspreceptorto
a courtofjustice. Where,then,wasthe necessity
of insertingsuch
a hard clause. Any impartial thinker would at oncehonestlysay
that the Maharajasextortedsucha hard clausefrom their followers,
simply that they might be free to interferein one'sprivateconcerns
and administerarbitrary,justice. We say again,religiouspreachers
and preceptorsought never to make their followers to passsucha
hard writing to them. Who can be so imprudent and rash as to sum-
monhis religiouspreceptorto a court of justice without any cause?
After sucha writing, it appearsclear how the Maharajasintendto
behave towards their followers, and how they wish their followers
to behave towards them. We wish that the -Mahardjaswould look
to their respectabilityand position,and annul this article at once.
" About the third article. This article suggeststhat no Yaish-
nava shall write a word tending to injure the feelings of the Maha-
rajas. With all due deferenceto the holy position of these religious
preceptors,we beg leave to say that we feel this to be a harder and
more oppressivearticle than the second. The English Government
possesses such power and authority, that-the native tyrants are too
feeble to cope with and encounter it. Even this Government can-
not peremptorily say to the newspapers, "Do not write anything
that would injure our feelings." When even such a potent and
powerful Governmentcannot pretendto wield such an authority,
the Maharajas, whose authority, when compared with the world,
extends over but a handful of Vaishnavas, will never be allowed, in
this just and equitablereign-ofthe English,to exercisethis hard and
oppressivesway over the independentnewspaperwriters. The
Mah&r&jasand their advisershavesignally erred by insertingsuch
a hard article. Had they exerciseda little morediscretion,they
would never have thought of inserting this selfisharticle. We
heartily wish that this paper maynot haveto sayill of the Maha"-
r&jas. But it is an error to supposethat this or any othernews-
paperwill bebackwardin expressing just andproperthoughts,when
they find that publicinterestsare at stake. It is true that this, as
well as other respectablenewspapers, will always refrain, as they
have done till this day, from publishing false slandersand un-
groundedptoriesabout the Mahdrajas;but no editor, living
THE MAHARAJAS IN DIFFICULTIES. 167
under the shadowand protectionof the English Government,will

draw his pen backwards in denouncing any unjust act tending to
jeopardizethe weal of thousands. None will fear to publish any-
thing just andproper. We are sorry to say that the Maharajasand
their followershave,by thus shutting the mouthsof editors,ruined
their own cause.
"About the fourth article. This article suggests that, if persons

who belong to casteswhich do not believe in the Maharajas sum-
mon Maharajasin a courtof justice, all Yaishnavasshall combine,
and at the cost of any sum eonieto an amicablesettlementwith
them, or adoptsuchmeasuresas will not necessitatethe personal
attendanceof the Maharajas to a court of justice. It appearsthat
the Maharajasand their followers have used no better discretion
with regardto this than with the foregoing three articles. Any
personwhomayhave any moneydispute about the Maharajaswill
at oncetakeadvantageof this and issue a summonsagainstthem.
Thus Yaishnavaswill be forced by this article to come to an amic-
able settlementwith all the Maharajas' creditors. If this necessarily
becomes
frequent,and involves the expenditureof large sums,the
Yaishnavaswill find how feeble they are to bear the evils which
theyhavethemselvesdrawn upon their shoulders. Thesearticles
will then be annulled as a matter of course.
" Thoughtscommonto all the articles. It will be evidentfrom
thisthat"notoneof thesefour articlesis just andharmless.Every
one of themis asunjust and reprehensibleas it is injurious to the
socialand privateinterestsof all the Yaishnavas. "Weare glad to
saythat their leadingfollowerswould not consentto the fifth article,
which relates to the buying of newspapers. Had this been retained,
theywould never haveprogressed. But the Maharajasand their
followers will never be able to impede the sounding western torrent
of civilization which has begun to flow with all its might towards
this country. Thosewho inserted these four articles may insert
fifty more,but no tyrantsor their slavishfollowers will have power
to impedethe mighty torrent of civilization. We are surethat the
current of civilization and liberty will in a short time overspreadthe
whole of Hindustan, check the force of the opponentsof civilization,
and break the chains of oppression.
" It will not fail to exciteboth wonderand sorrowin any man of
goodsenseto seethat the very Shetias who have been the foremost
amongthe reformers, and thoroughly understand the beauty which
the Englishrule affords,should have,by signing sucha hard docu-
168 HISTOEY OF THE SECT OE MAHARAJAS.
ment, drawnthe chainsof despotism

ontheir ownhands. We wish,
andpray to Godthat our wish may succeed,that theseShetiasmay
speedily look to their own respectability, to their own states in life,
to the beautiesof the benign and free government they are under,
and boldly break off the shacklesof despotismwhich they have worn.
We have dwelt rather too long on the subject, and therefore we
shall not say more, but conclude with the following prayer to God:
"0 God! may the chain of despotismwhich the leading Shetias,
our companionsin the cause of civilization, have worn round their
necks, be quickly removed. 0 God! may the Shetias who have
temporarily<-losttheir senses,and forgotten their respectability and
position, recover their sensessoon. 0 God! may the cloud of ignor-
ance and doubt which has obscured the vision of our Shetias be
quickly dispelled,"and may the faces of thosewho opposecivilization
at once be coveredwith paleness. Amen." *
This article was followed by a succession

of anonymous
hand-bills, issued by various persons; and two prize essays
were advertised in the Satya Prakdsh, one upon the "Slavery
Bond," and the other " Upon the Authority of the Maha-
rajas." These several attacks had the desired effect. The
Mahdrdjasandtheir followersspeedilydiscovered
that, if the
editor were excommunicated, lie would file an action and
drag the Mah&rajasto the bar of justice. The funds the
worshippers had been asked to raise were not realized; for
the subscribers,seeing the drift of events, waited with im-
patience to ascertain if the conditions of that article of the
" SlaveryBond" which threatenswith punishmentany one
writing against the Maharajas would be carried out. The
timidity of the Maharajashinderedthem from taking this
course,and their neglect to pronounce sentenceof excommu-
nication encouragedthe Vaishnavas to withhold their sub-
scriptions. The notorious " Slavery Bond," the object of
which,wasto bind in still strongerfetters the patientVaish-
navas, thus fell to the ground, and the supreme Mah&raj
himself took flight from Bombay.
* The Satya Prakdsh, January 23, 1859.
THEMAHARAJAS
In theaction
brought
against
theeditorof theChdlak
by
theVaishnava whomhehad soconspicuously denounced, the
editorpleaded not guilty, and that what he had published
wasnot libellous. The courtoverruledthis plea,after ex-
aminingtheplaintiff'switnesses,,affirmingit to be libellous,
andentereda decree, with costs,againstthe Parseeeditor,
whothereupon solicitedthe " gentleman"by whomhe had
beenspeciallyinstigated,to assisthim. He was grossly
disappointed
by his refusal,and thereforepublishedin his
paperthenameof the individual,and all the circumstances
connectedwith the affair. This poor Parseeeditor,being
unableto pay all the incidental costs,died broken-hearted,in
very distressed
circumstances.
In theprocess of this " SlaveryBond/' and all its adjuncts,
we observea further declension of the power and influence of
the Mahardjas,to which the Libel Case,into the history of
whichweshall now enter,hasgiven, we hope and expect,the
fatal blow.
CHAPTEE XI.
THE MAHARAJ LIBEL CASE.
THE Maharajas, being thus defeated in their attempts to

preventthg public pressfrom exposing their misdeeds,sought
to attain their objectby other means. JadunathjiBrizratanji
Maharaj, of Surat, upon arriving at Bombayin the middle
of the year 1860,consultedwith someof his followers with, a
view to ascertainwhetheran action for libel, brought fcy him
against the publishers,could be prosecutedin his absence
from the court, or whether,as plaintiff, his presencewould be
heldto be necessary;for he wished to avoid appearing in a
court of justice.
The editor of the Satya Pra&dsh, not being aware of the
specificobjectof the Mahar&j'svisit to Bombay,but having
heardthat he had establisheda school at Surat, gave him a
hearty welcomein his paper,and expresseda hope that he
would render material assistance to .the cause of education.
Thisexpectationseemedat first to be realised; for the Mah&-
raj consentedto be presentat an exhibition of the Grujar£ti
girls' schools,and to distribute the prizeswith his own hand,
thus publicly expressinghis approval of the education of
females. The Maharajas of Bombay, who had often been
solicited to do the samething, had always declined, and
Jadunathji Brizratanji having acceptedthe invitation, the
editor of the Satya Prakdsh hailed it as a great victory in
the causeof educationalreform; for, owing to the populace
being adverseto female education, the influence of the
Mah&raj'sposition gave it a strong and powerful support.
The editor, unconsciousand unsuspiciousof the deception
THE MAH4RAJ LIBEL OASE. 171
intendedto be practised,was thus induced to speakof the

Maharajin terms of eulogy; but he soondiscovered that the
personwhom lie had praisedwasa wolf in sheep'sclothing.
A friend of the editor, named Narmada Shankar Lal-
shankar,a Nagar Brahman,and, who wasnot a follower of
the Mahdrajas,invited the Muhdraj to hold a public discus-
sionupon the subjectof the re-marriageof Hindu widows,
to which -the Maharaj was opposed. The invitation was by
means of hand-bills, dated the 15th of August, 1860. The
Mahdraj acceptedthe challenge,and the meetingwas held
.six daysafter the issueof the hand-bills,at a placeselected
by himself, where a warm discussiontook place. Many
Shastras(religious books)were brought forward as authori-
ties, and a large number of personsassembled to hear the
discussions.The Mali&raj, feeling that he could not main-
tain his position by argument,entered into a desultorydis-
cussionwith Ms opponent,who is a celebratedGujarati poet,
and asked him whether he believed the Hindu Shastras to be
of divine inspiration, saying that, before going into the

question of re-marriage, he must first know the poet's
opinion upon, this point. The gentlemanreplied that he
couldnot believe all the reputed religious works to be of
divine inspiration, as they containedincorporatedworks on
grammarand other miscellaneous subjectswhich had no reli-
gious bearing whatever,and which, therefore,he rightly
maintained,could not be divinely inspired. The discussion
didnot passbeyondthis subject,and the meetingbrokeup.
The Maharaj, doubtlessstung with shameon accountof
his failure in the discussion,insidiously gave his followers
to understandthat the principlesof the reformpartywere
adverseto the ancientreligion of the Hindus. Upon this,
the editorof the SatyaPrakfahtookup the subjectin the
paper,andinvited theMaharajto discuss
thematterthrough
themediumof thepress,andsogivea widecircleof readers
the opportunity of judging for themselvesin the matter.

Thisdiscussion
wascarriedon in severalissues
of thepaper.
The Mahardjrepliedto the arguments,and simultaneously
issueda monthly magazine,under his patronage,called
SvadharmaVardhakand SamshayaChhekak(meaningPro-
moter of our Religion and Destroyerof Doubt). In this
magazinehe carriedon the discussionpreviouslycommenced;
but not being ableto give direct answersto questionsput to
him, he becameannoyed,and chargedhis adversaries with
entertainingheretical and mischievousdogmasand opinions.
The questionof re-marriageoriginally mootedhaving been
transformedaltogetherinto a religious question,the editor
of Satya Prakdsh wrote the following article, which origi-
nated the Libel Case,and becamethe subjectof the judicial
inquiries which followed:-
The Primitive Religionof the Hindm, and thepresentHeterodox

Opinions.
"In the Purans and other Shdstras of the Hindus, it is stated

that in the Kali-yug there will arise falsereligions and heresies,and
impostors and heretics will cause adverse persuasions and adverse
religious systems to be established. According to the Hindu
Shastras,five thousandyearshave now passedawaysincethe com-
mencement of the Kali-yug. Prom the Hindu Shastrasthemselves
it is demonstrated that, during this period of five thousandyears, as
many new persuasionsand religious systems as have arisen among
the Hindus shouldall be consideredspuriousheresies. Now, four
hundredyearshave not as yet elapsedsincethe birth of Yallabha,
the progenitorof the Maharajas. In the books of the Vaishnava
persuasionit is written that the birth of Vallabhacharyatook place
on the llth of Yaishak Yad, of Samvat 1535, the day of the week
Sunday. Since this event three hundred and eighty-one years have
elapsedto this day, and since the beginningof the Kali-yug five
thousandyears have passed. The sect of Yallabhacharya,then,
originatedwithin the Kali-yug itself. In the same way as the
followers of Dadu, the followers of Sa"dhu,the Eamsnehi,the
Bamanandi,the Shejanandi,and other sectsarose,so the sect of
THE MAHARA'J LIBEL CASE.
Vallabhacharya arose: all these

sectshavearisenin theKali-yu<*
-
therefore,
according
must be heterodox.
to the declarations
of theHindu Shastras,
they
"JadunathjiMaharajsays,that in the sameway as someone
goes
fromthegatesof thefort to proceed
to Walkeshwar,
andsome
oneto Byculla,soexactlythe original coursesof the Yedsand the
Purans,
havinggoneforward,havediverged
into differentways.
Whata deceitful
proposition
this is. Out of onereligioussystem
ten or fifteenbyewaysmust not branchoff. The courseof religion
andof moralsmustbe oneonly. "Whatnecessity
is thereto quit
the straightroad by which to go to "Walkeshwar,and take the
circuitousroadof Byculld? Eachsectaryhasmadeeveryother
sectarya heretic,andonehasscattereddustupontheother; what,
then,is thenecessityfor actingthus? But we havealreadymade
knownthat,asregardsthe weapons with which the Maharajhas
comeforth to defendhimself, thosevery weaponswill opposethe
Maharajandannoyhim. The Maharaj considersthe Hindu Shastras
as the work of God; he cannot then assert that any particular
statementof theHindu Shastrasis false. The saidMaharajcannot
allegethat thestatement,that in the Kali-yug hereticalopinionswill
arise, is false. Then, like several other sects, the sect of the
Maharajashasarisenin the Kali-vug ; consequentlyit is established
by theHindu Shastrasthat it is a false and heretical one.
"The sect of the Maharajas is heretical, and one delusive to
simplepeople: this is proved by the genuinebooksof the Yeds,the
Purans, etc., according to what is intimated above. "Hot only this,
but also from the works composed by the Maharajas it is proved
that the Maharajas have raised up nothing but a new heresy and
disorder. Behold, with regard to Bramha Sambhanda,how Gokul-
nathjihasamplifiedthe original stanza,what a commentary
he has
made :-
II ^ 11
'"Consequently,
beforehe himself has enjoyedher,he should
makeoverhis ownmarriedwife (to the Maharaj),andhe should
alsomakeover to him his sonsand daughters. After having got
married, he should, before having himself enjoyed his wife, make an

offering of her (to the Maharaj); after which he should applyher
to his own use.'"
"Alas ! what a heresy is this, what a sham is this, and what a

delusionis this! We ask Jadunathji Maharaj in what Yed, in
what Purana, in what Shastra, and in what law-book it is written
that one's married wife should be made over to a Maharaj,or
to a religious preceptor, before being enjoyed. Not only one's
wife, but one's daughter also is to be made over! Alas!
in writing this, our pen will not move on. We are seized with
utter disgust and agitation. To render blind people who see with
their eyes, and to throw dust in their eyes, and in the name of reli-
gion, and under the pretence of religion, to enjoy their tender
maidens, wives, and daughters-than this what greater heresy and
what greater deceit ? In the Kali-vug many other heresies and
many sectshave arisen besidesthat of Yallabhacharya; but no other
sectaries have ever perpetrated such shamelessness,subtlety, im-
modesty, rascality, and deceit, as have the sect of the Maharajas.
"When we use such severeterms as these, our simple Hindu friends
are wroth with us, and in consequenceof that wrath of theirs, we
have endured much, and have much to endure. But when, throwing
dust in the eyes of simple people, the Maharajas write in their
books about enjoying the tender maidens, the people's wives, and
daughters, and they enjoy them accordingly-great flames spring up
within our breasts, our pen at once becomesheated and on fire, and
we have to grieve over our Hindu friends, and over their weak
powers of reflection.
" Jadunathji Maharaj has commencedissuing a small work, styled
'The Propagatorof our own [Religion.' We ask him, In what way
do you wish to effectthe propagationof religion? Your ancestors,
having-scattered dust in the eyes of simple people, made them blind.
Bo you wish to make them see? or, taking a false pride in the
upholding of your religioii, do you wish to deludesimplepeoplestill
more ? Jadunathji Maharaj! should you wish to propagate or to
spreadabroadreligion,then doyou personallyadopta virtuouscourse
of conduct, and admonish your other Maharajas. As long as the
preceptorsof religion shall themselvesappearto be immersedin the
sea of licentiousness, for so long they shall not be competent to
convef religious exhortation to others. Gokulndthji having com-
posed the commentaryabove-mentioned,has attached to your
Vaishnava persuasiona great blot of ink. Let that be first removed.
THE MAHA' RAJ LIBEL CASE.
Scorn
thewriterof thecommentary.
(Ohyou)Maharajas,
acting
up to thatcommentary,
defilethe wivesanddaughtersof your
devotees;desist
fromthat,anddestroyat once
immorality
suchas
that of the EasMandali. As long as you shall not do so,for so
longyoucannot give religiousadmonition,
andpropagate yourown
religiousfaith: do you be pleasedto be assuredof that."
Thisarticlewas written on the 21st of October,1860.
The Maharaj maintainedsilence upon the subject,still
carryingon the discussion of religious topics with the
editor. On the 14th of the following May, however,seven
monthsafter the publication of the alleged libel, he filed
an actionof libel against.both,editor and printer.
The plaint was demurredto by defendant'scounsel,and
the casewasarguedunderthis bearing on the 2nd and 4th of
July, 1861. Hereupon the plaintiff had to make certain
amendments
in the plaint, and the defendantthen pleaded
severalpleas,on the 15th of August, 1861.
The first was a plea of not guilty, viz., that the article
alludedto was not libellous; and the last plea was one of
justification,
viz., that whathadbeenstatedwastrue,bothin
letter andspirit. But this plea consistedof three portions-
the first asserting that there were passagesin the reE-
giousbooksof the Mahdrdjaswhich,inculcatedadulterous
worship; the second,that the Mah4r4jas, as a body, com-
mittedadultery; and the third, that the plaintiff was not an
exceptionto the general practice. The intermediatepleas
were of inferior consequence.
Whenthe pleaswere filed by the defendant,the managers
of the Mah&rdj's caseknew from the nature of the pleas
that the defendantwaspreparedto bring forwardwitnesses
to corroboratethe chargesmade. Upon this they commu-
nicatedwith the influential portion of the community,and
madethem awareof the danger tbat might result from the
exposurethat would necessarily
take placein court. The
leadingmenof the BMttiS-communityconvened a meeting
of their casteon the 6th of September,1861, and resolved

that none of the caste should give evidenceagainst the
Maharaj; and they further resolved,that whoever did so
shouldbe subjectedto the painsand penaltiesincludedin the
comprehensive term, " excommunication/5 This resolution
was clearly illegal, amounting, in fact, to a conspiracy.
Indeed, it gave rise to two accusationsof conspiracy. The
special charge was, having concertedmeasuresto obstruct
and defeat the endsof justice,by dissuadingand preventing
othersfrom giving evidencein the Libel Case,in which they
had been summoned as witnesses. The defendants in the
casewere GokuldasLiladhar and eight others. Thesewere

all highly respectablepersons,who had been led to do
what they did by the instigation of the Maharaj; but they
were convicted of the offence on evidence which left no
doubt of their guilt, and sentenced-the two chief culprits,
GrokuldasLil&dhar and LakmidasD&mji, to pay a fine of a
thousandrupees each; and the other defendantsto pay a
fine of fifty rupees each. In inflicting these penalties, Sir
JosephArnould observedthat the law empoweredhim to
accompany themwith a sentenceof hard labour,but that, con-
sidering all the circumstances
of the case,and the very high
characterthe defendantsbore,he shouldonly inflict a pecu-
niary penalty.
This wasthe end of an abortiveattempt to defeatthe ends
of justice, and a well-merited punishmentof the offenders
who yieldedtoo weakly to the urgencyof their abettors.
This conspiracy,in the courseof its beingtried, in the first
placein the police court, and subsequently in the Supreme
Court, createda very great sensationamongstthe population
of Bombay, but especiallyin the religious community,the
defendants being leading men, and having extensive native
and European connectionsof a superior class; The first day,
when the preliminary examinationtook place in the police
THEMAHAIUJ
LIBELCASE. j~~
court,the defendantin the Maharaj's case,who was the
prosecutor
in this, was severelyassaulted
by the mob
whenhe left the court,and, in consequence,solicitedthe
protection
of the magistrate.Had it not beenfor theener-
geticexertionsof Mr. Forgett, the superintendentof the
police,
it is notimprobable
thathewouldhavebeenkilledby
the populace.This excitement
continuedduring the whole
timethat the casewaspending,and threatsof everykind
wereused,both against him and his witnesses,who,as well
ashimself,
wereobligedto seekthe protectionof thepolice.
The trial of the Maharaj Libel Casecameon beforethe
courton the26th January,1862. It wasconducted
by Mr.
Bayley
andMr. Scoble,
on behalfof the Maharaj,andby
Mr. Anstey and Mr. Dunbar, on behalf of the defendant.
Thelaboursof Mr. Anstey in his client's defenceexceedall
praise. We should not be transgressingthe limits of truth
werewe to ascribethe decisionin the defendant'sfavour,in
the greatestmeasure,to the very extensivelegal attainments,
the varied abilities, and the intense earnestness which this
advocate brought to bear on the case. Those who attended
the trial could bear witness to the skill and dexterity
with which he turned the scalesagainst the Mah&raj, by
arraying against him even the knotty points of Hindu
theology; for, persuadedthat bis client's causerepresented
the truth andthe right of free thought, as well as the liberty
of speech,he sparedno pains to study its complicatedlitera-
ture. The trial extended over forty days, but was before the
Courtonly twenty-fourdays. In tne Appendix will be found
specimensof the evidence,and the entire judgment. About
thirty witnesses
were examinedfor the plaintiff, and thirty
witnessesfor the defendant, some of the latter of whom were
learned and influential men.
Dr. "Wilson's labours in this trial deserve special notice.

He placedat the disposalof the defendant his rich and
12
178 HISTORY OP THE SECT OF MAMHA'JAS.
multifarious storesof learning, which proved of surpassing

value. Throughoutthe whole trial this learnedmissionary
ably sustainedthe characterwhich he fills in the estimation
of the nativesof India-that of a philanthropist.
Much credit is due to Drs. Bhau D&ji and Dhirajram
Dalpatrcim, for the disinterestednessof their evidence. They
cast aside all consideration of self, when truth was to be
establishedand morality to be vindicated.
The najneof LakhmidasKhimji, a leading memberof the
Bhattia community,deserveshonourablemention. Though
nurtured from childhoodin the filthy doctrinesof the Valla-
bhach&ryanfaith, the moment the conviction flashedupon
his mind that religion cannever be a pleafor immorality, he
fearlesslylent his aid to the defendant,and gave,perhaps,
the mostdamagingevidenceagainstthe Mah&raj. Strenuous
attemptsweremadeto impeachhis veracity, and impugn his
evidence,on the ground of its intrinsic improbability. These
efforts, however, proved fruitless, as he spoke the whole
truth from his own personalknowledge.
It would be a very great omissionif the name of Mr.
Mathurddas Lavji were passedover in silence. He furnished
the sinewsof war, sofar as learning wasconcerned:hiscapa-
cious mind and memory comprehendsthe whole range of
vernacular literature, both ancient and modern; and to his
vast attainments he adds a rare tact in moulding the minds
of others to his own opinions, an intimate acquaintancewith
the turnings and windingsof the human heart, and a steady
force of character and decision, dangerous to his enemies,but
valuable for the advancement of truth.
Not a little creditis dueto Mr. N&n&bMi Rustamji R&nin&,
the printer and managerof the Union Press,for the honesty,
integrity, and zealwith which he conductedhimselfthrough-
out the case.
The namesof the other following witnessesfor the defence
THE MAEABA7 LIBEL CASE..
alsodeservenotice for their evidenceand their boldnessin

givingit. They are,viz., Messrs.VishvanathNar&yan
Mandalik,
Mangaldas
Nathubhai,KhatasiMakanji,Thakarsi
Naranji, Eavji Sundardas,Bamodar Jetha, Narmdashankas
Lalshankar,EamdasBhanji, Klhndas Manchharain, Kala-
bhai Lalubhai,"Chaturbhuj Walji, and TribhovandasDwar-
kadas.
A further remarkable feature in the character of this trial
is the completeexposureof the lives and practicesof the
Maharajas,and of the moral and socialconditionsof Western
India. Thelargemobthat throngedthe courtdaily,during
the courseof the trial, spreadingthemselvesthroughout all
the apartmentsof' this large hall of justice, attestedto the
profoundinterestwhich it excited'in the different-communi-
tiesof Bombay. When the judgment was given, therewere
severalof the most respectablepersonsof Bombay present.
In the opinion of both the judges, the justification of the
libel wasprovedto-the very letter, and the Court stigmatized
theplaintiff and his witnessesas unworthy of belief,evenon
their oaths. With respect to the defendant's first plea of
notguilty,theChiefJusticedifferedfrom the Puisne,
holding
that a public writer could not make an attack, upon the
conductof an individual in his private capacity, although he
mightbe depraved and an adulterer;and,besides that the
defendant,
having no previousknowledgeof the plaintiff's
misconduct,
wasnot justifiedin publishingan attackupon
him,although
the allegationssubsequentlyturnedout to be
true. ThePuisneJudge,on theotherhand,heldthat it was
notanattackon theprivatecharacterof the plaintiff,but on
hispubliccharacter
asa Mah&raj,
or religious
preceptor,
and
that thedefendant
wasquite awareof the existingpractices
in the sect.
Theverdictwas enteredby the Court in favourof the
defendant
on the main issueof justification,andwith,costs,
180 HISTOBY OF THE SECT OF MAHAKA'JAS.
and for the plaintiff on the first plea of "not guilty," with-
out costs.
The defendantincurred an expenseof about 13,000rupees

in the action,out of which about 11,500rupeeswerepaid by
the Mahar&j, in addition to his own costs. The defendant,
of course,incurred other private expensesincidental to the
trial, as also in the trial of the Bh&ttia Conspiracy, the
expensesof which amounted to about 10,000 rupees.
The total expenseson both sides may be computed at about
60,000 rupees,of which about 50,000 rupeesfell upon the
Mah&raj,that curiouslybeing the identical sumfor whichhe
had suedthe defendantas damages.
"We cannot do better than terminate this portion of the
subjectwith the closeof the judgment of the learnedPuisne
Judge, Sir Joseph Arnould, who says in his admirable
finding:-
" This trial has been spoken,of as having involved a great waste
of the public time. I cannotquite agreewith that opinion. "No
doubt much time has been spent in hearing this cause, but I would
fain hopeit hasnot beenall time wasted. It seemsimpossible
that
this matter should have been discussedthus openly before a popula-
tion so intelligent as that of the natives of "Western India, without
producingits results. It has probablytaught someto think; it
must haveled many to enquire. It is not a questionof theology
that has beenbeforeus ; it is a,questionof morality. The principle
for which the defendant and Ids witnesses have been contendingis
simply this, that what is morally wrong cannotbe theologically
right; that whenpracticeswhich sapthe very foundationsof moral-
ity, which involve a violation of the eternal and immutablelawa
of llight, arc establishedin the name and under the sanctionof
lleligion, they ought, for the commonwelfare of society,and in
the interest of humanity itself, to be publicly denounced and
exposed. They have denounced-they have exposedthem. At
a risk and at a cost which we cannot adequately measure, these
men have done determined battle against a foul and powerful
delusion. They have dared to look custom and error boldly in
the face,and proclaim beforethe world of their votariesthat their
THEMAHAR4J
LIBELCASE. 181
evilis notgood,
that their lie is not the truth. In thusdoin«-
they
have
done
bravely
andwell. It maybeallowable
toexpress!
hopethatwhattheyhavedonewill not havebeenin vain; that
theseedtheyhavesownwill bearits fruit; thattheircourage
and
consistency
will be rewardedby a steadyincreasein the number
of those
whomtheir wordsandtheir exampleshavequickened
intothought,
andanimatedto resistance,
whosehomestheyhave
helpedto cleansefrom loathsomelewdness, and whosesoulsthey
havesetfreefrom a debasingbondage."
Thehistoryof thesectof Vallabh&ch&rya,

whicjihasbeen
hereunfolded,
reads
likeachapter
of romance.
It isthehistory
of a sectin which immorality is elevatedto the rant of a
divinelaw. Theimmutabledistinctionsof right andwrong,
the sharpline of demarcationbetweenvirtue and vice,human
personalityand human responsibility,are lost and confounded
in a systemof theologywhichbeginsin lewdnessandendsin the
complete subversionof thefirst principles of ourcommonnature.
Sucha systemhas,perhaps,no parallel in the annalsof our
race. Its effectscanbe moreeasily conceivedthan described.
It hascheckedand arrestedthe healthy growth of all moral
power. It has furnishedits votarieswith principlesof action,
which, if carried out in their integrity, must produce the dis-
solution of society ; for it treats holiness of life as a crime, and
proclaimsto " the world of its votaries" that man becomes
acceptable to his MAKERin and throughsin.
It wouldbe strangeindeed if the discussions awakenedby
the trial should bring about no tangible result. The sect,
thoughto all appearance
powerfulin organization,
is in an
unsettledstate. While the old and bigotedcling with perti-
nacityto the dogmasof their childhood,theyoungandthe
educateddetach themselves more and more from its contami-
natinginfluences.Assailedfrom without, and rackedby
internaldissensions,
the Yallabhacharyanfaith must,sooneror
later, be supersededby a more rational form of worship.
Theobstaclesin the wayof a thoroughrevolutionaregreat,
182 HISTORY OF THE SECT OF MAHA'EAJAS.
but not insurmountable.That the powerof the Maharajas

for evil is not what it wasfifteenyearsago,is onesignof
progress. Let us express a fervent hope that, by the com-
bined exertionsand the steadyco-operationof all loversof
truth and moral purity, the Vallabhacharyansmay emerge
from the darknessof error and falsehoodinto the glorious
light of day, and that the faith proclaimedby Vallabhafour
hundred yearsago may be crushedby the weight of its own
enormities!.
THE END.
APPENDIX,
SPECIMENS OF THE ETI1>ENCE,
JUDGMENT IN THE LIBEL CASE,
COMMENTS OF THE INDIAN PEESS.

APPENDIX.
OP THE EVIDENCE nsr THE MAHABAJ LIBEL CASE

BEPOBE
THESUPREME
(NOWHlGH) CoUKTOPBOMBAY.
(Evidence
for the Prosecution.)
(GopdlddsMddhavctdds,
examinedJanuary 25, 1862.) I am
the headof the Mahajansof the Banian caste of all denomi-
nations. They are numerous in Bombay. It is necessary to
obtain my permission to hold meetings of the caste. I know the
plaintiff JadunathjiBrizrattanji Maharaj, who is about 40 or 42
years of age. He occasionally resides in Bombay at intervals of
10 or 20 years. He is a resident of Surat. The Bani&ns and
Bhattiasconsiderthe Maharajin a very goodlight, and respecthim.
Theplaintiff is a Maharaj: he is our guru or spiritual guide, who
worshipsour idols and performs divine service. The Maharaj is a
Brahmin,andis abovethe ordinaryrun of Brahmins. SomeBrah-
mins regardhim as a guru. The Bhattias are worshippers of the
Maharaj. The Bhatya caste is different from the Bania. They
both respect the Maharajas equally, as their gurus. A guru per-
forms divine service and worships the images. The Maharaj may
preachsermons,but I am in the habit of going to him only three or
four timesin the year. The Brahmins read the Puransand other
religiousbooksto thepeople. The Maharajasoccasionallyreadthe
Purans,but aregenerallyengagedin worshippingthe images. The
Maharajashave templesin Bombay. There are sometimestwo,
sometimes five, and sometimes
ten, and perhapsmoreMaharajasin.
Bombay. Somepermanentlyresidehere, as, for instance,Jivanji
Maharaj. In India, I believe, there are now about 60 or 70
Maharajas. TheMaharajof Shriji is consideredthe chief; he has
1
2 APPENDIX.
a temple at ISTathdwar, near TJdeypor,in Northern India. The

Maharajasare spreadover the cities of Hindustan. The Elijahs
and native princesrespectthe Maharajasin the samemanneras
their devoteesdo. I have residedall my life in Bombay. I ama
subscriberto the S'atyaPraMsh newspaper, I mayhaveread the
article upon which this action is brought. The Satya JPraMshis
now amalgamatedwith the Hast Goftdr.
(Cross-examined.)I have never beento the principal seatsof
the Maharajasin India, nor have I seenthe Maharajasworshipped
by the -Elijahs, and what I have said about the Maharajas is what
I have heard about them. I have recollection of an unpleasant
controversywhich was going on in 1911-12 (1855) betweenthe
Maharajasand the Brahmins. The controversyrelatedto our reli-
gion. I wasengagedin it againsttheMaharajas. I don't remember
Lalmaniji Mahar&jissuing an order eight years ago,calling upon
membersof his casteto repair to his houseand to give him presents;
neither did Lalmaniji Maharaj give such an order ten years ago. I
do not recollectincurring the displeasureof Lalmaniji for denying
his right to ask for presents. I have not heard of the complaints
among the Yallabhacharyas of the adulterous practices of the Maha-
rajaswith their wivesanddaughters,
but I havereadsomecomplaints
of them in the Satya PraMsJi and Parsi Panch, which I first began
to read about five or six years ago. I have not signed a paper pre-
paredby the Maharaja's,
bindingmeto implicit obedience,
especially
with reference to these accusations; but many persons have signed
such a paper, which I have heard was prepared by the Maharajas. I
have heard from the Banians, members of the sect, that an engage-
ment has been entered into by Banians, Bhattias, and all the sects
to do their utmost to prevent the Maharajas from being called as
witnesses in a court of justice. This engagement has been desig-
nated the " slavery bond" by the printers and newspaper writers.
I can't say whether others call it so. I have not signed this bond.
It is true that to get the bond signed, the Maharajas kept the
temple closed eight days. This was about four years ago. I do
not know of any attempt being made by the Maharajas to get
Karsandas excommunicated from the caste of Banians for writing
articlesagainstthem. Suchan attempt was made. Two persons
EVIDENCE FOR THE PROSECUTION. s
came to me and said that as the Bhattias had made an arrange-

ment we should make it also: ^this was but a day or two after
the signatures were obtained, to intimidate witnesses from giving
evidence in this case against the Maharaj. One was Parbhudas,
and the other Jaykisandas.They are both Banians,so amI, and
so is the defendant. Parbhudas is the person who is managing the
casefor the plaintiff in this presentaction, and is sitting downin
Courtbehind the professional adviserson the part of the plaintiff.
He cameto me once only about the businessof excommunica-
tion. I said that if what Karsandas had published is false, the
Courtwill punishhim. I refusedto interfere, asthe Maharajhad
brought an action against him. They went away. I can't say that
they knew whether I wasgoing to give evidencefor the defendant
in this action. The Maharajas are not the preceptors or spiritual
guides of all the Hindus, but only of the Bhattias and Banians and
some Brahmins. The majority of the Banians believe in the
Maharajas. Someof the Baniansare Jains. Jain Baniansdon't
believe in the Maharajas. I have not heard of any Banians regard-
ing the Maharajas Almighty Godincarnatein the flesh. I cannot
say whether Bhattias regard the Maharaj as the incarnation of
the Deity, but somemay believe in the Maharaj as the incarnation
of God,while othersdo not. [Mr, Anstey.-Do the wholesectof
Yallabhacharyaregardthe Maharajasas gods?] I cannotsaywhat
they think. Some people do say that they are gods, while some
deny that they are. It is the opinion of the Vallabhacharyans,that
the Maharajas and their descendantsare incarnations of Brahma and
Yishnu, and deserve to be worshipped with the mind, property
and body of their followers. I believe it to be-a sin- of the gravest
character to neglect this worship. I cannot say if it is the duty of
femaledevotees
(asstatedin the plea)to love the Maharajasand to
be connectedin adultery and lust with them. If such doctrine or
passagewas shown me in any of the booksI call Sh&stras,I would
take it asgoodandtrue. Referringto the " bandobast"(arrange-
ment) I meantto refer to the ConspiracyCaseof the Queenvs.
GolcalddsZilddhar and others. I heard the arrangement was to
prevent any person from giving evidence here on behalf of Kar-
saixdas
: and the "bandobast"I wasaskedto sign wasto the same
4 APPENDIX.
effect. The Maharajasdecidecastedisputes,and alsothemselves

fall into castedisputes. I do not know if somecasteshavehad to
complain of the Maharajas seizing the property of widows and
orphans; I have never heard such a thing. The Maharajashave
temples in Bombay: sometimes when there are,marriages and such
occasions,dancing and singing go on in the temples ; but not in the
part where the idols are kept. Prostitutes are invited on such
occasionsto dancein the temple. Prostitutes are also invited to the
party. Itf those templesthe Maharajasworship the idols, andmen
and women worship, sometimes,the Maharajas. They prostrate
themselvesat the Maharaj'sfeet. By worshipping the Maharaj
I understand applying to him scent and stuff, and offering him
fruits and flowers,in the sameway as the idols are worshipped.
When we fall downbeforethe Maharaj,he blessesus. Onemode
of worshippingthe idol is by swingingit, and our womenworship
the Maharaj by swinging him in a swing. On certain occasions
the Maharaj throwsgulal (red powder)on the personsof menand
women. It is thrown from a distance, and it may fall upon the
necksandbreastsof women. It is not consideredamongour people
equivalent to adultery to throw gulal on the breast of a woman.
If anypersonthrow gulal on the breastof a womanour peopledon't
consider it indecent or shameful. I do not know if other people
considerit so. I havenot heardof anyMaharajtouchingthe breast
of any of my relativesor of any other female. The pan-sopdri
thrown off by the Maharaj is taken in hand and eatenby his
devotees. The water rinsed and wrung from the Maharaj'sdJiotid
(loin cloth) is drunk by his devoteesand is known as charandmrit,
i.e., ambrosiaor the nectar of the feet. Some portion of the
remnantsof the foodeatenby the Maharajis eatenby his followers.
The water with which the Maharaj bathesis not drunk. I have
beenonly threeor four timesin the year to visit the Maharaj. The
Maharaj seesmen and women in the sameopen space. I don't
know if thereareroomsof the Maharajto which femalesonly have
access.If theMaharajhasa family,hekeepsa separate
" zenana'
'
in the temple. I do not recollect whether two or three years ago a
meetingof the Bhattias washeld with a view to preventfemales
from goingto the Maharajin his private rooms.
EVIDENCE FOR THE PROSECUTION. 5
(Re-examined).Plaintiff was not in Bombay four years ago.

Peopleof our castefollow the customsand usagesof our ancestors;
while someothersfollow the Shastrasas religiousinstructors. They
take their opinionsfrom the gurus or Brahmins. I have never
beento a danceat the Maharaj'stemple. The ITaMrajas usually
residein the temple on.one side, or in a separatedwelling-house,
sometimesin a place within the compound,and sometimesin a
house oppositeto the temple. There are doors and entrances
betweenthe houseand the temples. The dancestake placein the
houseon oneside,and sometimes in the compoundof the jfcemple.All
nach-dancersin Bombayareprostitutes. Nach-dances arefrequently
given by respectablepersonson occasionof the celebrationof mar-
riages and other events. The plaintiff is married and has children.
The Maharajasobject to comeand give evidencein courts. They
would not incur anybody's displeasure if they came here; but as
they might be detained two or three days, they would be pre-
vented from the usual ceremoniesand practicesin the temple.
"WhenI say " worship the Maharaj," I mean that when we wish to
invite the Maharaj to our house, we fetch him to our house, we
offer him dowers, wave a light round him, present him with money,
and prostrateourselvesat his feet. "We do not worship the god;
the Mahdrajasdo that. They bathe the image in several ways:
they wash it in saffron, flowers, etc., dress it, wave a light round it,
and then men and women go to worship before it. ISTonetouch the
imageexceptthe Maharaj and particular servantsof his, who are
appointed to the office. The gulal is thrown about during the Holi
festival: it is a kind of powder prepared from wood called
"Patangi." It is usual among the Hindus to throw it: it is
an ancient custom, and I cannot explain it. Now I am an old man,
and I don't throw it: when I was young I used to do so.-(To Sir
JosephArnould). When I saidtwo peopleof the castecameto me
and said, "The Bhdttias have made a 'bandobast/ and that we ought
to make a 'bandobast' also," I intended "we" to mean the Bania
caste.-(To Sir M. E. Sausse). "When I say " worship the
Maharaj,5*I don't mean to say it is the samething to worship the
Maharajjust as h.e worshipsthe image: thereis a slight difference
between the two. The image is bathed and dressed, and food is
6 APPENDIX.
presentedto it; but the sameis not done to the Maharaj. The
Maharajeatsof thefoodpresented
to the image,andalsodistributes
it amongthe Yaishnavas.--(ToSir JosephArnould). "Whenthe
Maharaj worships the image, I considerhim to worship God.
"WhenI wavethe light roundthe Maharajand prostratebeforehim,
I don't considerhim as an incarnationof the Deity.-(To Sir M. E.
Sausse).I havesaidthereare someof the BhattiasandBanianswho
considerthe Maharajas an incarnationof God. I cannotsay if the
majority or minority of the Bania caste hold that creed. I cannot
say if the numberof personsholding such belief has increasedor
diminishedwithin the last few years.
(JamndddsSevakldl,examinedJanuary 27, 1862.) I am a Shroff
and a memberof the Lad Bania caste. I am not a shet of my
caste. I know the plaintiff, who is our Maharaj. He instructsus
in our religion. This is a copyof the Satya Prabashof the 21st
October,1860, in which I see an article about the primitive re-
ligion of the Hindus. I observein it the name 6f Jadunathji
MaharaJintroduced,the plaintiff in this case. I have not heard
of any other Jadunathji Maharaj.
(Cross-examined.)I give as much respectto this Maharaj as
to any other; but the love of the people towards him, since the
publication of this article, has somewhat diminished. I remember
his arrival from Surat about two years ago. I have not heard of
any complaintfrom Jadunathji, sincehis arrival that peopledid
not respecthim and the other Maharajasas they ought to do.
don't remember to have ever read this paper before. I have not
heard of Jadunathji complainingof the neglect of his followers
towards himself and other Maharajas, previously to the year 1860,
and before the arrival of plaintiff. I did not hear the Yaishnavas
complainthat the Maharajasdid not give them properinstruction
and advice in matters of religion. "We used to go before the Maha"-
rajas,to prostrateourselvesbeforethem, to go to the idol and to
return. They did not give any other instructions except those
connectedwith Brahma. Those instructions are given only once
in a lifetime. Plaintiff usedto saythat if the Yaishnavascameto
him and askedhim any thing, he would answerthem. Plaintiff
did not, to my knowledge,complainthat they did not cometo him.
EVIDENCE FOR THE PROSECUTION.
I have
notheard
himsayso. I did notheartheplaintiffsaythat
lie wouldgiveinstructionto those only who cameto askhim. I
have
notheardtheMaharajsaytttat, accordingto theShastras,
the
gurushould
notgiveinstruction^vithout beingaskedbythepupil,
northat,givinginstructionwithout beingaskedis to give foodto
onewhois nothungry. Thecompany or societyof Vaishnavas, not
theMaharaj,published a religious magazine. TheSociety
is known
as "the propagator
of the Yaishnava religion." Theyinsertedmy
nameand sent me a messageto tlie effect that I was made a member
of theSociety.Plaintiff is at the liead of the Society.* I havenot
heardthat Jadunathji has called -upon all the Yaishnavasto come
forwardand support the magazine, nor have I read a handbill to
that effect.I do not remember the nameof the magazine.I
believethenameof the magazine is " Svadharma
Vardhak" (pro-
pagatorof our religion). The "Vaishnava families in Bombayare
numerous.I cannot sayif they are ten thousand. The Marjadi
(strict observers
of ceremonies)are the Bhattias. I havenot heard
of Jadunathjicomplaining that, oxit of so many Marjadis,only one
hundredhavesubscribedto the magazine, and that, out of so many
Banians,only 120 have subscribed, thereto. The Maharaj doesnot
practiseany tyranny. By connection with Brahma,I mean the
chantingof amystic verserelating to the worship of Brahma. I don't
readSanskrit. By God, I mean EIrlshna. The versewas not explained
to mein Gujar&ti. I believe the meaning of the versewasonceex-
plainedto me by someBrahmin. In my opinion,the Maharajis a
representative
of Krishna. (This answer was, after much evasion,
extracted from witness on the threat of a fine of Es. 100 from, the
Bench.)It is not that I hesitate to answerthesequestionsagainstthe
Maharaj,for the fear that I may "be born againin the conditionof a
bird or dog. The senseof the Sanskrit passageis, that Krishna is
myprotector,
and that I, who ana destroyed
by internalmiseryand
pain,dosurrenderto Krishnamy mind,body,my breath,my heart,
my feelings,
as alsomy wife, my house,my children,my relations,
mywealth,andotherworldly things, togetherwith my soul. Some
fiveorseven
thousand Banians(in. Bombay)assembleat a castefeast.
Besidesthese
theremaybe five or ten thousand Jains. It is true
that abouthalf the Banil caste (the Jains) don't believe in the
8 APPENDIX.
Maharaj. There are two sectsof Banians-believers and unbe-

lievers.
Mr. Anstey.-Do someBaniansbelievethe Maharaj to be a god?

Witness.-We considerhim to be our guru.
Sir M. Sausse.-Tell witness if he doesnot answer the question,
he will be sent to jail.
"Witness.-Whatis the precisequestion? (Interpreter explains,)
Some considerthe Maharaj a god in the shape of a guru.
Mr. Anstey.-Is guru a god ?
Witness.-Guru is guru.
Sir M, Sausse.-Tell him if he does not answer the question,
most indubitably shall he go to jail.
Sir JosephArnould.-Tell him he is asked what others believe,
not as to his own belief.
Witness.-I don't know if others believe him to.be God; I con-
sider him as simply a guru. I don't know under what name others
worship him. There is no " bandobast" in my caste, to prevent
witnesses from giving evidencein this casein behalf of Karsandas.
I wasnot askedto join in such" bandobast." I amnot a Marjadi.
I don't know of my caste people going to the " Eas MandalL" I
don't know what sort of thing it is. There is no festival among the
Vallabhacharyans in which married men and women mix promiscu-
ously in a room. I may have read in the libel article a referenceto
the Kas Mandali; but there is nothing of the sort in my caste. I do
not know anythingof the history of the Yallabh&ch&rya
sect. My
only reasonfor believing the Maharajas to be of high caste,is that
even Br&hmins believe them. I don't know if those Brahmins are
few or many. The Maharajas are originally Telinga Brahmins. I
don't know if the Maharajas, on account of their practices, were
outcastedby the Telinga Brahmins for somehundred years. I don't
know if they are so outcastedat presentby the TelingaBrahmins.
I have never heard of a Maharaj intermarrying in a Brahmin
family. Males and femalesof my family visit the Maharaj. We
worship him when he coro.esto our house: we don't go to his house
to worship him. I have not at any time swallowed the spittle and
leavings of p&n-sopari thrown out by the Maharaj ; but I have
sometimes
partakenof the remnantsof his food. My family may
EVIDENCE FOR THE PROSECUTION. 9
have eaten the leavings of his food, but not the pan-sopari thrown
out. In the month of Shravan, the image is swung in a swing;
the Maharajalsosits therein,we swing him. The femalesof my
own and other families have swung him. The Maharaj has thrown
gulal on thousands of females, not on the females of rny family
alone. By Thakurji I meanKrishna. I don't think that throwing
gulal makes women pregnant. It is not the fact that young men
throw gulal, and not the old. Throwing the gulal has no relation
to sexual intercourse. I would consider it a great insult for any
otherpersonbut theMaharajto throw gulal uponmy wife. Throw-
ing gulal from a distanceI don't considerasan outrageupon chas-
tity. ("Witnessis fined fifty rupeesfor not giving a directanswer.)
I cannot explain why it is an insult to throw gulal on a female at
any other time but the Holi holiday. I have not heard any com-
plaint of the Maharajashandlingthe breastsor necksof femalesin
playfulness. Complaints similar to this have been published in the
Satya JPraMsh.
(Ee-examined.) I have been asked as to swinging the image and
the Maharaj. It is a ceremony performed on certain religious and
festival days. It is performed publicly, in the presenceof men and
women belonging to the Yaishnava persuasion. Throwing gulal is
also part of our religious ceremoniesduring the Holi holidays. The
gulal which remains after throwing over the idol, is thrown over
the worshippers. If the Maharaj or Gosai handled the breast or
neck of a female,it would be consideredadultery-not so his throw-
ing gulal on females from a short distance. 1 have beenpresent at
the marriages of Maharajas. It is not lawful for a Brahmin to
marry out of his caste. (To Sir M. Sausse.) As we cannot touch
and swing the imageof the Deity, we swing the Maharaj. "When
we do so, we regard him as our guru. The Maharaj is%the only
guru of those of the sect who wear IcantMs (necklacesof heads),
and who are known as Vaishnavas.
(VarjivanddsMddkavaddsjexaminedJanuary27, 1862). I am
a justice of the peaceof Bombay. I belongto the Bania caste. I
know the plaintiff. I have knownthe plaintiff theselast two years
sincehis arrival in Bombay. I am a shetin my caste,and oneof
the Mahijans. The Maharajis a priest of the Bhattias,Lohanas,
10 APPENDIX.
andBanians.
Theplaintiffisaguruorspiritual
guideandBrahmin
by caste. He is in a higherpositionthantheordinaryBrahmins.
TheMaharajas arelookeduponas descendants of Yallabhacharya.
Theplaintiffhasno temple in Bombay.Maharajas arelookedup
to wifchrespectby the Hindus,particularly by our sect.
(Cross-examined.)
I ambrother
ofthewitness
Gopaldas
Madha-
vadas. I donot knowwhethermy brotherwasin oppositionto any
oftheMaharajas,
except
to JivanjiMahcaraj,
in respect
to a dispute
betweensome
Brahmins.I donot knowthehistoryof the sectof
theVallabMcharyans,
norwhetherhe wasthe sonof oneLaksh-
manBhat Maharajas
wereoriginallyTelingaBrahmins,
but I
havenot heardthat they areoutcastes.I havenot heardthat
Brahminseatwith them. Onehalf of my casteareJainsj they do
not worshipthe Maharaj; they are Buddhists. SomeBanianswor-
ship the Maharajaswell as Shiva,and thosewho worshipYishnu
havea reservedworshipfor Shiva. Somepersonswhenthey aban-
don the worship of Shiva,worship the Maharaj. I do not know
whetherthe Eaja of Porbandarwasdisgustedwith the worshipof a
Maharaj on account of his immoralities. I do not know why a
Maharajwasfloggedby the Portuguese
authoritiesat Daman. An
application was made for the release of a Maharaj who had been
imprisonedat Jalnapatan. The Maharajasadoptsonsfrom their
ownsects,and theybecomepriestsby adoption. It maybe criminal
in the eyesof the Hindu religion to exposethe vices of their
parents, but I do not consider it so. The Maharajaswash their
own bodies on their birthdays or religious days, and we throw
saffron and other scent on their persons. The image, too, is washed
with saffronwateron thesesacreddays. The femalesalso sprinkle
saffronon the Maharaj'sperson,and they considerthe touchingof
his feet as sacred. I do not know if the dust on which he walks is
regardedas sacred. If a Maharajdies,we do not say he is dead,
but that he has joined play or amorouslove in heaven betweenmen
and women. I am not able to state whether it is a part of our
belief that Krishna had intercourse with 16,000 women, and that
theyhad salvationthereby. I do not know that the Maharajas are
called the Avatars of the Maha Prabhu (the Great Lord). The
Maharajas haveimposeda tax on the gainsof the Bhattia and grain
EVIDENCEFOR THE PROSECUTION. 11
merchants
thateventually
fallonthecommunity.
Therewasameeting
heldattheplaintiff's
house
for considering
there-marriage
question
andopposing
it. I donot know whe.nthe VishnuPancJiwasstarted.
I havenot drunkthewaterwrungoutof the Maharaj's
langotis
afterbathing,nor that with which his right toesarewashed. Some
people
drinksuchwater. I havenotsignedthe "bandobast" against
Karsandasin thisaction,nor doI knowif my brotherhassignedit.
I know only from the newspapersthat my brother was askedto
signit. I signeda documentby which we agreedthat nomembers
of the casteshould call upon a Maharajto give evidencejuia court
of justice; if they did so they would be expelled. "Weintended
also to memorializethe Judgesof the SupremeCourt,and if this
Court did not grant us exemptionwe would appealto the Privy
Councilto be relieved. The templeswere closedfor eight daysin
orderthat the followersmight sign the document. Maharajasvisit
the steamers,shop, and nach parties, but do not like to cometo this
Court, as they have not done so from time immemorial. (Mr.
Anstey.-Why do you say time immemorial, when your sect has
beenin existenceonly 400 years.) Our sect.hasbeenin existence
only 400 years. GovardhanathjiMaharaj was a large trader; he
receivedvisits fromand paidvisits to Parsiand Mahomedan traders.
I knownothing of the Mahomedan mistressof YachhalajiMaharaj.
I do not know if there is a book containing verseswritten by the
plaintiff. I havenot readit. Thereis a separatezenanawhereall
the ladiesgo to visit the Maharaj'swives. The devotees
areallowed
to seethe imageeight times a day. I have sometimesheard that
women'sdressesare handled indecentlyin the crowd, and their
persons
disgraced.In thewinter the menandwomenattendat so
earlyanhourasfouro'clock. I did drivethe Maharajascarriage
as
coachmanj I do not considerit disgraceful
to do so, I did not
slightthelateGovernor,
LordElphinstone,
whiledrivingin public
in ordertopayrespect
to ourMaharaj.Beforethepublication
of
thelibel I havereadin someof thepapersthatthe Maharajas
were
in tho habitof committingadultery. This wasaboutfour years
ago.There
wasa talk amongst
members
of theYallabhacharya
caste.I donotknowif anyreplies
weremade
tothis. There
was
a talk,I believe,
among
theBhattias
thattheirfemales
should
12 APPENDIX.
go at proper hours to the templesof the Maharajas. The women

were to go only in the morning and evening. This was ahoutten
monthsago. I amnot on bad termswith the defendant;I have
been attackedby him in his newspaper. The attackwasmadeon
accountof somecastedisputes. I took no notice of the article. I
donot readthe doctrinesof my sect; I learn themby hearsayfrom
.the Grujarati Brahmins.
(Ee-examined.) The plaintiff said if the Shastrasallowedhim
to support the re-marriage of widows he would allow it, but if they
did not aliow it, he would not allow it. There was somediscussion,
but I have not heard how it was settled. Vishnu Panch means
Yishnu Assemblyand not a caricature. These articles that I

saw had no effect on my mind as to the character of the Mahanij.
I frequent the Maharaj'stemple. Severalpeopleare kept at the
templeto keep order. They regulatethe admissionof peopleinto
the temple. They enter into one passageand go out of the other,
The defendantattackedme three or four times in his paper,but I
thought the attack too contemptible to notice it.
(Evidencefor the Defence.)

(KarsanddsMulji, examinedFebruary4, 6, 7, 1862.) I am one
of the defendantsin this case,and a Baniti, about 28 years of
age. I was born in the Yallabhacharya sect. I am one of those
who believe in the Maharajas a guru; I neverbelievedhim to bo
a god. I was the Editor of the Satya Praltd&h at the time the libel
appeared: the paperis sinceamalgamatedwith the East Goftdr,
and is now known as the jRdst Goftdr and Satya PraMsh. The
otherdefendantwasmerelythe printer. I edited the Stri-Bodh(a
magazinefor the instruction of females.) I have also written
several pamplets and books. I am somewhat familiar with the
doctrinesof the ancientHindu religion. It is brokenup into about
a hundredsects,in somerespectsdiffering widely from eachother.
I am familiar with the distinctionbetweenthe worshippers
of
Vishnuandthoseof Shiva: thosedistinctions
arestronglymarked.
TheYallabhacharyasect are the followersof Yishnu. Both differ
EVIDENCEFOR THE DEFENCE. 13
in morality; the creedof the Yallabhacharya

doesnot inculcate
self-denial;
I thinkthatof Shivadoes.Theancient
religionisone
of self-denial,
mortification,
andpenance.TheYallabhacMrya
religioncommenced about375yearsago. Yallabhwasthefounder
of the creedanda TelingaBrahmin. Lakshman Bhatt,the father
of Yallabh,andYallabhhimself,wereexcommunicated
by the
Telinga*Bralimins,for foundinga new sect. Accordingto the
doctrines
of the sect,asmentionedin theKTijYarti (writtenin the
Brij Bhashalanguage,)Yallabh, on his death, ascended to heaven
in a massof flames. The Maharajas marry amongthemselves:
those,out of their body, who intermarry with them are outcasted.
They intermarryby holding out largepromisesof moneyand other
rewards. Thosewho intermarry with the Maharajas
are poor
TelingaBrahmins. In one instanceof such marriagewhich came
under my notice, I think the Telinga Bra"hminwas poor. I am
preparedto state that the Maharajasare not Brahmins of high
caste, and that the creed of Yallabh is of a moderndate. They
are not the preceptorsof the ancientHindu religion to any body.
As a general rule, the Yaishnavas receive religious instruction in
their own peculiar doctrinesfrom the Maharajas. In respectto
other opinions they receiveinstruction from the Brahmins. The
learnedBraliminsopenlyteachthe doctrinesof the ancientreligion.
The Maharajasconcealtheir doctrines,thereis a prohibition against
revealing them. (Witness to Court,) I have given considerable
attention to the Yallabhacharya sect, and am acquainted with the
Brij Bhashalanguage. I am not acquaintedwith Sanskrit. (Wit-
nesscontinued.) Whoever divulges the secretsof (his) spiritual
guide, or of the Shri Thtikurji or the image,or the God,shall be
born again in the condition of a dog. The numberof doctrines
taught by the Maharajasare of sucha nature that learnedBrahmins
are not in a positionto teacli them. The doctrineswhich the Brah-
mins teach our sect are the samethat they teach to others. The
sacredbookof my sect,containingthe doctrinesof theMaharajas,are
named[witnessgivesthe namesof fourteenbooks,handingthem
into Court, with the translationsof passages
containedin them].
Three of thesesongswere printed at the Bombay" Union Pressn
the propertyof the co-defendant,It is saidin thesethat Kah£nor
M APPENDIX.
Krishna(theMaharaj) is the descendant

ofVallabh. That is the
beliefentertained
by the sect. I am somewhat familiarwith and
knowthehistoryof Krishna. Heis the subjectof severalavatars
(incarnations).
God(Krishna)cameto this earthin the shapeof
man; and 16,000"Gopis" (femalecowherds)obtainedsalvation
by fallingin lovewith Krishna. "Bas Lila" meansamorous
and
wantonsportwith women. Thereis no sport imputedto Krishna,
which is not amoroussport. When a Maharajdies, he is said to
extend his journeyto the other world in amoroussport. The
Maharajashaveneglectedtheinstructionof the sectin their peculiar
doctrines. In the strict senseof the word, they are not the pre-
ceptorsof religion. The kanthi is appliedto males and females
at the ageof eight or ten. Both in the songsand in the vow,
referenceis madeto tan, man,and dJian(body,mind, and property).
A personwhomakesa vowto give all his " dhan," bindshimselfto
givehis property,his wife, his son,andhis daughterto the Maharaj
or Thakurji. I haveheard of instancesin which theseofferings
have been practically made by the most devoted followers of the
Maharajas. It is a matter of general reputation in the sect that all
the Maharajashave carnal intercoursewith the wives and daughters
of their morezealousdevotees.Girls are sent to the Maharajas
before being touchedby their husbands. I know of such instances.
The knowledgeof thesepractices,amongthe sect,doesnot in any
way diminishtheinfluenceand respectof the Maharajas. "Within
the period of my recollection,
the Bhattia caste,composed
entirely
of Yaishnavas,havetakenstepsto put a stopto thesepracticesof
the Maharajas. In 1855 the Bhittias conveneda meeting of
the caste, at which it was resolved that females should not be
allowedto visit the Maharajasunlessat certainfixed hours,when
they may not have any opportunities for carnal intercourse with the
Maharajas. Accordingto the Hindu religion,the laws of Godare
unalterable,as regardsmorality, piety, etc. It is considered
a sin
to actcontraryto them. Adulteryis a greatsin. Handlingthe
breastsof femalesandthrowinggulal on their personsis considered
asa sinequaltoadultery,
according
to theShastras."Bed powder"
(guMl)
is asignofabaddesign,
ofanadulterous
character.
During
theHoli holidays,
theMaharaj
throwsgulalonthebreasts
of female
EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENCE. 15
and maledevotees, and directsthe current of somewaterof a yellow

colourfrom a syringe upon the hreastsof females. During the
" EasMandali,"wivesandhusbandscollectpromiscuously in a room,
and havecarnalintercoursepromiscuouslyamongthem. The " Eas
Mandali" is heldaboutthreeor four timesin a month. TheMaharaj
hasactual sexualintercoursewith many women,and is calledthe
husbandof manywomen. I used the passagein the libel, "You
Maharajas,actingup to the doctrinesof that commentary/'etc.,in
a hypotheticalsense,andwith, no othermeaning. I amnot ashamed
to saythere was a time when I followed the doctrines of the Yallabh-
acharya religion more strictly than I do now. I and others have
prosecutedenquiries on the subject of the religion of our sect. The
views of our small party were directed towards the doctrines aswell
astowardsthe history of the religion. In my sect,particularly,our
labours have been rewarded with abuse. I was an author and a
j ournalistbeforeI became
a reformer. Thetyrannyandevil practices
of the Maharajasinduced me to write against them. Besidesmy own
works, there were pamphlets, books, placards, etc., publishedin dif-
ferent languagesto exposethe practicesof the Maharajas. They
were published long before my time, and one of them wasa drama
written 250 years ago. There was no prosecution for libel by a
Maharajexceptthis. My object in writing wasto get the Maha-
rajas reformed. The plaintiff had organsto opposeus. One of
them was the Vishnu Panoh newspaper, patronized by plaintiff;
another was the religious pamphlet edited by plaintiff himself.
Plaintiff wrote several times letters to the CliabuJcand Satya Pra-
MsJi and other newspapers. The communicationswere madeto me
throughGovardhandas, plaintiff's secretary. Plaintiff has beenin
Bombayfor someyearspast; he returnedto Suratlast year. He
showedgreatintereston the subjectsof femaleeducation andwidow
re-marriage. Subsequently,at a public meeting,plaintiff declared
himself againstre-marriage. Prom that time hebecame unfriendly
to me, and discussedwith me, through the publications,the
questions
of re-marriageand the creedof Yallabh. Theseare
the pamphletsin which the discussionwas conducted by plaintiff.
Plaintiff wrote a letter which was publishedin the CMbuJcof the
29thSeptember,
1860. In the" Propagator
of ourownEeligion,"of
16 APPENDIX.
aboutthe sameperiod,therewasan attackuponthe "reformers,"

that is, meand my friends.. I was challengedto review the plain-
tiff's lecturepublishedin his pamphlet. That wasafter the article,
containingthe allegedlibel, appeared. Plaintiff called my paper,
namedthe Satya PraMsh, (Light of Truth,) the " Light of Un-
truth.'7 From the measure of enlightenment in my sect, I do not
think it likely that they are ableto understandthe nice distinction
made in the concluding passageof that article, that is, the Mah£-
rajas cannotbe exculpatedfrom the horrible doctrinesmentioned
in these documents, by the distinction in question. (To Sir M.
Sausse.) That distinction is not the opinion of the less reformed
of the Yallabhacharya
sect. ("Witnessproceededto say.) I think
the plaintiff's power, influence, and respect, have in no way been
affectedby the controversyor the allegedlibel. They are just the
same. Before the commencementof the controversy, there was dis-
satisfaction in my sect at the conduct of the Maharajas. The plain-
tiff had complainedof such conductin a handbill issuedby him
from the Uh&bukpress on the 19th September, 1860, and circulated
among the Yaishnavas. Plaintiff complains therein of the careless-
ness of the Yaishnavas, as to religious instruction, and of there
being only 100 subscribers
to his magazine,the ''Propagator of
our own Religion," out of a population of 12,000 Yaishnavas in
Bombay. The bad company, alluded to in the handbill, are the
"reformers." The person whose signature appears at the foot of
the handbill is Govardhandas,
the plain,tiff's secretary. The sub-
scribers to the magazineare chiefly of the lower class. The Vishnu
Panchis conducted
by someYaishnava,under the plaintiff's patron-
age; and wasso until the 8th November,1860. (An article in a
numberof the VishnuPanchis put in as an exhibit.) Attempts
were made to injure me, and to put me out of my caste,but with-
out success,as the castemenwere afraid lest I should institute an.
action of damages. The plaintiff and his agents asked the Yaish-
navasnot to subscribeto my periodical. OneKanji told me so.
These attempts were made before this action was filed. I received
a noticeof this action aboutthe end of April, 1861. I replied to
that noticein the East Goftdr and SatyaPraMsh of /5thMay. It
is the tyranny of the Maharajaswhich makesthe Yaishnavas
EVIDENCE FOB THE DEFENCE. 17
obedient: they don't allow a man who has incurred their dis-
pleasure,
to visitthetemple.Visitingthetempleoncein a day
is indispensable.,
I have seenMaharajas put their feet on the
breastsoMyingtnen,with theview of purifyingthemof sin. Ee-
wards
aruf aii forthis,fromEs.5toEs.1000.A penalty
is attached
to the breachof the kanthi vow. The general characterof the
Maharajas
in my sectis adulterous
andlicentious.The plaintiffis
knownto be debaucherous. The consequence
of the Maharajas'
practiceshas been general debaucheryin the sect; and great
scandaland shamelessness
prevail. The dedicationor»bowingof
maidensto the Maharajasbefore marriage, has given occasion
to these practices. The Maharaj is called, also, "one whose sole
aim is amoroussport with women." Certain. portions of the
sect, the Marjadis, consider these practices as meritorious, and
in no light worthy of blame. In addition to Marjadis, there are
the "Yarkats," who are considered the most zealous of the Maha-
rajas' followers. They generally act as procurers of women for
the Maharajas. Every Varkat is necessarily a pilgrim : they form
a distinct caste. The first thing in my studies, which arrested
my attention, was the commentary of Gokulnathji. The " ten prin-
ciples" are explained in a Marathi book called "Kavi Charitra."
The Maharajas, also promulgated a new set of doctrines called
" Pusliti Marg." The Siddhant Eahasya was written by Yallabh,
and his grandson Gokuluathji has written a commentary on it. J
had my doubt excited as to portions of the Commentary,which led
me to studies and enquiries, the result of which was, that I believe
that these were the real doctrines of the sect. I announcedin my
papertheresult of my studiesassoonas I had satisfiedmy curiosity.
I wasayarethat thefemales
of rny sectbelievedtheMaharajas
to
be incarnations of Krishna, and that as the gopis obtained
salvation by foiling in love with Krishna, our females were bent
uponadulterous
lovetowards
theMaharajfewvA^t
I didnotknow-
that such doctrines were contained in any of the sacred'books..,
of the
sect,until I learnedthe fact from personalenquiriesand research.
The Maharajis known by different names,such as Agni Svarup,
A'charya,Gosaiji,Yallabhakul, etc. The Maharajpretendsto be,
and is believedto be, the personificationof God. In respectto'
2
is
salvationof soulstheMaharajis superior

to&od,i%Jifeis saidthat
whenthe Maharajgetsangrywith anyone,Godcannotsavehim
from the Maharajas'displeasure:but the Maharajcansaveonefrom
God'sdispleasure.To believethe Maharaj to he merely a guru,is
to be born again in the condition of an animal or bird called
sichdnd. The love enjoinedto be cherishedtowards the Maharaj
meansadulterouslove. Thesehorrid opinionsare held wherever
members
of the sectreside
: theyarenot confined
to WesternIndia.
They prevail at Benares. I causeda copy of this book to be
procured£rom a press at Eenares. I producethese papers as
specimens of the attacksmadeuponthe Maharajaspreviouslyto the
publicationof the alleged libel. (Witnessto Court.) Theseare
hand-bills,'newspapers,and pamphletspublished from 1855-59.
Thepurport of the attacksis similar to the purport of the libel, that
is, that the Maharajasare adulterers. I saw and read these
differentpublicationsas they cameout. I ani ableto saythat these
publicationswere generally circulated and read. I read and
believed them to be true. To a certain extent they influenced my
mind, but I was alreadyconvinced. (Witnesscontinued.) These
are only someattacksamongstmany. I know what the "slavery
bond" was. The templeswere closedfor a week to force parties
to sign the bond,and the personsigning it bound himself not to
vrite anything againstthe Maharajas,nor attempt to procurehis
attendance at the SupremeCourt. Oneof its objectswas to excom-
municateme,in which they failed. The bond is still binding, and
I have read in it that personsnot obeyingit shall be guilty of a
crime againstreligion. I have seenthe femalesbow to the Maha-
rajas, at the time of worship in the temples,and I have seenthe
Maharajastouch the toes of femalesof whom they are fond.
Touching the toe is indicative of a desire for carnal intercourse.
The femalesgo into the zenana,and the Maharajasgo afterthem.
I have seen the managersof the Maharajas giving water to
Yaishnavasto drink, tbe water which fell from the Maharaj's
dhotia. I have seen the leavings of the Maharajas'food eaten
by someVaishnavas. When the Maharajwalks on foot, malesand
femalesfollow him in the streets. I haveseenthe "ten principles"
in two other books,one in verseand the other in prose. (Mr.
SpencerComptonread Englishtranslations
of passages
from the
sacred
booksof the Yallabhacharya
sect,which wereput in as
exhibitsthe previousday).
(KananddsMulji, cross-examined by Mr. Bayley). I first"
becameacquainted
with the plaintiff in the year 1860,but have
neverbeenIn his company,nor even spokento him in my life.
He hasno templein Bombay. Maharajas
havingno templesof
, their own,go to the templesbelongingto otherMaharajas. I have
no ocular knowledgeof any improprietiescommittedby plaintiff,
buthavehadin respect
to others,whenI usedto visit Thetemples
aboutten or elevenyearsago. I have observedthe improprieties
of Jivanji, the head Maharaj. I have not been to the temple?,
I believe,since1848,becauseI knew that the Maharajas'conduct
was blame-worthy. I meanimproprietiesto the extentof pressing
the toesof females by Jivanji Maharaj. I went oncea week every
Sunday, to Jivanji's temple. The temple consistsof two parts, and
I have seen both. I saw the toes of the females pressedthree or
four times when I myself went to touch the Maharajas' toes. I did
not mark this when I was young, that is, under fifteen. This
circumstance, combined with their general reputation as regards
adultery, made me secedefrom the Maharajas. Jivanji is still my
guru, but I stopped visiting him. I have a daughter round whose
neck I put a kanthi myself, according to the ceremonialforms of
my sect. Many Vaishnavas have put kanthis with their own
handsround the necks of their children. There may be two hundred
reformers among the Vaishnavasat the utmost. "WhenI say all the
Maharajashavecarnalintercoursewith the daughtersandwivesof
their devotees,and that maidens are first sent to the Maharajasafter
their marriage,I say sofrom generalreputation. Besidespressing
the toes,I have seen the Maharajas throwing" gulal on the breasts
of femalesduring the Holi festival in differentyears,whenall the
men and womenwere in the temple. It was gulal which had
been offered to the idol, and is considered holy by the people.
The gulal was sometimes
thrown in balls, which where pointedly
thrown at the breastsof females. I received spiritual instruction
from the Maharaj once in my life when the kanthi was put
round my neck. Thesesacredbooksarethe propertyof two of my
20 APPENDIX.
friends and of Bamlal Thakorsidas.I found out the particular

passages
-withthe assistance
of oneMathuradas.I wasacquainted
withthese
passages
before
thetimeofthealleged
libel. I saidthere
are abouta hundredsectsin India, but I don't think the old religion
isrepresented
byanyonesectatpresent.Some
ofthesects
follow
theoldreligionmoreor less. TheYallabhacharya sectprofessesto
follow the old religion,but I am not certainwhetherit does.
It differswidelyin its doctrines
fromthoseof the oldreligion,and
conceives
itself to be far superiorto all other sects. The number
of theYallabhacharyans
in Bombay
maybethirty orforty thousand;
they extendfrom hereto the Gangesand to Agra,but not uninter-
ruptedly. I heardsix or sevenyearsagothat the Maharajaswere
excommunicated by the TelingaBrahmins. It is the generalbeliefin
the sect that Yallabh was a Telinga Brahmin and was outcasted.
Telinga is a provincein the Madras Presidency. The Telinga
Brahminsform a largebodyin Telingaas in otherpartsof India, and
arethe worshippersof Shiva. They are like any other Brahmins
in any other part of India. The Vaishnavasand the Shivasare
"at daggersdrawn." Lakshman Bhatt, the father of Yallabh, was
excommunicatedby his own casternen for founding a new creed.
Manu and other books are consideredto be of divine origin. The
. story of the gopis and the incarnations of Yishnu are believed in by
severalsects,but are opposedto the ancient religion. The Shaivites
believein the incarnationsof Yishnu equally with the Yaishnavas.
As far as I have read, all the sacred books do not contain
amorous passages. I am .not aware whether Sir "William Jones
has said that "Krishna is to this day the darling god of Hindu
women." I have heard the story of Brahmacoming out of an
egg after remainingtheremillions and millions of years. I do not
believe in the modern stories in books which are written after the
Yedas,which I havenot read. The storiesare considered by most
Yaishnavas
asliterally true. I wasnot presentat any HasMandali;
it is a matterof generalreputation,and is described by Captain
McMurdoof Katch, in his work on that province. Adulteryis
considered a crimewhethercommitted by a Gosaior anyother
person.Theinstruction whichYaishnayasreceive
fromtheMaharaj
is onlyoncein their life-time,whenthe kanthi is put roundthe
neck. In certainrespects the Maharajasareregarded asreligious

preceptors,
but they don't teachmorethan oncein a person's life-
time. Eachfamilyhasits priestwhogivesinstruction in religion.
Theplaintiff is not a Brahminof high caste;he is an outcasted
Brahmin, and no high-casteBrahmin would dinewith him or the
other Maharajas,under the penalty of being excommunicated.I
collectedand printedthe licentioussongssungby females
when
the Maharajasare invited to their houses. I have heard the
songssung within the last year or two. They are sung gene-
rally among the sect. "What I printed are not exact words,
but the substanceof the songs,which I got printed for the pur-
poses of this trial. There are many other songs of similar
tendency; these are mere specimens. The Brahminsare highly
respected;they are not divine. The "amorous Kalian" plainly
means the Mahanij; he is generally regarded as Grod, the Su-
premo Being himself. It is not possible that I can be mis-
taken as to the construction of the words " tan, man, and
dJian" "Dhan" meansproperty, but the Yaishnavashave ex-
tended the sense. I differ with the Chief Translator as to the
translation of the latter portion of the libel. The word ligado
Mo simply means" defile.'' I had nothing to do with the article
which appearedin the SamdoMr : its editor was a Parsi. I had
nothing to do with any of the articles which appearedin other
journals against the Maharajas, I don't know who wrote the
article againstthe Maharajasin the BombayTimes. I have seen
Maharajasfollow femalesinto their privaterooms,-not thefemales
of their own family, who are not allowed to be seenby strangers.
Plaintiff pretendedfor sometime to be a reformer. I have not read
Gokulnathji'scommentaryin the original, i.e. the Sanskrit. I have
had no personalknowledgeof the adulteriesof plaintiff: it was a
matterof notorietythat he committeda rapeat Surat. I heardfrom
a friend that plaintiff sufferedlast year from the venereal'disease.
(After discussion).LukhmidasElimji is the nameof the friend.
I knownothingof this, of my personalknowledge.-(To Sir M.
Sausse).Thefemales go to thezenana,
the placefortheMaharaj's
family. They go to the zenana,andtheninto theKaharaj'sbed-
room. The zenana*has more than one room j but I don't know of
22 APPENDIX.
mypersonal
knowledge.At the timeI wrotethearticle,I believed
that the Maharajas
did defiletheir femaledevotees.
(Ee-examinedby Mr. Anstey). Noneof the sectsdoesin itself
representthe ancientHindu religion. The adulteriesof the
Maharajas
area matterof notoriety.CaptainMcMurdo haswritten
on their adulteriesand on the Eas Mandali, in the 2nd volume of the
*"<Transactions
of theLiterary Societyof Bombay,"publishedin the
year1820. He says:
-" TheBhattiasareof Sindhorigin. They
are themost numerous and wealthy merchantsin the country,and
worship the Gosaiji Maharaj, of whom there are many. The
Maharajis masterof their propertyand disposes
of it as he pleases;
and such is the veneration in which he is held, that the most
respectable
familiesconsiderthemselves
honouredby his cohabiting
with their wives or daughters. The principal Maharaj at present
on this sideof India is namedGopinathji,a man worn to a skeleton
and shakinglike a leaf from debaucheryof everykind, excepting
spirituous liquors. He is constantly in a state of intoxication from
opium, and various other stimulants which the ingenuity of the
sensualhas discovered. He is originally a Brahmin. ..... The
well-known Eas Mandalis are very frequent among them (the
Bhattias) as amongother followers of Vishnu. At these, personsof
both sexes and all descriptions,high and low, meet together, and,
under the name and sanction of religion, practise every kind of
licentiousness/' (Witness heredefines the grammatical construction
of the passagecontainingthe libel,-' You Maharajas!'etc.) I am
sure that the songsI haveprinted give exactly the substance of
what I haveheardwomensing. Maharajasare sometimes calledby
the nameof Purushottam, " Godor most excellentBeing,"or Puma
Purushottam,"Perfect God,"or "Perfect excellentBeing."
(Rev.John Wilson,jD.D., examinedFebruary 8, 1862.) I was
ordainedto the officeof the ministry by the Churchof Scotland;
andama graduateof the University of Edinburgh. I cameout to
this countryin the beginningof 1829. My professional dutiesas a
missionaryhave led me to the study of someof the easternand
Indian languages. I have studiedthe Sanskrit,and with it the
Zend,andto a certainextentthe Pehlivi. I amacquaintedwith
someof the Prakrit (or provinciallanguages
derivedprincipally
fromtheSanskrit),
andwiththeBrij Bhasha
in bothits spoken
and
writtenforms. I havepresided
at the examinations
in languages
of
gentlemenof both the Civil and Military Servicesof India. I was
offeredthe officeof Oriental Translatorto Government,
but I
declined it. I am a member of several learned societies. I am
a Fellowof theEoyalSociety;anda Memberof theEoyalAsiatic
Society of Great Britain and Ireland. I am a Member of the
BombayBranchof the HoyalAsiatic Society; for sevenyearsI
wa$ its President; and since 1842, I have been its Honorary
President. I am a CorrespondingMemberof the BengalAsiatic
Society,and of the German Oriental Society. I am also an
HonoraryMemberof oneor two other foreign societies. I am the
authorof severalworkson the ancientIndian and Persianreligious
systems; and have long prosecuted the study of the literature of
the East,which I commencedwhena studentat the University. I
haveheardmostof the evidence
in this case,up to yesterday,
whenI
was absent from the Court. The Vishnu Purana is a sacred book of
the Hindus: it is a philosophical and legendary book, bearing the

name of one of their gods, to the exposition of their views of whom
it is devoted. I have read the translation of it, sometimescom-
paring it with the original. The most ancient books of the Hindus
are the Ve'ds. They and the other works associatedwith them
are classified together under the denomination of SJwuti, or what
was heard, from their authors reciting them according to what was
alleged in their behalf, their own vision. They are believed to be
works of divine revelation in the highest senseof the term. I have
read much of the Yeds in Sanskrit and in the translations which
have beenmade of portions of them. The Institutes of Mann,
forming a judicial Code,were, I believe, with others,collected
aboutthe secondcentury before the Christian era. The Hymns
of the Yedswere composed aboutthree thousandyearsbeforethe
present time. There is now a pretty general consensus among
orientalists about these dates. The law-books, such as Manu,
belongto what is denominatedthe Smriti^ what is remembered,
or gatheredfrom tradition. The literatureof the Hindusbears
evidenceto the occurrenceof great changesof belief in reference
to their gods,and of moral and socialpracticein the Indian
24 APPENDIX.
community. It is ahistorical
factthat themoremodernreligions
of thiscountryarelesspurein their moralitythanthosewinch
prevailedin thislandof old. Verygreatchangeshaveoccurredin
Indiain theconcept andtreatment of thegods,
andpositivelyfor
the worse,as admittedby the Hindusthemselves.I haveheard
of the founder of a Hindu sect, named Vallahhacliarya. Ho
flourishedfrom the end of the fifteenth to the beginning of the
sixteenthcenturyof the Christianera. I haveread in Hindu
booksof a visit madeby him to KrishnaD6va,king of Yijayu-
nagar,when he is said to have receiveda large presentof gold;
and I find Krishna De>amentionedin the chronologicaltables of
his dynasty under 1524. I hold in my hand a Sanskrit Drama
entitled PdkJiandaDharmaKhanda,or the Smashingof Heretical
Beligion, bearing the date of Samvat 1695 (about A.D. 1039),
and which hasthe appearance of having beenproducedabout that
time, in which I find distinct referencesto YallabMcharyaand Ida
sect. (To Sir Matthew Sausse.) I have not found any reference
to the dramain the booksof authority in the sect. I don't know
if it has ever been acted; but it is the custom of the Brahmins
to compose dramas, and circulate them among their friends, as
literary compositions,without referenceto their use on the stage.
(Witnesscontinued.)t I have seen notices of the Vallabhachaxyun
sectin the "Transactionsof the Literary Societyof Bombay'*(now
the B. B. B. A. S.), vol. ii,, by Capt.McMurdo,Ecsidentin Katch
(given into Court by KarsandasMulji); and in vol. xv. of the
"Transactionsof the BengalAsiatic Society/' by Horace II ayman
Wilson,for sometime the Secretaryof that Society,and beforehis
deathProfessorof Sanskritin the University of Oxford. (To Sir
M. Sausse.) From my personalstudyof the doctrinesof the sect,
I believe that they are of an impure character. I agreewith tho
opinionexpressed
by Professor
H. H. Wilson in tho following
passage : " Amongst other articles of the new creed, Yallabha intro-
ducedone,whichis rathersingularfor a Hindureligiousinnovator
or reformer:he taughtthat privationformedno part of sanctity,
andthat it wasthedutyof the teachersandhis disciples
to worship
theirdeity,notin nudityandhunger,but in costlyappareland
choicefood,notin solitude
andmortification,
but in thepleasures
of societyandtheenjoyment
of the world. TheGosdis
or teachers
are almostalways family men,as was the founderYallabha,for, .
after he had taken off the restrictions of the monasticorder to which
he originallybelonged,
he married,by the particularorder,it is
said,of his.newgod. TheGrosaisarealwaysclothedwith thebest
raiment,andfedwith the daintiestviandsby their followers,
over
whom they have unlimited influence: part of the connectionbe-
tweenthe guru and teacher,being the three-foldSamarpan
or con-
signment
of tan, man,and dJian(body,mind,andwealth),to the
spiritual guide." I agreealsowith what Professor W. saysof the
eight daily timesof worshipof the sect; and of the venerationpaid
" to its superintendents, the Gosais, the descendantsof Yallabha.
"It is," he says, "not an uncurious feature in the notions of this
sect,that the venerationpaid to their Grosais
is paidsolelyto their
descent,and unconnected with any idea of their sanctityor learn-
ing ; they arenot unfrequentlydestituteof all pretensionsto indi-
vidual respectability,but they not the less enjoy the homage
of their followers." (To Mr. Anstey.) The dramato which I
have referred is, making certain allowances for scenic figures of
speech,a faithful and vivid mirror of the doctrines and practices of
the sect, as they prevail at the present day. I could not give a
more faithful picture of these doctrines and practices of the sect
than by reading some of the passageswhich I have extracted from
the dramaandtranslatedinto English. They areasfollows:-
TheSutradhdra
(saysto the Nati):-0 dear,the Yedshavefled somewhere;
nooneknowsthe story of their flight (i.e. whither they havegone). The collec-
tioa of the Sankhya,Yoga, and the Pur&nashas sunk into the bowels of the
earth. Now, young damsels,look to the self-dedicationpreachedby Shrimat
VallabhaYithaleshvara, whohasconspired to falsifythemeaning of the Yeds.
" EntersaYaishnava, havingonhisneck.,ear,hand,head, andaround hisloins,a
wreathmadeof the vrindd(Ocynium Sanctnm or Tulasi),havingon his forehead
Gopichandana (a substitutefor Sandalwood).He is onewho repeatsMdhsi!
Krishna1 Beingopposed to the Shruti,heis thereproacher of thosewhoadhere
to theYeds. He findsat everystep,crowdsof females filled by Kama(lustor
cupid). He is the kisserof femaleYaishnavas!YeYaishnavas, yeYaishnavas,
hear the excellent and blessedYaishnava doctrine-the embracingand clasping
with the armsthe large-eyeddamsels,
gooddrinkingandeating,makingno dis-
tinctionbetween
yourownandanother's, offeringone'sselfandlife to gurus,is in
theworldthecause of salvation."Mutualdining,carnalintercoursewithfemales,
nightandday,drinking,
forming
endless
alliances,
arethesurpassing,
beautiful
cus-
tomsofthepersonswhohaveconsecrated
theirsouls
to ShriGobxLesha,
Charity,
2G APPENDIX.
devotion,
meditation,
abstraction,
theVe*ds,
anda croreof sacrifices,
arenothing;
thenectarine
pleasure
oftheworshippers
of thepdduJed
(wooden
slipper)in Shri
G-okula
isbetter
thanathousand
other
expedients.
Ourownhody is thesource
ofenjoyment,
theobject
ofworship
reckoned
byallmenfittobeserved.If sexual
intercourse
doesnottakeplace
withtheGokulesha,theparamourofmenis-useless,
likea wormor ashes.Thechiefreligion
of theworshipper
of thegddickdisthe
consecration
ofa daughter,
ason'swife,andawife,andnot theworshipofBrahmins
learnedin theYeds,hospitality,
theShrdddha,
(funeralceremonies)
vows,and
fastings.-Translated
(fromthePdkhandaDharmaEhandana of JD&nwdarsvdmi)
"byJohnWilson,D.D.
("Witness
continued.) The sect of Yallabhacharyais a new sect,
inasmuch asit hasselected
thegodKrishnain oneof his aspects-
that of his adolescence,
andraisedhim to supremacy
in thataspect.
It is a new sect,in asfar as it has establishedthe PusUi-mdrga,or
way of enjoyment,in a natural and carnalsense. The sectis new
in its objects,and new in its methods. The god Krishna is wor-
shippedby its membersin the form of images,and in the form of '
the personsof their gurus,the so-calledMaharajas. The Maharaj
is consideredby a greatmanyof his followers asan Incarnationof
God,as Godincarnateaccordingto Hindu notions,which arepecu-
liar on that subject. The Yallabhacharyans hold that Yallabh-
acharya and his official descendantsare incarnations of the god
Krishna, without holding that there is a completeembodimentof
him in any one of them. Accordingto Hindu notions,therehave
occurrednine incarnations of Yishnu, the last of .them being that of
Buddha. The orthodoxHindus do not believein anyincarnations
which aresaidto havetakenplacebetweenthe time of Buddhaand
the presentday. TheYallabhacharyans, on the contrary,hold that
Yallabhacharyaand his descendants are incarnationsof Krishna.
They view the Maharaj as intermediatebetweenthemselvesand
the god Krishna, in the senseof his being entitled to have his
dicta receivedas equalto thoseof Krishna himself. I have looked
to the following passages in works in the Brij Bhasha,recognized
by the Yallabhacharyans, and giveninto the court,and havefound
them correctly rendered:-" "We should regard our guru as God.
Por if God get angry, the Guru De*va is able to save from the
effectsof God'sanger,whereasif the guru is displeased, nobody
is ableto savefrom the effectsof the guru's displeasure." (Cha-
tursMoMBlidgavata.} *' "WhenHari (God)is displeased, the guru
EVIDENCE FCXR THE DEFENCE. 27
savesfrom the effectsof Hail's displeasure." "The principal

gurus are the Shrf Acharji and Shri Gosaiji and their whole
family, the Yallabhafamily.7' 4<
In this world thereare many
kinds of creatures. Of them all we are most fortunate that we
havesoughtthe protectionof the illustriousYallabhacharyaji,
Shri
Gosaiji,andtheir descendants,who aremanifestly(incarnations
of)
God,the excellentbeing himself." (Guru Sevd.) "Whoever
holds(his) spiritualguideand Shri Thakurji (or God)to be dif-
ferentshallbe borna siclidnd. Whoeverdisobeys the ordersof
his spiritualguide,shallgo to Asipatraandotherdreadfulhells,
andloseall his religiousmerits." (Harirdyaji, descendant
of Yal-
labhacharyain the SatsathAjparddJia,
the Sixty-SevenSins.) There
are multitudeswho believethe Maharajasto be not only gurus,but
more exalted beings in the sense indicated by the passagesnow
quoted. The Maharajasare certainly not preceptorsof what is
technicallydenominatedthe Hindu religion. They arenot chiefs
or heads of any single sect of Brahmins.. The descendantsof Yal-
labhaareconsidered as outcastedTelingaBrahmins. To my certain
knowledgecasteintercourseproperly so-calleddoesnot exist be-
tweenthe Maharajasand the Telinga Brahmins. Accordingto the
beliefsand practicesof the Hindu religion, it is not possiblefor
Brahmins to hold such intercourse with the Maharajas as members
of one caste hold with one another. Tan, man, and clhan(in the
formulasof Yallabhacharyan initiation) are used in an all-compre-
hensivesense-tan embracingthe body in all its membersand
functions; man referring to mind in all the mental powers and
faculties; and dhan comprehendingall property and possessions,
which have to be placed at the disposalof the god through the
Maharaj,accordingto the doctrinesof the sect. I haveseenpas-
sagesin workspublishedby the Maharajasof the sect,accordingto
which the sectaries should make over their sons,wives, daughters,
and everythingelsebeforeapplying them to their own use. In the
YircUtaJShdktiSiddhdntaVwritt (a commentaryof Golmlnathjion
the SiddhdntaRahasya)it is said, " Therefore,in the. beginning,
evenbeforeourselvesenjoying,wives, sons,etc. (putrddi, compre-
hendingdaughtersaswell as sons),shouldbe madeover,(because
of) the expression
sarvavastu(i.e. "all things,"occurring
in the
28 APPENDIX.
text). Aftermarriage,
even
before
usingherourselves,
theoffering
of her (thatis thewife) shouldbe madewith a viewto herbe-
comingusable(by ourselves).So,likewise,afterthe birth of a
son,sons,etc.,shouldall be madeover. On all occasions(and)on
accountof all occasionsthere shouldbe the making over. After
makingthe things over,the different acts shouldbe done." The
translation
of thispassage
(signedYishvanath
MrayanMandalik),
givenin as an exhibit, is correct. In regardto a Brahmin,it is
saidin theBhagavad-Gfitd, that hisinherentqualitiesare"quiescence,
self-control,devotion,purity, patience,rectitude,secularand sacred
understanding, therecognitionof spiritual existence,and the inborn
dispositionto serveBrahma," The systemof the Yallabhaclmryans
hasa relationshipto this ideal somewhatanalogous to that which
Mormonismhas to Christianity. The senseof shameand of decency
is outragedby thedoctrinesand practicesof theYallabhacharyans.
There is no senseof shamerecognized in the doctrines of the sect.
I haveheardthat the translationof the Gujaratipassage
containing
the allegedlibel has been disputed. (Directing attention to a pas-
sagepointedto by Counsel,the witnesscontinued.) " Ye Mahara-
jas (in the vocative),on acting accordingto that commentary(or
when you act accordingto that commentary),jou corrupt the wives
and daughtersof your devotees,lift your hand from this." The
passageis susceptibleof the interpretation given of it by the de-
fendant. All things considered, the alleged libel is a very mild
expostulation,involving an appealto the principle that the pre-
ceptors of religion, unless they purify their lives, cannot expect
successto attend their labours. I do not think that the plaintiff
is necessarilyinvolved in what is said except in a general and
inferential way. [Mr. Anstey then handedto witnessa form of
dedication in Sanskrit usedby the membersof the sect of the Yal-
labhacharyans
onreceiving
thekanthi(throat-ornament
of thesect).]
The translationof this formulais the following:-" Shrf Krishnais
my refuge. I, who amsufferingthe infinite painand tormentpro-
ducedby enduring,for a thousandmeasuredyears*, separation
from
Krishna,doto the worshipful Krishna consecrate my body, organs
of sense,life, heart, and other faculties,and wife, house,family,
property,with my own self. I am thy slave,0 Krishna."
(Cross-examined.)The passagecontaining the allegedlibel is

somewhat ambiguous; and its composition is loose. I think the
Bhattiaswhoreadit wouldconnect theallegationof the corruption
of their wivesanddaughters with the useof the commentary re-
ferredto. Theeffectof the participlechdlineis suspensive,
making
the whole read, " ye, on acting, or (when you act) accordingto the
commentary,"do so and so. The alleged corrupting is positive,
but with this connexion. I am not preparedto state that Mr.
Flynn's translationis incorrect, though it may be somewhatim-
proved. I took no active part in getting up this case; bnt since it
commenced,I have taken an interest in its advancement. This
interestis foundednot somuch on professionalas onmoralgrounds.
I did not know the defendant personally till the action was com-
menced. I have not been inside any of the Maharajas' temples. I
have had no personal observation of the improper practices of the
Maharajas;but I have heard much of them from their followers,
and I have seen great abominations practised by Yallabhacharyan
sectaries,which I would much rather characterize to the court than
minutely describe. From the books of the sectwhich I have ex-
amined,I conclude that both the Maharajas and the idols are wor-
shippedas gods. The .Brahmins,in general,haveindeedvery high
and extravagant notions of themselves and their religious and social
position. The Hindusworship cowsand bulls; but not as personal
incarnations of the Hindu, deities. The Hindus according to their
"pantheisticteachingsbelieve everyobject that existsto bein some
form or other an emanation from deity, which they profess to be-
lieve to be the only entity. It is only of late yearsthat European
orientalscholars,suchas Max Muller and others,have found any
satisfactoryindicationsof the age of the ancientHindu writings.
The codifyingof the Laws of Manu, I think, tookplaceabouttwo
hundredyearsbefore the Christian era, though many of the laws
are doubtlessconsiderablyolder. Sir William Jonesthought that
the Code of Manu received its present form somewhat under a
thousandyearsbeforeChrist (A.C.880). (To Sir JosephArnould.)
I would not call the Mormonites a sect of Christians. The Yal-
labhacharyasect,as such, is not properly speakinga sect of the
ancientHindu religion,though connectedwith the Hindu religion.
SO APPENDIX.
(ToSirMatthew Sausse.)
I cannot
saythatanysectat present
strictlyfollows
theancient
Hindureligion.I knowat leastof
one sectthat holdsimmoraldoctrinessimilarto thoseof theYal-
labhacharya
sect. It is thatof the SMJctas,
worshippers
of the
ShaUts,or femaleenergies. (Mr. Seoblehandeda Sanskrit
pamphlet
to thewitness,
whenwitness
proceeded.)
Thispamphlet
bearsonits cover,that it hasbeenpublishedby the order of Shri
Gokuladhishji
Maharajadhiraj.
(!) It is a collectionof various
pieces.Thesentence
towhichyoupointdoesnotreferto adultery.
Visliaydlwdnta
(occurringin it) is not equivalentto adultery; it
meanswhat is sensual. The connexion of the passage,however,
has to be looked at.-I have heard of the sect of Svami ISTarayan
at
Ahmedabad.Thehigh priest thereis the third or fourth in official
descentfrom its founder. His sect worships Krishna; but its priests,
I believe,do not marry. I don't objectto the marriageof priests.
There are a number of sects in India as recent as that of Yallabh-
acharya. Wordsare symbolsof ideas; and it is not with words
themselvesthat fault is to be found, but with the application some-
times made of them. The words tan, man, and dhan are right in
themselves; but they are badly applied by the Maharajas. It is
only of late years that tolerably successfulattempts have beenmade
to assign chronologicallimits to the different works of the Hindu
literature. The intelligent members of the Hindu community are
making researches at present about the foundations of their religion.'
Thereformparty is verymuch identical with what is calledYoung
Bombay. I have read someof the works of the plaintiff and his
associates,and have formed a very low estimateof them.
(Re-examined.)I haveseenvery obscene conducton the part of
the followersof the Maharajas,and haveturnedawayfrom it with
disgust. I should have been pleasedto have seena better state of
things in this country. Many of the passages
giveninto the Court
asexhibitswerefirstshown
to meby the defendant
andhis party.
Some
ofthemI myself
firstbrought
to theirnotice.-(To
theCourt.)
Themeaning of BasLila is, etymologically
andproperly," amorous
sport.'7Hasalone,means juice,as the juice of the body,or the
juiceoffruits. Aimo,
means
self,soul,spirit,and(in theY£danta)
the Deity, supposedto be the universal soul.
EVIDENCE FOE- THE DEFENCE. 31
(MatJmrdddsLoivji* examinedFebruary13, 14, 1862.) I ama

Bhattia merchant, and a memberof the Yallabhacharyasect. I
know the Brij BhasM, the Gujarati, and the Marathi languages.
I am acquainted with the sacred books of my sect. I am not able
to read Sanskrit or Persian. I have given these booksto Karsandas
for the purposeof being producedin Court". I considermyself
skilled in the doctrines of my sect and the ancient religion of the
Hindus. I have heard the ancient religion expounded from the
Bhagavat and other two works. Our religion differs from the
ancient religion. Idolatry is not enjoined by the Ye*ds. It is
mentioned in a book called Balbodh that none would be able to read
the Yeds in the Kali-Yug, and that the acts mentioned in the
Y^ds would not lead to salvation. In a work by Gokulnathji it is
stated that the Shastras are not to be followed which are opposedto
the doctrines of the " Pushti Marg " of the Yallabhacharya sect.
In our sect, " Puraii Purushottam," and his incarnations Yallabha-
charyaandYithal are consideredas God. The Maharajasare con-
sidered as those incarnations " and are known as the children of
Yallabh,'' Puran Purushottam, ^charya, etc. There are 108 names
givento Yallabhaoharyaand his descendants,
which names
aresimilar
to the 108 names of the Supreme Being. Maharajas are called
"Malm Prabh.ii" (Great Lord) by several devoteesat the time
of worship. A part of the Bhattia casteworshipsthe Maharajasas
God, and also worships their poi traits. Each Maharaj is also
worshippedby his individual name,and is regardedas Godfromhis
birth, without reference to "his subsequentcharacter or qualifications.
Yallabh is regarded as the incarnation of the head of the Supreme
Being. In reality, he was the son of LakslinianBhatt, a Telinga
Brahmin. The Telinga Brahmins would not dine or associatewith
his descendants. The Maluirajas have about two lakhs of followeis
out of soino twelve crores of Hindus. Except when putting
the kanthi round the neck of a child, the Maharaj never gives
religious instruction. The Maharaj, at the performance
of the
kanthi ceremony,makes a person repeat a mantra (incarnation)
* Someportionsof the evidenceof this importantwitness,ând of others for

the defence,
aregivenin a morecorrectform,in thefindingof SirJoseph Arnould
than in the report published,
32 APPENDIX.
tion) to this effect:-I havebeenseparated

from Krishnafor a long
time. I dedicatemy body, mind, wealth, organs,wife, children,
house,and all to Krishna.'' The Maharaj desiresthe person to
repeatit to him.(theMaharaj.)"Childrenaremadeto repeatthis
mantra, as also young girls and lads on the occasionsof tlieir
marriage. The Maharajis Krishna; and a Yaishnavadedicatesto
him his tan man, and dhan. In practice all a person'swealth
is not givento the Maharaj; but as to women,he commitsadultery.
Has Lila meansamoroussport, carnal intercourse. This picture
(an indecentone) is a correct representationof the sport Krishna
had with, women. Thereare many such,picturesin the Maharajas'
temples. This book is believedin by the sect; it containsthis
picture,in which thereare representednakedwomen and Krishna
at the top of a tree. One of the pictures represents the women,
shepherdesses,
as comingout after bathing; the other represents
them as playing with gulal with Krishna, and. of the colour of
Kesura flowers. Buka is a sacredpowder called " abir," and is
usedwith gulal. The followersof the Maharajas,malesand females,
will, after death,becomegopis, for the purposeof having amor-
ous sport, Eas Lila, with God, in which the Maharajas will take
part and enjoy both as gods and as gopis. The Maharajas, when
they worship the image, wear long hair becausethey regard them-
selvesas gopis in this world. I had conversation with the plaintiff
to the effectthat I shouldarrangewith Jivanlalji Maharajto write
and edit the "Propagator of our own Eeligion" during the time he
(plaintiff) would be away from "Bombay. It was started by the
plaintiff in the name of a society, of which he is the president. I
received this hand-bill at the entrance of plaintiff's dwelling-house.
I have read it. I am known in my sect by the name of "Muthurii
Panth/' becausemy opinions are opposed to the immoralities and
adultery of the Maharajas, and as if I was the founder of a new
sect. This is not the case. Prom my infancy I wasinstructedby
my father not to believein the practicesof the Maharajas,which,
he said, are immoral and adulterous. Many personsin my sect
know the fact, but refrain from avowing it for several reasons.
Sincethe last eight or nine yearsI have explainedto my friends
theseimmoralities. I respected
the Maharajasoutwardly; my friends
EVIDENCE FOE THE DEFENCE. 33
did the same. In the year 1912(1855)a writing waspreparedby

Bhattia*sto preventfemalesfrom going to the Maharajasunlessat
certain hours, andwith the view of preventing the adulteries. It was
resolvedthat the writing shouldcomeinto forceaftera year. There
wasa disputeat the timebetweenthe Maharajas andthe Bhuleshwar
Brahmins, and it was apprehendedthat, if the documentwas made
public,the Brahminsmight obtain a triumph. The year elapsed,
but the agreement was not brought into force. Since this action
commenced,
a hand-bill was issuedfrom the pressof plaintiff's
manager,Parbhudas,with the object of suppressingthe agreement
and preventingits being producedin this Court. The Maharajas'
adulterieswere a matter of notoriety in the sect,and there has been
no improvementsince 1855. I remember having beenoften to the
gardenof GokuldasTejpal with Khatao Makanji. About eight
years ago I went there with him, when at the entrancewe were
informed by the mdti that a Maharaj was inside with four women.
Seeingus go in, Lakhmidas ELhimji followed us. Gokuldaswas in
the garden opposite, knowing the Maharaj was in his own garden
with the women. "We went in. Khatao stoppedin the dining-
room. I entered by another door, and saw two widows sitting out-
side. They told me something, but notwithstanding that, I pushed
forward. I found the door of a room fastened from inside, and
removedthe latch with a knife. I sawthere Maha*raj
Yachhalalji
in the act of connexionwith a woman. The other womanwas sitting
in the room. The Maharaj was ashamedon seeing me, and put on
his dhotia (waist cloth). The woman was of the Bhattia caste
and a member of the sect. She was about 25 or 30 years of age,
and was a married women. I paid my respectsto the Maharaj on
seeinghim commit the act! Gokuldas was sent for; the Maharaj
gave him somesweetmeatand pan-sopari. The womenwent away,
and a companion of Gokuldas struck one of them on the head. I
refused to conceal the act; I said I never would concealsuch an
act. There is a club among the Bhdttias of my sect called "Kas
Mandali," of which the members are very much respected,as they
pay greaterhomageto the Maharajasand commitmoreadultery.
Themembers would not admit a stranger. Theygoto the meeting
with their wives. I was a member. I have frequently seenfemales
3
34 APPENDIX.
approacHng
the personsof Maharajas.I haveseenten or twenty
Maharajas
worshippedby females.Thefemales touchthesolesof
the Maharajas'
feetwith their hands,
andthenapplythemto their
own eyes.I haveseenfemales performthis kind of worshipto
plaintiff. SeveralMaharajaspressthe toesof their femaledevotees.
I havenotseentheplaintiffdo this. Pressing
thetoesis a signof
a desirefor adultery. "Whenthe femaleslook at the Maharajas,
the latter make signswith their eyes. Accordingly,the females
takethishintandretireintoa room. I speak
thisfrommy personal
knowledge. The gulal is thrown on the occasionof the Yasant
Panchami(whichfalls shortly beforethe Holi holidays). Thegulal
is thrown by the Maharaj on the personsof such femalesas he
wishes to gratify his desire with. Gulal water is also thrown by
meansof syringes,andthe Maharajtakespreciseaim at the females.
This is donewith the sameobjectand purpose. Femalessinggarbis
(songs)of an amorouscharacterin the presence of the Maharajas;
suchas,"I wasasleepand you awokeme/' "You will easemy
mind if youwill takeme," "You are my husband/7and so on. The
purportof suchsongsis evidentas sungin the presence of the Maha-
rajas. It is notoriousthat theMaharajas areadulterers. The plain-
tiff's reputationis no way betterthan that of the otherMaharajas.
Accordingto our Shastras,conductsuchas this (throwingpowders
on females) is consideredequivalentto adultery; andin fact, under
the head of adultery in a religious book, it is so described.
"Chuva," a sort of fluid, is thrownby females
on the persons
of
the Maharajas. Suchconductis witnessedquietly by the husbands
of females
who singthe "garbi" beforethe Maharajas.I first
becameacquainted
with Jadunathji
aboutsixteenmonthsago,when
he paid a visit to the house of Jivara"zBalu and sent for me. I am
acquainted
with aboutsevenor eightMaharajas
in Bombay.They
areJivanji,theheadMaharaj,
Grokuleshji,
Dhishji,Gokuladhishji,
Chimanji,Maganji,Dwarkanathji,andJadunathji.I havebeen
outof Bombay,
andhaveseen
Maharajas
atKatchMandavi,
Beyt,
etc. The Maharajat Mandavi,is Banchhodji,
and I was also
acquainted
therewith Maji Maharaj,
the widowof a Maharaj.
Eventually
theMaharajas
refused
to accede
to my request
notto
admitfemales
intothe templeunless
at certainhours. Therefusal
wasmadeaftersomediscussion.I amunwillingto revealwhat

private
conversation
I hadwithJivanjiunlessforcedtogiveit out.
Jivanjisaidall persons
are mastersof their ownhouses, and
adultery
hasincreasedverymuch,andit is difficult
tostopit. He
couldnot, he said,remonstratewith his eldersor with thosewho
weresuperiorto him. If he attemptedto remonstrate,
he wasafraid
theotherMaharajas wouldnot mindhim; andhe, therefore, sug-
gestedthat I shouldsecure
the aidof ShrinathjiandtheMathuresh"
jiwallaMaharajas.Without their co-operation, he said,nothing
couldbe effected. As the femaleswerethe sourceof greatincome
to the Maharajas,it was rather a seriousmatter, he said, to
stopthat sourceof income,and thus deprivethem of the meansof
defrayingtheir expenses.He addedthat, like an opium-eater,a
mancouldnot give up the practiceof lust, andthereforeit wasnot
possibleto put a stop at once to the practicesof the Maharajas. He
advisedmeto havepatiencein the matter of this desiredreform. I
had similarconversationwith Jivanji on anotheroccasion.I stayed
for aboutfour hourswith plaintiff at the houseof JivrazBalu. He
also sent for me on other occasions. On the first occasion I had
somediscussion
with him on the subjectof femaleeducation,
in the
courseof which he desired me to do as he or the Maharajasdirected.
I saidwe arenot boundto do so,unlesswhat you sayis good. He
saidyou areboundto act accordingto what we say. I saidI catx
showyouprecedents from the Shastras, uponwhich he desiredme
to seehim at his house. I said the Maharajasdo not studythe
Shastrasand instruct their followers,asit is their duty to do. He
said that wasnot necessary, and that the followersmust do what
the Maharajas
directedthemto do. I spoke
of thedesirability
of
establishing
a library, whenplaintiff saidhe had prepareda list for
thepurpose,
andaskedmeto procuresubscriptions.
I saidI would
procurethe subscriptions, but that the moneycouldnot beentrusted
to him. He then said I and my friends might keepthe money.
This wassubsequently to the publicationof the libel. The Shan-
karacharyas do not allow womento approachthem. I havereadof
the "ten principles" in the Brij Bhash&and theMarathilanguages.
Thedoctrinesmentionedin thesecorrespond in substancewith those
of the sacredbooks. The doctrinespropounded in plaintiff's works
36 APPENDIX.
andGokulnathjTs
commentary,
areto my mindproductive
of
adultery
in thesect,
andlend-encouragement
to it. It is saidin
the"Propagator
of ourownBeligion"thatwe oughtto be in
adulterine
lovewith God,"in another
placeit is saidsuchlovecan-
nothecherished
in theKaliYug. Ofthese
twocontradictory
in-
junctions,theformer,to my mind,would haveeffectover a persons
mindmuch
more
readilythanthelatter. Theadulterine
lovewith
Godmeanssomething
astheadulterine
lovebetweenthe Maharajas
andtheYaishnavas.
Themeaning of thededication
of the "tan"
is that therwivesand daughters
of the devotees
are dedicatedto the
Maharajas.Theseator "baithak" of the Maharajas,
even,in his
absence,is worshipped
and respectedby the devotees. I wasmyself
presentat the meetingof the Bhattiasin 1855,and took a part in
the proceedings.
(Cross-examined.)
I am not called Mathurd Panth becauseI
have founded, or am about to found, a new sect; it is only because
I have opposed
the adulterouspracticesof the Maharajas. I fre-
quentat present
the templeof Jivanji Maharaj. I don't sendmy
wife to that or anyothertemple,thoughit is the customamongthe
Yaishnavasto sendtheirwives. Thewivesof veryfewYaishnavas
donot go to the temples.I donotworshipJivanji as God. The
otherYaishnavastouch the Maharaj Jsfeet, swing him in a swing;
a sacred
necklace
is put round the neckof the Mahdrajin the same
wayasit is put roundthe neckof theimagej theytakeup the dust
of the feet of the Maharajand eat it or put it into their mouth.
Whenworshipping, they call him MahaPrabhuji,Purushottam,
Yallabh
Deva,etc. I canswearthat the Maharajis addressedin
these
namesof theSupreme Being,andnot the image,whichis in
an inner room. The Maharajastake their seatoutside. At that
time,thedoorsof theroomcontaining theimageareshut. I have
beento the templesbelonging
to the otherMaharajas;
the formof
worshipisthesamein all. I wentto worship
theimageonly. I
joinedmyhands to theMaharaj,butdidnotworshiphim in any
way. It is statedin the sacred
booksthat theworshipof the
Maharajshouldbeperformed
in thesamewayasthat of God. Tho
Maharajas
areBrahmins,andareregarded asgurus. As Brahmins
theyarenotthepreceptors
of religion. A few of theYaishnavas
do
notconsider
the Maharajas
asgods. I donot,but my brotherdoes
considerthemas such. The dedicationof " tan, man,and dhan" is
not at presentmadeby all Hindus. That after the dedication,the
Maharajcan do what he pleaseswith females,is a matter of no-
toriety. I havenot seenany act of improprietyby the plaintiff; I
haveheardof some. About four years ago,on the occasion of the
marriageof my daughter,a Maharajwas invited by the father-in-
law of the girl. A Maha*rajthen demanded a fine frommeof Us.
5-4 which I refusedto pay; it wasfor my appearingin mourning,
" Krishna LilaJ>meansamoroussport with Krishna, -tfhich com-
mencedwhen he was six or seven years old, and lasted till he
reachedhis eleventhyear. Somefour or five yearsago, I saw
dramasof this story of Krishna, which were performedin Maha-
rajas'templesbeforemalesand females. Picturesof this story are
sometimes observedon the walls of somebuildings,not onthe walls
of temples. The women,however,are not paintednaked. This
book, containingone indecentand someother pictures,was pub-
lishedat Ahmedabad
five yearsago: it is an abridgement
of the
Bha"gavat.It is recognised
amongthe Yaishnavas;thereare some
partsof it whicharerecognised
by others. It is certainlyindecent
to observe
nakedmenor womenon.the top of a tree. I havenever
appearedin that mannerona tree. I haveneverseenanypictures
in theY£ds, TheMaharaja's wearlonghairandconsider themselves
as gopis(cowherdesses)in this world. It is so statedin oneof
the sacredbooks. The hair on the headis worn by the Hindusnot
with the objectthat angelsmayholdus by it andpull us up to
heaven:it is to be tiedup at thetimeof worship. Theplaintiffis
a merehumbugwhenhe pretends to encourage femaleeducation.
I haveheardthat he opened a femaleschoolin Surat;andhecol-
lectedsubscriptions in Bombay for defrayingits expenses.
At the
meeting
oftheBha*ttias
heldin 1855,
several
resolutions
werepassed,
oneof whichwasto preventfemales
from goingto the temples
at
nightduringthecoldseason.
Theobject
wastoprevent
thembeing
defiled
bytheMaharaja's.I haveseen
GokuMdhisji
makesigns
to
femalestwo or threetimesaboutfive or six yearsago. Promtheir
dress
I knewthewomenbelonged
to ourcaste. Theplacein which
the Maharaj
females
resideis separate
fromtheplace
where
these
38 APPENDIX.
actsarecommitted.
I havebeento his bed-room,
andhare seen
females
going
intoandcoming
outof hisbed-room.
I havebeen
there
onlyonce,
fiveorsixyears
ago.Hehassent
forme,asthere
wasasubscription
list tobeprepared. Widowsareconstantlynear
theMaharajas'
bed-rooms: it istheirbusiness.
I haveseenDwar-
kanathji
Maharaj
givinga signalto a female
to go intohis bed-
room. Onseeingme,he heldbackhis handwith whichhewas
makingthesignal.Shewasaskingsomething
of theMahar&j,
and
the latter said"take this"-(witness explains the very indecent
attitudeandsignalmade). Thefemalewasa marriedwoman,about
twentyyears
ofage. I once
threwgulalonthemother-in-law
of my
daughter,
on theoccasionof her marriage. This sprinkling of gulal
wasdonewith respect,
not in theway in which Maharajasthrow it.
On throwingthegulal,I madeher a presentof money. I remember
oneMatuji Maharajhelda meetingsomeyearsagoat Mahalakshmi,
on whichoccasiongulalwasthrown. In the islandof Beyt,when
the Maharajasthrow gulal, they touch the females. Licentious
songsaresungby femaleson occasions
of marriage; but when they
areaddressedto the Maharajas,the femalessinging them wish for
carnalintercoursewith them(the Maharajas). In somesongs,on
occasions
of marriage,the womenononesidewish thoseonthe other
sideto exchange husbands,for the time being of course. Sucha
thing is neverdone;it is carriedinto practiceonly with the
Maharaj,I haveseenthe seatsof Maharajas at Bombay,Beyt,
andMandaviworshipped
by Yaishnavas.If the Bhattiasof Bom-
baywereeducated
at all, suchadulteries
wouldnot prevailamongst
them.Thereport
in theSafya
PraMsh
isnotafull reportof the
Bhattiameetingheldin 1855: theresolutionaboutthefemalesand
andtheMaharajas is omitted.
(Ee-examined.)
At thetimeof the Bhattia"
meetingin 1855,I
readthe Samdchdr
in which the substance
of the resolutionabout
thefemales
is given. It is alsocorrectly
givenin theJdmi-
JamsMd.Theresolutionwasnotembodied in thereportpub-
lishedin the SatyaPraMsh,because
it wasnot comeinto force
untilayearafterwards.
I thinkthesinging
oflicentious
songs
on
occasions
ofmarriage
is going
outoffashion
through theprimary
exertions
oftheSatija
PraUsh.TheMaMraj&ssittingin conclave
EVIDENCE FOB, THE DEFENCE. 39
threatened
to finemeonce,because
I hada controversy
with them.
They have committedmanysuch extortions. The plaintiff saidhe
hadopeneda femaleschoolat Surat: I hadno furtherknowledge
of its beinga fact. Thereis a principaltempleof a Maharaj
at Beyt.
(Dr. HMu Ddji, examined,February14, 1862.) I ama Graduate
of the Grant Medical College,and a private practitioner. I ama
prizemanof the ElphinstoneCollege. I won a prize on the best
essayon Eemale Infanticide in Kathiawar. I was a member of the
late Board of Education,and ama Fellow of theBombayUniversity.
I ama memberof the BombayBranchof theRoyal AsiaticSociety,
the Bombay GeographicalSociety,and of severalother Societies.
Thereis a femaleschoolpermanentlyendowedin my name. I am
a ShenaviBrahmin, and not a memberof the YalLabhacharya sect.
I have obtaineda diploma of the Grant MedicalCollege. I have
taken a particular interest in the history and antiquitiesof my
Country. My practice extends amongst all classesof the natives,
and I was the first Graduateemployedby the Maharajasof Bombay.
I know the plaintiff, whom I first sawabouta yearanda half ago,
once or twice professionally.
Mr. Anstey.-What was the nature of his disease?
Dr. Bha'u.-Am I bound,my Lord, to namethe disease which I
cameto know confidentiallyin the courseof my profession
?
Sir M. Sausse.-It is a proper objectionon the part of this
gentleman.
The objection was overruled.
("Witnesscontinued.) The diseasewas syphilis, which is com-
monly known as the venerealdisease. I did not treat Mm for it;
he mentioned to me that he was suffering from "chandi," and
would send a man to me the following day. " Chandi" literally
means chancre, an ulcer. There were two friends present-Mr.
Lakhmid£sKhimji and EaoSahebVisvandthNarayan,who retired,
as soonas the plaintiff beganto describeto methe disease.Sofar as
I remember I did not visit him again. He said the story of the
casewould be explainedto methe next day. It wascommunicated
to me by Govardhanda"s,
plaintiff's secretary
anddisciple.Govar-
dhandascameto methe next day, and said MaharajJadunathjiwas
40 APPENDIX.
suffering
fromchancre. I insisted
uponan ocularinspection,
and
in themeantime
prescribed
simpleointment.He didnotsend for
meagain.I have attended
threeothersimilarcases
connected
with
Maharajas.I sawJadunathji's
fatheratSuratin December,
1849.
I went to his house. He lived on the secondstory of his house.
Therewasa privatestaircase
pointedoutto me,by whicha person
couldpass
outwithout
theknowledge
of those
in therooms
onthe
firststory. Theplaintiff doesnotbeara goodreputation ; I havea
veryunfavourableopinion astohischaracter
forchastityandmorality.
I haveknownonlyonelearned Maharaj: tberestarenot abovethe
average of ordinaryBrahmins. TheMaharajas arerespected for
their descent,
not for their learning.Theyareworshipped as in-
carnationsof Krishna. I have seenthem so worshipped. After
the visitorshave paid their respectsto the idol, they go to pay it
to the Maharajwhositsoutside. Thereis no orderamongvisitors;
thereis greathustling and elbowingof men and womentogether.
At the entranceto the inner room, there is a railing, at which two
persons stand with large cords in their hands. Accidents have
occurredfrom the striking of the cords. I have known an instance
in which ornaments were lost in the crowd. I have seen the
Maharaj'sbath,and hundredsrushingto drink the water dripping
from his langoti. The women apply their hands to the soles of his
feetand eatthe dust. In the compoundof this (the,Bhuleshwar)
temple,
thereis a onestoriedhouse,
to whichtheMaharajrepairs
afterhe hasdonewith the personalworshipof the image. The
devotees
paymoreattentionto the Maharajthan to the idol. There
aretwo roomsin the houseand two staircases, oneleading to the
templeand oneto the outergate. Thereis an entrancefrom the
zenanainto the Maharaj'sbed-room. The inmatesof the zenana
havetheir facesalwayscovered,but the facesof the femaledevotees
areuncovered.In this templeI haveseenseveral
picturesrepre-
senting
thesportof Krishna
with thegopis
; I don'tthinkthey
wereindecent.AbouttwentyyearsagoI sawa Mahdrajexhibit-
ing indecentpicturesto menand women. His conversation
wasall
aboutwomen:it was somewhat
indecent.My opinionof the
character
of theMaharajas
for moralitywithwomen
is veryun-
&vourable.
I have
attended
three
Maharajas
(besides
theplaintiff)
EVIDENCE Toil THE DEFENCE. 41
forvenereal
disease.
Ononeortwooccasions
aMaharaj
applied
to
meformedicine
whichwouldpreventawoman
frombeingpregnant
I hadconversation
with JivanjiMaharajabouttheimmorality
of
theotherMaharajas,
oncepublicly. I remonstrated
with him; but
he said he had no control over the adulterous acts of the Maha-
rajas. Thiswas aboutthreeyearsago. TheMaharajas
aresec-
taries,iand are not goodBrahmins. A Brahminhas six duties to
perform:"-Sacrificingand assistingat sacrifices,
taking charity and
giving charity,etc. The Maharajasonly takecharity. The great
majority of them are not fit to be gurus. Their acts are incon-
sistentwith the ancient doctrinesof the Hindus. A guru is a
person who initiates a child: it may be his father, his relative, or
the family priest. There is no mention of " tan, man, and dhan,"
in our gayatri,or verse of initiation, which is to be recitedonly
mentally. It is not innocent sport to throw gulal on a female: it
is consideredone of the three forms of adultery. (Eeadsthe
translation of a passagefrom one of the Hindu law books called
MitdfoJiard.}
The LawaboutAdulteryis now told, [Adulterymeans the mutualconnexion

of amanwith another's
wife (orthe meansof bringingaboutthe connexion).]
Vyasadescribesthree varieties of adultery, in order that the adulterer may
receivethe punishmentfor crime of the first degree,or for crime of the middle
degree,or for crime of the highestdegree.
First Adultery.-In uninhabited spots, or untimely occasionswith (slang)
languageother than the current languageof the country, castinglewd glances
towardsanother's
wife" or smiling" [(sporting)addition
in the Marathitransla-
tion]-this is calledfirst adultery.
MiddleAdultery.-Enticing [a woman]by goodperfumes [(suchas sandal,
£ukd,Argoja, etc.), additionin the Mar&thitranslation]flowers,incense,
orna-
ments,clothes,food, and drink, is calledmiddle adultery.
HighestAdultery.-Sitting in retirement and on one seat,and embracingeach
other,placinghandson [one another's]shoulders,andholding[eachothers']
handsandplayingby takingholdof eachother'shair is calledhighestadultery.
Whoevertouches " the ends of the cloth passedround the loins," the cloth
over the breast,the thigh or the hair, or who converses
in a solitary placeor at
an improper
time, or who occupies
oneseat(with,another's
wife,)is alsoto be
caught (for punishment).
Manu 6. He who with pride or folly or flatterysays,that he enjoyed
this
femalebefore,that is also consideredadultery.
Note.-The aboveis a translationof the Vyavaharadhyaya
of theMitakshari
from the Marathi translation of the Sanskrit original, publishedin Bombayby
order of Governmentin 1844. I have comparedthis English translationwith
the originalSanskrittext publishedunderthe authorityof the committee
of
42 APPENDIX.
PuhlicInstruction
in 1829at Calcutta.The bracketsat the endindicatewords
in theSanskrit
Originalbut ommited
in the Marathitranslation.
The word tild meansamoroussport. The dance called Eas
Lila is mentioned
in ProfessorH. H. "Wilson'sdictionaryandin the
Bhagavata.I canbestdescribe
the way in whichthe Maharajas
weartheirhairby showing
a photograph
takenby my hrother(Dr.
MrayanDaji). Exceptin onerespect,the way in which they
weartheir hair is peculiar.Therehavelong beenpublic discussions
and noticesof the conductand characterof the Maharajas. The
earliest bitter notice that I saw was in the DJiumJcetufive or six
yearsago. I believeall the Maharajaswearsilver toe-rings. This
passageat the end of the allegedlibel I wouldreadthus, according
to myjudgment:-Oh, ye Maharajas,acting on that commentary,
you spoil the daughters,etc., of your disciples: raise your hands
from that, and destroyat onceimmoralities like the " Eas Mandali."
I think that uponthewhole "acting on that commentary"is quite
positive. I think " desistfrom acting" is the mostemphaticpart
of the passage.The passage is addressedto the Maharajasgene-
rally. The plaintiff had a very bad reputationas to his chastity
at Surat;but hewasthenequallyrevered
asa Maharaj.
(Cross-examined.)
In the courseof my privatepractice,I have
attendeduponhundredsof differentcastesof natives,both high and
low. I am sure the plaintiff used the word "chandi." It is
possible
patients
maybemistaken in describing the symptoms of a
disease.Chdndioriginallymeanssilver;it is usedasa slangterm
for chancre.(To Sir Joseph
Arnould.) I was told the plaintiff
employedanotherpractitioner;
he did not like to expose himself.
(Witnesscontinued).
I thinktheplaintiffwasnot"ofasanguine,
butof a phlegmatic
temperament. I knownothingof plaintiff's
disease
personally
exceptwhatI wastoldbyhimandhissecretary.
I wishdecidedly
for a betterstateof thingsamongtheHindus
generally.I heardfromplaintiffthat he hadestablished
a female
school
in Surat;hewanted
totrainupthegirlsin thedoctrines
of
hissect.I havenever
beenpresent
at " EasMandalis;"theyare
knownto existas secretsocieties.I think Krishnahad no im-
proper
connexion
with thegopis;theywerein lovewith him.
(Ee-examined).
Thestoryof thegopisandKrishna
is notcon-
fined to the YallabMcharya

sect. Uneducated
persons
take it
literally,but not soenlightened
persons.(To Sir M. Sausse.)
Some of theMaharajas, asI haveheard,aremenof unspotted
character,men of piety, and goodmen; and thereforeI said the
passage
refersto theMaharajas
generally.(ToSir Joseph
Arnould.)
I think the passagein question is directed as an exhortation to the
wholeclassof Maharajas,
not to the plaintiffpersonally.(To Sir
M. Sausse.)Fromthe context,I saytheremarkis not necessarily
directedto the plaintiff, or necessarily
implied againsthim. It is
possible
a readermayunderstandthat it appliesto the^plaintiff.
(To Sir JosephArnould.) I myselfunderstand it asa general
exhortation,and any readerof averageintelligencewould under-
standthe main object of the writer to be, not to make a persons!
chargeof mal-practicesagainstthe plaintiff, but to addressa general
exhortationto the classto which the plaintiff belongs,to desist
from such mal-practices. (To Sir M. Sausse.) The expression
"adopt a virtuouscourseof conduct,"doesnot imply anyimputa-
tion againstthe plaintiff; it is an exhortationto set a goodex-
ample.-(To Sir JosephArnould.) The exhortationI think is
carriedon from the commencement of the paragraphto the words
" desistfrom that." Nothing is imputed to the plaintiff distinctly.
I think decidedlythat the plaintiff is not singledout. Any impu-
"tation upon him would be inferential, not direct.-(To Sir M.
Sausse.) I am of opinion that it is not intended against the
plaintiff in a direct manner. The article in the original does not
allude specially to the plaintiff. The English translation, now in
my hands,tends that way. Beading the Gujarati article, I don't
think the plaintiff is intended to be included among the licentious
Maharajas. From my knowledge of his antecedents,I would in-
clude him.-(To Sir JosephArnould.) As a reader not acquainted
with his antecedents,I would be doubtful whether I must include
him or not.
(Dr. DMrajrdmDalpatram,examined,February14, 1862.) I am

a Graduateof the Grant MedicalCollegeand a privatepractitioner.
I know"theplaintiff,whomI first met in July, 1860,at thegirls'
schoolof Mangald&s
ITathubhai. In consequence
of something
said
to me, I calleduponhim at his house. In December,
1860,I
44 APPENDIX.
attendedon him professionallyat hishouse. He wassufferingfrom

venerealaffection;I madean ocularexaminationof it andfound it
to bean ulcer. He gavemethe historyof the case;he saidhe had
sufferedfrom it threeor four monthspreviouslyand had caughtit
and had it from an impure intercoursewith a woman. I pre-
scribedthe blackwash externally,and mercuiyinternally. Plaintiff
said he had sufferedsomeyearsagoirom the sameaffection,and
had takena preparationof mercury,preparedby himself. Plaintiff
askedme if I had read in medical works that the diseasewould go
by haviz'g intercoursewith a woman free from it. I said I had not.
He then said he had twice tried the experiment at Surat. He suc-
ceededonce in it but not the second time, becausehe was then
much reduced,
(Cross-examined.) The plaintiff, whenI sawhim in December,
1860,appeared to have beensufferingfor threemonthspreviously.
My opinion as to the ulcer being syphilitic was confirmedby
plaintiff's historyof his case. I did makea personalexamination.
I treatedthe plaintiff for morethan a month. I had seenhim in
Surat a goodmanyyears ago. There is a differenceof opinion
amongdoctorsasto whethermercuryis necessary in syphilis. The
blackwashI appliedexternallywas mercurial. I have treateda
goodmanypersons
in highrank for thiscomplaint.Theplaintiff
was alone in the backroomwhen I saw him: the room had more
thantwo windows.In thecommencement
of thetreatment,
I told
the plaintiff not to go out. I sawhim sometimebeforeI treated
him. I haveknownthedefendant
for thelastsevenor eightyears,
but nevercommunicated
to himthe plaintiff'scomplaint,
nor even
toLakmidds Khimji,norto anybody
else.I never mentionedany-
thingaboutthisto anybody before
appearingin thewitness-box.
I wasborna Vallabhacha*rya,
andama Kayasth.I donotat pre-
sentgotoanyof theMaharajaY temples.I havebeen practising
for thelastthreeyears.Theplaintiffdid not tell mehe had
prickly-heat.
(Zakhmidds
KUmji,examined,
February
14,20,1862.)I deal
in piecegoods
andama member
of the Bhattiacaste. I amoneof
thetwelve
Shets
oftheMahajans.
I have
known
theplaintiff
for
thelasttenoreleven
years.I firstbecame
acquainted
withhimat
Beyt,whitherI hadbeenonapilgrimage.Ouracquaintance
ripened
into friendship. At Beyt I madesomepresentsto him, whenI in-
vited him to my residence. I alsomadepresentsto him on another
occasion.There is a templededicatedto Lakshmiat Beyt,whereI
oncesawJadunathji Maharaj. Therewere femalespresentin the
temple. After throwing gulai on the image,he threw it upon a
numberof persons, and in doing so, he pressedthe breastsof
a Bhattia"girl about fourteen years of age. As he squeezed her
breast,shesmiled. He threw the gulal upon the crowd,so that
they might not seethroughit what he wasdoing. I used*to visit
him at the place where he had put up. My maternaluncle,
DamodarDevji, accompanied me. I went to the. plaintiff about
oneo'clockin the day,whenhe wasin his bed. My unclewent up
and shampooed one of his legs. I went up and followed his ex-
ample. It is a great mark of respect to shampoothe MaharajJslegs.
The Bhattia girl above alluded to came there with a widow, about
a quarterof an hour after our arrival there. The widowwhispered
somethinginto plaintiff's ears,upon which he desiredus to go out.
'Weobeyedthe order. The widow cameout with us and went in
again. The girl wasleft in the bed-room. When I wentoutside,
my uncleinformed me of the visit of the females. Afterwards,the
.widow cameout, shut the door, put up the chain and held it with
her hand. The girl was inside all the time. In consequence
of
certain conversation I had with my uncle, we both went in again
to see the Bas Lila, i.e. the plaintiff's conversationwith the girl.
"We were allowed to go in the moment we expresseda wish. I saw
the plaintiff having carnalconnexionwith the girl. Severalpeople
are often anxious to see such Has Lila. Plaintiff asked my uncle
what I would pay for seeingthe Eas Lila. My uncle said that I
would servehim (plaintiff). I had to pay somemoneybeforeI
was allowed to see the Eas Lila. I was then eighteen or nineteen
yearsold. The followerswho are allowedto seethelila, aswell as
the femalewho is defiled, have to pay money for the indulgence.
It is considereda piousact, and sureto lead to the paradiseknown
as Gowlok. I left the room shortly afterwards from shame; my
uncle remained inside. Two or three days subsequently, I saw
another married Bhattia' female enter the plaintiff's bed-room.
46 APPENDIX.
WhenI wenton a pilgrimage

to GokulMathura,abouteighteen
yearsago,I first heardof a "BasMandali."I waspresent
at
a BasMandali at Beyt aboutthe time I spokeof. There were
twelve or thirteen men and thirteen or fifteen females. It was held
daily for somedaysat the appointed
place. On theseoccasions,
afterthe persons
hadtakentheir seats,
the storiesof the 84 and
the 252 were readfrom a book. Some offering is then made to the
book,andsweetmeat,
fruit, or parchedriceis placeduponthe book.
The sweetmeator fruit is then distributed among the meeting.
The persons
who are not members,
andwho camemerelyto listen
to the stories,then left the room. I was a stranger at the meeting,
andwhenI retiredthe men and womenwere in the room. [The
witness then describedthe preparationswhich he saw made for the
Bas Mandali.] My unclewas a member,and was desiredby the
other membersto ask me to go out. The " Bas Mandalis" are
a matter of notoriety; even a child of five years knows of their
existence Each membermust go to the meeting with his
wife, except "Yarkats," who are admitted without their wives.
Those followers of the Maharajaswho are membersof the society
are reputedto be piousand staunchdevotees. The Yarkats are
procurers of women for the Maharajas. On oneoccasion,plaintiff
told me "the Yarkats are the persons who have corrupted us
(Maharajas)." On another occasionat Beyt, I was sitting near the
plaintiff, whena femalecamethere I sawplaintiff onthree
or four occasionspress with his toes the hands of females who
worshippedhim by touchingthe solesof his feet. Pressingthe
toesis the signalfor adultery. I sawplaintiff at Byculla where
he hadput up, thesecond or third day afterhis arrival in Bombay.
I amawareof plaintiff's arrival in Bombayin 1860. I sawhim
two or threedaysafter his arrival. I wasin the habit of seeing
him frequently, two or three times a day. I was a friend of his.
I invited him to my house,introducedhim to. my friends, and
inducedthem to invite him. I madehim presentsof furniture,
lamps,chairs,sofas,etc. I know plaintiff wasthe editor of two
pamphlets.I hada handin getting them published. I madean
arrangement with a printer namedGranpat Krishnaji,for the pub-
licationof plaintiff'stwopamphlets.I didsoat hisrequest.The
EVIDENCE FOB THE DEFENCE. 47
pamphletswere edited by plaintiff: the Maharaj dictated, and

Govardhandas, his secretary,actedashis amanuensis. I haveseen
the handbill issuedby plaintiff, asking the Vaishnavasto become
subscribers to the pamphlet. I recommended him to issuea hand-
bill to gainmoresubscribers;the Maharaj dictatedthe contentsof
the handbill. Plaintiff caused a letter to be published in the
CMlulc newspaper,
in which thereis mentionmadeof the Walkesh-
war andBycullaroads,alludedto in the libel. Plaintiff, beforethe-
action, said to me:-" All the Maharajas are running away from
Bombay,in consequenceof publicationsin the newspapers,
and I
have thereforecomedownto Bombayfor the purposeof discussing
and debating with the editors." He asked me if an action would
proceed during his absenceMm Bombay. I said I did not know.
Karsandas~N"ensi,who was present on the occasion,said the action
would proceedeven in his absence. Plaintiff then askedme if his
evidencecouldbe takenat his ownhouseif he remainedin Bombay.
I saidthat that was impossible;that Jivanlalji Maharaj wassum-
monedto Court somesix years ago,but that all effortsfailed to
obtainfor him an exemptionfrom attendance. Plaintiff then asked
whether, if he were to go to Court, he would get an elevated seat
near the judge! I subsequently came to the conclusion that the
plaintiff had not left off the practices he pursued at Beyt. For a
few monthsI was misledby his professionsfor the promotionof
female education,widow re-marriage, etc. One day whilst I was
sitting at the plaintiff's temple,two females,one a marriedwoman
about 25 years of age, and the other a widow, cameup. The
former, whensheapproached the staircase,produceda silver goblet
which she had concealedunder her clothes. The Maharaj, on
seeing her, made a signal to go into his bedroom I went
down stairs to the veranda, but having had a suspicion in my mind,
I went up again into the same room where I had been before. I
found the widow sitting outside the door. I remained there about
half an hour, when first the Maharaj came out and turned pale on
observingme. I saw the young female come out She
had not the silver goblet in her hand : it must have been given to
plaintiff. The widow and the young womanthen left. I told
plaintiff I had somebusiness and he had better send his own man
48 APPENDIX.
to theprinter.I leftandvisited
plaintiffagain
in theevening,
whenhe tookmeinto an innerroomfor the purposeof private
conversation.
Heopened
theconversation
hy asking
mewhatT
haddonewith regard to openingfemaleschools
here. I saidto
him,"Maharaj,thisisall a sham;youprofess
to be a reformer,
whileinwardlyyoucommit suchacts!" He denied
thecharge.
Hesaidhehadbeeninsidefor the purpose of accepting
sweetmeat
or fruit. Plaintiffthenadroitlychanged the subjectof conversa-
tion. Onanother occasion,I hadconversation
on thesamesubject
with plaintiff. I said," You toldmethatyouaccepted sweetmeats
fromfemaledevotees openly,andhowwasit that youwentinside
theotherdaywith theyoungwoman?" Plaintiffsaidhe didsoat
the desireof the woman. I then askedwhy he kept the widowout;
to whichplaintiffmadeno reply. I haveseen,
maleandfemale
devotees
touchingthe solesof the Mahdraj'sfeet, and I have seen
him presswith his toesthe handsof females,young and beautiful.
About a week subsequentlyto what I have said above,I saw plain-
tiff taking somemedicine. I had another conversationin the bed-
room with plaintiff the sameevening. He directed me not to fathom
him and said, "What income do we derive from you, males? if you
make arrangementsfor large profits to us, I'll undertake to root out
adulteryfrom thepracticesof the Maharajas." Plaintiff's father or
grandfatherhavingcommitteda theft in TJdayapur or the neigh-
bourhood,he would not at any time be allowed to enter those terri-
torieswithout a pass. Plaintiff said he sufferedfrom syphilis. I
said,"Dtlaharaj! I am now perfectly convincedyou have not re-
formedyour conduct as yet." Plaintiff said, "Bo not fathom me.
Our incomeis chiefly derivedfrom females;if you make other
arrangements
for it, I will undertaketo root out the practiceof
adultery
fromamong
theMaharajas."Hesaidit wasimpossible
to
give up at oncesuch practices; but he had madesomereform in his
conduct.Plaintiffaskedme to bring in Dr. BhauDaji. I took
Dr. Bhau Daji to theplaintiff's residence.EaoSahebVishwanath
waswith us at the time. (Witnessdescribeswhat occurredthen
andin theevening.)Somedaysafterwards plaintiffinformedme
that he wasunderthe treatmentof Dr. Dhirajram.He became
paleandsickly. I tookDr. BhauDaji to plaintiffaboutthe middle
of September,
1860. Thegeneral
reputationof the Maharaja's
as
regardsadultery is very bad. I have personalknowledgeof the
licentious conduct of ten, twelve, or fifteen of them. After the
meetingof the Bhattia*sin 1855,I had conversation with Jivanji
Maharajon the subjectof the conductof the otherMaharajas.I as
well as others were sent for by Mm. "Wesaid the printers-were
discussing, and he had beenservedwith a summons.Dr. Bha"u,
Yinayikrao"Wasudeva,and if I mistakenot Mrayan Dinatnathji,
werethere. Dr. Bhau saidto theMahaiaj," Eeformyour conduct,
bepious,establish schools,preachto your followers,etc.,and none
darepublishanything againstyou." It wasa longlecturethat Dr.
Bhau gave: I merely give the substance.Jivanji saidhe would
not beableto control the actsof theotherMaharajas;astheir prin-
cipal income"was derivedfrom females. KhurshedjiCama,who
waspresenton anotheroccasion, saida greatdealto JivanjiMaharaj.
The Maharaj said, '' As regardsmyself,I amreadyto givemy sig-
natureto any arrangements;I will now leaveoff suchpractices."
He offeredto give, but did not give, his signature. Jivanji, on
findingmeon one side,accused meof, andreprovedmefor, divulg-
ing secretmatters. No arrangementtook place, I wasinvited to
the generalmeeting of Yaishnavas held last year; my consentwas
not taken, as it ought to have been, I discontinued my visits to
plaintiff afterwards.
(Cross-examined.)
Theplaintiffwasabout28 yearsoldwhenI
sawhim at Beyt; he is now about40 yearsof age. At that time,
I consideredsuch acts as plaintiff was guilty of, as religious. My
viewshave changedsincethe "slavery bond," to which I put my
signature,
asseveralJustices
of thePeace
puttheirs. I knewfrom
her dressthat the youngfemaleI sawat Beyt wasa marriedwoman.
Plaintiff presided in the year 1860 at an exhibition for the dis-
tribution of prizes to the femaleschoolsof MangaldasNathubhai.
Plaintiff expressedan opinionagainstthe systemof education, say-
ing the girls should have been taught religiousdoctrinesonly.
YinayakYasudevjiremonstrated
againstthis. Thesubjectof re-
marriage
wastalked abouteverywhere
at thetime. A meetingwas
convenedby plaintiff to discussthe questionof re-marriage.It
was largelyattended. I discontinued
goingto the plaintiff on
50 APPENDIX.
accountof his bad conduct. I am not acquaintedwith the two

femaleswho visitedthe plaintiff at his residence at Bombay.
Plaintiffis saidto bea guruof religion,but hedoesnot actso; he
nevergivesinstruction.It is trueheoughtto doso. I signedthe
"slaverybond"unwillingly. By my cominghereto giveevidence
I haveforfeitedthat bond.-(To the Court.) I havespoken,
five or
six yearsago,to my friendl£r. DhanjibhaiFramji,partnerin the
houseof "Wallace
andCo,,aboutthe immoral practicesof plaintiff
I sawat Beyt. I hadalsoabouta yearagoconversation
onthesame
with KbataoMakanji,MathuradasLowji, and Earsi Jetha. The
conversation
took placein the gardenof GokaldasTejpalwhenmy
maternaluncleDamodarDevji wasthere. He is now at Zanzibar.
I have alsospokento Mr. MangaldasJSTathubhai
at Matheranlast
year.
(KdlabMi LalulMi, examined,February20, 1862.) I am a
Kayasth,anda studentof theElphinstoneInstitution. I know the
plaintiff, whomI sawin Suratabout threeyearsago. He was a
friend of my father. I had a conversationwith him on the subject
of widow re-marriage. I visited him frequently and saw him in
different roomsin his house. I usedto receivefrom plaintiff folded
pan-sopariwhen I went to him. I was sitting one day with him
on the first story when a Banian girl camein companywith a female
servantof the Maharaj. Shewasaboutfourteenorfifteenyearsold.
She passedacrossthe hall into a side room, and a Banian who was
sitting near us got up and went away. Plaintiff left the hall and
went into the side room. The female servant sat in the hall. Pour
orfive females
cameintothe hall afterwards.I wentto havemy
usualpan-sopari fromplaintifftowardsthe sideroom,andonopen-
ing thedoorof it, sawplaintiffseated
on a couchopposite
thedoor,
kissingandembracing
theyoungwoman.Plaintiffonseeing me
left,thefemale
andcame
tothedoorandsaid," Oh,I forgottogive
you the usualpan-sopari;" so sayinghe cameout with me and
desired
his attendant
to get methe pan-sopari,
whichI received
andwent away. Plaintiff went backto theinner room. I usedto
visit theplaintiffin Bombay.Ononeoccasion,
I sawtwoor three
"chachias"
sittingnearplaintiff,whoadvocated
in theirpresence
theadulterous
doctrines
of thesect. Onanotheroccasion,
whenI
was standingin the houseyard of plaintiff's residence,

two or three
Yaishnavas
whowerespeaking
among
themselves,
said,(pointing
to
a female) that Jadunathji Maharaj was in love with her. Some
days after,whenI did not attendthe schoolonaccountof a holiday,
I saw thesamefemalepassingby the Kalkadeviroad. I wasgoing
on somebusiness;but on seeingher I followed her to plaintiff's.
She went into the private room of the Maharaj; and I went to the
visiting room where plaintiff was sitting. After a few minutes the
plaintiff followed the young woman, and I remained sitting in the
visiting room. About half-an-hour after, he cameout and1 smiled
at him, when he asked me why I smiled. I told him, "You are
effecting a great reform." He smiled at this and made no remark.
The young woman cameout after a time and went away smiling....
From the dressand the jewels she had on, I presume she was a
respectable woman. I had some conversationwith plaintiff about
the " Propagatorof our own Religion;" he said it was published on
his behalf. One day at Surat I saw plaintiff refuse to allow some
females to touch the soles of his feet; he told them to touch the
feet of his wife in the zenana. He explained to me afterwards,
that allowingfemalesto touch his feet might giveriseto suspicions
as to his chastity. After this, while at Bombay, I sawhim allow-
ing femalesto touch his feet. To my knowledge,the plaintiff tells
lies. His generalreputation in Surat was that he was immersedin
adultery. My father is Sheristedarin the SudderÂdawlatat
Bombay. The respectpaidto the plaintiff hasnot diminishedsince
the publicationof the libel.
(Cross-examined.)
I am16yearsold,andamthenephew
of Dr.
Dhirajram. I amacquaintedwith the defendant.
(ChathurlJiujWdlji, examined,
February21, 1862.) I am a
Bhattia of the Yallabhacharya sect. I know the plaintiff, whomI
visited at his residence
in Bombay. Oneday, a femalehavinggone
into the hall, enteredaninner room. A femaleservanttold plaintiff
somethingin his ear, whereuponhe left the hall on pretenceof
going to takehis dinner,and enteredthe inner room. Plaintiff
went inside,saying,"I amgoingto dine." Abouthalf-an-hourafter
he came out. The female cameout soon after him and went away.
(Cross-examined.)
I usedto visit the plaintiffalmostdaily. I
52 APPENDIX.
neversawthe zenana.I hadoncebeeninto the innerroom,to

whichthereisonlyonedoor.I wasaskedtogoin bytheMaharaj,
whowished totell measecret
story. I presented
himtwoorfour
bookswhich he askedfrom me. I observed nothingin the hands
of thefemaleabovealludedto. I studiedfor a year and a half in a
schoolunderthe defendant
Karsandas.I did not tell him anything
aboutthefemale.I visitthegreattempleofJivanlaljiMaharaj.I
hadconversationwith plaintiffaboutadultery.KalabhaiLalubhai
waspresentat thetime. I askedplaintiffhowit wasthat great
mencommitted adultery,of whichthereis prohibitionin the Shas-
tras. Tothisplaintiffreplied,''Thereis nosinin adultery."
(Re-examined.) "When I wentintotheinnerroomabove alluded
to, I sawa bedthere. ThebooksI presented to the plaintiff related
to the Maharajas.They werewritten againstthe Maharajas, and I
gavethemto plaintiff within the monthafterhis arrival in Bombay.
(DamodarJetha,cross-examined.) I am a Bhattia Shroff, and
know the plaintiff, with whom I had a conversationonceat the
houseof KarsandasISTensi, abouta year and a quarterago. The
ITaharaj was sitting on a sofa, and we were sitting on the ground.
The Maharaj spokeof the " Yarkats." The owner askedhim what
wasthe explanationof the adulterycommittedby the offspringof
Gosaijis. He saidwhateverevil is committed,it is throughthe
Yarkats. He did not sayhe wascorruptedby them. TheYarkats
are at presentin the habit of living in other persons'housesas a
matterof charity;theycommitbadacts,andgoconstantly
to the
Maharajas.
(MungaUds
Nathulhdi,examined.)I ama memberof the Bania
casteof theYaUabhacharya
sect. I ama shetofmy caste,
a Justice
of the Peace,
and a grandjuror. I have foundeda femaleschool.
I waspresent
ononeoccasion
with others
at thehouse
of Jivanji
Maharaj.Dr.Bhauopened
theconversation
onthesubject
of the
Adulteries
of the Maharajas.Jivanji saidhewasunableto control
theconductandpractices
ofalltheother
Maharajas. Heexpressed
a
wishto doall hecould.Dr,Bhauremarked that,if theyadopted
a virtuous
course of conduct,
nonedarepublish anything against
them. At a privateconversation with Jivanji(whichwitness
divulged
onbeingordered to dosobytheCourt) hewasinformed
that it wasimpossible to put a stopat onceto thepractices

of the
Maharajas j their chiefincomewasderivedfromfemales, andthey
couldnotbeprevented fromvisitingthe Maharajas,etc.
(Cross-examined.) I invitedplaintiffonceto preside
at anexhi-
bition of thegirls' school,
(TMJcarsi
Ndranj, examined.)The plaintiff hasa very bad
reputationfor his morality and chastityin Hatch Mandavifor the
last sevenor eight years. (To Sir JosephArnould.) I heardthat
he had a badreputationfor his adultery.
(Ravji Sundarji, examined.) I knew the plaintiff In Hatch
Mandavi. He borea badcharacteras to his morality.
(Cross-examined.)It is well known that all the Maharajasare
bad. In Hatch I heard that the plaintiff's characterwas worse
than that of other Maharajas. I also heard that gambling was
going on in his house.
(NarmaddsJianJcarLalsliankar, examined.) I am a Nagar Brah-
min, and have taken an interest in the question of widow re-
marriage. I am the man who had a discussion with the plaintiff
at a public meeting. He declared himself against widow re-
marriage. I furnished the manuscript to Janardan for his notices
of the Yallabhacharyasect. I have studied the books of the Yal-
labhacharyasect,and haveno doubtas to the meaningof tan, man,
and dhan; the dedication thereof includes wives, daughters, sons,
property, body, soul, etc. The plaintiff bearsa bad reputation
everywhere,in Surat, Maudavi,Hatch, and Bombay. I know the
witness Kallabhai, who has communicated to me many things about
the plaintiff.
(Cross-examined.)I havebeena poet for the last sevenyears.
I was deliveringlecturesat my houseon the improprietiesof the
sect,to bring the devoteesto their senses,
and to makethemshun
the societyof such nasty personsas the Maharajas. I do not
exceptJivanjias beingvirtuous. I wrotemy essay againstthe
Yallabhacharyareligionfrom materialsfurnishedmeby Shastris,
from books,and by the devoteesthemselves.Thededication of
tan, man,and dhm is addressed
to the Maharajas;I amquite sure
of this frommy studyof severalworks. My versionof the doc-
trineswasapproved of as correctby severalShastris.I informed
54 APPENDIX.
the defendant
of the plaintiff'shad character
in Suratbeforethe
publication of the libel.
(Re-examined.)
Thereis no moralityof anykind whatever
in
the doctrinesof Yallabhacharya.The Maharajasare not preceptors
of religion,muchlessof theancientreligionof theHindus.
(NdnabMiRustamji, examined.)I amoneof the defendants
in
this caseand managingproprietorof the UnionPress. I wasthe
printer of the &atya PraMshnewspaper, and the co-defendant
was
the editor. The paper was not started for profit to the proprietors,
but in th-ecauseof reform in the native community. The receipts
fell far short of the expenditure. I printed somenumbersof the
"Propagatorof our own Religion" for the plaintiff. The manu-
script was brought to me by his secretaryParbhudas, who manages
this case. I sent the bills to Dr. Dhirajarm, who paid them on
behalf of the Maharaj.
(Rebutting Evidencefor Plaintiff.)

(VeljiMakanji, examined,February25, 1862.) I ama Brahmin
of the Sachoracaste,and have been in the service of the plaintiff
for the last fifteen years. I went with him on his travels, and was
every moment with him. I accompaniedhim on his visits to the
temples, when four of the Sirkar's sepoysand a Karbhari attended
him, as also his own sepoysand a number of Yaishnavas. At noon
the females went to him for darshan. !N"o darshan was allowed
after six o'clockin the evening. During the plaintiff's residence
at
Beyt. womencameon darshanup to the Maharaj'sdinnertime.
They were alwaysaccompanied by somemales. Males accompany
femaleswhenthe latter go to the templesat all places. Plaintiff
had two rooms,onea bed-roomand the othera cook-room, and he
took his mealsin the latter. Therewasa separateroomto which
only the followers were admitted. I never saw a female enter the
bed-room. I did not seethe plaintiff throw gulal uponany oneat
the temple of Lakshmiji.
(Cross-examined.)
It is usualat the Maharaj'shouseto pay
threerupees
a monthto servants
of my class. I put iu orderthe
REBUTTING EVIDENCE FOE. PLAINTIFF. 55
Maharaj's clothes after he has taken, them off. I did not leave
him for five minutes. It is my customto sleepoutside.thedoor
when the Maharaj sleepsiu his bed-room. I will not leave the
Maharajalone. Even if he told me, I would not goj not that we
suspecthim, but becausesome one must be constantly within call.
I and the other servantsare not procurersto the Maharaj. He
is standingdownstairs,and is watchedby oneChobaji.
(Be-examined.)At Beyt, the Maharaj'swife wasnot with him;
she was at her father's. He has two children, who, with his wife,
residein Bombayat present. He has a sonof sevenyearsand a
daughterof four. If the Maharajdid anythingwrongI would tell
him that, and alsoinform the peopleof it. I neverobserved
any
impropriety in his conduct. I get three rupees a month besides
board and lodging.-(To Sir JosephArnould.) The Maharaj tra-
velledcontinuouslyfor five or six years,during the wholeof which
time his wife was not with him.
(Thenameof JadunathjiBrizratanji Maharaj,the plaintiff in this

action, was here called out by the Crier, and all eyeswere strained
in everydirectionof the hall of justice to seeHis Holinesscomein.)
(JafamdtJijiBriwatanji MaMrdj, examinedFebruary',27,28, and
March 1, 1862.) I am the plaintiff in this action, and am above
thirty-five years of age. I have never been in a court of justice
in my life before. To my knowledge no other Maharaj has attended
in a court of justice. Besides Gujarati, I know the Panjabi, Mar-
wari, and Hindustani languages,Urdu more or less, Sanskrit for the
most part, and the Brij Bhasha. I have seenthose of the books of
Yallabhacharyasectwhich are necessary. I have openeda Sanskrit
and Gujarati schoolat Surat, the expensesof which are defrayedby
me. One Shastri gives instruction in Sanskrit, and five or six
teachersteach Gujarati. Since I first cameto BombayI have taken
an interest in female education. I first paid a visit about nineteen
months ago to the "Mangaldas Girls' School." It is the duty of
all Hindus to go on pilgrimages, the length of which varieswith the
kind of pilgrimage and the place. I set out on a pilgrimage, and
arrived in Beyt in 1907. I visited twice a day the temple of
Lakshmi. Gulal is thrown on the image in the temple. In the
temple of Dwaskanathji it is also thrown on the followers. I never
56 APPENDIX.
threwgulalonthepersons
of the devotees
at the templeof Lakshmi.
HowcanI touchthebreastof anyfemale,whenI regardall female
devotees
as my children? I neverdid so. I know Lakhinidas
Khimji, with whom I first becameacquaintedabout two years or
twoyearsanda halfago. I didnot seehim at Beytin 1907. Any
storyhemayhavetold againstmeis false. Thelast witnessYelji
is my personalattendant,
andwas so on my pilgrimage.He is
daily in my presence.It is customaryamongstall of my classto
haveat leastthreeor four personalattendantsconstantlynearthem.
I have visited Baroda, Gokul, Mathura, Amritsar, two Mandavis,
Multan,and other places. I sawGokaldasTejpal and Lakhmidas
Zhiraji at Bycalla,wherethey cameto me. I wasmarriedin 1905
or 1906beforeI went to Shikarpor. I did not leaveSuratbecause
of a chargeof rape againstme. My wife wasnot with me on my
pilgrimageto Beyt. I have been subpoenaed by the defendants
to
give evidence here; I was served by a Parsi. I saw Gokaldas
Tejpal on my first visit to Bombay; he introduced me to Lakhmidas.
I first put up at Bycalla when I came to Bombay two years ago.
Lakhmidds invited me on one occasion when his brother was
sick, and on another at the reading of the Bhagavat. I have some
faint recollectionof having authorized the publication of some
articles in the Chdluk newspaper. I did not tell Lakhmidds that
the Maharajaswere running away from Bombayin consequence
of
the articles in the newspapers, or that I had come to conduct a
debatewith them. I askedhim if this action wouldproceedin my
absencefrom Bombay. I havedonenothing improperin respectto
any female devotee in Bombay. I know Kalabhai Lalubhai, and
rememberhaving seen him in Surat and in Bombay. (Denies
anotherallegationof immorality.) As to making" darshan,"thou-
sandsof malesandfemalesused to visit me. Adultery is most dis-
tinctly prohibited in our religion. It never formed the topic of
conversation between me and Kaldbh&i. He discussedwith mo
about the authenticity and genuinenessof the religious books.
(Deniesan allegationof immorality.) I don'tremember
having
conversed
with a doctoron the subjectof adultery; I have never
beenguiltyof it in mylife. No femaleeverenteredmy bedroom
whilstI wastalkingto Kalabhai.Manyfemales
dailyvisitmy
REBUTTING EVIDENCE FOB PLAINTIFF. 57
wife and children. I had no conversationat Surat with Kalabhai

ahouttouching thetoes. He cameandusedto readwith other"boys
a bookfor children
whichI causedto hewrittenandprintedat my
expense. I assistedin its compilation. It is the universal custom
for my followersto touch my feet; whenI am sitting ona raised
seat, the feet are touchedfrom ahoveand below,but when the
foot is on the ground,it is touchedat the top. Generally
it is
touched at the top. Kalabhai said to me that all the Hindu
SMstrasare false,and that he had heeome
a perfectdisciple
of !N"armadashankar. As I maintain and am convinced that
the Shastrasare true, he perhapsthinks I am thereforeguilty of
telling falsehood. INarmadashankaris a ITagarBrahminof Surat;
he holds opinions contrary to mine. I had no conversationwith
Lakhmidasor any oneelseaboutthe Yarkats,nor did I eversayto
any body that they had corrupted me. I don't know what is the
meaning of Eas Mandali; I know Eas Mandali and have seenit too.
The latter is a dramatic representation, and there is nothing inde-
cent in it. "When the deity is represented,we (Maharajas)get up
for the time; other spectators continue sitting. The Yaishnavas
worship meandotherMaharajasasgurus,-thosewho causehappi-
ness through God and are guides to him. I have not heard any one
say that we are worshippedasgods. "Weareswungin a swingbe-
causewe are gurus. When any moneyor presentis givento us in
the name of God, we take it. The devoteesregard us as gurus, as
guidesto God: the Thakurji is God. "Wespendfromthreeto eight
or ten o'clockin the morning,and from four to six o'clockin the
evening,in the worshipof Thakurji. The idol in the templeis re-
gardedastheimageof God. In nobookwrittenbyYallabhacharya
is it inculcatedthat the Maharajasare to be worshipped
asgods. I
amacquainted with Gokulnathji's
commentary; I allowed Nandr&m
SMstrito copyit. It is considered
abookof greatauthorityby us
andby all theYaishnavas.ThefirstYallabhacMrya is regardedas
the incarnationof the head of Godj he lived about 350 or 375
yearsago. He wasthe disseminator
of theopinions
of Yishnu
Sw&mi. Ourfaith is not opposed
to thedoctrines
of theYedsand
the Shastras.In my schoolat Surat,Sanskritgrammar is now
beingtaught.Themanuscript
of thecommentary
referred
towas
58 APPENDIX.
found
in myhouse,
andwastheproperty
of myfather,whodiedin
1908. It is morethan a hundredyearsold. I have read it. Tho
Purushottam referred to therein is the God of all gods, the Supremo
Being. "What
istherein
statedtobeoffered
to God,is stated
in the
defendant'sarticle to be offeredto me and the Maharajas. Tho
sense
of the originalis perverted
by the defendant.Ttm,man,and
dhm are directed to be offered to God. It is not inculcated in that
commentary,
or in anyotherbookof thesect,that oneshouldoffer
his wife anddaughterto the Maluiraj. I have not heard that any
of my followersbelievein a bookcontainingsuchdoctrines.I
knowDr. BhauDaji. He cameto visit rnoonce,in companywith
LakhmidasKhimji. I sawhim on one occasionwhen I visited a
girls' school.I wassufferingfrom itcheswhenDr. Bhauvisited
me, becauseI had taken heating medicineswhen I was sick. I
have sufferedfrom eruptionsoccasionally. Someof the heating
medicineswere preparedby myself, and othersby a native doctor.
"WhenDr. Bhau cameto me, I told him I wassubjectto itches,and
told him I had takenheatingmedicines. The word "chandi" was
not used at all by either of us. I asked him to prescribe some
medicine for me. I never suffered from the venereal affection. The
next day I sentGovardhandas

to Dr. Bhau to get backa manuscript
book for girls' schools,which I had prepared and given him for an
inspection. I askedGovardhandasat tho same time to bring any
medicinewhich Dr. Bhau might give. I did not tell him (Dr.
Bhau) that the story of the diseasewould bo communicated to him.
thenext day,and appliedmy ownmedicines.I know Dr. Dhirajrtim
Dalpatram,whom I sawat tho exhibition of, I believe,Mangaldas
ISTathubhai's
school. I describedmy caseto him in thosamemanner
as I had describedit to Dr. Bhau. He prescribedsomepills and a
powderfor me. The colour of tho powder turned black when it
wasmixed with water. He camefor six or sevendaysfor treating
me; and alsoon otheroccasions.I conveneda meetingto discuss
thequestionof widowre-marriagein consequence of a noteaddressee!
to meby Narmad&shankar. I attended
the meeting,but expressed
no opinionon re-marriage,
becauseotherarid irrelevantsubjects
weremooted for discussion
andwerediscussed.Thesubjectof re-
marriage was not discussed. I said some Shastra must be fixed
REBUTTING EVIDENCE FOB, PLAINTIFF. 59
upon as an authority upon,the subject of marriage. JSTarmada-

shankarsaid the Shastrasmay befollowed whenadvisable. I said
\ve mustacknowledge
all the Shastras;andmy opinionwasthat,
if the Shastras
allowed,
re-marriages
mighttakeplace,but not
otherwise.I haveseennoauthorityin the Shastras
forre-marriages.
But I havenoobjection
personally
thereto. In mysectre-marriages
takeplace;I don'tprohibitthem. Lakhmidas waspresentwhen
Dr. Bhauvisitedme; he wassitting by and heardwhat I said. I
hadnofartherconversation
with him on the subjectof thedisease.
I did not confess
to him anythingprejudicialto my chastityor
morality. I did not speakto him about the practicesof other
Maharajas.I haveseennoinstance
of improprieties
onthepartof
any Maharaj. I did not tell Lakhmidas that I did not commit such
enormitiesas I did before. I did not tell him that any improve-
ment in the practicesof the Maharajas must be gradual, and cannot
be madeat once; nor that our income is chiefly derivedfrom
females. I told him I intendedto go to Shriji Dwar, but not
that I had fearsof my life there. I have causeda plan of my
premisesto be prepared.
(Cross-examinedby Mr. Anstey.) I am a man, and not a God.
I am a man and a guru to rny followers. I am not an incarnation
of the Deity, and I am not aware that hitherto any of my followers
has ever regardedme as a God or an incarnationof God. Our
Acharyaji is regardedas an incarnationof God, and we are re-
garded as his descendantsand gurus. I do not rememberwhether
Karsandas Nensi once addressedme as "Ishwar," God. I and
otherMaharajasarenot addressed asMahaPrabhu,or Purushottam
or Deva; we are calledthe children of Maha Prabhu. Yallabha-
charyaandhis sonGosaiji are regardedasincarnationsof God,but
not so the sonsof Gosaiji. The Maharajasare styledYallabhDeva.
ThewordsAgni-svarup
(form of fire) is not appliedto us. The
title of Purna Purushottam(PerfectGod)is appliedto the Mahara-
jas. I heldno meeting
at 10 o'clockon Tuesday
nightto consider
what answersI should make. Parbhudas did not tell me I should
say,I don'trecollect.The wordsreferredto aboveareappliedas
titles to the Maharajasin booksinaccessible
to suchfollowersas
understand Sanskrit.I havetaughtmy devotees thattheyshould
60 APPENDIX.
regardus as gurus,not as gods.- This bookcontainsthe names

and picturesof Yallabhacharya
andtwo of his immediate descen-
dants. Yaishnavas worshipthesepictures. No Maharajof the
nameof Daudjiis worshipped; hewasthe proprietorof oneof the
principal"gadis"(seats).In the gardenin whichI put up there
is a seattowhichthe peopleresortfor " darshan."I don'tknow
if it is the seatof Daudji. Thenameof Krishnaoccursin a portion
of the Yeds. Thereis sin in telling lies, evenfor a goodpurpose.
Untruth maybe told to womenin sport,on occasionof marriages,
when li& is in danger,when a cow is to be killed, etc.; any one
who tells lies on such occasionsis not to be despised,but he com-
mits a sin nevertheless.Sincethe rising of the Court I had no
consultationwith Yarjivandasand others. I believe everything
mentioned in the Bhagavata. The Shastras of the Yaishnavas are
in accordancewith theYeds. I havenot publishedany pamphlet:
periodicalswerepublishedby the YaishnavaDharmaSabhd,which
were written by Govardhandas.I wasthe originatorof the society.
Harirayaji wasa Maharaj; I cannotsayif he wrote any booksin
the Brij Bhashl I cannotsaywhethera few Maharajasonly can
read Sanskrit. The wives and daughters of the Maharajas read
booksin the Brij Bhasha. I am unable to say whether this book
(the Yachan-amratin Brij Bhasha) is considereda religious book.
I have not read up to this time any work in the Brij Bhasha
relating to the Yallabhacharyareligion, with the exception of songs
in praise of the Creator. I mean to say that I have never in my
life read a theological or philosophical work in the Brij Bhasha on
the Yallabhacharyareligion. I now rememberI have read in Brij
Bhasha oneof Gokalnathji's commentaries. I do not read booksof
my sect in the Marathi language. I know Govardhandaswrote an
essayin the " Propagatorof our own Beligion" on adulterine love,
in the opinionsexpressedin which I agreein the main. I did not
tell him to write that essay. It waswritten in reply to an article
in a Marathimagazine,
but I cannotsayif it wasin replyto the
libel in the SatyaPraJcdsh.I cannotsaywhetherit is the belief
of my sector not that the gopislovedGod as their paramour,and
that Godlovedthemand madethemhappy. "Whatever is statedin
the Shastras
is acceptable
to me. Besides
the sacred
booksof my
REBUTTING EVIDENCE POR PLAINTIFF. 61
sect,thereareotherShastras,
viz., the Bhagavat,
thePuranas,
etc.
Theyoungmaidens
of my sectswingKrishnain a swing.God
Krishnais their father,husband,lord. Theyswingmeand the
otherMaharajasasgurus. "Weareswunghy ourfathers,mothers,
sisters, and all devotees:but I do not recollectwhether we are
addressed
as the amorousKahan(Cupid). Theseamorous songs
areaddressed
to theMaharajas.Sincethelasttwoor threedays,I
havebeensubjectedto surgicalexaminationby two or threemedical
gentlemen. My face was not covered when one of them saw me.
I don't know if one of them refusesto give evidencethat*thereis
no tracein me of the venerealaifection. They examinedmefrom
a short distance. I don't know their names,and I have not been
toldthat onlytwoof themarecoming
to giveevidence.
Yarjivandas
Madhavadas,
J. P., and KaliandasMohandas,
his nephew,who con-
ducts this case,might have brought the doctors; I don't know.
The examinationtookplacein the shopof EaghuShamji,oneof the
conspirators. Sincemy cross-examination yesterday,I have not
beenagain inspectedby a doctor. I did not ask Dr. Dhirajramto
send me calomel from time to time whenever I wanted it. Once I
put calomel into chundm water and made a blackwash of it, and
appliedit. Dr. Dhirajram told me to takea pill twicein the day,
and I took five or six pills. I have purchasednow a glassscalefor
use in taking photographs
j I had none for measuringmedicines.
When my throat becamesore, a preparation of borax was given me
as a gargle. I had sentfor someiodide of-potashand sarsaparilla.
I tried the former; the latter I administered medically to another
person. I have heard the name of the Brahma-vaivarta Puran j I
have not read it; it is believed in by the Yaishnavas. (Witnessis
shown a passagein the book.) It runs thus : " Upon having seen
the Eas, the mistressesof the God were tormented with the arrows
of lovej uponhavingperformedthe "rati-ras" Krishna,theperfect
andperpetual,alongwith Eadha,went to thewatersof theYamuna;
with the 'gopis' went the magicalforms of the exaltedKrishna,
which, tormentedwith the arrows of love,and pervadedwith joy,
performedsportwith the gopis in the water." The translationis
correct,but I am not quite certain of the meaning. I must collate
the passage with otherbooks. ("Witness is shownanotherpassage.)
62 APPENDIX.
It appearsto be addressed
to Badha,Krishna'sprincipalMistress,as
follows: ""Why dostthou weep,0 Badha; remember the lotus feet
of Krishnaduringthe BasMandalinight will fall: thouwilt perform
with Krishnathe desireduninterruptedrati" I know the Vishnu
Purana;I mayhaveseena passage
in it hereandthere. I don't
remember having read the following passage(Yishnu Purana, p.
535):-" Whilst frolickingthus with the gopis,they considered
every instant,without him, a myriad of years; and prohibitedin
vain by husbands,fathers,brothers,they went forth at night to
performsport with Krishna, the object of their affection. The
Yaishnavas read the Yishnu and other Purans, not becausethey
containthe descriptions
of the sportsof Krishnawith the gopis,but
becausethey contain Yaishnava doctrines. "Weworship the image
of Krishna with the faith that we are actually worshipping Krishna.
He is broughtinto the imagespartly by ceremonies,
partly by faith.
The imagesof Krishna are representedas if he were in the infantile
state. I haveneverseenhim in the young or old state. (Witness
is handed a picture of Krishna at the top of a tree with the naked
gopis at the foot of it.) He is here representedbetweenthe agesof
5 and 11 years. When the Maharaj dies, personssay he is goneto
his abode,or to the world of gods. Krishna, when he died, went
to the Gowlok; religious and pious Yaishnavas go there also. He
(Krishna) remains all day in joy ; the Yaishnavas are present there
in his service. I have not observedin any book if it is the doctrine
of my sect, that true Yaishnavas, after death, becomegopis and
have amorousand improper intercourse with God. I do not believe
in this doctrine, nor am I aware if any of my followers does or do
believe in it. By Uld I understand sport, play. I believe it is
impossible that Krishna should renew, in paradise, his amorous
dalliance with the gopis; he may engagein Bas Lila with them.
The gopis are there in human form, but are not subjectto early
decay. I am forbiddento repeat herethe "mantra" pronounced
at the kanthi ceremony. The translation you give of it is
correct. The dedication referred to in' this "mantra" is caused to
be madeat the feet of Krishna not to the Maharaj. The guru
at the ceremonyis only the guide to Krishna. I asked Lakhmidas
if anactionmightgooain theabsence
of oneoftheparties.When
REBUTTINGEVIDENCEFOR PLAINTIFF. 63
I firstarrived
fromSurat,
I hadnointentionof bringinganaction
against thosewhopublished
anything
againsttheMaharajas. The
reasonfor the delayof six monthsin bringingthe presentaction
wasthatI amnot acquainted with suchmattersin thisisland,and
foundit necessaryto consultandtakeadvice. (Witnessis showna
passageof an article publishedin the Satya PraMsJi of the 9th
September,
against
all theMaharajas.)
-"When
aUtheMaharajas
are libelled,how couldI alonebring an action? I donot remember
if I consulted Mr. Leathes about this article. I do not remember
if I readit. I heardthat all the Maharajaswere libelled.. I can-
not sayif it wasin consequence of this article or not that a hand-
bill was publishedwith my name to it; what is stated in the
handbill as to the lesseningauthority of the Maharajasaccords with
my view. The word " Asatya Prakash" in one of the numbers of
the " Propagator of our own Religion" refers to the defendant's
paper; I think it is an error of the printer, or the letter "a" (not)
mayhave fallen in by mistakenear the word " Satya." I don't
know if this article in the magazine was written in answer to the
libel; I cannot say without reading over the whole of it.
Sir M. Sausse.-Now tell this witness the manner in which he
has been giving his evidence latterly, is such as to impress the
Court with an unfavourable view regarding it. He must be able to
answer without reading over everything about which he is ques-
tioned.
Witness.-I cannot answerwithout reading it over.

Sir M. Sausse.-The man has too much intelligence and collected
manner not to recollect or to know what he sayshe cannotanswer.
"Witness continued.-Then the article may be in answer to the
libel. I havereadpart of the bookcalledthe " Debauched
Guru."
It refers to lias Mandali. " I have read the article containing the
libel; it reflectsupon me. The article says, "You Maharajas,
actingup to that commentary,
defilethewivesand daughters,"
etc.
This is libellous, though not directed against me individually.
Being charged
with the immoralitiesof the Eas Mandali,I do
not considerit libellous,becauseI do not understandwhat Eas
Mandalimeans. The book of Harirayaji is in Sanskrit. I have
neverseenit in Brij Bhasha. I haveheardof a workin Marathi
64 APPENDIX.
by Janardhan Bamchandrajientitled" Biographicsof EminentMen."

The story of the 252 and of the 84 is not considereda hook of
authority in our sect. This book of songswas not published by me
nor do I know if it was published by Govardhandas. I don't know
if it is a libel on the defendant. The representationof a Maharaj
drawing a triumphant chariot over the prostrate bodiesof the
reformersdoesnot refer to me; the printer must know who the
Maharaj is.
Maharaj.-"No one should touch me.
Sir Mr Sausse.-I saw one attempt to touch you.
Maharaj.-I am afraid someof the personsgoing from behind
might touch me.
Mr. Anstey.-"Why shouldyou not be touched? I amnot going
to touch you. You are not a God. As for me I won't touch you
with a pair of tongs. Mr. Hastings touched you the first day.
"Witness proceeded.The chief templeof our sectis that of Shri-
nathji at Kankroli. An imagethencewas not stolenby my father
or grandfather, who sat on the gddi at Surat. I have never goneon
a pilgrimage to that temple, although I was seven years abroad.
The Maharajreceivespresentsand contributionsfrom the Yaish-
navas. Tines are also levied, the money received by way of fine
being eventually applied to the use of the TMkurji. I am not a
Brahmachari; I was one before my marriage. I am not a Sanyasi.
I believein Purna Purushottam,Purna Purushottam(PerfectGod)
is appliedasa title to the Maharajas,as "My Lord" is appliedto
the judges. I don't know if the gurus of other sectsare swung in
a swing like the Maharajas. I have never seen the water from
a Maharaj's langoti rinsed and drunk by the Yaishnavas. The
juthan (remnants of food) left by the Maharajas is eaten like that
of all other gurus. It is the custom in all sects of Hindus. It is
written that the Brahminsshouldpartake of the leavingsof the
gurus' food. I don't know if there is a prohibition in Manu. "We
give for the purpose of being thrown away the leavings of our
pan-sopari. They may be eaten by some persons. The Maha"raj
applieshis foot to the eyes of a dying person to relieve him from
sin; no fee is paid for this. I don't know if the gurus of any
other sect do this. Males,females,and children apply and wash
REBUTTING EVIDENCEFOR PLAINTIFF. 65
"withsaffron
waterandscented
oilsthebodies
of theMaharajas.
I don'tallowmyfollowers to eatthedustofmyfeet: I don'tknow
if otherMaharajas
allowit. Lightsarewaved roundtheMah£raj:aV
heads.All this is enjoinedin the Shastras;I don't knowwhat
Shasta.Thewooden
shoes
ofmyancestors
areworshipped,
asalso
of otherMaharajas.My shoesarenot worshipped.I do1not go
into private roomsto receivepresentsof fruit and sweetmeats
from
femaledevotees.I don't knowif othersdoit. Yaishnavas
bring
them and presentthem to the Th&kurji and we then receivethem.
I don't know if other Maharajas go into private roomsfor this
purpose. Femaledevoteesdo not sing-songsof a licentious cha-
racter in the presenceof the Maharajas; songsof -various
kinds are
sung. Gulal is thrown by the Maharajttson the personsof all
devotees,not expresslyon the personsof females. The guru is
to be worshippedin the sameway as the imageof Thakuiji, which
representsGod. I have not read in the " Guru Seva" that all the
Vtillubhiiclulrya Gosiiijis are to be'consideredas incarnations of God.
Ever since I arrived at a proper age I have told my followers not to
believe in this doctrine. Before my admonition, the doctrine was
believed in by some persons in Bombay, not the majority. I can-
not rememberthe names of any one person whom I instructed not
to believe in the doctrine. Did I say yesterdaythat I did not know
whetherany oneregardedthe Maharajasto be incarnationsof God?1
PerhapsI did, I do not know if I sworeto that effect. .
Sir M. Sausse: Tell him. the Court has taken down clearly what
he said.
Witness : I don't recollect it.
Sir M. Sausse:Oh! his memoryis very short; but the Court
lias takendownexactly what he said.
"Witnessproceeded:The Yaishnavas believetheir obligations
to
their gurusto begreaterthantheir obligation
to God. TheYaish-
navas arc not allowed to touch the image; and they can make
offerings
through
theMahirtijas
ortheBrahmins
whobathe
orwash
their bodiesinsidethe temple. I believethat by B'r£hma-sam-
bandhathe sins of the elevenorgans(including
thoseof ) are
washed
away. I don'tknowif it is thedoctrine1
of mysectthat
Yaishnavas
shoiild
notdivulgethesecretsof theguru. It is good
5
66 APPENDIX.
amongotherthingsnot to seethe faults of others. I am a Brah-

min; youmay think I havenot the physicalappearance of one.
My ancestors
wereTelinga* Brahmins;theywerenot excommuni-
cated. We take their daughtersin marriage,but don't give any.
With referenceto Telinga Brahminsin. this country, we intermarry
with them. I don't know if they are very poorj they are called
Bhatji. Theyare not excommunicated for giving their daughters
to the Maharajas.Sometimes
we find it necessary
to givesumsof
moneywhentheparentsof thebridearepoor, llanu prohibitstho
sellingof daughters;I don't know of anyprohibition againstselling
marriages. I believethe Maharajasto be innocentof adultery; if
they are guilty thereof, they don't deservethe rank of guru.
Krashnarayaji,my cousin,has married tho daughterof a Telinga
Brahmin. I don't know of any scandalsabout him and a widow
devotee. I don't know if his sonGokuluchhavajiwas expelledby
a llaja from his territory. Yallabhji Maharaj wasexpelledby the
other Maharajasfor interfering in a dispute betweena father and
his son. I don't know of any scandalsconnectedwith him. 1 was
the first Maharaj to go to Daman; I went there through ignorance.
There is a prohibition madeby Maharajasagainstgoing there. I
don't know if the prohibition was, that a Maharaj was kilk'd under
the lash for larcenyby orderof the Portuguese
government. Yitlia,-
leshji Maharaj was under surveillance at Patnu; he was accusedof
sorcery. I don't know if he was accusedof poisoningthe llaja. I.
don't know of Yrajpalji Maharajlooting tho housesof his devotees
at Lakhpat Bandar. I left Surat on a pilgrimagefor sevenyears.
Therewasno chargeof rapeever madeagainstme. 1 hear it this
moment. I don't rememberif I was askedaboutit the day before
yesterday. I haveheardof the daughterof PilainbarPopa. There
was no charge against me of having defiled her. I was not taken
beforethe Surat magistrateon that chargetwelve or fourteen years
ago. I have no knowledgeof sucha chargehaving beencompro-
mised for me by the then Sheristadarof Surat. I havenot sum-
monedany brother Maharajasto give evidenceon my behalf. None
of the Maharajasintimated to me that he cannotdenythe adulteries
of the Maharajasin this Court, becausethe fact is too notorious.
Thesonof oneMahdrajis at presentin Bombay. Exceptmyself,
REBUTTINGEVIDENCEFOR PLAINTIFF. 67
all otherMaharajashaveleft Bombay.I don't knowof a disturb-

ancenearJivanji'stemplethreemonthsaftermy arrivalin Bombay.
I don'tknowLakhmibai,
thedaughter
of Thavar
Mulji. I didnot
knowher fifteenyearsago. Up to the time of the discussion
on the
subjectof re-marriage,
I was on goodtermswith the defendant,
whopraisedme in his newspaper.I did not prohibitthe Vaish-
navasfrom subscribingto defendant'spaper. I don't know of
havingpublished
any handbillsagainstthe SatyaPraMshbeing
subscribed
to. I haveheardof the Bhattia conspiracycase. I have
not arranged
with theotherMaharajas
to shutthe temple's
against
thoseVaishnavas
who might give evidenceagainstme in this case.
I don't remember
if Parbhudastold me that he managed
the
Bhattia case. I either heard or read somewhere that Parbhudas
tooksomemessageto one Gopaldas,
and that the latter gave evi-
dence of the visit and message. I heard also a rumour to that
effect. I first spoketo Parbhudas on the subject during the trial of
the Bhattia conspiracy case. Parbhucl&scame to me to Surat to
call me here. I spoketo him then. He told me of the "bando-
bast" which was made here. I said, " "What is the necessity or
objectof makingthis 'bandobast?'" He saidthey must know. I
did not authorise him to conduct or assistin the managementof the
case. There were no consultations between the nine conspiratorsat
my house.Oneor two of themcarneto my house. The "bandobast"
was in reference to the offering of virgin daughters, but I don't
know for what caseit was. I heard of the Bania "bandobast" from a
numberof personswho cameto me and saidwhat they had heard
in this court. I never reproved Parbhudasfor his part in the
making of the "bandobast;" he did neither right nor wrong. I
believe what Lakhmidas has stated against rne must be false; be-
causeif he sawme commit any immoral act, he would not have
continuedvisiting me. I have never been guilty of adultery
or immoralities. I took the heating medicinesat Hyderabad,
where I was sick. I took dry ginger, black pepper,chillies,
etc.,andtheseproducedinternalheat. "Withthe exception
of six
or sevenmonths,my wife waswith me on my pilgrimage.About
fourorfiveyears
before
1909,I travelled
withoutthesociety
ofmy
wife,whohadthendied. (ToSir Joseph Arnould.)Neitherof
68 APPENDIX.
my wiveswas with me at Beyt (To Sir M. Sausse.) I oncetra-

velledfive years,in the courseof whichI wentto Jayporto call
my wife. I wasawayfromSuratfor two years,in the courseof
whichI proceeded to Beyt. I havemarriedtwowives, I married
beforeI setout forBeyt,andwasawayfor twoyearsfrommy second
wife, who wasthen of the age of nine or nine and a half years.
She cameto live with me at the age of thirteen.
(Be-examined.) There was no meeting held at my house on
Tuesdayeveningfor the purposeof a consultation. It is a common
form of salutation among Hindus to apply to each other, at a
meeting, the names of Earn and Purushottam, although they may
not be the real names of the persons addressed. There are two
seatsof Daudji, who establishedthem and alsoworshippedthem in
commonwith others. . All the sacredbooksof my sect are in
Sanskrit; they are regardedas authoritiesevenin Brij Bhasha,if
they correspondwith the Sanskrit originals. All the Maharajas are
eX'OfficioPresidentsof the Yaishnava Dharm-prasarak Society,or the
Society for the Propagation of the Yaishnava religion. Since my
arrival from Surat, I have made exertions to propagatethe Yaishnava
religion. I was askedin reference to the specific offenceof several
Maharajas. I heard them for the first time in court yesterday. I
have heard of thoseoffencesthrough severalprints also; not of my
relativesin particular,but of the Maharajasgenerally. I heardof
the chargesfor the first time yesterdaybroughtagainstthe Maha-
raja'sgenerally. I heardof the chargesfor thefirst time yesterday
brought against the Maharajas by name. The " DebauchedGuru"
is not a book of authority in my sect; it is a lampoon. It is
believedin by personswho are our enemies. The Maharajashave
authority to outcasteany onefrom the sect,with the approvalof the
membersof the. sect. "Without such approval,no one can be
excommunicated.The Maharajhaspowerto preventa personfrom
coming to the temple over which he has jurisdiction. All the.
Mah&rajascan combineto prevent a personfrom comingto any of
the temples. Sucha combination,however,has not taken place
"within my knowledge-
To Sir M. Sausse.-I have said that adultery is a great sin
accordingto the Shastrasof my sect. The recommendationin the
REBUTTING EVIDENCE FOR PLAINTIFF. 60
essay,alreadyreferredto, which.I approvedof, is not to commit

adultery, but to love God with love akin to what is called adulterine
love. Adulterinepassionis intenselove,and the sameintensityof
loveshouldbe showntowardsGod. Suchlove towardsGodis very
good; towards a strange woman, it is bad. Such an illustration is
given in the Bhagavat. (Sir M. Sausse.) Tell him that we are
under the impression that, when asked before, he could not name
any Shastra which contained such an illustration. (Witness.) I
do not remember. I believe it is stated in the Bhagavat that love
shouldbe entertainedtowards God akin to the love of the'gopis.
(To Sir JosephArnould.) I said that God is to be gainedby
worshipping him in any form or manner.
Maharaj(on retiring).-" I blessyour lordships!"
JUDGMENT
OPTHESUPREME
COURT
OPBOMBAY
IN THEHAHAR^TLIBELCASE.
(Judgment
of Sir MatthewSausse.)
This is an actionon the casefor the publicationof a falseand
malicious libel in the form of an editorial article that appearedon
the 21st October,1860, in a Gujarati newspaperpublishedin
BombaycalledtheSatyaPraMsJi
or the "Light of Truth."
Thepublicationis asfollows:-
l'In the Purans and other Shastras of the Hindus it is stated that in the
Kali-yugtherewill arisefalsereligionsandheresies,andimpostors
andheretics
will causeadversepersuasionsandadverse religioussystems
to be established.
Accordingto the HinduShastras fivethousand yearshavenowpassed awaysince
the commencement of the Kali-yug. From the Hindu Shastrasthemselvesit is
demonstratedthat during this period of five thousandyears as many new per-
suasionsand religioussystemsas have arisen among the Hindus, should all be
consideredspuriousheresies. Now, four hundred years have not as yet elapsed
sincethe birth of Yallabh,the progenitorof the Maharajas. In the booksof the
Yaishnavapersuasion it is written that the birth of Yallabhach&ryatook placeon
llth Yaisakh Yad of Samvant,1535,the day of the week Sunday; since this
event 381yearshaveelapsedto this day, and sincethe'beginning of the Kali-yug
five thousandyearshave passed. The sect of Yallabhacharyathen originated
with the Kali-yug itself. In the sameway as the followersof Dadu, the followers
of S&dhu,theMmsnehi,theEamanandi, the Shejanadi
andothersectsarose;so
the sectof Yallabhacharyaarose;all thesesectshavearisenin the Kali-yug,
thereforeaccordingto the declarationsof the Hindu Shastrasthey mustbo
heterodox.
" JadunathjiMaharajsaysthat in the sameway as someonegoesfromthe

gatesof thefort to proceedto Walkeshwar
and someoneto Byculla,so exactly
the originalcoursesof theYedsandthe Puranshavegoneforward,havediverged
intodifferent
ways."What
a deceitful
proposition
thisis. Outof onereligious
system
ten orfifteenby-ways
mustnotbranchoff. Thecourse
of religionandof
morals
mustbeoneonly. Whatnecessity is thereto quitthestraightroadby
whichto go to Walkeshwar,
andtakethecircuitous roadto Byculla?Each
sectary
hasmade everyothersectary
a heretic,andonehasscattered
dustupon
theother;whatthenisthenecessity
for actingthus? Butwehavealready made
knownthatasregards theweapons withwhichtheMahar&j hascome forthto
JUDGMENTOF SIR MATTHEWSAXJSSE. 71
defend
himself,
those
-very
weapons
willoppose
theMaharaj,
andannoy
him.
TheMaharaj
considers
theHinduSh&stras
astheworkof God;hecannot
then
assertthat anyparticularstatement
of the Hindu Shastras
is false. The said
Maharaj cannot
allege
thatthestatement
thatintheKali-yug
heretical
opinions
willarise
isfalse.Thenlikeseveral
othersects,
thesect
of theMaharajas
has
arisen
in theKali-yug,consequently
it is established
bytheHinduShastras
that
it is a false and heretical one.
"The sectof theMaharajas
is heretical
andonedelusive
to simplepeople;
thatisproved
bythegenuine
hooks
oftheVeds,
thePurans,
etc.,according
to
whatis intimatedabove.Not onlythis,but alsofromtheworks
composedby
theMaharajas,
it isproved
thattheMaharajas haveraised
upnothing
buta new
heresy anddisorder. Beholdwith regardto the subject
of BrahmahowGokul-
nathji hasamplified
the originalstanza,
whata commentary hehasmade:_ '
war
\\ cj \\
" cConsequently
beforehe himselfhas enjoyed her, he shouldmakeoverhis
ownmarriedwile (to the Maharaj,)andhe shouldalsomakeover(tohim) his
sonsand daughters. After having got married,he shouldbeforehaving
himselfenjoyed
his wifemakean offeringof her (to the Maharaj); afterwhich
he shouldapplyher to his own,use.*
"Alas I what a heresythis is, what a shamthis is, andwhat a delusionthis is !
"WeaskJadunCithji
Maharajin whatVed,in whatPuran,in whatShastea,
and
in what law bookit is written that one's marriedwife shouldbe madeoverto a
Maharaj,or to a religiouspreceptorbeforebeingenjoyed.Not onlyone'swife,
but one'sdaughteralsois to be madeover! Alas! in writingthis,ourpenwill
not moveon. "Weare seizedwith utter disgustand agitation. To renderblind
people
whoseewiththeireyesandto throwdustin theireyes,
andin thename
of religionandunderthe pretence
of religionto enjoytheir tendermaidens,
wives
and daughters,thanthis what greaterheresyandwhatgreaterdeceit ? In the
Kali-yug manyother heresiesand many sectshave arisenbesidestkat of
Yallablracharya,
but no othensectarieshaveeverperpetrated suchshamelessness,
subtilty,immodesty,
rascality,anddeceitashavethesectof theMaharajas.
When we usesuchseveretermsas these,our simpleHindu friendsare wrath with
us, andin consequence of that wrathof theirs,we havehadandhavemuchto
endure. But when,throwingdustin the eyesof simplepeople,the Maharajas
"writein their booksaboutenjoyingthe tendermaidens,- thepeonies'
wivesand
daughters,
- andtheyenjoythemaccordingly,
greatflames
spring
upwithinour
inside,our penat oncebecomes
heatedon fire, andwehaveto grieveoverour
Hindu friendsand over their weak powersof reflection.
" Jadunathji
Maharaj
hascommenced
issuing
a small
workstyled
"ThePropa-
gator
of ourownReligion ;" weaskhim,In.whatwaydoyouwishtoeffectthe
propagationof religion?Yourancestors having
scattered
dustin theeyes of
simple
people, made themblind. Doyouwishto make themsee,or,takinga
false
pridein theupholdingof yourreligion,
doyouwish
todelude
simplepeople
72 APPENDIX.
still more? Jadunathji

MaMraj, should
youwishto propagate ortospreadabroad
religion.,
thendoyoupersonally
adopt
a virtuous
course of conductandadmonish
yourotherMah&r&j&s. As longasthepreceptors of religionshallthemselves
appearto he immersed
in the seaof licentiousness,
for so long theyshallnot he
competent
to convey
religious
exhortation.Gokuln&thji
havingcomposedthe
commentary
abovementioned,
hasattached
to yourYaishnava
persuasion
a great
blot of ink. Let that be first removed. Scorn the writer of the commentary.
[Oh,you]Mahar&jtis,
actingup to that commentary,
defilethe wivesand
daughters
of yourdevotees.
Desistfromthat anddestroy
at onceimmorality
suchasthat of the company at Hasfestival. As longas youshallnot doso,for
so long you cannotgive religiousadmonition,
and propagateyourownreligious
faith; do yoube pleasedto be assuredof that."
This publicationmay bedividedunder four heads;

Istly. So far as it characterizesthe sect of Yallabhacharya,as
hereticalin respectof the ancientHindu religion.
2ndly. As it attributesto the Maharajasas the spiritual headsof
the sect, the inculcation of heretical and immoral doctrines.
3rdly. As it chargesthe Maharajasas a body with immoral prac-
tices -underthe pretence of religion.
4thly. So far as it chargesthe plaintiff individually with the
practice of immorality with the females of his sect.
The plaintiff complains that these several charges are false and
malicious,and that they have been publishedof, and injuriously
affect, him,-in his individual character as si member of society at
large, in his religious character and .conduct as a Brahmin, as a
Maharaj, as a Hindu high priest and as a member of the sect of
Yallabhacharya.
He claims damagesfor the injury done to him. in these several
characters which he claims to fill.
The defendants
havepleadedseveralpleas.
Firstly. Not guilty.
Secondly.That the Maharajasare not preceptorsof the Hindu
religion.
Thirdly. That they are not the heads or chiefs of the Brahmins.
Fourthly. That the plaintiff wasnot a Hindu priest of high caste
or a preceptor of the Hindu religion.
Fifthly* That the sectof Yallabhacharyais not an ancientsect,
andthat it holdsdoctrinesrepugnantto the doctrinesof the ancient
Hindu religion.
JUDGMENT OF SIR MATTHEW SA.USSE. 73
Sixthly. That the translationof the latter portion of thelibel as

renderedin the plaint, wasnot correct,
Seventhly.That the chargesmadeby the defendants in tne pub-
lication were all true.
MgWily. The samepleain a generalform.
The plaintiff joined issneon the first six pleas,andreplied " Be
injuria," to the seventhand eighth.
The'Seventh
pleawas of verygreat length.;it set out various
pointsof doctrine,from booksallegedto be of religiousauthority in
the sectof Vallabhaeharya andrelied upon thosepassages$& justify-
ing the publicationin chargingheresyand immoralityof doctrine
againstthe Maharajasand the sect. It also put in issue various
factsandcircumstances as proof of the evil reputationof the Maha-
rajasas a bodyfor immorality, and it finally chargedspecificactsof
personalimmoralityto havebeencommittedby tne plaintiff.
TheOourt'havebeenthus compelledto receiveevidenceat great
lengthuponcontroverted points of doctrine amongstthe membersof
that sect,andto receiveit in greatpart through the unsatisfactory
mediumof translationsof isolatedpassages from worksin Sanskrit
or Brij-Bhasha,which are practicallydead languagesand not pro-
vided for in the translators' department.
3?orthe plaintiff there were examined thirty-one witnessesand
for the defendantsthirty-one.. The casewas contestedwith all the
obstinacyand acrimonywhich generallycharacterizecasteand reli-
gious disputes,when they unfortunately force themselvesinto a court
of law. The trial was thus prolonged to .a most unusual length.
Publicationby the defendants
hasbeenadmitted. Uponthe evi-
dence,I entertain no doubt that the alleged libel has beencorrectly
translatedinto Englishas it appearsupon theplaint and think as so
translated that the latter portion contains matter highly defamatory
of the plaintiff. It substantiallysingleshim out by nameand thus
directly chargeshim with leading a licentious and immoral life, and
with defiling the wives and daughters of his de-vqtees.It then calk
upon the plaintiff to desist from those practices and endsby assuring
him that unlesshe does so, he cannot give religiousadmonition or
propagate
his own religion. The applicability of that portion of the
publication to the plaintiff has been controverted to someextent.
74 APPENDIX.
A very intelligent witness,Dr. Bhau Daji, statedafter somecon-

siderationthat he understood thelatter part as a " general expostu-
lation" with the Mah&rajasas a classand "that any intelligent
reader would so understand it," and afterwards that "he did not
think it alludedto the plaintiff.1' However he qualifiedthat evi-
dencein the end by stating to the Court " that he could not say
that the plaintiff was excluded/'that with his knowledgeof the
plaintiff's antecedents"he did include him amongstthose who were
chargedwith defiling the wivesand daughtersof his devotees/'and
his last answerwas"that as a readernot knowing the plaintiff's
antecedentshewould considerit doubtfulwhetherhewasincludedor
not." IsTow, if a writer expresses
himself either through designor
negligencein sucha manneras to renderit doubtfulin the minds
of one class of readerswhether the defamatorymatter applies to a
person named; but leave no doubt whatever on the minds of others,
that it does so apply, the writer must abide by the consequences,
and if otherwise liable he must answer in damagesfor the injury he
has done to the personso defamed. Libels are to be construed
accordingto the plain and ordinarysenseof the languagein which
they are written, and the suggestion of a possible construction by
which the party complaining might not be included is not to relieve
the libeller from responsibility.
The defence made at the bar, that the libellous matter was not
intended to apply to the plaintiff individually is scarcelyconsistent
with the reply which the defendants made to the complaint by the
plaintiff in April, 1861: when the latter called for a contradiction of
and apology for the statements " so far as they relate to the alleged
improper conduct ascribed to himself/' the reply of the defendants
was through the columns of their newspaper that they saw nothing
to require " explanation, alteration, or apology."
Then holding the publication to be libellous and consequently
malicious, I have next to considerthe defencerelied upon under the
plea of not guilty, viz., That the defamatory matter was published
under circumstanceswhich formed a justifying occasion.
A "justifying occasion"has beendefinedin veryclear termsby
Baron Parke in Toogoodv. Spyring, 1 Compton,Meeson,and Eoscoe.
He statesit to be " the publicationof defamatorymatter,honestly
JUDGMENTOF SIR MATTHEWSATJSSE. 75
made
byaperson
in thedischarge
of some
publicorprivate
duty,
whetherlegal or moral,or in the conductof his ownaffairsin
matterswherehis interestis concerned."In suchcases
theoccasion
prevents theinference
of " malice"andhegoes
onto say" that
it fairly warrantedby anyreasonable
occasion,
or exigency,
and
honestly
made,
suchcommunications
areprotected
for common
con-
venience and welfareof society,andthe law has not restrictedthe
right to makethem,within any narrowlimits."
Theeffectof the existence
of a "justifyingoccasion"
is to nega-
tivemalicebothin factaswell asin law, eitherof whicl;is neces-
sary to maintain an action of libel. The differencebetweenmalice
in factandmalicein law is laiddownin Bromage
v. Prosser,
where
the formeris definedto be "ill will againsta person,"andmalice
in law " a wrongful act done,intentionally,without legaljustifica-
tion or excuse," And in Duncan v. Thwaites, 3 Barnwell and

Cresswell,
Chief JusticeAbbot further definesthe meaningof the
word "malice," when he says the use of the word " malicious" in
declaration of libel is " rather to exclude a supposition that the
publication had been made in someinnocent occasion,than for any
other purpose."
In casesof this kind, when tried before a jury, it is their province
to find whether the communicationwas madelondfide or not, and if
in the affirmative, it becomesthe duty of the judge, as a matter of
law, to decidewhether the occasionof the publication was such as
to rebut the inference of malice, or, in accordancewith the definition
in Bromagev. Prosser,whether there was any " legal justification or
excuse" for the "wrongful act."
I havethusto investigateanddecide, first, whetherthe publication
wasmadelondfideby the defendants, andnext, if it were,whether
then a legal justificationor excuseis to befoundin the surrounding
circumstances provedin this casefor the libel uponprivatecharacter
which the publicationcontains. In the presentcaseI seeno reason
to doubt that the defendant entered into this controversywith the
honestpurpose
of exposingto publicreprobation
doctrines
whichhe
conscientiously
believedto be subversiveof socialmorality,andso
far as he has commented on these doctrines,I see no ground for
complaint.I considerhis stricturesnot to havein any degree
76 APPENDIX.
exceeded
thef' licentious
comment/'
asit hasheentermed,whichis
allowable
uponmatters moreimmediately
affecting
publicinterests,
andI havenodoubtthat mattersaffectingthe moralityof a con-
siderable
portionof the publicare undoubtedly
mattersof that
description.
But the questionremains,whetherunderall the
circumstances
thedefendants
werejustifiedin leavingthe regionof
commentary
altogether,
andin makinga directcharge
uponthe
plaintiff'sprivatecharacter,
byaccusing himof havingbeenengaged
in the practiceof defilingthe wivesanddaughters of his devotees
underthe-pretence of religion. I thoughtthe law on this subject
wasveryclear,butin deference to somedifficultywhichmy brother
Arnouldfeels,I shallexamine it at greaterlengththan I would
otherwise have considerednecessary.
Now, so far as the plaintiff is concerned,
the casestandsthus:
The plaintiff waspracticallya strangerto Bombayprior to July,
1860, when he arrived. At first he united in some reformatory
views of the defendants and others with reference to female education
andre-marriage of widows,but wassupposed to havein part seceded
from them after. He set on foot a pamphletor periodicalcalled
" The Propagator of our own Eeligion/' and invited extraneousor it
maybe hostilecriticismand discussionupon the views it placed
beforethe public. On the 21st October,1860,the libel appears,
andthe plaintiff is charged in it with conductwhich, if true, ought
to deprivehim of the respectof, and indeedcommunionwith, the
members of any civilizedcommunity. *
The defendant,KarsandasMulji, was not personallyacquainted
with theplaintiff, nor washe,accordingto his own admission,per-
sonallyacquaintedwith any act of immorality committedby the
plaintiff or anyotherMaharaj,but prior to the libel, oneLalshankar,
an intimate friend of his, volunteered the information that the
plaintiffborea badcharacter
formoralityin Bombay,
in Surat,and
in other placesin the Mofussil, where Lalshankar had been. Ldl-
shankarwas a nativeof, and anannualvisitor to, Surat,wherethe
plaintiffhad a temple. So far as the plaintiff wasindividually
concerned, that was all the informationrespectinghis alleged
immoralpracticesthat the defendants
possessed
at the time of the
libel. It does
notappear
thatthedefendants
tookanypainsto
JUDGMENT OF SIR MATTHEW SAtTSSE. 77
makeinquiries
intothetruth of thesegeneral
charges,
hutrested
satisfiedwith the statementsof Lalshankar. The defendantKar-
sandasstatesthat it was after the commencementof the actionhe
hegan
to make
inquiries
intotheplaintiff's
privatelife. In addition,
thedefendant,
whowasoriginally a member of theYaUahhacharya
sect,appears
to haveentertained
for ten or twelveyearsthe belief
that the Maharajas
as a bodywereguilty of adulterous practices
amongsttheir femaledevotees. That belief appearsto havebeen
foundedupon generalrumours in the sect,and upon a resolution
passedby the Bhattia castein 1855,to put a stopto suchalleged
practices,by preventingtheir femalesfrom going to the templeof
the Maharajas;and also upon reiterated"chargesof immoral and
licentiousconductmadeagainstthe Maharajas,asa body,by news-
papers, pamphlets, and periodicals, from 1855 until somemonths
prior to the publication of the libel. The defendant's conviction
appearsto have beenalsoinfluencedby the discoveryin 1860of a
commentaryby Gokulnathji, which appearedto the defendantto
give doctrinalsanctionto the immoral practiceswhich he had pre-
viously believed to be existing among the body of the Maharajas.
It appears,however,from Dr. Bhau Daji's evidence,that he has
personallyknown somefew Maharajas,whom he described as men
of unspottedcharacterand of piety, and goodmen. Apply thenthe
test of Baron Parke in Toogoofl,
v. Bpyring to these circumstances,-
"Were the defendants, in making this defamatory charge on the
privatecharacterof plaintiff throughthe columnsof a newspaper,
discharging any legal or moral public duty, or any legal or moral
private duty; or wasthe publicationmadein conductof his own
affairs in matters where his interest was concerned? There was
clearly no legal duty, either public or private, cast upon the
defendants to do so. JSTorwas there any moral duty, public or
private,castuponthemto makethat communication
to the public
beyondwhat might pressupon any otherindividual whohad heard
a bad characterof the plaintiff for morality andbelievedthat report
to be true. It would be a novel and a dangerousdoctrine to lay
down,that everyeditorof a newspaper, or anyonewhohad thecom-
mand of its columns,should be justified, evenwithout inquiry, in
makingspecificcharges
of a mostdefamatory
character
againstthe
78 APPENDIX.
privatelife of individuals,
simplybecause he hadheardthemand
honestly believed themto betrue,andthat fromtheir characterit
wouldbeconducive topublicmoralityto publishthem. "Weresuch
a doctrineto prevail,it shouldbe maintainedindependently of the
actual truth of the charges;and property in private character,
whichthe law protectssojealously,might be ruthlesslysweptaway
without redress. In my opinionthereis but one plea which can
serveasa defence to a libel publishedasthe presenthasbeen,viz.:
that the chargescontainedin the libel are true. This principle is
supported*by the view taken by ChamberJ. in Rogersv. Clifton,
3 Bosanquet and Puller, 587, andis cited with approbationby Mr.
JusticeCresswell in Coxliead v. Richards,2 C. B., and I think it is
furthersustained by the decisionand dicta of the judgesin Paris v.
Levi, 9 WeeklyEeporter,which wascitedto showthat the doctrine
of "justifiable occasion" has been extended to publications in news-
papers
aswell asto thosewhichcomeunderthe ordinaryterm of
"confidential or privileged communications." But that caseupon
examination will be found to range itself under the class of cases
which from Tallart v. Tipper, I Campbell, down to the present
time, have upheld the right of public commentand criticism, upon
documents submittedto the public consideration.The plaintiff in
Paris v. Lei-i publishedan advertisementcalling the attention of
servantsto the fact that he wasofferingunprecedenteclly
high prices
for articles that servants were in the habit of selling out of their
masters'establishment;
this advertisement
wascommented
uponby
a headingof "Inducement to servantsto rol their masters" There
wasno chargeagainstthe plaintiff of robbing,any one,but simply
that the tendencyof his advertisementto the public was to lead
dishonestservantsto pilfer for the purposeof taking advantageof
theseunusuallyhigh prices. If madelondfide, the commentdoes
not appearto exceed what might reasonablybe allowed,and it was
soheld at the trial. It afterwardscamebeforethe full Court,prin-
cipally on the ground of misdirection. With the direction of Chief
JusticeErie, as reportedin that case,I fully concur. Treating the
caseas oneof comment, he saidthat the plaintiff wasnot entitledto
recover
unlesshe established
that the defendantwasactuatedby
malice;that the law, however,
did not requirethat the plaintiff
JUDGMENT OF SIR MATTHEW SAUSSE. 79
shouldshowpersonal
maliceor ill will in the sense
of private
hatred;hut that the defamatorypublication
waspublished without
anyof thosecauses which the law considerswill justify them.
" Suchcauses excuse the publication,
becausetheyshewthe party
wasnotactuated by anycorruptor maliciousmotives in sayingthat
which tends to defamethe character of another." But in criticism
on matterswhichhavebeenpublishedby the complaining
party,
Lord Ellenboroughlaid downin a casewherea journal had criticised
books which had been published dangerousto morality, "that
liberty of criticism must be allowed, or we should nefther have
purity of taste or of morality; that publication I shall never
consideras a libel, which has for its object, not to injure the
reputationof any one,but to correctmisrepresentationof fact, or to
censurewhat is hostileto morality." That if the jury found their
verdict for the defendant, it must be on the principle so laid down.
That had the defendant said one word against the plaintiff with
reference to the plaintiff* s private character, he would have felt
himself boundto say "there wasno excuseof the publication."
So Byles J. says: " The real questionwas, Doesthe commentgo
beyondwhat is sanctionedby law ? was therea reflection on the
plaintiff's private character?" And KeatingJ. states," ]ôw it is
concededthat a newspaper is justified, nay it is rather incum-
bent on them to comment freely on any publication. I seeno distinc-
tion between this handbill and any other publication for comment.
Yet that is not to degenerateinto imputations of a personal character.
"What was said at the trial was ' That though a fair comment could
be privileged, yet if of a personalcharacterit would not.' The
directionwasperfectlyright." In Carr v. Hood, 1 Campbell,Lord
Ellenboroughsaid: " SJiewmean attackon themoralcharacterof the
plaintiff,or anyattachuponhischaracter
unconnected
withhisauthor-
ship,andJ shallle asreadyasanyjudgethatBUTsatheretoprotect
him; but I cannot hear of malice on account of turning writers into
ridicule." Thus from Tallart v. Tipper and Carr v. Hood, from 1808
down to 1860 when Paris v. Levi was decided,defamation of private
characterin publicjournals,hasbeentreatedas ordinarilybeyond
thepaleof "justifying occasion;"andI seenothingin the present
caseto takeit outof that principle. Theselection
of a publicnews-
80 APPENDIX,
paper as the medium for matter defamatory of private character

is one of the strongestproofs of such malice and will withdraw the
protectionof a "justifying occasion."
It was also contended that the defendant Karsandas Mulji was
justified in publishing the libel by reasonof the private interest
which he had as a member of the sect of Yallabhacharya in pro-
tecting it from the corruption of such immorality as was charged
against the plaintiff; but I much doubt on the defendant'sevidence
whether he can be considered to be a member of that sect :" whatever
force there might be in such an argumentis taken away by the
modeof publicationhaving quite exceeded
the boundssuitedto the
occasion. Had he taken meansto have conveneda meeting of the
sect,and so publishedto the membersinterestedthe defamatory
matter concerning one of their spiritual heads with a view to
investigation, perhaps he might have had some colour for the
defence; but the defendantselecteda public newspaper,and without
any previous inquiry published the defamatory matter, not to the
parties interestedonly, but to the whole world. Tor the above
reason,I think the plaintiff is entitled to a verdict uponthe pleaof
the general issue.
I now proceed to considerthe pleaof justification. In commenting
upon the evidenceI will avoid as far aspracticableany reiteration
of its disgustingdetails,and dealwith the credibility of the wit-
nesseson generalprinciples and in general terms. "We are not now
calleduponto expressany opinionas to whetherthe pleaof justifi-
cationcoversthe chargein the libel. That plea,if proved,is on the
record admitted to contain a sufficient answer, and it is with it alone
we have now to deal.
The text uponwhich this libel was foundedis a commentary
by
Gokulnathji Maharaj, upon a work composedby his grandfather
Yallabhacharya,the founderof this sect. In the Sanskritoriginal,
the nameof the personto whoman offeringof wivesand daughters,
etc., is to be made is not mentioned; and upon the evidencethere
can be no reasonabledoubt that the offering was to be made to
" Purushottam,"which is a namefor the SupremeEeing. The
compiler of a small work in Gujarati, entitled "Biographical
Sketchesof ancientHindu authors" (and in which he gives an
JUDGMENT OF SIE MATTHEW SAUSSE. 81
account of thevariousreligionssectsin India)actinguponMs own

knowledge of the Sanskritlanguageanduponhisownconstruction
of this passage,introduced the word "^charya" to representthe
nameof the personto whom this offeringwas to be made. That
wprdappearsto beoneof verygeneral andundefined
applicationin
variousHindusects,but in the Yallabhacharya
sectit is synony-
mous with guru or spiritual guide, and is one of the hundred and
morenamesappliedto the Maharajas. The term "Purushottam,J}
i.e.,Supreme
Beingor Lord,is alsooneof thenames
by whichthey
are addressed.The defendanttook his text as it appearedin a
Marathi translationof the Gujarat! work,changing" ^charya" into
"Maharaj." He had no meansof consultingthe original, as he
wasnot acquaintedwith Sanskrit,and there is no apparentreason
to doubt that he relied on the accuracy of the compiler in introduc-
ing the word " Acharya" into the text. It is'not necessaryto
inquire, and it would perhapsbe hazardousto offer an opinion
upon, what the intention of Gokulnathji was in making use of those
words, but it appears abundantly from works of recognisedautho-
thority, written by other Maharajas, and from existing popular
belief in the Yallabhacharya sect, that Yallabhacharya is believed
to have been an incarnation of the god Krishna, and that the Maha-
rajas, as descendantsof Yallabhacharya, have claimed and received
from their followers the like character of incarnation of that god, by
hereditary succession. The Maharajas have been sedulousin iden-
tifying themselves with the god Krishna by means of their own
writings and teachings and by the similarity of ceremoniesof wor-
ship and addresseswhich they require to be offeredto themselves
by their followers. All songsconnectedwith the god Krishna,
which were brought before us were,of an amorouscharacter, and it
appeared that songsof a corruptingand licentioustendency,bothin
ideaand expression, are sung by young femalesto the Maharajas,
uponfestiveoccasions, in which they are identifiedwith the god,in
his mostlicentious aspect. In thesesongs,as well as in stories,
both written and traditional, which latter are treatedas of a reli-
giouscharacter
in thesect,the subjectof sexualintercourse
is most
prominent.Adulteryis madefamiliarto themindsof all; it is no
wherediscouragedor denounced; b-ut,on the contrary,
in someof
6
82 APPENDIX.
thestories,thosepersons
whohavecommitted
that greatmoraland
social offence are commended,and in one of them, the actors are
awardedthe highest position in the heaven of the Yaishnavas,
althoughfor someattentionpaidon oneoccasion
to theclearingof
a templeof the god. The love and subserviency inculcatedby the
Hindu religion to bedue in a spiritual senseto the SupremeBeing
has been by those corrupt teachingsmaterialised,and to a large
extent transferredto thosewho claim to be his living incarnations.
It is said to be ceremoniallyeffectedby a mystic rite or dedica-
tion of ^" mind/' "property," and "body" (or mm, dhan,and
tan), which is madein childhoodby males,but by femalesin
the ceremonyof marriage,and a popularbeliefappearsto exist to a
considerable extentthat this dedicationconfersupon the Maharajas
absoluterights over the "minds/' "properties/' and "bodies" of
their followers. The Maharajas,however, appearupon the evi-
denceto have undoubtedlyavailed themselvesof the existenceof
thoseimpressions to gratify licentious propensitiesand a love of
gain. Thesedoctrinesand practicesare opposedto what we know
of the original principlesof the ancientHindu religion which are
said to be found in the Yeds. They recognise no incarnations, but
the well known avatar and the Hindu code of law and morals
equally inculcate chastity in females before marriage, and fidelity
in the marriagestate. Therefore,so far as we may be calledupon
to expressan opinion upon this part of the plea, the defendant has
successfully
shownthat the doctrinesof the Yallabhacharyasectare
in those respectscontrary to those of the ancient Hindu religion.
He hasprovedthat the Maharajasclaimed to be and are considered
and worshippedby a considerableportion of the sectsas gods or
incarnations of God; and he has, we think, established that this
superstition has led to a lamentable want of moral feeling in the
Yallabhacharya sect, and to the practice of gross immoralities. It
is to the credit of the plaintiff, that in his evidencehe has disavowed
for himself any claim to be considered as an incarnation of God.
He stated that he had so informed his followers, but was unable to
remember when, or to whom he addressed such advice. There was
no other evidenceoffered of his having done so,but it appearedto
establish the generality or strength of such a belief amongst the
JUDGMENT OF SIR MATTHEW SATTSSB. 83
followers of the Maharaja's, whenit became necessaryfor him to

thusdisavow that character.Thenextbranchof thispleaof justi-
ficationis that in whichit is allegedthat the immoralorlicentious
practicesof the Maharajas,as statedin the libel, were mattersof
notorietyin the Yallabhacharyasect as well as outsideof it, that
theyhadbeendenounced
by theirownfollowers,andby othersin
pamphlets,
newspapers,
and handbillspublishedin all languages
in
Bombay.Several
credible
witnesses
of theYallabhacharya
sectwere
examined,who deposed to the existenceof that opinionin the sect,
andin additionas evidenceof the strength of that feeling,the de-
fendantsput in issuea resolutionpassed at a meetingof the Bhattia
castein 1855 for the purposeof preventingthe femalesgoingto
worshipat the temples,exceptat periodswhen theMaharajaswere
personallyoccupied in the performanceof the worshipof their god'.
That resolution was proved to have been cometo, in consequence of
its being believed that immoral practices were taking placebetween
the Maharajas and their female Bhattia devotees,under colour of
the latter going at night to perform worship at the Yallabhacharya
temples; Sincethat period,newspapers,
pamphlets,and handbills,
in various languages,in Bombay have very frequently denounced
the pretensions
of the Maharajasto divinity, havecharged
themwith
the grossestimmorality, have held them up as objectsfor public
reprobation,and latterly, in 1859,have madeuse of the strongest
and sometimesthe coarsestterms?,in- describing their alleged profli-
gacyof conductand licentious vice. It also appeared
in evidence
that someMaharajashad committedacts of immoralityand licen-
tiousnessto the knowledge of witnesseswho deposedto them,,and
whosetestimonyI do not seeany reasonto doubt The plaintiff
and Jivanji Maharaj in Bombaywere statedin the plea to- have
admitted,in the presenceof someof the membersof the sect,the
prevalence
of the crimeof adulteryamongst
their body,andalsoto
havesaid,that greatdifficulty wouldbe experiencedin checkingit,
as theMaharajasderivedthe greaterportion of their incomesfrom
femaledevotees,and that no other sufficientmeanswere provided
for theirsupport.Jivanji Maharaj'was-not produced
to contradict
or explainthesestatements,althoughhis nameis mentioned in the
pleain connection with that fact,andfthe pleahadbeenfiledfor
84 APPENDIX,
ninemonthsheforethe trial. Theplaintiff deniedthe admission,

but wefeelnodifficultyin discrediting
that denial,andin believing
that the conversation
took place. The credibility of the witnesses
whodeposed
to it wasnotimpeached,
andthe character
of someof
them wassuch,that we do not feel at liberty to doubt their truth.
We havethereforeno hesitationin arriving at the conclusionthat
this portion,also,of the pleahasbeensatisfactorilyproved.
"Wenowapproach
the lastdivisionof this plea,whichsovitally
affectsthe characterof theplaintiff, not only for immorality of con-
duct, but for truth on his oathin a court of justice. Any onewho
waspresentat his examination,and the lengthenedcross-examina-
tion which he underwent for the greater part of three days, must
feel that he is a manof greatintelligence,andof considerable
native
attainments. Any contradiction to the testimony of other witnesses
cannot have arisen from confusion or mistake; it must have been
wilful and deliberate. He has contradicted in the most direct terms
every chargeof personalimmorality made againsthimself, every
conversationapproachingto an admission of immoral practices upon
his own part or of licentious conduct of other Maharajas. In a con-
flict of evidencewhere there must be a wilful false swearing on one
side or the other, it is desirable to select some one material fact
upon which there is a clear and direct collision, and through it to
test the credibility of the witnesses on one side or the other. The
plea charged as evidenceof the licentious character of the plaintiff,
that in the year 1860,he wassufferingfrom a maladycontracted
from immoral intercourse with females. The defendants produced
two medical men who were consulted by the plaintiff-Drs. Bhau
Daji and DhirajramDalpatram. Both are Graduatesof the Grant
Hedical College,and the first at least long distinguishedfor his
scientific,literary, and medicalattainments. It is but justice to
thosegentlemento say, that they only gavemedicalevidence,upon
the legal compulsion which it was the duty of the Court to apply.
Dr. Daji statesthat the plaintiff sentfor him professionally,
and in
giving a description of his ailment, made use of a term of familiar
and unmistakeable medicalmeaning,which,coupledwith thehistory
of its origin, left no doubtin Dr. Daji's mind of the characterof-the
disease. The plaintiff having then declined to submit to an ocular
JUDGMENT OF SIR MATTHEW SAUSSE. So
examination,
informed
Dr. Daji thathewouldthenextmorning
sendGrovardhandas
to give more accuratedetails. Govardhandas
wastheconfidentialagentandmanager for theplaintiff,andhenext
morninggavea description andhistoryfullerhut in substanceand
termsidenticalwith that already
givenby theplaintiff. Thisagent
andmanager wasin Bombayduringthe trial, andalthough several
dayselapsedbetween the evidenceof Dr. Daji andthecloseof the
plaintiff's rebuttingcase,Govardhandas
wasnot calledto contradict
or explainthat evidence. Dr. Dalpatram,whohad beenoneof the
Yallabhacharyasect,wasconsultedprofessionally
by the.plaintiff
in aboutthreemonthsafterwards,
andwasin attendanceuponhim
for morethan a month. He treated the plaintiff for a similar
disease,
which wasdescribed by the latter ashavingbeencontracted
' by him from immoral intercourse-with a femaleaboutthe period
whenDr. Daji had beensentfor. The plaintiff wascuredby the
treatmentof Dr. Dalpatramafter salivation,and upon Dr. Dalpa.
tram's evidence,there could be no doubt as to the character of the
disease,or as to the mode in which it was describedby the plaintiff
to have been contracted. Dr. Dalpatram had the opportunity
afforded him of the necessary medical inspection. Lakhmidas
Khimji, who is oneof the leadingmenin the sectof Yallabhachar-
yans in Bombay, was at that time in the habit of daily intercourse
with the plaintiff, and had been requested by the latter to bring
Dr. Daji (who is a Brahmin) to visit him professionally. He fully
corroboratesthese two medical witnesses. Through the medium of
conversationswith the plaintiff, the latter describedhis malady by
name, and the modein which it was contracted,together with other
detailswhich it is not necessary
to mention. It wasfurther elicited
in cross-examination that the plaintiff had undergonea medical
examinationonthe precedingeveningby threedoctors,with a view
of sustaininghis own denial of the existenceof diseaseand of the
truth of the statement made by Drs. Daji and Dalpatram and by
Lakhmidas Khimji. ISToneof thesedoctorswere producedfor the
plaintiff to give an accountof that recentexamination. Uponthis
conflictof evidencebetweenthe plaintiff alone,and the threewit-
nesses, Dr. Daji, Dr. Dalpatram,and Lakhmidas,coupledwith the
non-production
of Govardhandas,
or anyof the threemedicalmen
86 APPENDIX.
whomadethelastexamination,
I feelmyselfcompelled
to cometo
the conclusion,that the plaintiff has allowedhis personalinterests
to overcomehis respectfor truth, while on his oath in this court.
And haying reluctantly but confidentlyarrived at the conviction
that he has in this instancewilfully forsworehimself, I can place
no trust or relianceupon any denialshe has given to the personal
actsof immoralitywith which he hasbeencharged. The characters
of the principal witnessesfor the defendantshave not beenim-
peached. Many of them are membersof the Yallabhacharyasect,
and still/requent the templesof the Maharajas, It has not been
suggested that they entertainany personalhostility to the plaintiff.
They have apparentlyno personalinterestto .serve,but much caste
or sect obloquyto undergofor the part they have taken and the
evidencethey have given against a Maharaj. The account of "
LakhmidasKhimji in supportof the chargeof the plaintiff's im-
morality at Bey.tis a strangeand almost incrediblestory, but I
cannot believe it to have been invented for this trial. In answer
to the Court,he statedthe namesof four persons,membersof the

sect,in whosepresence
severalyearsbeforehe had detailedthe
circumstanceshe narrated in the witness-box. None of those per-
sonswere producedto contradicthim, and when all of thosewho
werein Bombay, wereproduced by the defendants
for cross-exami-
nation,the plaintiffshrunkfrom impeaching,throughtheir testi-
mony, the truth of the statementof Lakhmidas Khimji. The
plaintiff producedevidenceto his good characterfor morality at
Surat,Beyt, and severalotherplacesin which it had beenim-
peached.He alsosoughtto establishthe falsehoodof the testimony
of LakhmidasKhimji respectingthe act of immorality at Beyt, by
calling witnessesto show that by night and by day,plaintiff had
personalattendantswaiting uponhim, who neverleft him alonefor
an instant, and which renderedit improbablein the highest degree
that he couldhave beenguilty of the immoralact deposed to. That
evidenceis in itself contraryto all probabilityand is contradicted
incidentally by the statementof Dr. Dalpatram,who in his pro-
fessionaltreatmentalwayssawthe plaintiff alone. On examination
of thosewitnesses,it appearedthat the greater number were fol-
lowers of the sect of the Maharajas. Some of them avowed that
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH ABNOTJLT). $?
theybelieved
theMaharajasto beincarnations
of theDeity. Others
that theywouldnot believeanythingagainstthe character
of a
Maharaj,that a Maharajcouldnot do anythingwrong,that he
could not be a bad man, and that it was a sin to give evidence
againstaMaharajin a courtof justice,andthat anyonewhodid,
shouldnot be spokento and shouldbe outcasted.
Bearingin mind the effortsthat were proved to have beenmade
to preventevidencebeinggiven by his co-sectaries againstthe
plaintiffin this case,
and.lookinguponthe description
of that given
for him, we cannotallow the negativecharacterof the lattor to out-
weighthe clear,strong,and direct evidencegivenfor the defendant,
under those difficulties,
"Wethink that the essentialpoints in the libel, as the record

stands,havebeensufficientlycoveredby the proof adducedin sup-
port of the pleaof justification,and that theremustbe a verdictfor
the defendantupon that issue.
As to the minor pleas,a verdict for the plaintiff will be entered
onkthe 2nd, 4th, and 6th; and for the defendants on the 3rd and
5th pleas, in addition to the 7th and 8th.
After having found a verdict for the defendants upon the issues
raised by the plea of justification, the plaintiff can only recover a
verdict for nominal damageson the plea of not guilty. As we have
felt obliged to disbelievethe plaintiff on his oath and also the
greater numberof the witnessesproducedto corroboratehim, our
verdict will be entered without costs.
The defendant to be entitled to the costs of the issues found in
Ms favour.
(Judgmentof Sir JosephArnould.)
In this caseI shall make no apology for stating at somelength,

the reasonsfor my judgment. In a matter of such general interest
and importance the public have a right to be satisfied that the
minds of both membersof the Court have been actively engagedin
sifting the evidence and arriving at a painstaking and conscientious
decision. I have, besides,on onepoint not been able to cometo the
88 APPENDIX.
sameconclusionas the Chief Justice; and though that point does

not materiallyaffect the vital questionin the case,and relatesnot
so muchto the law itself asto the applicationof the law, it is yet
tooimportant to bepassedover in silence.
I. On the first issue the questionthat arises is this: Is the
article complained of a libel j or is it so far justified by the occasion,.
i.e. by the wholeof the circumstances precedingand accompanying
its publication,as to be, thoughdefamatory,not libellous?
The doctrineof "justifying occasion/'as.deduced from the authori-
ties,is tfyis: The essence of libel is malice. Primd facie everypub-
lication containingmattertendingto defameor criminate anotheris
heldto bo libellousj-that is, malice,the essence of libel, is legally
inferred from the mere fact of publishing of another that which.
tendsto criminate or defamehim. But this primd facie inference
maybe repelled: it may be shown that the circumstancesunder
which the publicationtook placewere suchas to precludethe legal
inferenceof malicearising from the merefact of publicationand to
constitutea justifying occasion for publishing that which tendsto
defame and criminate another.
If such a justifying occasionbe made out, the only enquiryre-
maining,in orderto ascertainwhethera given publicationbe or be
not libellous,is the enquirywhether the publication,on theface of
it, shows what is legally called expressmalice; in other words,
whetherthe virulenceand bitternessof the languageemployedby
the writer so far exceeds what the occasion warrants as to show
that lie was actuatedby personalrancour, by a malignant and
vindictive desire to criminate and defame. Unless this appearsthe
publication,though defamatoryor criminatory, is not libellous(see
the whole current of authorities from Rex v. jBaillie, 21 Ho well's
StateTrials 10 (in A.D.1778)downto Harrison v. flush, 5 Ell. and
Blackb.and 16 L. J. Q,.B. 25 (A.B.1855).
As to what will constitute a justifying occasion,the points princi-
pally to be attendedto are these: First, The publicationmust be
bondJicle, i.e., at the time of publication the writer must honestly
arid upon fair reasonablegrounds believe that which he publishes to
be substantially true. Secondly, The publication must be with re-
gard to a subject matter in which the party publishing has an
JUDGMENTOF SIR JOSEPHARNOULD. 89
interest,
orin reference
towhich
hehasaduty.Tliirdly,
Those
to
whom thepublication
isaddressed
musthave
aninterest
andaduty
in some
degree
corresponding
to hisown.
Thewordduty(asthelateChiefJusticeof England
declared
thelawin Harrison
v.Bush)
is "notto beconfined
tolegalduties
whichmaybeenforced by indictment,action,or mandamus, lut
mustinclude
moralandsocialduties
of imperfectobligation"(See
the well-considered
judgmentof the Courtof Queen's Benchas de-
liveredly Lord Campbell in thecaseof Harrisonv. JB-ush, 16L. J.
Q. B. p. 20.)
As to the extentof theprivilegeor thejustification,that varies
necessarilywith the nature of the subject matter of the alleged
libel; if it be a matter like the characterof a servant, etc.-in
regard to which only one personor only a few personshave an
interestor duty corresponding to that of the writer, then he is only
privilegedor justified in communicating to that oneor to thosefew;
if, on the otherhand,it be a matter in regardto which the general
public has an interest and a duty-if it be a great social scandaland
a great public wrong-if it be a matter in the exposureof which all
society has an interest and in the endeavour to dischargeand put
down which all society has a duty-finally, if it be a matter beyond
the cognizance of any othertribunal exceptthe condemnatoryjudg-
ment of public opinion-in suchcases,the writer, if writing lond
fide,is privilegedor justified in makingthe communication
as public
as he can.
Such,in my judgment,are the principlesof law applicableto the

presentcase. In applyingthemI proposeto considerthe following
questions
:-What wasthe defendant's
professional
andsocialposi-
tion at the time the allegedlibel was published? "Whatwashis
consequent interestand socialduty in referenceto the subjectmatter
of the allegedlibel? Whatwashis then stateof knowledge
and
beliefin respectto suchsubjectmatter? Whator whomdoeshe
attackin the allegedlibel? Towhomdoesheaddress himselfin
publishing
it ? Whatwastheimmediate occasion
of publishing
it ?
Is thelanguagein whichthealleged
libelis couched
in excess
of
what the occasion warranted ?
First then: whoorwhatwasthedefendant
at thetimeof the
90 APPENDIX.
licationof theallegedlilcl ? By birth and early initiation ho wasa

memberof the Yallabhaoharya sect,but for someyears beforethe
libel was published,in consequence mainly of his disgust at the
practiceswhich in the libel ho denounces, he had connedto worship
in the templesof the Maharajas. Por sometime beforethe publica-
tion of the allegedlibel, he had beeneditor of the Stdyti Pntknxh,
a native newspaperpublishedin the Gujardti language,and princi-
pally read and circulatedamong the two wealthy and extensive
castes of the Bha'ttias and the Banians. Both these castes are
devout followers of the Mahanij : of the Banin, caste the defendant
was himself a member.
Such was the defendant's position j what was his aw.svv/wwY

vw-
ierest and- da ft/ ?
As a Vallabhacharyan addressing his co-sectaries,as a Banian
addressingIris castefollows--above all, as a journalist addressinghis
readers composedprincipally of followers of the Maharajas, had ho
no interest, had he no duty, in denouncing the malpractices which
it is the principalobjectof this allegedlibel to expose? It appears
to me that he had both an interest and a duty.
A public jomnalist is a public teacher: tho true function of the
press-that by virtue of which, it; has rightly grown to 1m one of
the great powers of tho.modern world-is the {unction of teaching,
elevating, and enlightening those who fall, within tin? range, of its
influence.
To exposeand denounce evil and barbarous practices; to attack

usagesand customs inconsistent with moral purity and social pro-
gress, in one of its highest, its most imperative duties. Wlien those
evils and errors arc consecrated by time, fencedround by custom,
countenanced and supportedby the highest and most influential
classin society,whentheyarewholly beyondthe controland super-
vision of any othertribunal, then it is the functionand the duty of
the pressto intervene; honestlyendeavouringby all the powe.rnof
argument,denunciation,and ridicule, to changeand purify tho
public opinion which is the real basis on which theseevils are built
and tho real powerby which they are perpetuated.
As editorof tho &att/a2*rakux/i,the defendantwas,in mv opinion,
actingwithin the clear limits of hi» duty (asdefinedm the caseof
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH AKNOULD. 91
Harrisonv. Bush)in denouncingto a public principallycomposed of

BhattiasandBanians,the moraldelinquencies of the Maharajas.
Wlienthedefendant publishedhis allegedlibel, whatwashis stateof "
knowledgeand beliefas to the mattersof which it treats? To the
defendanthimself, a memberof the Yallabhacharyasect, and of
the Bania caste,the profligacyof the Maharajashad beenknown
as matter of generalreputation and universalnotoriety from his
earliest years.
" It is," sayshe, " the general reputation of our sect that when
girls aremarriedthey are sentto the Maharaj to be enjoyed,before
they aretouchedby their husbands. This hasbeenthe reputation
as long as I can remember, and/' he adds, "I have known in-
stances."
"Whenasa youth he had attendedthe temples,he had seenMaha-

rajas pressing with their feet the hands of their more favoured
femaledevotees,
and, though young, he knew perfectlywell what
this meant.
He was cognizant of the fact that, in 1855, those devout followers

of the Maharajas,
the membersof the Bhattia caste,had held a caste
meeting, at which a resolution was passed " to fix hours at which
their femalesshould visit the temples,that they might not have
carnal intercourse
with the Mahdrdj."
"Withregardto the plaintiff himself the defendantwasinformed
before the publication of the libel, on what he had every reason to
considergood authority, that his conduct formed no exception to the
generalconduct of his class.
" The generalcharacterof the Maharajasis that of debauchees;
theplaintiffhasalsothereputationof a debauchee;"
hewastold
this before the publication of the alleged libel by Narmada Lalshan-
kar, his intimate friend, and who, as being in commonwith the
plaintiffa nativeof Suratandfor sometime a residentthere,had
the amplestmeansof informationasto the plaintiff's character.
The result of all this as to his state of belief when the libel was
published
is thusstatedin his evidence:"At thetimeI wrotethe
allegedlibel, I believedthe Maharajasindividuallyand as a class,
to be guilty of what I call defiling the wivesanddaughtersof their
devotees."
92 APPENDIX.
Although thus fully informedof, and on good groundsfirmly

believingin the immoralitiesof the Maharajas,
it was not until a
shorttime(some
fouror five months)
beforethe publication
of the
libel, that he saw reason to believe that these immoralities were
sanctionedby the sacredbooks of the Yallabhacharyans.
It wasaboutthat timethat he fell in with a popularcompilation
in the Marathi language,professingto give an account of the tenets
of various sects,including those of the Yallabhacharyans. The por-
tions of this Marathi work relating to the Yallabhacharyans"were
suppliedrby defendant'sintimate friend, the young Nagar Brahmin^
ISTarmada Lalshankar, who had shown the MS. to the defendant
before it was published.
In this Marathi compilation the verse of Gokulnathji, to which
so much prominence is given in the alleged libel, is introduced
thus:
"Besides this there are strict words of comment written in a book
called the Siddhdnt RaJiasya(this is the book which forms the text
of Gokulnathji'scommentary)to the effectthat 'all things should
be offeredand presentedto the Xcharya(i.e. the Maharaj)and then
enjoyed/ It is then added, ' To offer everything means that even
our wives, sons,etc., should not be brought into use without offering
them.'"
Erom this publication the defendant would naturally infer that

the commentary of Gokulnathji enjoined the offering up of wives
and daughters (for "daughters" are without dispute included in the
expression"sons, etc,") to the Maharaj by way of carnal intercourse.
The defendant did not understand Sanskrit, but he could read
Brij-Bhasha ; he forthwith began to study severalYallabhacharyan
works in Brij-Bhasha. Prom these he derived the conclusion that
the statement of doctrine in the Marathi compilation was borne out
by the authoritative works of the sect. As to the Sanskrit verseof
Gokulnathji,he satisfiedhimself,he says,from enquiryamongthose
who understood Sanskrit, that its meaning is as set forth in the
libel. That meaning is set forth thus :
" Consequentlybefore he himself has enjoyed her, he should make
over Ms lawful wife to theMaMraj, and he shouldalso makeover
his sonsand daughters; after having got married he should, before
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH ARNOULT). 93
havinghimselfenjoyed
hiswife,makeanoffering
of hertothe
MaMrdj,afterwhichheshould
applyherto hisownuse."
Thefriendto whomhe appliedfor this translation
wouldseemto
havebeenNarmada
Lalshankar,theyoungBrahminwhoshowed
himtheMSS.
fromwhichthispartoftheMarathi
workwasprinted;
whorepresentedhimselfas havinga thoroughknowledge of Sans-
krit, andwhostrenuouslymaintained in the witness-box,
that the
meaninggivenin theallegedlibel to Gokulnathji's
commentarywas
correct,that the dedicationthere spokenof wasa dedicationnot to
the Supreme
Beingfor spiritualpurposes,
but to his personification,
the Maharaj,for carnalpurposes.
It hasbeenelaboratelyand learnedlycontended that this interpre-
tation is incorrect-that Gokulnathjineverintended,nor dohiswords,
in their literal sense,import the meaningthusput "uponthem. It
may or maynot be so: the questionas to the precisegrammatical
meaning of the text, or the probable intention of the writer, does
not go to the root of the present enquiry. It is not a charge of
libel on Gokulnathji that we are trying, but a charge of libel on the
plaintiff. The questionis not what Gokulnathjioriginally wrote
or intended, but what in practice, his text or other similar texts
have been construed to mean and perverted to sanction. It is
abundantly clear on the evidence, as it will presently be necessary
to show more at large, that the Maharajas have for a lengthened
periodbeenso far identified by their followerswith Krishna-have
been to such an extent regarded as gods and worshipped as gods,
that it would be exceedingly difficult, if not absolutely impossible,
to pronouncewith any certainty, how far a text apparentlycon-
templatinga dedication
to God,mightor mightnot be regarded
in the Yallabhacharya sect as authorizing a dedication to the
Maharaj.
This,however,is not a question weare calleduponto decide.
Thequestion
for us,on this part of thecase,is whetherthedefen-
dant whenhe printed this allegedlibel in hispaper,had or had not
justifyingoccasion
forpublishing
thattheclass
towhichtheplaintiff
belonged,and the plaintiff himself,as a memberof suchclass,
acting on the supposed sanctionand authorityof certaintexts,
whetherrightly or wronglyunderstood,whether
wrestedfromtheir
94: APPENDIX.
true meaning or not, defiled the wives and daughtersof their

devotees.
That the defendant when he printed his interpretationof the text

in the allegedlibel honestlyand bondfide believedit to be the cor-
rect one is perfectly plain on the face of the evidence, and was not
indeedseriouslyquestionedby the learnedcounselfor the plaintiff.
Ignorant himself of Sanskrit (the language in which Gokulnathji's
commentary is written) he appliedfor assistance
to thosewhomhe
honestlybelievedto be competentauthorities,and the interpretation
with which they supplied him he made use of in sincere and un-
doubting reliance on its accuracy.
Suchhaving beenthe defendant'sposition,consequentduty and
stateof knowledgeand belief at the time he publishedthis alleged
libel, the next questionis, whatand lohomdid heattack?
Primarily he attacks a flagrant social enormity and scandal. For
generations the hereditary high priests of his sect had, as he
believed,committedwhoredomwith the daughtersof his people.
Like the sonsof Eli, they had done this openly at the gates of the
temple,-like the sonsof Eli, they had donethis under the pre-
tended sanction, and in the abused name, of religion. This is the
thing he denounces.It wouldbe a wasteof wordsto point out that
in denouncingit-vehemently, bitterly, indignantly-he waswithin
the strict limits of his duty as a public writer. The interests of
societyrequire that wickednesssuch as this should be sternlyex-
posedand unrelentingly hunted down. If to write vehemently,
bitterly, indignantly on such a subject as this be libellous,then
were the prophetsof old libellers,-then were the early fathersof
the church libellers,-then have all earnest men in all time been
libellers, who have publishedto the world in the fit languageof
generousindignationtheir scorn of hypocrisyand their hatred of
vice.
Suchis the thing the defendantattacksin this libel. Whoare

the persons he attach ? The class who do this wickedness,and the
plaintiff asa memberof this class;-the Maharajas,and theplaintiff
asa Maharaj. This is throughoutthe languageof"the allegedlibel:
"In theXali-yug(oriron age)manyotherheresies,
andmanysects
havearisen,besidesthat of Vallabhacharya,but no other sectaries
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH AUNOULD. 95
have
everperpetrated
suchshamelessness,
subtilty,
immodesty,
ras-
cality,anddeceit
ashavethesectof theMaharajas."-"You,Ma-
harajas,acting
uptothecommentary,defilethewivesanddaughters
of your devotees."
He attackstheclassas perpetratorsof this greatwickedness j he
attackstheplaintiffasoneof the class. It is saidthat in sodoing
heinferentiallyalsodefames him asan individual. I admitit, but
I saytheoccasion justifiedit. A casehadarisenin whichthepos-
sibleinjuryto theindividualwasnot to beweighedin the balance
againstthe greatcountervailing benefitderivableto societyfrom
exposingand denouncing the evil deeds of the class: and the acts
denounced wereimmoralities,not of the plaintiff as an individual in
his privatelife, but of the plaintiff as a Maharajin his publiclife.
Then to whomdoesthe defendantaddresshimself in maltingthe
attack? To the public at large :-the only power, the only autho-
rity, the only tribunal to whom in such a caseas this the communi-
cation could be made, or the complaint directed. The Maharajas,
the hereditaryhigh priests of theYallabhacharyasect,are,in re-
spectof the practicesdenouncedin the libel, virtually amenable to
no jurisdiction,spiritual or temporal,criminal or civil. As far as
the evidence before us goes, they appear to constitute a co-equal
brotherhood of sixty-five or seventy members,owning a vague and
shadowysort of allegianceto a nominalsuperiorat Shri Nathji-a
remoteshrineamongthe desertsof Marwar. This nominalsuperior
appearsto be a carelessand Epicureansort of god: no instanceof
his interference was adduced before us: practically each Maharaj
doesas seemsgood in his own eyes,especiallyas relatesto the
abomination
which it is the peculiarobjectof this allegedlibel to
expose.
Prom the tenor of the evidence I thought, at one stage of the
enquiry,that Jivanji Maharaj(a high priestwhoappears
honour-
ablydistinguished
among
his brethren
forlearning,
piety,andcom-
parative
purityofconduct),-I
wasledtothinkthatJavanji
acted
in
Bombay
asakindof superior
orprincipal
overtheotherMaharajas,
who from time to time camedown here to officiate. But I was
wrong
: Jivanji
wasmerely
anequal
among
equals.
"When appealed
tobysome ofthemostrespectable
Yallabhacharj
ansin Bombay
to
96 APPENDIX.
interpose
andput a stopto thesepractices,
his anwerwasthat he
coulddonothing. He admittedtheallegedimmorality;hedeplored
it; but he couldnot interferewith his brotherMaharajasto prevent
it. " Every man," he said, " is masterin his own house: all my
fellow Maharajashere are my equalsin rank, someof them my
superiors in age; what can I do ?"
As therewasno availablespiritual tribunal, so neitherwas there
any criminal or civil tribunalwhich could take cognizanceof these
immoralitiesof the Maharajas. It was profligacy,it wasvice,but
it wasnpt crime,it wasnot civil wrong,of which theywere accused.
There was no violence;there was no seduction. The wives and
daughtersof thesesectaries (with their connivancein manycases
if not with their approval)went willingly,-went with offeringsin
their hands,eagerto pay a high price for the privilege of being
made one with Brahma by carnal copulation with the Maharaj, the
living personificationof Krishna.
To what quarter then was a Yallabhacharyan in Bombay to look
for redress or reform if he felt aggrieved at these misdeedsof the
Maharajas ? He bad one resource, and one only: to appeal to
public opinion fhrougli the Press. This the defendant did; as a
Yallabhacharyan it was his right, as the editor of a native journal
it washis duty to doso; for if evils suchas thesewere (in the lan-
guageof Lord Ellenborough)"to exist for ever without public
animadversion, oneof the great usesof a free pressis at an end."
(1 Campbell,117.)
And the public,which thus constitutesthe only tribunal to which
the defendantcouldappeal,had an interestand a dutyin relationto
the subjectmatter of the allegedlibel corresponding to his own.
E"opublic can be conceivedto exist which has not an interest in the
discouragement and suppressionof such wickedness,-uponwhich
thereis not imposeda moraland socialduty of taking all legitimate
meansfor its discouragementand suppression. The offenceattacked
in the allegedlibel is an offenceagainstthe first principlesof mo-
rality on which all societyis based,and in the suppressionof which
the highest interestsand the highestdutiesof all society,as such,
are most intimately concerned.
If, whilewriting with a singlepurposeto discourage
and suppress
JUDGMENT OF SIK JOSEPH AJRNOULD. 97
this evil, the defendant,in the courseof rejecting' on the classto

which the plaintiff belonged,and on the plaintiff as a memberof
that class,publishedthat -whichby inferencewasdefamatoryof the
plaintiff as-an individual,the occasion,
in my opinion,justified him
in sodoing,and the defamatorymatter-sopublishedis no libel, un-
lessit canbe showneitherthat he wantonlysingledout theplaintiff
for attack,or unlessMs language was an excessof what the occasion
Now did the defendantsingleout theplaintiff for attackf On the

contrary,it is clearthat theimmediate occasionof theattack(if attack
it canlefairly called)ontheplaintiff aroseoutof theplaintiff's ownact
in havinghimselfhadrecourse to thepressfor thepurposes ofcontroversy.
This is plain on the face of the libel itself, and is put beyondall
doubtby the evidence. The plaintiff had for sometime beenpub-
lishing a seriesof articles of a controversialcharacterin the Bom-
baypress,in someof which the defendantas a writer on the oppo-
site side was, or fancied he was, reflected upon. Some of those
articlesthe plaintiff, through his secretaryGovardhandib,
had sent
and causedto be insertedin the defendant'sown paper,the Saiya
Prwkdsh; others had appeared in the Ohdbuk, and other native
newspapers;othersagainwere publishedin the Sva-dharmavardhak
("The Propagatorof Beligion") a monthly periodical;of which the
plaintiff wasthe originatorand principal manager.
Therecanbeno doubton the evidencethat the prominencegiven
to the plaintiff among all the other Maharajas in the allegedlibel,
is owing to two articles of the plaintiff's (or which the defendant
supposed
to be the plaintiff's), and which appeared,
the onein the
Chdbuk,the other in the Sva-dharmawrdhaJs,on the 16th and 29th
of September,I860.
"In thesearticles,"saysthe defendant,"the Maharajhad spoken
disparagingly of those reformers who write without quoting the
Shastras. I, therefore," he goes on, "proceeded on that hint to
write according to the Shastrasrand produced the article which is
the subjectof the presentaction {On the Primitive Beligion of the-
Hindus.'"
The allegedlibel was published on the 2l$t October,I860'.
The title is "On the Primitive Eeligion of the Hindusv"
r
98 APPENDIX.
It commences by citing the Shastras("the Yeds and Purans")

to showthat in the Kali-yug (or iron age)manyheresiesand false
religionswill arise; but the Elali-yug began5,000 yearsago,and
the Yallabhacharyan sect sprangup lessthan 400 years ago: it is
therefore(the logicis somewhatat fault here) a heresy.
He then cites from one of the plaintiff's Septemberarticles a pas-
sagein which the plaintiff represents the different modern sectsas
so many extensions, not divergenciesfrom the old religion, " just as
someleavetheTort to proceedto Byculla,othersto Walkeshwar."
Therdefendant
criticisesthis illustration, and then returnsto his
former point, that the recent date of the Yallabhacharya sect proves
it, on the authority of the Hindu Shastras,to be heresy.
Then he adds," Thus as regardsthe weaponswith which the
Maharajhascomeforth to defendhimself,thoseveryweapons
will
opposethe Maharajand annoyhim."
ThenfollowsGokulnathji'sverseand the indignantcomments
on
it, and then comes the conclusion of the article, which, upon the
evidence
as presentedby theplaintiff, and apart from thefresh light
which hasleenthrownuponthecase"bytheevidence for thedefendant,
the Court,ontheapplicationto nonsuit,considered to be primd facie
libellous.
" JadunathjiMaharaj(the plaintiff) hascommenced

issuinga small
work styled * The Propagator of our own Beligion.' "We ask him,
In what way do you wish to effect the propagationof religion?
Your ancestors,having scattereddust in the eyesof simple people,
made them blind: do you wish to make them see; or, taking a
false pride in the upholding of your religion, do you wish to delude
simple peoplestill more ?
" Jadunathji Maharaj ! should you wish to propagate or to spread
abroad religion, then do you personally adopt a virtuous courseof
conduct, and admonish your other Maharajas that, as long as the
preceptorsof religion shall themselves
appearto he immersedin the
"seaof licentiousness,
for so longtheyshall not le competent
to convey
religiousexhortation. Gokulnathji, having composed the commen-
tary above-mentioned, has attachedto your Yaishnavapersuasion a
great blot of ink. Let that be first removed: scornthe writer of
the commentary.You, Maharajas,acting up to that commentary,
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH AENOTJLD. 99
defile
thewives
anddaughters
of yourdevotees.
Desist
fromthat,
anddestroy atonce
immorality
suchasthatof thecompany atthe
Basfestival Aslongasyoushallnotdoso,for solongyoucannot
givereligious
admonition
andpropagate
yourreligious
faith. Doyou
le assuredofthat"
Is it not plain,that the wholeof this portionof theallegedlibel
is addressed
prominently
andpointedly
to theplaintiff,simplybe-
causethe plaintiff had put himself prominently forward as the
originatorandtheeditorof theperiodicalcalledthe " Propagator
of
thePaith?" Is it not clearthat the plaintiff'svoluntaryappear-
appearance
beforethe world in that capacityis thekey-noteto the
whole of this part of the article ?
From the wholeframeworkof the allegedlibel as explainedby
the evidence,the unavoidableconclusionis, that the prominence
given to the plaintiff throughout the article is not forced, ground-
less, and malicious, but is the natural result of his having himself
entered,into the lists of controversy as a championof Yallabhacharyan
orthodoxy, and a propagator of the Yallabhacharyan faith.
Then, lastly, is there on the face of the libel any evidenceof
express
malice-is there personalrancour-is therean excessof bit-
ness-is there an unfair singling out of the plaintiff with a hostile
desireto defame,to criminate,to malign? I can seenothing of
the kind.
The plaintiff is not singledout; he had voluntarily put himself

forward as the championand defenderof the Maharajcause.
The attackis primarily on the classto which the plaintiff belongs,
incidentallytheplaintiffbearsthe mainbrunt of thebattle,asbeing
the one amongstthat classwho had invited attack by makinghim-
self its representative.
The attackis on actshostileto public morality doneby the plain-
tiff, not in his privatecapacity,but asHaharaj. Themainobject
is not to attackat all, lut exhortation,
earnestentreaties
to leada purer
life anddesistfromlicentiouspractices,
andthatwith amewto the
moresuccessful
propagationof religion.
Theparamount
motive,
asdeducible
fromthewritingitself,isnot
personal
rancour
against
theplaintiff;butanardent
desire
toput
anendto aflagrant
andshameful
licentiousness,
in thesuppression
100 APPENDIX.
of which,the defendantand his co-religionistswere vitally:

ested,and in the practiceof which he had honestand lorn
reasonto believethat the plaintiff, like all the othermembers<
class,was implicated.
I agreewith Dr. "Wilsonin thinking that "all things consic
"
the allegedlibel is a verymild expostulation,"involving an a
to the principlethat the preceptorsof religion, unlessthey j
their lives,cannotexpectsuccess to attendto their labours."
I agree with Dr. Bhau Daji that any reader of fair "a\
intelligencewould understandthe object of the writer to be, :
make a personalchargeof malpractices against the plaintiff, 1
addressa generalexhortation to the classto which the pL
belongs,to desistfrom suchmalpractices."
On thesegroundsI think thereis no proof of express malic*
the groundspreviouslystated I think there was a "just
occasion."
I think the defendant, from his position and status, not onl
an interest and acted on a right, but also fulfilled a moral and
duty, in denouncing
a greatiniquity;-I think he took reaso
sufficient care to inform himself of the facts beforelie publishe<
that what he published he at the time bond fide believed to 1
truth;-I think that, in addressinghimself to the public he ap]
to the right and, under the circumstances, to the only av£
tribunal;-he appealed to those who, in relation to the sn
matter of the allegedlibel had an interest and a &uty correspc
to his own;-I think that in giving the plaintiff the prominei
has done in his article he was actuated by no malice, but s
dealt with the plaintiff as he found him, the representativ
championof his class;-I think that in the languageof the ;
itself there is no evidenceof personalmalice or malignity, but i
evidence of a public-spirited desire to denounce and put dc
crying scandalandwickedness
which was a stainupon thecr«
the writer's caste-on the name of his nation-on the dignil
honour of human nature itself.
Eor all thesereasonsI am of opinion that the article complw

is no libel, and therefore that on the first issue the verdict ou
be for the defendant.
JUDGMENT OP SIR JOSEPH AENOULD. 101
II. Theothergreatissue-(for on all the minorpoints,onwhich

I entirelyagreewith the Chief Justice,I shall add nothing-to the
reasons he hasadduced in disposingof them)-the othergreatissue
in this caseis on the plea of justification. On this issueI am of
opinionthat everymaterialaverment-everyavermentwhich in any
wayrelatesto the nature of the Vallabharcharyasect,the character
and positionof the Maharajasin general,and of the plaintiff in
particular,is substantiallyproved.
I shalldistributethe remarksI feel calledupon to makeon this
issue under four heads.
First:-The evidence adduced as to the nature and tenets of the
Vallabhacharyanreligion.
Secondly:-Theevidenceas to the light in which the Maharajas
are regardedby the sect of which, they are the spiritual chiefs.
Thirdly:-The evidenceas to the general character of the Maha-
rajas for licentiousness.
Fourthly:-The evidence as to the personal immoralities of the
plaintiff.
Pirst.-As to the nature and tenets of the Yallabhacharyanreligion.
On this topic it is not my purpose to make any lengthened remarks :
the passagescited in the plea of justification have been proved and
"verified : that is, they have been shown to be genuine extracts
correctly translated from works received as authorities to a greater
or less extent in the Vallabhacharya sect. But it is obviously
impossible to form anything like an adequate judgment of any
religious system on any mere series of extracts, especially when
selectedwith an avowedly hostile object. It is only certain broad
and general conclusionsat which, aided by the very learnedevidence
adducedon this point, we can with any safety or satisfactionarrive.
Dr. Wilson, who has studied this subject with that comprehensive
rangeof thought(the result of varied erudition), which hasmade
his name a foremost one among the living Orientalists of Europe,
Dr. "Wilsonsays:-" The sect of Yallabhacharyais a new sect,
inasmuchas it has selected the god Krishna in one of his aspects,
that of his adolescence-and raised him to supremacyin that aspect.'*
"It is a new sect in as far as it has establishedtheguhshti mdrg,
or way of enjoymentin a natural and carnalsense."
102 APPENDIX.
This succinct statement seems to contain the essence of the whole

matter. It is Krishna, the darling of the 16,000 gopis(or shep-
herdesses);Krishna the love-hero-the husband of the 16,000
princesses,
whois the paramountobjectof Yallabhacharya's worship.
This tingesthe wholesystemwith the stain of carnalsensualism,
of
strange,transcendentallewdness. See,for-instance,how the sub-
lime Brahminical doctrine of unition with "Brahma" is tainted and
degraded
by this sensuous
modeof regardingthe Deity. According
to the old Brahminieal tenet, "BEAHMA" the All-containing and Inde-
structible, the Soul of which the Universe is the Body, abidesfrom
eternity to eternity as the fontal source of all spiritual existence:
reunion with Brahma, absorption into Brahma, is the beatitude for
which every separatedspirit yearns, and which after animating its
appointed cycle of individuated living organisms, it is ultimately
destinedto attain. The teachersof the Yallabhacharya sect do not
absolutelydiscardthis great tenet,but they degradeit. I haveno
wish to wadethrough all the theosophicnonsenseand nastiness of
the plaintiff's own chapter on "Adulterine Love;" but one of the
myths he thus cites on the authority of the Briliad Vdman Purdn,
perfectly illustrates what I mean. For many ages the incarnations
of the Teds prayed Shri Krishna, the most Excellent Being, for a
sight of his form: the wish being granted, desire was produced in
them and they prayed to Krishna to satisfy their hearts' desire,so
that they might enjoy with him in the form of women: this desire
also was granted, and the traditions under the form of women en-
joyed Krishna as gopiswith adulterinelove in the mythical forest
of "Yrij." ,
The comment of the plaintiff (for heis without questionthewriter
or dictatorof this article) uponthis is, that if therewere anysin in
adulterinelove,Krishnawouldnot haveturned theseTedsinto gopis
for the purpose of enjoying them; but there is no sin in such love
when its object is God: for " God is all form. He is in the form of
father, and he is in the form of husband; he is in the form of bro-
ther, andhe is in the form of son. In whatevershapeonemaywish
to love God, his wishes are complied with accordingly."
Thus, then, is the pure and sublime nation of the reunion of all
spirits that animateliving but perishableforms,with the Eternal
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH ARNOTOD. 103
Spirit,notlimitedby form,debased
intoa sexualandcarnalcoition
with the mostsensuous of the manifestationsor " avatars" of God.
But it goesfarther than this. Unition with Brahmain the Kali-
yug (or Iron age)beingno longerpossiblethroughthemediumof
mysticalintercoursewith Krishna; it must be obtainedin some
otherway.
ThewitnessMathuradas
Lowji explainsin whatway: this is
whathe says:-
"TheconnexionwithBrahma (necessary
to thesoul'sbecoming
one
with Brahma)
in theKali-yugis onlypossiblethroughtheMaharaj,
Theconnexion
istobehadby carnalintercourse
betweeen theMaharaj
andthe Yaishnavas-thefemaledevotees of the Yaishnava
per-
suasion."
This, then,is theorderof descent:spiritualunition with Brahma;

mysticalcoitionwith Krishna; carnalcopulationwith the Maharaj.
Por, as Dr. "Wilson says, and as we shall see more at large under the
next headof evidence," The Maharajis considered
by a greatmany
of his followers as an Incarnation of God, as God incarnate accord-
ing to Hindu notions, which are peculiar on that subject. The Yal-
labhacMryans hold that Yallabhaeharya and his official descendants
are incarnations of the God Krishna, without holding that there is
a completeembodiment of him in any one of them."
The religion which thus degrades the pure idea of spiritual re-
union with God, into the gross reality of carnal copulation with its
hereditary high priesthood, appearsfrom the evidenceto be sensuous
" amorous
in all its manifestations. Has Lila, or dalliance" is held
forth as the highest bliss here. Has Lila is the principal employ-
menof Paradisehereafter; one of the many amatorynamesof the
Maharajis " Oceanof HasLila;" andwhen a Maharajexpireshe is
not saidto die, but to extendhimself to an immortality of HasLila.
Thehymnsor sacredsongsof a sectare generallythe mostfervid
exposition
of their religiousfeelings. The hymnssungby the
womenof the Yallabhacharyasect in honourof the Maharajasand
in their presence
arecertainlyno exception to this generalrule.
Theyarepassionatewith all thepassion
of theEast-eroticpantings
for fruition of a lover who is alsoa God: as it is said of the gopis
in the VishnuPurdn, " every instant without Krishnathey count u
101 APPENDIX.
-myriadof years,and forbiddenby fathers,husbands, brothers,they

goforth at night to sportwith Krishna, the object of their love."
Sothesehymns,sung at this day, as the plaintiff admitted,by the
wives and daughtersof the Yallabhacharyans to their Maharajas,
expressthe most unbridleddesire,the most impatient longing for
the enjoymentsof adulterine love.
"I haveoften," saysMathuradasLowji, heard songsof an adul-
terouscharactersung by femalesbeforethe Maharaj." "Improper
songsin favourof adultery,"saysKhataoMakanji," very shamefuland
indecent"-"Tour followers," suchis the purport of the songs,"say "
that they are our husbands,
but in fact you are our husband."
Severaltranslationsof thesesongswerebeforeus, and they quite
bear out the characterthus given. I give a few extracts:-
" An excitementextremeandgreat in my body is created."
(£The azure-colouredbeauteous husbandwith me is sitting."
"Without seeinghis beauteous faceevenwater will I not drink."
" The amorousand beauteous husbandhy seeingoft I will live."
" Restrainmenot, oh my mother,
" To pay homageto him daily I will go."
" As to connectionship that of Krishna appearsthe only true one,
" And all othersseemto he imperfect/'
" He who tells, we will permit him to do so,
"And to him in indifference we shall listen."
" For your sakethe senseof public shameI havenot entertained."
" The descendant of Vallabh is the amorous Kana."
" To that dearsoul havingbecomea femaleslave,
" The senseof public shameno longer will I fear."
" The descendant of Vallabh is the amorous Kana."
" The soundof thejingling of his toe-ringshasdeprived
meof myheart,"
"The very personificationof Godyou are,
" Having married the Vallabh husbandwith extremelove."
" By our submitting to the Vallabh husbandhappywe shall he.
" By his association
the Vaikunth(Paradise)
we shallgain."
Thereis only onepoint left for consideration

underthis head,and
that is, how far works regardedin the sectas authoritative,claim
for the Maharajasthe attributesandthe worshipof Gods.
As to this therecanbe no doubtthat the extractsprovedat the
trial fully bearout the correctness
of thosesetout in the pleaof
justification.
" "WhoeverholdshisspiritualguideandShriThakurji(orGod)to
bedifferentanddistinctshallbe borna Sichdnd"(akind of bird).
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH ARNOTJLD. 105
" "WeshouldregardourguruasGod,nay,asgreaterthanGod
if Godgetsangrythe Gurudey is ableto saveusfromtheeffecToI
God'sanger,whereas if the guruis displeased
nobody is ableto save
him fromthe effectof the guru'sdispleasure."" Therefore God
andthe guruarenecessarily to beworshipped.'7 The" worshipof
the guruis to be performed in the sameway asthe worshipof
God." " In this worldaremanykindsof creatures.Of themall
the mostfortunatearewe whohavenoughtthe protection of the
illustriousVallabhacharyans,
Shri Gosaijiandtheirdescendants, who
are manifestlyincarnationsof God,the ExcellentBeinghimself."
It is not necessaryto go further,- thesepassagesclaim for the
Maharajas
the same
worshipasis paidto God;theyclaimfor them
also the character of incarnations of God.
If these things are sanctioned by the authoritative works of the
religious sect,- if union with God is figured under the emblem of
sexual intercourse; if love for God is illustrated by the lustful
longing of an adulteressfor her paramour ; if paradise is spokenof
as a garden,of amorous dalliance;- finally, if the hereditary high
priests of the sect are directed to be worshipped as Gods and
reverenced as the incarnations of God,- it is not a matter of
surprise that the ordinary devotees should make little practical
distinction between Krishna and the Maharaj- that they should
worshipthe Maharajwith blind devotion; and that their wivesand
daughtersshouldfreely give themselves up to his embraces in the
belief that they are therebycomminglingwith a God.
Secondly. - It remainsto beseenupontheevidence adducedat the
trial how far theseteachingsare carriedout in practice; and this
bringsme to the second headof enquiry,viz., in what light are the
Maharajasactuallyregarded ly their sectaries
?
Onthis point theevidence
is ample. Thereis the evidence
of
the witnesses called in the first instance to launch the plaintiff's
case;there is the evidence
of defendant'switnesses;the evidence
of the witnesses calledby the plaintiffin rebuttalof the pleaof
justification;andthe evidence
of theplaintiffhimself.
The witnesses called in the first instance for the plaintiff were
muchmorecandidand explicitin their disclosures
on this point
than thosewho were calledin rebuttalof the defendant's
case. The
106 . APPENDIX.
latter, from the stereotypeduniformity of their answerson certain

points, and from the cautiousrestraint with which they spokeon
others,had evidentlyheenwarnedand tutored againstbeing sur-
prised into admissions that might be damagingto the plaintiff's
cause. There was none of that caution about the earlier witnesses.
What saysGopaldasMadhavadas,
one of the most respectableof
these witnesses?
""We fall prostratebeforethe Maharaj, and offer incenseand

flowersand moneyto him, Light is wavedbeforehim'' (asit is to
the image); " the femaledevotees
worshiphim by swinginghim in
a swing: " "Some people in the sect say the Maharajas are Gods;
othersdenyit: someEhattiasand someBaniansbelievethe Mah&-
raj&s to be Gods." Then follows admission of certain disgusting
and degrading observances:
" The devoteestake p&n-sopari after it has been chewed by the
Maharaj and swallow it."-"They drink the water in which his
dirty dhotia has been washed." They call the water in which the
Maharaj has put his toe the ' nectar of the feet.' "
Varjivanclas Madhavadas (the brother of the last witness and
Justice of the Peace)says-" Some Banians believe the Maharaj to
be God as well as guru." "When the Maharaj dies it is said of
him, he is gone to (Eds} Lild Bistdrya,-an extension of amorous
sport. When the Maharaj bathes himself I put saffron scent on his
body; 'this is on festivals." "The image is bathed on holidays with
the sameablution." " People in our sect perform menial officesfor
the Maharaj." " I, though a Justiceof the Peace,oncesat on the
coach-boxand drove the Maharaj among the shoutingsof the
people."
So much for the witnesses called in the first instance for the
plaintiff; those called for the defendant brought forward a mass of

evidence on the same point, from which I will extract the more
important passages.
The defendant himself says, " The Maharajas are consideredby
their followers as incarnations of Krishna, as the very personification
of the excellent Being." " 1 have seen the devoteesworship the
Maharajas Godby wavinglight, swinging,prostration,etc. I have
seen the managersof the Maharajas giving water to the Yaishnava
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH ARNOULD. 107
todrink,
inwhichtheMaharaj
hadbathed.
It isfromthese
things,
andfromwhattheygenerally
speak
among
themselves,
thatI infer
they regardthe Maharajasas Gods.5'
Mr.MrayanDinanathji,
oneof theprincipal
interpreters
of this
court(butwho,in theinterpretationwhichhepermitted himselfto
giveof thewords" Yyabhichar"and" Surat,"wasfor themoment
moremindful,I fear,of hisadmittedfriendship
with therespectable
highpriestJivanjithanof thestrictlineof hisprofessional
duty),
Mr. JSTarayan
Dinanathjiwaseagerto establish
that the Maharajas
in theVallabhacharyasectweremerelyregardedasguru&,andthat
"like the gurusof all othersects,theyareworshipped with the
sameformsand ceremonies
as the image,but not as Gods." But in
cross-examinationthis gentlemanwas compelledto allow that "no
other sectsbesidesthe Vallabhacharyans
have hereditarygurusby
natural descentor adoption;" that "in othersectsgurusare
sexuallyascetic;" that "eating chewedpan-sopari,drinking the
nectarof the feet; swinging,rubbing, and bathingthe bodywith
oils; eatingthe duston which they havewalked; arenot practised
towards the gurus of other sects."
I shall only add the evidence of two more witnesses for the
defence,-that of Mathuradas Lowji and that of Dr. Bhau Daji.
MathuradasLowji, a grave and reputableperson,earnest,of
considerablereading, and unimpeachedhonesty; a Yallabhacharyan
by sect and a Bhattia by caste; gave the following evidence
as to
the point now underconsideration:-
"Purna-Purushottamis worshippedas Godwho is in paradise;
his incarnationsare Yallabh,Yithalnathji, and their descendants.
Yallabh was the incarnation of the head of God." [In this
apparently
extraordinary
statement
of doctrinethiswitness
is borne
out to the letter by the plaintiff.] "The Maharajasare regarded
asthe incarnationof God; the termsPurna-Purushottam and Maha
Prabhu(Supreme God-Mighty God)are appliedto the present
Maharajas, especially
in the actof worship. Themajorpartof the
Bhattiacastedo worshipthe Maharajas God,and worshipthe
picturesof eachof the Maharajasand repeattheir names,as
4Jivanji/ <Jaduna*thji!'in the actof worship,
andworshipthem
in a varietyof ways. It is suchworshipasis enjoined in our
108 APPENDIX.
books,for the most part it is the same"worshipas that of Godin

paradise; there is no suchworship in any other sect; they touch
his feet; they swing him in a swing; there is a necklace put round
his neck as there is round the neckof the idol; they take up the
dust on which he has trod and put it into their mouths : when they
worship they cry "Maha Prabhu," "Shri Prabhu," etc. "In
doing all this I will swearthey worship the Maharaj,becausethe
imageis inside. Somemembersof my own family, my brotherfor
instance-believethe Maharajasto be Gods. The Maharajasobtain
their godshipfrom birth, without referenceto qualitiesof body or
mind, or whether they may afterwardsturn out to be ignorant,
debauched,or otherwise."
The last evidencefor the defenceI shall cite on this point is that
of Dr. Bhau Daji-a gentlemanwho in learning, freedomfrom
prejudice,and generalsuperiorityof mind is amongthe foremost,
if not theforemostof thenativecitizensof Bombay. This gentleman,
by castea Brahmin,is not a Yallabhlcharyanby creed,but he has
a very extensive medical practice among the more wealthy members
of the sect, and has attended all the Maharajas who for the last ten
or twelve years have visited Bombay.
Dr. Bhau Daji says:-" The majority of their followersregard
the Maharajas as incarnations of Krishna; they are worshipped as
such; I have seenthem worshipped. After the Maharaj has wor-
shipped the image his followers worship him : more time is devoted
to the Maharaj than to the image. I have seen women put their
hands to the solesof the Maharaj's feet and then apply them to their
eyes; I have seenthe water of the bath of the Maharajdistributed
to his followers; and I have seen them crowding in hundreds to
drink it."
Suchare a few of the passages from the evidenceof the witnesses

originally called for the plaintiff, and of the witnessesfor the de-
fendant, as to the light in which the Maharajas are regardedby the
devout majority of their followers. To opposethis we have the
evidenceof the witnessescalledby the plaintiff to rebut the pleaof
justification,a,ndthe evidenceof the plaintiff himself.
As to the evidenceof these witnesses,I may say generally that,
exceptwhenit consisted
of admissions
indiscreetlymade,it produced
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH AUNOTJLD. 109
verylittle effect
onmymind.These
witnesses
all knew
perfectly
wellthat theyhadtodenycertain specific
allegations,
amongst which
wastheallegationthattheMaharajaswereregarded
bytheirfollowers
as Gods,or asincarnations
of God,Themode in whichtheygave
theirtestimonyasto thispoint-theuniformandsetstylesoftheir
answersto certainevidentlyexpected
questions,
necessarily
ledtothe
inferencein mymind,accustomed
carefully
toscrutinise
testimony,
that they had beentutored and trained asto the evidencewhich on
this point wasexpectedfromthem. That evidence wasto theeffect
that they regardedthe Maharajasguru,not as God. In their exa-
mination in chief they kept pretty steadilyto the mark; but on
cross-examination,they were morethan onceincautiouslybetrayed
into the expressionof their real feelingsand their genuinebelief,
I say real feelingsand genuinebelief, becauseifcwasimpossiblenot
to draw this inferencefrom the spontaneous earnestness
of the one
set of replies when contrastedwith the forced, parrot-like manner
of the other set of replies. "I love my guru," saidoneof these
witnesses-Purushottamdas Dayaram-" I worship him asI should
God." "It is not possible,"said another-GokaldasXessavadas
-" It is not possiblefor a Maharajto commitsin." " I regardthe
Maharaj asmy guru" saidBhaiehandKevalehand-" we regardhim
in the placeof God; I regardhim asan incarnationof God."- "I
regard the guru" saidMansukhram
iNarrotam
"as an incarnation
of God; the guru would not commit sin; I cannotsay whether
what would be sinful in other men would be lawful in the guru."
If we turn from the evidenceof his witnessesto the evidenceof the
plaintiff himself
onthispoint,whatdowefind?-a series
ofcate-
goricalnegationsabsolutely
neutralized
byanimportant
admission.
" I am not," he says, " an incarnation of God. I do not know that
anyof myfollowers
regardmeasanincarnation
of God:I know
theyoughttoregard
measaguru: theyworship
measaguru:as
thosewhocausehappiness
throughGod;-asguidesto God: I have
heardnoonesayweareworshipped asGod!butbecause wegive
religiousinstruction
theyworship
usasgurus."
Suchareamong theprincipal
of theplaintiff's
positive
denials
of
theimputation
thatanyofthesectaries
worshipped
theMaharajas
asGodsor asincarnations
of God. Buthetoo,withallhiscraft
110 APPENDIX.
and caution,wascompelled,
underthe pressureof cross-examination
to makean admission
entirelyfatal to the positionthustakenup :
the admission,viz. that till he taught them better someof the sec-
taries even in Bombay did believe in the doctrine which he had
previously
deniedthatanyof thesectaries
everbelieved
in, anywhere,
or at any time.
"I have instructedmy disciples/' he says,"that excepttwo of
the Maharajas,Vallabhand Gosaiji-whom I regardasincarnations
of Ishvar (God) they shouldregard us as gurus and not as gods."
As to Vdlabh, the founder, the plaintiff agreesverbatim with
MathuradasLowji in the apparently extraordinary statement of
doctrine,that "he is regardedas theincarnationof theheadof God;"
but as to all his other descendants, exceptGosaiji "I have taught
the people/' saysthe plaintiff, that "they shouldregardus as gurus
only. T prevented all personsfrom believingsucha doctrine(as that
all the descendantsof Vallabh were incarnations of God) ; until I
preventedthemthey did "believe
it. WhenI cameheresome
persons
believed,
it and somedid not; the majority did not, the minority did."
What then on this point is the result of the whole evidence? In
my opinionit is this:-
1st. That many passagesin the religious works of these
sectariesauthorize the doctrine that the Maharajas are incarnations
of God and ought to be so regarded and worshipped hy their
followers.
2nclly. That in practicethey are regardedand treated, afr all

eventsby the lessreflecting portion of the Yallablmcharyasectas
a sort of God-like, powerful, and mysterious beings who cannot
commit sin, who are to be worshippedwith divine honours,and
whosepersonsare sosacredthat the observances
which with refer-
enceto mere mortals, would be infinitely disgusting, becomepious
and meritorious acts when done towards the Maharaj.
The two next heads under which I propose to examinethe evi-
dencein supportof theplea of justification, are,
Thirdly.-The evidenceas it relatesto thegeneralimmoralitiesof
Mahdrdjds.
fourthly.-The evidenceasit relatestotheparticularimmoralitiesof
the plaintiff.
JUDGMENTOF SIB,JOSEPHAEXOTJLD. Ill
Before
goingintothis,afewgeneral
observations
musthemade
onthecomparative
value
andcredibility
ofthethree principal
classes
of testimony
withwhichwehavetodeal, viz.,1,thetestimony
of
the witnesses for the defendant;2, that of the witnesses
for the
plaintiff; 3, that of theplaintiffhimself.
Pirst,asto the witnesses
for the defendant,
it is Impossible
to
havepresidedat this lengthened
trial withoutbecoming
aware,not
onlyby the positiveevidencetendered,but by thedemeanourand
bearingof the crowdsby whichfrom dayto daythe court was
thronged,that thedefendantandhis witnessesgavethei??
evidence
on the unpopular side. The religious animosities of the sect,the
social prejudicesof the caste,the personalhatred and alienationof
former friends,were all arrayedagainstthem. They had to face
sectarianobloquyand casteexclusion. They were not free even
from the risk of personalassault. I will taketwo passagesfrom the
evidencegiven by the witnessesfor the plaintiff to show the nature
of the feelingthat wasarrayedagainstthem. " Two personscame
to me," saysGtapaldas Madhavadas,"on the subject of outcasting
the defendant for writing about the Maharaj in the newspapers.
They said ' as the Bhattias have made a bandobast,we (Banians)
should make one also/ This was one or two days after the Bhattias
had put their signaturesto a papergot up to intimidatepeoplefrom
giving evidencein this case-the bandobastI meanwhich was
madea subject of prosecutionfor conspiracyin the court last
Criminal Sessions. The two persons who came to me were Par-
bhudas and Jaykisandas: they, I, and the defendantsare all
Banians."
DamodarMadhavaji said:-"If any memberof the Yallabha-
charyansectis foundto entertainopinions
adverse
to therestof the
sect,we shouldnot believehim: we shouldhaveno intercourse
with him; he wouldbe isolatedin his own house;we should
remain aloof from him. I would regardpersonswho think the
Maharajas
guiltyof wicked
practices
asoutcastes:
I would
notspeak
to LaJchmidds
SMmji andMathurddds
Lowji,leoause
tlieyhavegiven
evidence
hereagainsttheMaJidrdj."
Tothosewhoconsider
howlittle theHinduis,accustomed
to in-
dependent
thought
andindependent
action-how
hiswholelifeis
112 APPENDIX.
circumscribedwithin the sphereof the family or the caste-

entirely thewholesocialhappiness,
not only of himself but of
nearest and dearestto him, is blighted by that terrible pena
outcasting(equivalentto theexcommunication of the middleag
those who think of thesethings will probablybe of opinion
nothingbut a strongbelief in the truth of what they haves"
and a firm convictionof the duty of stating it, couldhaveim]
the witnessesfor the defendant to come forward as they have
on his behalf. For the majority of thesewitnessesare not stuc
or editors, or non-believers; they are grave,reputable middle
family men,having a firm belief in the teachingsof their ai
religion anda profoundreverencefor the authority of their ai
scriptures.
LakhmidasKhimji, oneof the twelve leadingSettsof the B'
caste; MangaldasISTathubhai, the Banian Justice of the Peac
well-known founder of Hindu Girls schools; ELhattao Ma
Mathuradas Lowji, and other witnesses of that stamp, are I
likely to have comeforward to give evidence they did not be
in order to encountergeneralodium in the sect and determine
like in their caste. Dr. Bhau Daji is not indeed a member <
sect or caste,but he has enjoyed an extensive and lucrative pi
among the wealthy Yallabhticharyans, and for the last ten or t
years has attended every Maharaj who, during that perioc
visited Bombay. It is scarcelyprobable, on the ordinary prii]
of human nature, that Dr. Bhau Daji, by the evidencethat I
given, should risk the loss of such a practice, except from t
convictionthat what he had to say was true, andthat, being
he ought to makeit public. On the whole the fair inference
the evidencefor the defendantsis, that being givenat consid
risk and at considerablesacrifice,it would only be given ur
senseof duty foundedon a firm conviction of its truth and
public importance.
The evidence
of the witnessesfor the plaintiff standson a 1
different footing. It is true these witnesses,with the sam<
with whichtheydeniedall knowledgeof the fact that theMali
were everregardedin any way exceptas gurus,were sedul
declaretheir convictionthat if they ever sawor heardof an"
JUDGMENTOF SIR JOSEPH AmSTOULD. 113
doings
of aMaharaj,
it wouUle theirdutyto tell thetruth openly
andnotscruple
to revealthe secrets
of their guru. But thevalue
of thesedeclarations
wasconsiderably
impairedby the circumstance
that several of thesewitnesses swore that till they came into court
theyhadneverheardthemorality of the Maharajascalledin ques-
tion, andthat othersdeclaredthat even if they had heardsuch
reportsthey-\vould
nothavebelievedthem. " It is not possible
for
a Maharajto commitsin," says GokuldasIvesavadas," Every
Maharaj is a goodman,"saysHargovandas Mulchand;" a Maharaj
cannotbe a bad man; if I heard any report against the moral
characterof a MaharajI wouldnot believeit, nor coulda Maharaj
be guilty of bad conduct." "If," says NaTotaindasHaribhai,"I
hearda reportof the licentiousness of a Maharaj,I shouldnot
believeit. A Maharajwould not do bad acts.7'
It is importantto beartheseexpressionsin mind whenweconsider
the natureof the evidencegiven by the plaintiff's witnessesas to
thepart of thecasenowunder consideration. It is all purelynegative
evidence.It amountsto this: you, the witnessesfor the defendant,
say the Maharajasgenerallybore a bad character; we, the witnesses
, for the plaintiff, saywe neverheard of it. Again, you, the witnesses
for the defendantsay the plaintiff himself bore a bad characterat
Surat,at Beyt, at jDvrarka. "Well, we are witnessesfor theplaintiff
-some of us camefrom Surat, some from Beyfc, some from Dwarka*,,,
oneor moreof us from every placein which you have proved affir-
mativelythat the plaintiff bears a bad characterj and we saythat
we never heard of such bad character. In any case this negative
evidence amounts to very little, for it is obviously quite possible
that the negative and affirmative evidence may both be true. It is
obviously no contradiction of a man who says of another that he
bore a bad character at such a place to bring forward a third man,
or (if the place be a large one) half a dozen other men to say they
never heard of such bad character. But when amongst those
called to give this speciesof evidence you find a variety of persons
who admit they would pay no attention to, nay, would disbelieve
the bad characterif they even heard it, then this speciesof evi-
dence,at the best singularly inconclusive,becomesfor all practical
purposesof absolutely no value whatsoever.
114 APPENDIX.
There is another consideration, if another were wanting, to show

.how little weightis to be attachedto the evidenceon this part of
the case,of the witnesses for the plaintiff. They came forward at
the call of what they and the greatmajority of their co-sectaries
regardedas a sacredduty of religion,to give evidencein favour of
their guru. They assertedindeedthat it would be their duty to
give evidenceagainsttheir guru, if he wasin the wrong, but it was
neverallegedor pretendedthat it wasnot a dutyto give evidence in
favour of the guru, if he was in the right. And this was a duty,
the neglect of which would expose them to the reproach, the due
performance
of which would entitle them to the 'applauseof their
sect and of their caste. Accordingly there was an obvious eagerness
and alacrity on the part of the plaintiff's witnessesto comeforward
and give their evidenceon behalf of the Maharajas-their gurus if
not their gods-whom their opponents the reformers have had the
profanehardihoodto attack. It is not to be deniedthat this feeling
is an intelligible one, that it is even in somedegreea creditable one;
but it is too obvious to needremark, that it materially detractsfrom.
the value and reliability of the testimony that is mainly given under
its influence.
If we now turn to the evidenceof the plaintiff himself, it is too

clear to admit of a doubt that the peculiar position in which he
stands most materially affects the value of the evidence he gives,
especially in repelling the personal charges that have been made
against himself. It has been urged, and with substantial truth, by
the counselfor the plaintiff, that, in repelling the chargesmadeon
this plea of justification, the plaintiff is in the sameposition as if he
were a defendant,endeavouringto clear himself from, a criminal accu-
sation. He is so, except in one respect; he can be examinedon his
oath in. his own defence,which the defendant in a criminal trial
cannot. The law of England, which allows no evidenceto be given
except on oath, recognisesthe existenceof casesin which the sanc-
tion, of an oath ceasesto be any effectual guarantee for truth.
"Wherea man's life and liberty are at stake,it considers,and rightly,
that his mereoath, as a sanctionfor truth, would be utterly value-
less,and therefore,as it admitsno evidenceexcept on oath,it pro-
hibits the defendantin a criminal casefromgiving any testimonyat
JUDGMENT OF SIB JOSEPH ARNOULD. 115
all as a witnesson his own behalf. It is not so in caseswhich

involvea man'sreputation,thoughit is obviousthat in all cases
wherethe imputations on character
aregraveandserious, andin
precise
proportion
astheyaregraveandserious,
thevalueof the
plaintiff'soathas a sanction
for the truth of his testimony
becomes
almostinfinitesimallysmall. The plaintiff,as the oldphraseruns,
" giveshis evidencewith a ropeabouthis neck:" hehas an interest
in denyingthe chargesmadeagainsthim,whichbecomesstronger
in theexactproportion
in whichthosecharges
become
graver,until,
in cases
of very seriousimputation,it maywell be doubtedwhether,
evenin the most truth-loving of countries,the sanctionof an oath,
as such, is practically of any value at all as a guaranteefor truth.
The truth in such casesmust be tested by other meansthan those of
mere oath against oath.
With thesegeneral observationsI passon to considerthe evidence
"lenderthe third of the proposedheads of inquiryr, viz., as it affectsthe
generalcharacterof the Maharajas for licentiousness and debauchery.
The evidenceon this head is exceedingly voluminous, and I shall
only select some of the more prominent passages. I will pass by
the evidence of the defendant, to which referencehas already been
made,in consideringthe questionof libel or nolibel, and go on at
once to that of Mathuradas Lowji, a well-informed and highly
respectablewitness,Yallabhacharyan by sect,and Bhattia by caste.
"Erom childhood,"saysMathuradasLowji, "when my father used
to tell methat the practiceof adultery by theMaharajaswasnot in
accordancewith the old religion, I have had my attention turned to
thosepractices. Many personsknow of thosepractices;but they
don't avow them,for many reasons. I beganto explain to my
friends about eight or ten years agothat the Maharajaspractising
adulteryis wrong. In the year 1855my castetook measuresto
preventthe adulteryof the Maharajas,
and I joinedthem: they
madea writingandgaveit. Theyproposed to put a stopto it by
preventing
thewomen
fromgoingatnighttotheMaharajas'
temples.
TheMaharajas
issueda handbilllatelyto prevent
that-writingfrom
beingbrought
forwardin evidence
in thiscourt.It wasresolved
at thetimethat writing shouldnot be broughtinto forcetill after
thelapse
of ayear.ThiswaslesttheBhuleshwar
Brahmins
should
"116
say something against the Maharajas if the writing were

published."
In cross-examination,he says, " I was presentat this meeting,
I will sweara resolutionwas passedabout adultery, a resolution
prohibitingfemalesfrom makingdarshanat night through the cold
season. That was not owing to the dangerof their being in the
streetsat night: the reasonwas to prevent their leing defiledl)y the
Jlfahdrdjds."
The witnessthen goeson to describethe particularactswhich he
hashimselfwitnessed. " SeveralMaharajaspressthe handsof their
female devoteeswith their foet: this is a sign for the purpose of
committingadultery. "Whenthe womanlookstowardstheMaharaj,
he makes signs with his eyes and smiles, and minding these smiles,
the woman goesaccordingly into an inner room if the signs indicate
that she should. I know this of my own knowledge." The wit-
nessthen mentioned the namesof two Maharajaswhom he had often
seen making signs to women, and, in one case, a grossly indecent
gesture capable of only one meaning. He swore that he had fre-
quently seenwomen going into and coming out of the bed-rooms of
the Maharajas, and related with minute detail a scene of actual
sexual intercourse between a Maharaj and a Bhattia female, which
he, in commonwith several respectablewitnesseswhom he named,
had seengoing on in the garden-houseof the Gokuldas Tejpal.
"With regard to the dedication of "tan, man, and dhan," lie said,
" This dedication does not take place with females till they are
going to be married: it is made to Krishna. The Maharaj repre-
sents Krishna as stated in the Siddhant Kahasya; there is no differ-
ence,as far as the dedication is concerned,betweenKrishna and the
Maharaj. As to the women,after the dedicationthe Maharaj does
as he likes: he commits adultery with them; there are names of
the Maharaj indicating this; one is, 'RasLila-Mahodadhi/ 'the
oceanof amoroussport/ meaning that he can have intercourse with
many womenlike Krishna. It is notoriousamongour peoplethat,
after dedication, the Maharajas do what they like with our wives
and daughters. It is notorious through the whole world that the
Maharajasare guilty of adulterouspractices. Thoughthis is noto-
rious, they retain their influence in the sect.7'
JUDGMENT OF 85IE,JOSEPH ARNOULD. 117
Thewitness
thengoesonto relatetheresultof anappeal to
JivanjiMaharaj,
toputastoptothese
scandals.
Jivanji said,"All
personsare mastersin their own houses;adulteryhas increased
verymuch" it is difficultto put a stopto it. I cannotsayanything
to my eldersnor to myequals. If I wereto attemptto sayany-
thingto anyone,hewouldnotmindme. All theMaharajas
derive
Q>
greatpart of their incomefrom women: Jiowcantheykeepup their
expenses
if their incomes suddenlycease
f Like an opium eater, a
man cannotsuddenlygive up the practiceof lust to which he is
addicted:it is difficultto abolishsucha practiceat once;have
patience,and I will endeavourto haveit abolishedgradually."
This evidence,entirelyuncontradictedand unshaken,corroborated
as we shall seedirectly by other unimpeachable testimony,is to
my mind conclusiveas to the generallyknown existenceof such
practices. Jivanji doesnot attempt to deny the evil; he admits
and deploreshis own powerlessnessto suppressit.
Dr. Bhdu Daji says,-" My opinionof the characterof the Maha-
rajas for morality with women is very unfavorable. I have attended
three Maharajas (besidesthe plaintiff) for venereal disease. I per-
sonally, once almost publicly, remonstratedwith Jivanji on the sub-
ject of these immoralities. He said he had no control over the
others to prevent them from committing acts of adultery."
LakhmidasKhimji says-" The generalreputationof theMaha-
rajas is very bad as regards adultery; to my knowledgethat
bad reputation is well deserved. / knowof my ownknowledge of
adulterousactsand generallicentiousness
onthepart of Mahdrdjds-
of ten,twelve,orfifteenof them. Theplaintiffhimself
described
to me
theactsand conduct
of otherMahdrdjds,namingeight or ten of them.
He saidtheycommitted adultery; that hehadspoken
to severalto dis-
suadethem; and that, with the exceptionof oneMahdrdjwhomhe
named,
the otherspromised
to desistfromsuchpractices.He said,
' Donotpress
menow;whatincome
doI derive
fromyoumales
?
Mostof my incomeis derivedfromfemales.If youmakearrange-
mentsbywhichwemayreceive largedues,
wewill giveup these
things.'AftertheBhattiacastemeeting
of 1855,1hada conver-
sation
with Jivanjionthesubject
of adultery.Dr.BhauDajiwas
there. He said, (Eeform yourselves;establishschools;make
*18 APPENDIX.
arrangementsto preventthe Maharajasfrom committingadultery,

to which they are addicted.' Jivanji said,'The other Maharajas
will not obeyme; the arrangement
is difficult,the incomeof the
Maharajasbeingprincipally derivedfrom women/"
Mr. MangaldasNathubhai,referring to the sameoccasion,says,
" Jivanji expressed
regret at the existing state of things, but said
someof the Maharajasget all their maintenance from women,and
it wouldbe very difficult for them to give it up."
Suchare somepassages from the evidenceon this point given by
witnessesôfthe highest character and credit; it was evidencenot
in any way shakenon cross-examination.How was it met on the
otherside? "Whatis therein the caseof the plaintiff to set against
this massof positive,varied, and yet concordanttestimony? No-
thing but blank denial; the assertionof absoluteignoranceor total
incredulity.
Take the plaintiff's own evidence: he positively denies the con-
versation with Lakhmidas KhimjL As to the general subject, he
says:-" I don't know whether any Maharajas have committed
adultery. I have never seen them acting immorally with women.
According to the prints, they are immoral; I believe them to be in-
nocent; if guilty, it is contrary to the Shastras."
The witnessescalledby the plaintiff to rebutthe plea of justifica-
tion went much further; they had never heard a word against the
moral purity of any of the Maharajas till a few months ago; till
they saw the imputations in the Bombay papers ; till this trial com-
menced; nay, till they cameinto the court and heard thoseimputa-
tions/or thefirst time suggested
ly the questionsof counsel.
This proves too much; it is absolutely incredible, except on the
supposition that these people obstinately refused to see,or hear, or
believe anything unfavourable to the character of their gurus; that,
like Gokuldas Kissordas, Hargovandas Mulchand, Narottamdas
Harribhai, and othersof their number,they believedit impossible
for a Maharaj to be a bad man,or to commitsin; that, therefore,if
they heardanyreportsagainstthe conductof a Maharaj,theywould
steadily refuse all credenceto them.
Applying, then, to this part of the casethe most familar rules
established
in the scienceof jurisprudencefor the sifting andweigh-
JUDGMENTOF SIR JOSEPHABNOULD. 119
ingoftestimony,
I findit wholly
impossible
to come
toanyother
conclusion
thanthis,that theMaharajas asa classwere,andfor
yearsnotoriously
hadbeen, guiltyof theimmoralities
imputed to
them
bythedefendant
in thealleged
libelandin thepleaofjustifi-
cation.
Thefourthandlast headunderwhichI propose

to reviewthe
evidence
wasthatof thepersonal
actsofimmorality
charged,
against
theplaintiffin thepleaof justification.
Underthisheadthetestimony mainlyreliedon,in rebuttalof the
charges, is naturallyandnecessarily that of the plaintiffhimself.
It is obviously,
therefore,
verydesirable to obtain,if possible,
some
test or measure
of thevalueandcredibility of theplaintiff's evidence
whenreliedon in contradiction
of the evidence
adducedby the
defendant.Sucha test of credibility presentsitself-clear, decisive,
not to be explainedaway. It is unfortunatelyconnectedwith one
of themostrepulsiveparts of the case. It is allegedby the defen-
dant's witnesses-it is denied by the plaintiff, that on two occasions
in the year 1860, one shortly before and one shortly after the
allegedlibel, he was affected with syphilis. It is, moreover, alleged
on one side and denied on the other, that he admitted having had
similar attacks on previous occasions, when he had resorted to a
supposed
modeof cure,not unheardof by thosewho havepractised
in the Criminal Courts of Europe.
JSTowwhat is the evidence on this point ? Lakhmidas Elhimji
statesthat the plaintiff requestedhim to bring Dr. Bhau Daji to see
him, ashe wassufferingfrom chancre(chandi)and had beensofor
sevenor eight days; that the plaintiff said that he caughtit from
an abandoned woman in Bombay; that he had oncetried to cure
himself of a similar attack by connexionwith an untaintedwoman,
but that, although allowedby the Shastras,he did not like to try
thatmodeof cureagain,asthe womanhadcaughtthe disease
from
him. So far Lakhmidas Khimji.
Theplaintiff,in hisrebutting
evidence,
admits
thatDr.BhauDaji
wascalledin at the suggestion
of LakhmidasKhimji, but that it
waswith referenceto the managementof somegirls' schools.He
denies
categorically
thatheevertoldLakhmidas
Khimjithathehad
"chandi,"orthathehadanyconversation
withhimin reference
to
120 APPENDIX.
his complaint; or that he everadmittedhaving had connexionwith

impure womenin Bombay,or that he eversaida word as to having
formerlytried to curehimselfby connexion,with a second
womanto
whom,he communicatedthe complaint.
Then comesthe evidenceof Dr. Bhau Daji, who has medically
attendedall theMaharajaswho,for the last ten or twelveyears,have
visitedBombaj',andwho,beforehis visit to theplaintiff, had attended
three of the number for the venereal disease. Dr. Bhau Daji says
that, aboutthe 20th of September,1860,he went to the plaintiff's
housewith LakhmidasKhimji "andYishvanathNarayanMandalik,
On the retirementof thesetwo witnesses,the plaintiff saidhe had
"chandi:" he ascribedit to heat; he said, "The full particulars of
the casewould be communicatedto me afterwards. Next morning,
the full particularswere conveyedto me by Govardhandas, his
secretary; Govardhandastold me plaintiff was suffering from
*chandi.' I told him I must examine before I could prescribe. He
wantedme to prescribe. I prescribeda simple ointment.'' In
cross-examination,Dr. BhauDaji says,-" I understoodthe plaintiff
to say he had a dischargefrom the ulcer. I cansay positivelyhe
used the word 'chandi.' ' Chandi' has other meanings besides
syphilitic ulcer : it is the slangterm for chancre. A commonulcer
would not be described as ' chandi.' "
In answerto this evidencethe plaintiff says that whenhe con-

sulted Dr. BhauDaji, he said he was subject to itches causedby
heat (this agreeswith Dr. BhauDaji's statement). He admitsthat
at the time he had soreson the private partsj he deniesthat they
were venereal; he denies that he ever used the word "cMndi," the
word heusedwas "chatha" (a Gujarati word for soreor eruption).
He declaresthat he never told Dr. Bhau Daji that he would send a
personthe next day to describehis symptoms;he admits that he
sent Govardhandasthe next day to Dr. Bhau Daji, but that he so
sent him in order to bring back a manuscript. "I said to Govar-
dhandas,Bring any medicinehe may give you, and bring back the
work.'* Govardhandasbroughtbackthe prescription.
Now, apart from the use of the word "chandi," which Dr. Bhau
Daji positivelyaffirmsand the plaintiff positivelydenies-the im-
portantcontradictionhereis the denial that the plaintiff everpro-
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH AKNOULD. 121
mised to send,or did in fact send,Grovardhand£s

to communicate
to
Dr. BhauDajithehistoryof hiscase.Therewasoneperson
who
could set this point at rest, and that was Govardhandas
himself.
Washecalledasa witness
? 'No. "Was
anyexcuse
offered
fornot
calling him? None. What is the legitimateinference?"Why,
that if called,he wouldhavebeencompelled,underpressure
of
cross-examination,to admit that he was sent by the plaintiff to
relate the historyof his symptoms,
andthat thosesymptoms
were
"what Dr. Bhau Daji statedthem to be.
This wason or aboutthe 20th of September: aboutthreqmonths
later, in December,
1860,Dr. DhirajramDalpatram
is calledin.
" The plaintiff," saysthis witness,"told me the natureof his com-
plaint; I ocularlyinspectedthe part; it was a syphilitic ulcer on
the glampenis. The history of the casegivenby my patientquite
confirmedmy opinionas to the ulcer beingsyphilitic. I personally
inspected the parts six or seventimes. I attended him for a month.
Externally blackwashwas applied, internally mercury. He con-
tinued the mercury treatment till he was salivated. The sore dis-
appeared within a month. He told me he had suffered in the
same way about three months before, in consequenceof impure con-
nexion with a woman. I am sure he did not tell me he had eaten
a greatmanychillies, nor that he had prickly heat. In the course
of my visits, I rememberhis asking me whether the disease could
be removedby intercoursewith a fresh female? I said'No/ He
said he had tried it twice with fresh Banian females; it had suc-
ceeded the iirst time, not the second,becausehe was then somewhat
put of condition. He saidhe had tried theseexperimentsat Surat."
Suchis the positiveevidenceof Dr. Dhirajram. What doesthe
plaintiff sayin reply ?
" I consultedDr. Dhirajram,and tookthemedicineshe prescribed.
I described
my caseto him; it wasof the samecharacteraswhen
Dr. BhauDaji came;it hadrecurred. I described
it asI didto Dr.
BhauDaji; I saidit wascaused byheating medicinesandscratch-
ing. I didnotdescribeit assyphilitic' chdndi;'hedidnotinspect
theparts. I hadhadno impureconnexion withawoman.How
couldI? It is contrary
toourreligiontohave such
intercourse.I did
not tell him I had suchintercourse. I did not tell him ' chaadi'
122 APPENDIX.
would be removedby intercoursewith a cleanwoman; I did not

askwhether it could. I did not tell him I had tried the experi-
ment twice, and that the second time it had not succeeded."
"With regardto the medicinesprescribed,and the effectof them,
the plaintiff says:-" He gaveme somepowderswhich were mixed
with water; the liquid wasdark. I usedthis blackwash; the lime
water for it was preparedin my own place. I put the powderinto
it andso madeblackwash,which wasapplied. I took five or six
pills. After I tookthemedicine for four or five days,I suffered
pain
in thethroatand left off. After thegain in thethroat cameon,I did
notgo on takinga pill a day; hegavemea preparationof lorax and
water to le used wlien the throat becamesore. My gums pained me
slightly. Whenthis tookplace,the sorehad leencured"
Now what is the result of this evidence? Why that plaintiff
admitshe wasmercuriallytreated,both internally and externally,
till salivationwas produced;that when salivationwasproduced,or
shortly after, the sore was cured, that that sore was an ulcer on the
glanspenis-and yet that that ulcer was not syphilitic. An ulcer
on the glans penis, mercurial treatment, a doctor who, after six or
seveninspections,
declaresthe ulcer to be syphilitic-this is the evi-
dence on the one side, The mere denial of the plaintiff, who has a
life-and-deathinterestin making that denial,is the soleevidenceon
the other. If the matter restedhere,couldany personaccustomed
to weigh evidence, have the shadow of a reasonable doubt left on
his mind as to wherethe truth lay? But it doesnot rest here: it
was elicited from the plaintiff that the part affectedhad beensub-
jected to minute and microscopic observationby three medicalgen-
tlemen in the courseof the trial; and yet not one of thosemedical
gentlemendid theplaintiff ventureto put in the witness-fox. It would
be idle to comment on such a circumstance as this: even in a doubt-
ful caseit would have turned the balance against the plaintiff; in a
caselike this, free without this circumstance from, all reasonable
doubt, it renders it absolutely impossible to cometo any other con-
clusion than that the plaintiff was affected with syphilis, both in
Septemberand Decemberof the year 1860.
And this conclusion,is all-important in its bearing on the value
and credibility of the plaintiff's evidence;it is not only that having
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH ARNOTJLD. 123
deliberately
perjured
himselfonthisoneoccasion,
hisoathwhere he
standsalone in contradiction
to credible
testimony,
isutterlyvalue-
lessforall purposes
andonall occasions-it
goesfurtherthanthis:
the fact,asto whichdoubtis impossible, thattheplaintiffhad
syphilison two occasions
in the year 1860,shakes
to piecesthe
whole framework of his evidence and shows it all to be conceived
in a spiritof hypocrisyandfalsehood.
"Withgreattactandplausibility,theplaintiffassumed,
throughout
the wholeof his verylengthened evidence,
atoneofparental
piety,
and outragedpurity. When askedwhetherhe had toyedwith the
bosomof the younglady in the templeat Beyt,his answerwas
"How can I commit such an act as touch the breast of a woman,
wJienI regardall womenas my children." Again, when questioned
asto his still closerintimacywith a youngmarriedlady in Bombay,
he repeatsthe expression"I regardall womenas my children."
Again he says, "Would I have told Kalabhai Lalubhai that there
is no harm in adultery when adultery is strictly prohibitedin our
religion? How could I invent sucha new thing" (as to saythat
illicit intercourseis goodfor the health)'' whenI hadnoexperience,
never having committed adultery in all my life; it is a thing I hate.
Amongst us these things are strictly prohibited; it is laid down that
intercourse with one's own wife is lawful, but that intercourse with
any other woman is unlawful. That includes intercourse with J&as-
lins," he said in answer to a question of mine, and we have just
seenhow in denyingthat he ever had intercoursewith an impure
woman,he exclaimed," How couldI, it is contraryto our religion
to have such intercourse."
Convinced as I am on evidencethe most clear and conclusivethat
this manlabouredunderan attack of syphilis,the result of impure
connexion,aboutthe very time this allegedlibel waspublished,I
am constrainedto regardthese expressions of simulatedpurity as
the offensivelanguageof hardenedhypocrisy.
Thereis anotherrespectin which a material,but to me a most
incredible,part of his evidenceis utterly shattered
by the con-
clusion at which I have beencompelledto come,as to his having
been under treatment for venereal diseasein 1860. The plaintiff
himselfmostpositivelyswore,andhis personal
attendantswore
124: APPENDIX.-
quite aspositively,that while a youngman in the prime of life, for

the spaceof four years,all of which were spentwithout a wife, and
two of which were spent on pilgrimage-the plaintiff never on any
one occasionhad carnal intercourse with any woman of any rank or
classwhatsoever.The statementupon the face-of it seemedin the
highestdegreeimprobable. Herewasa youngHindu-a Maharaj-
no ascetic-the hereditary high priest of a religion of enjoyment,
with the amorousKrishnafor its god, and an oceanof HasLila for
its paradise-in the vigour of early manhood,without a wife, on
pilgrimage,neveroncein the spaceof four yearshaving sexualin-
tercourse of any kind with a woman. A less probable story was'
hardly ever sworn to in a court of justice; but what shred, what
rag of probability is left to cover the nakednessof this transparent
lie, whenwe find this allegedpurist in maturedlife, in the city of
his enemies,with a wife and family in his dwelling-place, so little
capableof controlling his sexual passionsas to purchasepleasureat
the price of disease1 It has been said that if the plaintiff had an
unlimited command of pure women he would not have resorted to
thosewho were impure: there is no force in the remark-polygamy
and courtezanship are always found to flourish side by side; it
requires but a very moderateknowledge of the world and of history
to be aware, that the women who make pleasure a professionare not
least patronized by those for whom immoderate indulgence has
renderedthe sexual act at once a necessity and a weariness.
Por the reasonsindicated, I find it utterly impossible to treat the
plaintiff's mere oath as of any value at all, when it stands alonein
opposition to the evidenceof credible witnesses.
Then, are the witnesseswho deposeto the particular acts of im-
morality with which the plaintiff is charged in the plea of justifica-
tion crediblewitnesses
? In my opinion they are thoroughlyso.
These witnesses are Lakhmidas Khimji, and the two young men,
Kal&bhaiLalubhaiandChathurbhuj"Walji. As to LakhmidasIQiirnji,
his credibility is beyondsuspicion;a grave,respectable,
intelligent
man, of the highest position in his caste, animated by an earnest
desire to purify the practices of his sect; he gave his evidencein a
quiet, calm, straightforward manner, eminently calculated to con-
ciliate belief; nor was he betrayedinto a single inconsistency
or
self-contradiction
in thecourse
of averylongandsearching
cross-
examination.TheyoungKayasth,KalabhaiLalubhai,
a sonof the
Sheristedar
of theSudder
Adawlut,gavehis testimony
with ex-
tremeintelligence
and in a frank, artless,naturalmanner,which
unavoidably
created
theimpressionthathewashonestlyspeaking
thetruth. TheyoungBhattia,Chathurbhuj,
wasa lessintelligent
person,
bat hetoogavehis evidence
calmlyandclearly,norwashe
shakenin a singleparticular.
It wassaidthat the testimony
of thesetwoyoungmenwasopen
to suspicion,becauseboth were great friends of the defendant;
because
onehad alsobeenhis pupil for some
timeat the Elphin-
stoneInstitution, and the otherwas the nephewof Dr. Dhirajram.
If they had told a less plain and unvarnishedtale, if they had
beenshakenin cross-exanrinatio-n,if tbey had becomeconfusedor
hesitating,if they had shownany eagerness of partisanship,I might
have felt there was something in the suggestion; though even then
it might fairly have been said that, in a case like this, no motive
but one of friendship for the defendant, or earnest zeal for the
reform of the sect, could induce people to brave odium (and, if
membersof the sect or caste-worse than odium) by comingforward
to relate in open court what they knew of the malpracticesof the
Maharaj. But considering the mode in which these young men
gavetheir evidence,the fact that oneis a relationof Dr. Dhirajram
and that both are friends of the defendant, though it may have
supplieda reasonfor watching their testimonymore closely,affords
nonefor discreditingin any way the testimonywhich in fact they
gave. And that testimonywaswholly uneontradicted exceptby the
meredenialof the plaintiff-a denialwhich, for the reasonsalready
morethan sufficientlyindicated,may be regardedfor all purposesof
evidence as practicallyworthless.
Kalabhai Lalubhai, who seemsto have beenon very intimate
termswith the plaintiff, speaks
to two instances,
onein Suratand
one in Bombay,in which he witnessed factsthat canleaveno
reasonabledoubt of illicit intercourse between the plaintiff and two
ladies of the Bania caste. The first took place at Surat about
threeyearsago:"I wassitting,"saysthewitness, "with the
plaintiffanda maleBanianin his' diwankhana.'
A Baniangirl,
126 APPENDIX.
about14 or 15, camein with a femaleservantof the Maharaj. She

passedthroughthe 'diwankhana'where we were sitting and went
into the side room: the Banian man immediately got up and went
away; the plaintiff left the roomand went into that into which the
femalehad gone. I wasa boy at the time" (he would havebeen
about 13). " I attemptedafter sometime to go into the room
which the Haharajhad entered: I expectedfoldedpan-sopari,and
I went to get it. I enteredthe room. I saw the Maharaj sitting
with a girl on a couch embracingand kissing. I did darshan
(reverence)to him: he got up, took me by the arm, and took me
out; he then gavemesomepan-sopari;I then left andhe wentinto
the inner room again."
That is the first case: the secondtook placein Bombay,where
the youth had renewedhis intimacy with the plaintiff, and waswell
aware from conversationthat had passedbetweenthem that his friend
was acting in public the part of a reformer. Kalabhai had his
suspicions as to the genuinenessof these professions. " In con-
sequence," he says, "of what I heard about the plaintiff, I once
watched a lady to his house. I heard people say, pointing to her,
'that is a lady with whom the Maharaj has fallen in love.' I
followedher to the plaintiff's house; she entereda doorwayinside
the ' diwankhana.' I went into the 'diwankhana7 and sat there ;
the plaintiff was there j the plaintiff went inside, into the room
the lady had entered. I did not go away. I remained sitting there
about half an hour. The plaintiff came out j he had only his waist-
cloth on. I beganto smile ; he askedme ' why are you laughing?7
(he waslaughingtoo). I said,' You are certainly effectinga very
greatreform.' He laughedand saidnothing. Presently,the lady
cameout; her dresswas disordered. I lookedat her andlaughed.
Shelaughedandwent away, Erom her dressI can say shewasa
Banian: from her dressand jewels,I concludedshe wasa respect-
able woman."
That is the testimonyof Kalabhai,-testimonygiven with a sim-
plicity of mannerand naturalnessof detail, which it would be
difficult to surpass;testimonywhich, unshakenas it wasby cross-
examination,and uncontradictedexceptby the bare denial of the
plaintiff, I haveno difficultyin believingto besubstantiallythetruth.
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH AKNOTJLD. 127
Chathurbhuj,whoalsoappearsto have beena gooddealaboutthe

plaintiff'shouse,
deposes
to haveseena third youngladyIntroduced
into the plaintiff's bedroom,and both he and Kalabhaiconcuras to
the factof thoseconversations
between themselves
andthe plaintiff
in whichhemaintained the doctrine,andconfirmed
it by theresults
of his ownexperience,
that illicit intercoursewith womenis favorable
to the health and vigour of the human system. Theseconversations
are of coursedeniedby the plaintiff, but it is alsourged that they
are intrinsicallyimprobable. I do not think so. In this country,
youths of 16 or 17 are often husbandsand fathers: in no country
do we find that lads of that age are indisposedto enter into such
discussions.As to the improbability of the plaintiff's taking part
in them,would there,it may be asked,be anything strangein a
Mormon elder taking up such a topic in defenceof polygamy,if
pressed hard in argument by a couple of young unbelievers in the
merits of that patriarchal institution ?
And now as to the evidence of Lakhmidas Khimji. I shall con-
siderfirst that part of his testimonywhich relatesto the plaintiff's
conduct in Bombay, reserving to the last the considerationof that
which relatesto his earlierimmoralitiesat Eeyt. LakhmidasEHmji,
like many others, believed in the professionsof reform with which
the plaintiff introduced himself to the Vallabhacharyan
public of
Bombay. He wascometo promotefemaleeducation;he wasopen
to argumenton the questionof widows' re-marriage. It wasknown
-and this is a fact which should be borne in mind to the plaintiff's
credit-that he had opened, and that he contributed to support, a
flourishing boys' school at Surat, where instruction was given,
amongstotherthings,in Sanskrit. Thesethings morethan counter-
vailed with Lakhmidas ELhimji the scandalsof the plaintiff's youth;
and he appears,from the momentof his arrival in Bombay,to have
entered into warm and friendly relations with the new Maharaj.
" I called on the plaintiff," he says, " the secondor third day after
his arrival. I was on friendly termswith him, sawhim twice or
thrice a day,invited him to my house,askedfriends to meet him.
I did this becausehe was making promises of effecting reform,
abolishingthesebad practices,and getting girls to be permitted to
learn. I formed an opinion subsequentlythat plaintiff continued
128 APPENDIX.
his formerbadpractices,and that for threeor four monthsI had been

misled. Oneday I went to his houseand was sitting conversing
when two femalesarrived; one of them had a silver goblet in her
hand; shewas abouttwenty; the otherwasa widow about forty;
the young woman was a Cutchee Bhattian, a married woman."
The witnessthen goeson to state that the young lady having
beenconductedby a femaleservantinto the bedroom,the plaintiff
sent him off to the printer's to make immediate arrangementsfor the
publication of somearticle. " I went downstairs," says the witness,
" but somesuspicioncrossedmy mind, and after a short time I went
upstairs*again into the same room; no one was there except the
widow, who was standing beside the door; I continued sitting there
till they cameout. First the Maharaj cameout: on observingme,
he grew pale. Then the young lady cameout; shewas smiling
and laughing; her rose-coloured'sari' was in a confused,rumpled
state; it had been all light when she went in. She had not the
silver goblet. I presume she had given it to the Maharaj. Both
the ladies shortly left. I remained. Nothing was said on the sub-
ject at that time, but in the evening," says the witness, "I*went
again. The Maharaj took me into an inner room to have somepri-
vate conversationwith me. He began: he said, ' What have you
done with regard to the openingof female and other schools? Speak
to Mangaldas and others; request their aid; get up a subscription
list.' I said, ' Maharaj, this is all a sham; you profess to be a re-
former, and to wish to open female schools; and in private you
commit suchbad acts, such adulteries.' His answer was, ' Yes, you
might have suspectedme, but I have not committed any bad acts ;
I only went in to acceptfood-from the female.' To this I replied,
c You told me that when females camefor that purpose you did not
take them inside; if you went in to acceptfood, why did you leave
the widow outside?' He did not answer that, and changedthe con-
versation."
Such is the evidence of the defendant's witnesses as to the immo-
ralities of the plaintiff during his recentresidencein Bombay. I
have reserved for the last the consideration of the scene which
LakhmidasKhimji deposes to havingwitnessedfifteen yearsagoat
Beyt. Here, again,I shall let witnessspeakfor himself:-
""Thereis a templeat Beyt dedicatedto Laxtni ; the plaintiff

threw gulal there. Therewerefemalespresent; he threw the gulal
on thefemales,then on a numberof personsnear the gate. "When
the gulal was.thrown in two or three handfuls,personsoutside,the
inclosurecould not seewhat was going on inside. Immediately
after throwing the gulal, he squeezedthe breastsof a young girl, a
Bhattian,who wasnear the gate. She smiled. A few daysafter
this, I and my uncle(DamodarDevji) went to the plaintiff's house
at Beyt; it wasabout one or half-past oneo'clock in the dayj he
was lying in his bed. I and my uncle went up and bega,nsham-
pooinghis legs. It is usual to do so whenthe Maharaj is lying
down: regardinghim.as a Grod,shampooing his legs;is considereda
piousact. While soemployed,the girl, whosebreaststhe Maharaj
had squeezed,
cameaccompanied by a widow. The widowcameup
and whisperedto the Maharaj. He said, f Go out.' I and my uncle
then left the bedroom,and went outside. The girl was left there;
afterwards the widow came out and shut the door, and held the
chain. The widow smiled, and asked my uncle if I would like to
seeEas Lila. We went in. The plaintiff was in the act of having
carnal intercourse with the girl inside. The plaintiff said to my
uncle,' What will he (meaningme) givefor seeingthis ?' My uncle
said, ' He will do you service.7 Before I went in I had agreed to
give 100 dutch cowries(about 30 rupees)for seeingthe sight. I
mademy respects(darshan)and came out. I was then, about 18
or 19 years of age. It is considered/'continuesthe witness,"a
piousact by Vaishnavasto witnessthe Eas Lila of the Maharaj; it
is a custom in the sect to pay for witnessing this act; both the
sectarywho sees,and the womanwho is enjoyed,pay. To have
connexionwith the Maharaj is considered to lead to * Gowlok7 (the
paradiseof the 16,000gopis)."
Such is the sworn testimony of this very respectable witness,
given with the most perfect simplicity and candour,-given as
though he was relating nothing extraordinary-absolutely unshaken
in cross-examination. The plaintiff, in answer to-questions put by his
counsel,contradicts absolutely and categorically the whole story. As
to the value of that contradiction standing alone, nothing further
needbe said; but on this part of the casethe plaintiff attempted to
9
130 APPENDIX.
go beyondmerecontradiction,and called threewitnessesto throw

doubt on the statementof LakhmidasKhimji, by showingthat in
the templehe specifiesat Beyt (the templeof Laxmi), gulal is never
thrown on the worshippers,but only on the image,it being the
temple of femaledivinity. The first of thesewitnesses,Devidas
Hansraj, formerly superintendent for the Guicovarof the temples
at Beyt,provesverylittle asto the point for which he is principally
called. "Gulal," he says, "is thrown on the imagesin all the
temples;but not on the worshippers
whenthe imageis female."
But having thus laid down the rule, he admits there may be excep-
tions, for he adds, " a witnessmay have seenit thrown on the wor-
shippersat Laxmi temples;I havenot, that is all I mean."
Mitharam Purushottam,a Bhattia from Kajkot, whoseduty it
wasnine or ten yearsagoto follow the Maharajasround the temples
of Beyt and collect the tax. due to the Gnicowar from the devotees,
gives the following evidence:-" Gulal was only thrown on the
worshippers in the templeof Dwarkanathjiat Beyt: it is thrown ly
theMaharajasandtheJBrahmachdris.
Premji Puja, the third witness, a Pokarna Brahmin, who has
comedown to Bombayto act as cook, but who previously for twenty
yearshad beena servantin the temple of Badhaji, anotherfemale
divinity at Beyt, contradicts witness !N"o.2 in two important par-
ticulars. Agreeing with him that gulal in Laxmi temple is only
sprinkled on the image, he swears that even in the temple of Dwar-
kanathji, it is only thrown on the musicians, not on the worshipers ;
thrown not ly the Maharajas at all, only by the Brahmacharis.
Even if the point were a material one, it is clear that this evidence
of contradiction wholly fails: but the point is not a material one;
the evidence of these very three witnesses shows this temple of
Laxmi at Beyt to be one of five small shrines dedicated to different
gods and goddesses, all of which are in closeproximity. Lakhmidas
Khimji, without any serious impeachment of his accuracy, may
easily have mistaken one of these small shrines for another; or the
plaintiff, to servea particular object, may have done an act which
was not strictly regular.
There is another objection to this whole story founded on the
propositionthat it is incrediblein itself, asinvolving a violationnot
JUDGMENT OF SIR JOSEPH AUNOULD. 131
onlyof themostuniversally
observed
lawsof decency, but of the
veryprinciples
on whichourcommon humannatureis built up.
Thisis a veryinconclusive
objection:
it is notan objection
likely
to haveanyweightwith thosewhomreadingand experience
have
carried
beyondthe circleof homemanners
andhomeopinions.It
isdifficultforanEnglishman
ofthenineteenth
century
to believe
in
theexistence
of sucha stateof manners
asis depicted
by Petronius
or
Martial, and yet we know that thesetwo writers were the most
fashionable
andfavoriteauthorsamong theirRomancontemporaries;
theveryessence
of their popularityconsisting
in the general
truth-
fulnessof their socialportraitures. Soin orderto put ourselvesin
a positionfor judging adequatelyof the probabletruth of such a
story as this, we must endeavour to realise as best we can the state
of feelinghabitual amongthosewhosecorruptionsit exposes."We
must supposethe caseof a weak and blinded people;a rapacious
andlibidinouspriesthood; a god whosemost popularattributesare
his featsof sexualprowess;a paradisewhosemost attractivetitle
is that of " a boundless
oceanof amorousenjoyment." But thereis
oneplain fact which on this matteris worth a worldof speculation.
$o little did LakhmidasHhimji supposethat therewas anything
incrediblein the story,that at a large""partyat GokuldasTejpaTs,
hemadeit the subjectof an attack half-jocose, half-earnestagainst
his uncle, who has now for someyearsbeen absentin Zanzibar*
He mentionedthe namesof severalhighly respectable membersof
his casteand sectin whosepresencethe allegedattackwasmade:
thosewitnesses were put into the box and tenderedfor cross-exami-
nation,but no questionwas put to them tendingin any way to
impugnthe statementof LakhmidasKhimji.
Suchis the evidencein supportof the chargesmadeagainstthe
moral characterof the plaintiff in the pleaof justification; onmy
mind that evidenceleavesnot a shadow of doubt; the chargesmade
are,in rny opinion,
fully substantiated.
Jadunathji
Maharajis con-
clusivelyshownto havebeenin no degree superior
in moralityto
the averageof his brethren,and principally to havedifferedfrom
themin the tact and cunning with which he employedpublic pro-
fessionsof zeal for reform as a convenient cloak for uncleanliness.
Havingthusgonethroughall theobservations
I proposed
to make
132 APPENDIX.
onthe evidence,thereis only one otherpoint on which I wish to.

say a few words.
This trial hasbeenspokenof ashaving involveda greatwasteof
the public time. I cannotquite agreewith that opinion., !N"odoubt
much time has been spent in hearing this cause,but I would fain
hope it has not beenall time wasted. It seemsimpossible tbat this
matter should have been discussedthus openly before a population
so intelligent as that of the natives of Western India, without pro-
ducing its results. It has probably taught someto think; it must
have led many to enquire. It is not a question of theology that has
been before us! it is a question of morality. The principle for
which the defendant and his witnesses have been contending is
simply this-that what is morally wrong cannot be theologically
right-that when practices which sap the very foundations of
morality, which involve a violation of the eternal and immutable
laws of Eight,-are establishedin the name and under the sanc-
tion of Religion, they ought, for the common welfare of society,
and in the interest of humanity itself, to be publicly denounced
and exposed. They have denounced-they have exposed them.
At a risk and at a cost which we cannot adequatelymeasure,these
men have done determinedbattle against a foul and powerful delu-
sion. They have dared to look custom and error boldly in the
face, and proclaim before the world of their votaries that their evil
is not good, that their lie is not the truth. In thus doing they
have done bravely and well. It may be allowable to expressa hope
that what they have donewill not have been in vain-that the seed
they have sown will bear its fruit-that their courage and con-
sistency will be rewarded by a steadyincreasein the number of those
whom their words and their examples have quickened into thought,
and animatedto resistance,whosehomesthey have helped to cleanse
from loathsomelewdness,and whose souls they have set free from a
(debasingbondage.
THE INDIAN PEESS
ON THE
MAHARAJ LIBEL CASE.
I.--The Times of India.

SerussedSerins,-latebut in earnest,
mustbe our mottoin commenting upon
thejudgmentgivenlastweekin the greatMah&rftjlibel case.Thearrivalof the
English mail and other causes,have compelled us hitherto to defer the con-
siderationof an eventwhichmust be regardedas having the mostimportant
bearing upon the interests of native society. It is true that the progressof
reform and enlightenment may be looked on as ultimately safe, and beyond
the influence of any particular events; but such events,if inauspicious,might
retard the progress,though they could not arrest it. If, in the present case,
the Mahar&j's party had gained a triumph,-that circumstancewould really
have given them no protection or safety against the tide of enlightened ideas
which is advancingirresistibly, and which is destinedin a, few years to change
the entire surfaceof Hindu society. But such a triumph would have tended
to concealthe real state of affairs; it would have given fresh hope to the
reactionary spirits; and it would have had the undesirableeffect of damping
the courageof a very excellent and estimable set of men, whosemain defect
is not any want of intellectual discernmentto see what is best, but a want
of moral resolutionto carry out what they kuow to be right in the faceof
opposition.
"We are happy, however, to be able to congratulatethe Reformersupon a
substantialvictory, whichsetsthem quite abovetheir adversaries, andwhich
must necessarilynil themwith confidence as regardsthe workwhich still lies
beforethem in the future. The judgment,it is true, wasa mixedone,and
a verdictonthe first pleawith nominaldamages wasrecorded for the plaintiff.
This the MaharCij's party haveendeavoured to avail themselvesof, by adroitly
announcing that the sum.of five rupeeswasfixedby the Courtin compassion
to the povertyof the defendant,and that the smallness of the mulct merely
showsthe contemptible positionof the personcondemned.But this attempt
J.JLJClJLI
JL/4..0.I
to braveout the matter has beenutterly -unsuccessful." The"bazaar,** however

exsily it may be gulled as to the probability of Russianinvasions and the like.
is sufficientlykeenin judgingof mattersthat arereally broughthometo itself,
The nativesknow perfectlywell the true meaningof the judgment. And
the plaintiff'ssupporters
whohadpreparedsweetmeats to be distributedamong
the casteon the evening of the decision,in celebrationof the triumph which
they hoped to wia, were observedto refrain from any demonstrationof the kind
and exhibit a crestfallen demeanour.
"VFecannot of coursedeny that we wish the verdict had been otherwise.

"We wish that a completevictory, nominal as well as real, technical as well
as substantial,had beenawarded to the defendant. But thereis consolationto
"be found e?enin the present result. The confidencewhich all sectionsof
the nativesfeel in theSupreme
Court,will surelybeconfirmed by observing
the
entireabsence of partisanship
whichcharacterisesthe recentjudgment. And,
on the other hand, it becomes still more damnatoryof the Mahir&j, if after the
the most equitable willingness to allow all points in his favour, it is found
that neither of the judges is able to exonerate him from a single one of the
chargeslaid against him, and that both of the judges unanimously declare
that he must have deliberately perjured himself in almost every part of his
evidence. Can.any one believe that after this public revelation and exposure
of his real character,Jadun&thji Brizrattanji will be able-to maintain Ms position
as a sanctifiedteacher,and an incarnation of God? The Satya Tral-dshhasin
reality verified its name. Through a long night of superstition,and darkness,
vile creatureslike this MaMr&j have been able to make their dens of vice and
debaucheryseemto their spell-boundfollowers to be the holy templesof God.
But assoonas the morninglight comes,the place is found full of corruptionand
uncleanness;magicalspellslose all their effect; and all men of a better sort rise
disgusted,and at any cost breakloosefrom sucha haunt. We have no doubtthat
the greatestof all publicserviceshasbeenperformedby the excellentandintelligent
KarsandasMulji for his countrymen,a service that must for ever bear fruit.
And to commemoratetheir achievementand the gloriousbattle that they have
fought, we think that the Reformersmight well set up in their housesin golden
characterthe noble and impressivewords of Sir JosephArnould:-
" The principle for which the defendantandhis witnesseshavebeencontending
is simplythis-that whatis morallywrongcannotbe theologically
right-that
when practiceswhich sap the very foundations of morality, which involve a
violation of the eternal and immutable laws of right,-are establishedin the
name and under the sanctionof religion, they ought, for the commonwelfare
of society,and in the interestof humanityitself, to be publicly denounced
and exposed.Theyhavedenounced-they haveexposed them. At ^ risk and
at a costwhichwe cannotadequately measure,thesemenhavedonedetermined"
battleagainsta foul andpowerfuldelusion. Theyhavedaredto look custom
anderrorboldlyin the face,andproclaimed beforethe world of their votaries
COMMENTS OF THE INDIAN PRESS. 135
that theirevilis notgood,

thattheirlieis notthetruth. In thusdoing
they
havedone hravely andwell. It mayheallowable
toexpressahope thatwhat
they havedonewill not havebeenin vain-that theseedtheyhavesown
"will bearits fruit-that their courageand constancy
will berewardedby a
steadyincrease in thenumber of thosewhomtheirwordsandtheirexamples
havequickened into thoughtandanimated to resistance,
whose homes
theyhave
helpedto cleanse fromloathsome lewdness,
andwhose soulstheyhavesetfree
from a debasing
bondage,"
"Weshallnowturn fromthe moralandsocialaspects
of the case,
to saya very
few words
ontheverdictasalegaldecision.
"Wearetoldthat if thedefendants
had not pleaded"not guilty"-that if theyhad contented
themselves
with the
plea of "justification " they must havegot a simpleverdict in their favour, with
costs. The first question then that arises,is this, were the defendantsto blame
for entering
a pleawhichtheycouldnot support
? "Was
the flawin their victory
caused merely by a piece of technical imprudence,-in short by a false move
on the part of the defendants'legal advisers? We think that the answerto thig
question dependsentirely on the purposewith which the plea wasentered. If it
was enteredwith a view to sometechnical advantagepossiblyarising out of it;
if it was put in with any intention of evadingthe real groundsof the issue,-
we should then feel the lessregret that a defeathad beensufferedon the plea.
But if, as appearsmore likely, the defendantsconsideredthe plea to be bondfide
defensible,though at the sametime they did not proposedenyingthe publication
of the so-called"libel," it then remains to be asked,-"What was the view
of their case,which causeda verdict to be given againstthem? Now it is always
allowed that pleasin a defenceneednot of necessitybe congruousand consistent
with each other. They may resemblethe excusesof the washerwomanin the
case of the broken mangle,who said,first, that she had sent back the mangle
quitesound,andsecond,
that it wasbrokenbeforeit waslent to her. But it does
not appear
thattherewaseventhat allowableamountof incongruity in the pleas
of the recent libel case. Libel standson a different footing from other things.
In a caseof homicide, if the accusedpersonpleadsfirst "not guilty," andsecond
that the homicidewasjustifiable,thosepleasareinconsistent.But in a case
of libel the affairis different. For the pleaof not guilty is not a merequestion
of fact,but a question of animus. Theessence of a libel is not defamation,
but
defamation accompanied by malice. And thus,asa matterof fact,the "libel"
may havebeenpublished,but the publisherof it mayobtaina verdicton the
headof "not guilty" if hisanimus
wasproved to be devoid of malice;and
againhe mayobtaina verdicton the pleaof justification
if thedefamatory
accusations
wereprovedto betrue. In the opinion of thepuisne Judge,the
defendant
wasentitledto a verdicton both thosepleas;in the opinionof the
ChiefJusticehewasentitledto a verdictonthepleaof justificationonly. The
pointof difference
between
thejudges
turnedontheviewtaken of thedefendant's
position,
andwemustconfessthaUheviewstakenby SirJoseph
Arnouldappear
136 APPENDIX.
to ushroad,penetrating, andjust, while thoseof the ChiefJusticewerenarrow

in their scope,and too muchlimited hy an exclusivereferenceto technical
precedents.Sir MatthewSausse refusedto acknowledgeanypublicdutyin the
editorof a newspaper to exposeabuses:he refusedto considerthe controversial
articlewrittenhy Mr. Karsandas Mulji ashavinganybut a merelypersonal cha-
racter: andhe, aswe think, mistakinglyrefusedto consider
the atrocious
actsof
the Maharaj,committed in his priestlyandofficialcharacterto haveanything
of a publicimport. To all theseviewswe think the replicationof Sir Joseph
Ainouldto beoverwhelming ; and,as in dutybound,we wishto placeonrecord
our appreciationand admirationof the following passage:-
" Such was the defendant'sposition. Wliat was 1m consequent
interest and
u As a Vallabhacharyanaddressinghis co-sectaries, as a Banian addressinghis

castefellows-above all, as a journalist addressingreaderscomposedprincipally
of followers of the Maharajas-had he no interest, had he no duty in denouncing
the malpracticeswhich it is the principal object of the allegedlibel to expose?
It appearsto methat he hadboth an interest and a duty. "
" A public journalist is a public teacher: the true function of the press-that
by virtue of whichit hasrightly grown to be onoof the greatpowersof the
modernworld, is the function,of teaching,elevating,and enlightening thosewho
fall within the rangeof its influence.
" To exposeand denounceevil and barbarous practices; to attack usages
and 'customsinconsistentwith moral purity and social progress,is one of its
highest,its mostimperative,duties. "Whenthoseevils and errorsare consecrated
by time, fencedround by customs,countenancedand supportedby the highest
and most influential classin society-when they are wholly beyondthe control
and.supervisionof any other tribunal-then it is the function and the duty of the
pressto intervene,honestlyendeavouringby all the powersof argument,denun-
ciation, and ridicule, to changeand purify the public opinionwhich is the real
basis on which these evils -are built, and the*real power by which they are
perpetuated.
"As editor of the Safya PraTcdsJi, the defendantwas, in my opinion, acting
within the clear limits of his duty (asdefinedin the caseof Harrison v. Bush)in
denouncingto a public principally composedof Bhatti&s and Banians,the moral
delinquenciesof the Maharajas."-Times of India, May 2, 1862,
II.-The Bombay Gazette.
Shortly after the Coupd'Etat of Louis Napoleon,a law was issuedin France
againstthe liberty of the press. Almostsimultaneously,
a Napoleonicsicvoloy
siejubeowasissuedto the editor of a journalin Paris,to the effectthat, if
he continuedto remain totally silent on political matters,lie would incur the
Displeasure
of thePowers.ThePariseditor
hadanarticlenextday,headed
"TheLibertyof Silence."
Noenlightened
mancandoubtthatagovernment
or a country must sufferincalculablymoreby imposinga constrained
silence
onthepress,thanby granting
anunrestricted
libertyto it. The" Maharaj
labelCase,"
onwhichthejudgmentoftheSupreme
Court
was delivered
yesterday,
"was
oneofparamount
importance
in itsbearings
uponmanyvitalinterests,
upon
nonemorethan uponthe libertyof communion."Whatis societywithoutthis
liberty? If earnestmenin societyhavenot the libertyof communion with one
anotherrespectingthevilest conceivable
abusesthat prevailin theirmidst,that
societyis in degraded
bondage. Therewasbut oneopinionin thecommunity as
to the nature of the judgment that would be pronouncedin this case. It was
universally
expected
that it wouldbeonewhichwouldvindicate
thelibertyof
the press,the justiceof Englishlaw,the causeof progressin thisland,andmore
especially
the moralreformwhichis strugglingto makeheadway in this commu-
nity againsttlie mostpowerfullyantagonistic
influences.Thejudgment delivered
by the Puisne Judge,Sir JosephArnould,has fully realizedandjustifiedthe
public expectation. In his judgment,Karsandas Mulji is not guilty of libel;
there was the most fully justifying occasionfor his exposureof the scandalous
practicesof the Mahartij,andthe justificationhasbeencompletely established.
"Weregretthat we arenot ableto characterise in the sametermsthejudgmentof
the ChiefJustice, Sir MatthewSausse.In his judgmentKarsandas is guilty
of libel, and there wasnot justifying occasionfor his accusationsagainstthe
Maharaj. At the sametime, the Chief Justiceconsidered the justification
established. His judgment, therefore,wasfor the Maharaj on the plea of libel,-
damagesfive rupees,without costs. This will go forth as the judgmentof Her
Majesty's Supreme Court in this important case. We greatly wish that Her
Majesty'sJudges had beenof one mind in this matter. "Weneednot say that
we fully agree with the PuisneJudge; if we did not, we believethat we should
standalone,in aningloriousisolationfrom the publicof Bombay,
European
and
native, unconnectedwith the ease. " The greater the truth, the greater the
Ubel." Yes; but only when the libelloustruth is utteredin malice. The
justice of the legal adagedepends,not uponthe merefact of the libellous
characterof certainallegations,
nor uponthe fact that the libellousallegations
arefoundedin truth, but uponthe fact that the true libellousallegations have
beenpromptedby envious,selfish,andmaliciousfeelings. Whenthereis no
evidenceof suchprompting,nothingto warrantthe suspicion of it, alibel is not
greater,but less,the greaterits truth. Thereare caseswhereit is proper
andnecessary
to expose
thecharacter
anddesign
of thebase,
asasafeguard
to
the public good,or a warningto the innocentwhentheyareexposed
to danger
andsuffering.It certainly
couldnot besaidwithanytruth-thegreater this
proprietyand necessity,
thegreaterthe libel. Sucha properandnecessary
exposure
hasnothingin it whichpartakes
of thenature
andcharacter
of a libel.
We have said that thereare suchcases:we mustguardour meaningagainst
138 APPENDIX.
misapprehension, by addingthat suchcasesare probablycomparatively rare.

Whentheydooccur,however, and areconducted with becoming tendernessand
self-denial,the onewhomakes the exposure mustbe regardedasin everysense
of the word a publicbenefactor.Sucha casecertainlyis that of the exposure
of the Mah&raj; and sucha public benefactor is KarsandasMulji. This
" MaharajLibel Case"hasconvinced the publicthat immoralityis no namefor
the debauched, adulterouslivesledby thosesatyrsthe Maharajas underthe name
of religion,nay-of divinity. If it evercouldbeproperandnecessary to expose
the character, designs,
andpractices of theprofligateandlibertineasa safeguard
to the publicgood,it certainlywasso in thecaseof theseMaharajas. In the
exposure that hasbeenmade,everyintelligentpersonmustbe struckwith the
temperate, judicious,andconscientious toneandcharacter of it. The onlywonder
is thatKarsandas, with somuchknowledge of the evil practicesof the Maharaj,
and so muchknowledgeof the injury to publicmoralsfromthosepractices,
couldhaveexercised suchmoderation andself-denialin exposingthem. The
effortshe first madeto persuade the Maharajaspersonallyto renounce those
practices
of whichit is a shameevento speak,evinceda becoming tendernessand
desireto avoid exposure: the effortshe then madeto movethe sect to exert its
united authorityor influencefor the samepurposeevinceda real sincerity,an
honestyof intention, and a freedomfrom selfish motives: the effortswhich he
finally made,afterall othershad failed,to try the virtue of a public appeal
to the Maharajas throughthe press,which he knew would put enmity between
his casteandhimself,andraiseup a storm of foul-mouthed
reproachagainst
him, evinceda firmness,self-denial, and determination to effect the necessary
reform, which are admirable in themselves,and which would have had the
desiredeffect upon any but those sunk in the sottishnessof lust. Karsandas
has donehis duty. "Wearevery far fromviewinghim in the character
of a
thorough reformer; but he has probably acted up to the light and convictions
which he has received,and we trust he will receive more light and stronger
convictions. He hasdonehis duty. And although he has met with opposition
in the discharge of it, he has not yet, like manya morethoroughreformer,
" resistedunto blood,strivingagainstsin." We trust,therefore,
that his good
intentions and his couragewill not fail him,-that he will not draw back in
dismay,nowthat hehas"put hishandto the plough." He hasdonehisduty.
The European community and the more enlightened membersof the native
community,who desirethe civilization and improvementof their fellow-subjects,
should considerthis fact, and should give him the support to which he is justly
entitled. Let no one feel himself justified in withholding his support from
the considerationthat Karsandas has not gone far enough,or that he has
gone too far. In so important a matter, such objectionswould be most
flimsy,and would belieany showof interestin native improvement.The
matter is a really important one in itself and in its bearings; and it will argue
the want of a senseof responsibility
on the part of our own countrymen,
if
theyrefrain
fromdoing
whattheylegitimately
maydotocountenance,
encourage,
andsupport Karsand&s
andhisassociates
: it will arguethewantof moral
courage
onthepartof themoreenlightened
members
of thenativecommunity,
if theyrefrain
fromgivingtheircountenance,
encouragement,
andsupport.
The
causeis oneof publicmorals.'Wearenotviewing it in a religious
pointof view
at all. We suppose that few of our owncountrymen in Bombay had any
suspicionthatsuchgross immoralities
asthosewhichthis""Mahar&j LibelCase"
haspubliclyexposed werecountenanced andpractised by themenwithwhom
theyhavedailyintercourse in thewayofbusiness; orthattheyhadanyideathat
theywerelivingin themidstof a people whosesocialcustoms andreligious
observances wereof sucha debased characterastheyhavenowpubliclybeen
shown to be. If thenativeshaveanyrespectfor theopinions of theirEuropean
acquaintances
and friends,the knowledgeon their part that the latterare now
awareof the disgustingandabominable thingsthat aredoneof themin secret,
musthaveasalutaryeffectuponthem. "Wecall upon themto renounce these
hiddenworksof darkness:to protecttheir wivesanddaughters fromthe vile
designsof adulterers
: to behavethemselvelike men,andnot like beasts.If one
thing morethananotherprovesthe besottedcharacter of theseWah§rajas, it is
the fact that they have beenso infatuated as to provokethis exposureand drag
their own filthiness before the public-"raging waves of the sea,foaming out
their own shame." If these men are your gods, what must your devils be!
The judgment deliveredyesterdaywill be publishedin a few days. Wewait with
impatience
for that of Sir Joseph
Arnould,oneof the mosteloquent,
impressive,
and just ever delivered from the Benchof the SupremeCourt in Bombay. We
shall return to the subjecton the publication of the judgments.-BombayGazette,
April 22, 1862.
III.-The Bomlay Saturday Review.
Themoraleffectof thejudgmentof the Supreme

Courtof Bombay
in the cause
which for so many weeks has engagedpublic attention,and uponthe issue of
which maybe said to havedepended the fate of reformandreformers in our
Presidency, hasbeenunfortunately marredby the disagreement of thetwoJudges
on a questionof greatlegal,but no substantialimportance."While freelyadmit-
ting the dignifiedimpartialityof Sir MatthewSausse's judgment,andthe care
and labour he has used to work out a conscientious
verdict, we cannotbut think
it amatterto bedeeplyregretted,that, althoughthe learned
ChiefJusticeagreed
with his colleague
in stigmatizing
the Mah&r&jasoneguiltyof the foulestadul-
teryandthemostdeliberate
perjury,andalthough
he therefore
decided
thatthe
defendant
whowasaccused
of libellingthismanhadjustifiedthatlibel onevery
pointby proving
thatheonlyspoke
the simpletruth,Sir Matthew
nevertheless
foundhimselfcompelledto cometo the conclusion
that the plaintiffis entitledto
a verdictwith nominaldamages on the pleaof "not guilty." Theargument of
140 , APPENDIX,
theChiefJusticeis thattherewasno"justifyingoccasion"for thepublication

of
thelibelby thedefendant. Hesaysto thedefendant: " "Whatever youalleged
is true; butyouhavefailedto showthattheplaintiffgaveyouanyprovocation
topublishthistruth; andtheEnglishlawsotenderly respects thesacredness
of
privatecharacter,
thatI amboundto declare
your articlea libelin the eyeof the
law." If wereadthejudgment
aright,SirMatthew
contends
thatno"justifying
occasion" canbesaidto havearisen,exceptin cases in whichthepartiesaccused
of publishinglibelshavea stronginterestin the matterconcerned, or havecom-
mentedon written or printed documents which challenged public discussion.
Thismaybegoodlaw-that is to say,if ajudgeshouldalways clingto theletter
insteadof beingguidedby the spirit of the law-but to alaymanat leastit cer-
tainlyappears that the largersympathies andmoreliberalviewsof Sir Joseph
Arnouldhavebroughthimto a verdictmoreconsistent with justice andcommon
sense.JsTotthe leastconvincing passage of a judgmentas eloquentandasim-
pressiveasweeverheardin a courtof justicewasthe argumentof the Puisne
Justicein supportof the positionthat therehad been" justifyingoccasion'* for
the publicationof the libel. Sir JosephArnouldshowed first that it wasthe
interest of the defendantas a member of the Bania casteto exposethe filthy
practicesby which the Mahlr§jas and their followers disgracedthe communityto
which he belonged,and that it was his duty as a public journalist to denounce
immoralitieswhich, underthe sacredname of religion, were corrupting the very
heart of society. To whomthen,the PuisneJustice nextasked,wasthe defendant
to appeal? The courtsof law were not opento him, for the Mah&raj&s,however
vicioustheymightbe,hadbeenguiltyof no crimein committing
adulterywith
womenwhosehusbandsand fathers presentedthem for that purposeto priests
whom they believedto be incarnationsof the Deity. He could not hope that,
if he appealedto those who were formerly his fellow-sectaries,they would
support him; he knew,on the contrary,that they would cast him out from their
midst as one accursed,and persecutehim with unrelenting hatred. To whom
could he turn, or in what way could he satisfyhis righteousindignation and do
his duty as a teacher of the people,except by appealing at the bar of public
opinion? But, evenalthoughthis was the only resourceleft him, the defendant
contentedhimself with attackingthe Maharajasgenerallyand the doctrinesof the
Yallabhach&xya
religion; and it was not till JadnnathjiMali&raj himself
offeredprovocationby starting a journal of his own in which he constitutedhim-
self the championof the faith, that the editor of the SatyaPr abashat last singled
outthis Maharajby name,andchargedhim personally
with practising
thevery
vices he affectedto deplore in others. All these circumstances
seemedto Sir
JosephArnouldto furnishthe "justifying occasion"
for the publishingof the
libel, and we do not know what can be said in answer to his exact and luminous
reasoning.But the Puisne
Justicewasoverruledby theChief,andin consequence
averdicthasbeengivenwhichenables thepartizans of the Maharajto hold up
theirheads,
andto proclaimthroughthebazaarthattheirmasterhas gainedthe
COMMENTS OF THE INDIAN PEESS. 141
day,andthattheCourthasawarded
Mmnominaldamages
solelyoutof coin-
passionfor the povertyof the defendant.Thenatives,of course,
donotcareto
understand
thetechnicalities
of thelawcourts
; theonlyfactplainto theircom-
prehension
is thattherehasheenan apparent
compromise; andit isdeplorable
that suchshouldhetheresultof amerelytechnicaldifference of opinion"between
the Judges. In a caseof this sort,in whichthe verdictcouldnotfail to exercise
a wideinfluenceonthe popularmind,it wasallowable for Sir MatthewSausse to
look beyondthelimits*ofthe'Court,andto consider whatwouldbethe effectof a
judgmentin whichthe slightestinclinationin favourof the Maharajwouldbe
sure to be misconstrued.
Themischief, however,is done;and it remainsfor the pressto pointout,as

clearlyas possible,that with regardto the only substantialplea,the*pleaof
justification,the opinionof the ChiefJusticeas to the guilt of theMaharajis
quiteasdecided, andthe languagein whichhe expresses that opinionquiteas
strong, as Mr. Justice Arnould's. There was not the least shadow of hesitation
left onthe mindof eitherof the Judgesasto thetruth of the evidence
givenfor
the defence,and the worthlessness of the evidenceofferedon behalfof the plaintiff.
It had beendistinctly proved,both Judgeswere agreed,that the Mahur&jasin
general arein the habit of committing adultery with the wivesanddaughtersof
their sectaries,andthat the conductof the plaintiff Jadunathji hasbeenas filthy
and abominableasthat of any of his colleagues. Both the Chief Justiceand Sir
JosephArnotild, too, emphaticallydeclared the plaintiff to be a man utterly un-
worthy of credit, and that he had comeinto Court with an affectationof purity
which hiscraft andintelligenceenabledhim to assume, for the purposeof upsetting,
if he could, by systematicand deliberate perjury the strong evidencegiven to
prove that he had led a horribly dissplutelife. With unblushingcountenance he
had sworn in the witness-box that he knew not what it was to have connection
with strangewomen,andthat it was impossiblefor him, the priest and leaderof

his people,to commitimpure or immoral acts; yet the testimonyof respectable
medical witnessesestablishedbeyonda doubt the fact that he had sufferedfrom a
disease
whichcouldonlyhavebeen"broughtuponhim by hisimmorality,andto
this testimonyhe had nothing to opposebut his simpledenial, his counselpru-<
dentlydeclining
to call aswitnesses
medicalmenwhohadbeenasked
to examine
him in the hopethat they might find he had beenafflictedwith someother com-
plaint. Sincehe had lied thus shamelesslyon one important point, it became
impossibleto put faith in a word he said; and werethe man not utterly hardened
againstexposure,he would, after the publication of the judgment of the Court,
shrink from the light of day, throw away the mask of religion, with which, like
the veiled prophet Mokanna,he has concealedthe featuresof the satyrbeneath
the appearance of the god, and so savehis deludedfollowersfrom further misery
and degradation.
But, if repentanceandreform are not to be expectedfrom the Maharaj, if all
that canbe donewith him.is to bring him. as a criminal to thebar of the Supreme
142 APPENDIX.
Court,andhaveMmpunished forhis perjuries,

we mayat leasthopethat some
of thosewho have"believed in him mostfirmlywill he driven"bythe stormof
puhlicridiculeandpuhlicindignation to renounce a creedof whichperhaps for
the first timetheyhavehadthe impietyandbestialitylaid bareto their view.
Henceforth, it will beimpossiblefor anyrespectable
BanianorBh&ttiato frequent
a YallabMcharya templewithoutexposing thehonourof his familyto suspicion.
Manyamongst them,no doubt,havebeenas ignorantas the publicin general
werebeforethistrial tookplaceof the debauched habitsof theMahar&j&s;or,if
theyknewwhatwasdone,theyconsidered suchpracticesto besanctioned
bytheir
religion. Thewholetruthhasnowbeenrevealed to them; theyhavelearntthat
their faithis a foul andwretched superstitionunknownto the foundersof the
Hindureligion,andthatall intelligentmenlookuponthemwith amazement and
with scornas votariesof a creedwhich sanctifiesthe worst passionsof our nature
anddeifiesthemostdegraded of mankind. Knowinghowstronglyentrenched in
eachman'sheartare the superstitions
whichhe hasbeentaughtto lisp in his
childhood,andwhichhavegrownwith his growthandstrengthened with his
strength,we fearthattheignorantmassof the Vaishnavas
will still clingto their
former faith; but at leastthe exposurethe Mahiraj&s havehad the folly to pro-
vokewill encouragethe morethoughtful and enlightenedamongstthemto throw
off their allegianceto the abjectcreaturesthey haveworshippedasgods,and their
examplemay in time effecta revolution. To all suchwe cannot sayanything in
the way of exhortationso effectiveas the bold and earnestwords with which
Sir JosephArnould fitly concludedhis judgment:-" It is not a questionof theo-
logy that has beenbeforeus; it is a questionof morality. The principle for
which the defendantand his witnesses have beencontendingis simply this-that
what is morallywrong cannotbe theologicallyright-that when practiceswhich
sapthe very foundationsof morality, which involvea violation of the eternaland
immutablelaws of Right,-are establishedin the nameand under the sanctionof
Eeligion, they ought, for the commonwelfare of society,and in the interest of
humanity itself, to be publicly denouncedand exposed. They havedenounced-
they have exposedthem. At a risk and at a cost which we cannot adequately
measure,these men have donedeterminedbattle against a foul and powerful
delusion. They have daredto look customand error boldly in the face, and
proclaimedbefore the world of their votaries that their evil is not good,that
their lie is not the truth. In thus doing they have donebravelyand well, It
maybe allowableto expressa hopethat what they havedonewill not havebeen
in vain-that theseed
theyhavesownwill bearits fruit-that their courage
and
constancywill be rewardedby a steadyincreasein the number of thosewhom
their words and their exampleshave quickenedinto thought and animatedto
resistance,
whose
homestheyhavehelpedto cleanse
fromloathsome
lewdness,
and
whosesoulstheyhavesetfreefrom a debasing
bondage."-Bombay Saturday
J&vicw,April 26, 1S52.
COMMENTS 03? THE INDIAN PBESS. H3
IY.-The Indian Banner.
TRIUMPH OPCIVILISATION.-There is a pleasureto watch the triumph of

truth andprogress
in this world of probation.Whateverthe trialsandturmoils
that human insanity inflicts at the onsetupona man righteously devotedto tho
causeof truth andprogress,
werecognize
in his ultimatetriumphthe protecting
handof Providence,disposingeventsto march up to their destinedgoal of success.
"We have watched the indictment, the prosecution, the trial and the sentence
pronounced
in our Supreme
Courtonthe recentcasein whichwasinvolvedthe
weal or the woe of a large andby no meansan unimportant sectionof the native
community,and we have not failed to recognisethis grand moral maxim, Mr.
Karsandasis triumphant; his causeis triumphant; and we think not so much
of it as. interesting as the moral effects which that triumph is calculated to
produce
uponthe mindsof hisignorantfellowcountrymen.
**####
A man just like ordinary men, in many respectsfar lessin mind and heart,
claims descentfrom the BeneficentCreator-nay holdshimself a part and parcel
of that Awful Being. Hundreds and thousandsof men put implicit faith in his
arrogant
pretension
andworshiphim. But how? to ourshame,
let the following
extract speakfor it:-
"In the morningwhenthe Mah&rajis at his ablutions,
a numberof persons
collect at a short distance,and as he stands up to wipe his body, one of the
Vaishnavas,approaching himwith reverence, takesinto a vessel
the waterdrip-
ping fromhis potid (theclothcoveringthe lowerpart of his body). Thisdirty,
impurewateris esteemed to be of high valueanddistributedamongall present
at the temple,who drink it with feelingsof pride. Someof it is reserveduntil
the next day for the purification of absentYaishnavas. The remnants of the
Maharajas' mealsare calledjuthan; they are preservedas very preciousstuff,
and canbehad on a formal applicationby anyVaishnavawho desiresto eat them.
At private banquetsand castefeasts, given with the Mahdr&j'spermission,these
impure remnantsare first served,and are eaten as though they were ambrosia.
The pan-soptiriwhich the Maharaj throws out after chewing, is also collected
and preserved,
to be distributedto malesandfemales,who aliketake a great
pleasurein chewingit over again.
"In the month of Shravan, the Maharaj takes delight in sitting on the
hindolld (a sort of swing) when his male and female followers move it back-
wards and forwardswith their hands. This privilege of swinging His Holiness
is purchasedwith presentsto him. At the time of the Holi holidays, one of
the Maharaj&s standsin the street near the templein the Fort, and permitshis
followers to hail him with gulal (red powder). Some of tho Mahurajas on
suchoccasions,throw the gulal in return on somefavourite femaleworshippers,
and indulgepublicly in indecentand improperscenes, On sador joyful occasions,
144 .:- APPENDIX.
the Maharajis invitedto privateresidences,

andfor his troublereceives
a present
of fromten to onehundredrupees. He is oftenaskedto visit a s&oakor
death-bed,
whenheputshisfootonthebreastof thedyingperson
with,the
view to free him of his sins, and receivesfor his blessingfrom ten to one
thousandrupees."
In no regionof the world wasman ever degraded so low. The water
that comesdrippingfromhis potik corresponding to our pij&masfor the
lowerpartof thebody,whenthe Maharajis bathing,is collected into a vessel
with all thedirt andimpurities
which-oh! it shocksour feelingsto speakmore
particularlyof the impuritiescomingfrom the filthy flesh-distributed among
all presentat the templeand drunkwith feelingsof prideandexhilaration!
The pan-sopari is chewedby the Mah&raj,and the insipid remnantthat is
thrownout fromthemouth,collected mostreverentially, anddistributed among
the followers of the dismal faith-males and females alike-and chewed over
again as ambrosiafrom their gods! But our terrible charge againstthe mon-
strosityof theMaharajas
yet remains.It is saidtheycallin females
to worship
them; andit is somethingtoomuchfor wild humannature-andthenatureof
these Maharajas is such from the want of a previoussystematicdevelopment
of the.mind-to resistthe evil temptation,
whentheyhearthefootsteps
of the
beautiesof the first water tripping on their floors,with soul and heart entirely
yielded up into their hands. This, anElphinstoneScholar,Mr. Karsandas,'then
editing a vernacularjournal, loudly complainedagainst; and the especialvictim
of his caricaturesbroughtan actionof libel againstthe writer. "Weconfess the
latter had in his zeal allowedhimself to be betrayedinto much extravagant
vaporing againstthe Maharaj- who, whatever the faults of men of his class-
was one much abovethe orthodoxviews. ...... (But) the bitter tone
of our friend spoketerribly on the Maharaj and his- followers. The former
instituted a suit for libel, andthe latter combinedto give any evidenceagainstthe
practicesof their religioushead, so as to throw our poor editor singly upon
himself into the arena of the Court of Justice. The result of their combination
was very ably calculated-the writer was to be ruined. But in an evil hour for
themselves,Mr. Karsandasbrought an action of conspiracyagainstthe chief
instigatorsof this illegal measureof the Hindu community,and the prosecution
endedin triumph. It hasbeenthe triumph of the glorious liberty of the Press
aswell as the triumph of progressin Western India. Generallyspeaking,the
BhattiasandtheBanians,
whomakeuptheagitationcommunity
of ourPresidency,
are ignorant and unthinking, and the moral effectsof their defeatwill neverbe
lost to them. The conspiracycasearoseout of the Maharaj libel case; it was
condemnatoryon its very face andhencethe defendants suffered;but in the rude
simplicity of their mind our Hindu brethrenwill ascribethis their defeatto their
advocacyof the Maharajcause, which,with,their proverbial
timidity, theywill
henceforth
astutelyeschew to espouseopenly. Theymightpassively oppose all
reforms;but their effortat activeopposition
beingthusnippedat theveryonset',
they arenot expected henceforth
to puff themselves into importanceon any
measure againstthe Reformers,
andif a nativeGuizotwereto compileat some
futureperioda workonthe " History of Civilisationin India," we "believe
the
raciestchapter in the book will be that which will treat of " Mr. Karsand&sand
his Prosecution."March on, Progress,
thine is the dayI Glory, Reformer,
thineis the VICTORYl-Indfon Banner,December 22, 1861.
V.-The JSdmddd or Dawn.
"Webegto acknowledgewith thanksreceiptof the Reportof the great Libel

Casebothin EnglishandG-ujar&ti."Wearegladto findthat the proceedingsof
this important caseare preservedin these forms. They will ever remain as
witnesses
testifyingto the vileanddebasing
natureof the Vallabhacharya
system
of religion; and also to the immoral and beastly characterof its teachers,the
Maharajas. Our spacebeing pre-occupied,we are preventedfrom making any
lengthenedremarkson the Report. We must,however,makeroomto saya
word on the decisionof the Court. We have read this decisionwith great satis-
faction, and our satisfactionwould have been altogether completehad the Chief
Justice taken the same view of the caseas his colleague. The technical ob-
jectionshe took to the pleaof not guilty, and the enforcementof nominal damages
of five rupees, havesomewhatmarred tho effect of his otherwisemost able and
weightyjudgment. Lookingat it in a legalpoint of view,we are constrained
to saythat it is ajudgmentthatwill everdohonourto the nameof Sir Matthew
Sausse,and will place him among those eminent men who have adornedthe
English Bench in this or in their own nativecountry. The judgmentof Sir Joseph
Arnotild is all that could be desired. It is to say in a single sentencethe most
eloquent,powerful,andsatisfactoryjudgmentthat wasperhapseverpronounced
in anyof the Indiancourtsof justice. We happenedto bepresentin the Court
onthe day the decision
wasgivenby the Judges,andwe shall neverforgotthe
earnesttone of Sir Joseph. He seemedto have felt that he had a great duty to
perform,and he certainlyperformedit well. Being convincedby the evidence
producedin the Courtthat theMahAraj&s andtheir tenetswereof immoraland
debasingcharacter,
he did not shrink from denouncing themin language, the
forceof winch will ever remainunabated. We admire Sir Josephfor the breadth
of his thought,for his strongsense
of justice,for his perfecthonesty,
for his love
ofliberty,andforhislegalattainments.*
Hehasshown
himself
athorough
Eng-
lishmanby upholdingandvindicatingthe cause
of truth andhumanity.
We shall now say a word or two about the principal parties concernedin this
casebeforeconcluding.The first and foremost
is the MaharajJadunathjihim-
self. It must be confessedthat he showedgreat courageand independenceof
mind by appealingto the Supreme
Courtfor whathe considereddefamationof
character.HardlyanyotherMahar&jwouldhayedonesxieh a thing, andcertain
10
146 APPENDIX.
wearethatnootherMaharaj
would
haveappeared
in theCourt,ashedid,togive
evidence.But bysodoinghehasworkedouthis ownandhisbrotherMaharajas'
ruin. It is well that he tookrefugein the Court,otherwisewe shouldnothave
knownhalf the truth concerning thesegurusandtheir religion. Theirimmoral
characterhasbeenincontestibly established,and we wouldadvisethemto leave
off the evilof their waysandto seekthe knowledge of that truth whichby its
renovating
influence
will change
themforthebetter. Thecounsels
of bothsides
did theirdutyto the bestof theircapacity,
but it wereungratefulnot to notice
that the success
of the casein favour of the defendantsis very much owing to the
greatskill, thelegalacumen,
the immense
researches,
andthe unwearied
efforts
of their witnesses'counsel,Mr. Anstey. The name of Chisholm Anstey,the
successfulbanister, will not easilybe forgotten in the Bombaycommunity. The
witnesses whose evidenceseemsto have decided the case are the Eev. Dr. Wilson,
Drs. BhauDaji andDhirajrumDalpatram,
andMessrs.
Mathuradas
Lowji and
LakhmidasKhimji. Dr. Wilson'sclear and comprehensive evidencedid much to
throw downthe wickedpretensionsof the Vallabhach&ryareligion. Mr. Bayley
seemedto havefelt the weight of this evidence,asis obviousfrom the mannerin
which he spokeof Dr. Wilson in oneof his addresses.Dr. JBh&uDaji's and Mr.
Mathuradas'sevidenceclearlyestablishedthe bad characterof the Mah&iajtisin
general,andof the plaintiff in particular. The evidence
of Dr. Dhirajramand
Mr. Lakhmidas left no doubtasto the fact that the plaintiff is a monsterof
wickedness in humanform. Thesehave laid the friendsof native improvement
under the greatestobligation. We thank them for the bold, uncompromising,
and intelligent way in which they gavetheir evidence. The last, but the most
important, party we haveto nameis Mr. KarsandasMulji, the chief defendantin
the case.We do not knowin what wordsto express our admirationof this
gentleman.For yearspasthehasfearlessly denounced
their errors,superstitions,
andimmoralities:andhaslaboured unweariedly
to enlightenthemby thelight
hepossesses. Thereis noprideorvanityabouthim; but heis sincerely desirous
of the welfareof his brethren. It wasfrom the purestmotivesto dogoodthat
hepenned the article,whichraisedsucha stormin the Vaishnava community as
wasneverwitnessed before.The MaharajJadunathjiand his blind devotees
usedeverywayandmeans in theirpowerto inducehim to offeranapology to his
offendedholiness;andanapology fromMr. Karsandas Mulji wouldhaveseated
Jadunuthjiandhis fellowMaharajas ontheirgddisseventimesmorefirmlythan,
before. But this naturallytimidgentleman, whenheperceived thateffortswere
beingmade to make
himsuccumb to theauthority
of theMah&raj,boldly
stood
outasa lion,andrefused
to listento anycompromise. Duringtheproceedings
of the ease
in the Court,promises
andthreatenings
wereaddressed
to him that he
mightcome
to some
understanding
withtheMahfiraj,
butall to noavail. He
feltthathehadtruthonhisside,
andthatit would
beunworthy
toyieldtoany
improper
influence.
Hehadveryfewfriends
to stand
byhimat firstandof these
fewthere
wera
some
who,
hadtheBhattia
Conspiracy
Case
leendecided
against
him,-would
have,likegenuine
Banians,
withonehandonthegdgriandtheother
on thedhotarranawayfromhim,andjoinedtheranksof theMaTi&r&j. He
made uphismindto goonwiththecase
at all risks,andhisconsistency
andper-
severance
havebeenrewarded.Thecause
of truth hasat lastprevailed.A most
degrading
superstition
is exploded
: theteachers
andpropagators
of thissupersti-
tion arein the estimation
of enlightened
mencastdownto the lowestdepthsfrom
that proud,high positionwhichthey enjoyedfor threehundredyears:andthe
wayof reformation thrownopen. Mr. Karsand&s Mulji hasthehonourof being
the chiefinstrument in bringingabouttheseresults. His namewill descend
to
posterityas that of a brave, genuineReformer. It will ever be associatedwith
the cause
of reformation
in this country.
Beforeconcluding
theseremarks we havea suggestion
to maketo our*educated
young men,and to all the friendsof native improvement. Our suggestionis this,,
thatconsidering,
thetoilsandtroublesMr.Karsandas
hasundergone in connection.
with the Libelcase,
andthe services
hehasrenderedto the cause
of moralityand.
humanity by his disinterestedand manly conduct, someacknowledgmentouglit
to be madeof theseservices. "Weshall feel very much disappointedif something
is not done towardsthis object. Many personshave receivedtestimonialsfrom
the peopleof Bombay,but we questionvery much if any of thosegentlemenwas
more entitled to a testimonial than our friend Mr. Karsandas. The amount of,'
suffering and pain he has undergonein the last twelve monthsfor the good of.
his fcllowmen,no one can tell; and it will not redoundto the honourof "Young
Bombay andotherswho'have the welfare of the country at heart if they,allow-
this opportunityto slip without giving an expressionof their sympathywith the
personwho enduredsomuch in doing goodto his fellowmen.
"We are not donewith this Libel case. It suggestsmany important questions,.
and seriousconsiderations."Wehaveneither spacenor time to touch upon these-
in the presentnumberof the Bdmddd.We hopeto return to this subjectsoon..In
the meanwhilelet our friendsthe [Reformersandthe whole body of theVaishnavas-
ask what arcthey to do now ? The Vallabh6.ch6.rya religion whichtheyprofessed.
is no religion at all, but a systemof lies and delusions,-a systemwholly opposed..
to the gloryof God,andthe wellbeingof man. It is clearthata religionlike
this no man who has a particle of good senseor right feeling will everfollow.
What areyou,friends,thento do? Someof you mayperhaps
reply,we shall
take leave of it, and have nothing to do with it. Yery good,but what next ?
Youcannotdowithoutreligion. You cannotacquityourselves asrationalmen
withouttheaidof true religion. Yourenquiries,'
therefore,
should
.bedirectedto-
ascertain
the religionwhichis of God,andnot of "m.m.r-jBdmddd
orJDawn,for
April.
"yi.- Oriental Christian Spectator.

EDITORIAL NOTE.--We havenow,withconsiderable
exertion,-thoughin tne>
matter we havereceivedthe kind assistance
of someMends,-completed the
14:8 APPENDIX.
articleontheMaharaj
LibelCase
whichwepromised
to ourreaders
some
time
ago. It contains tbe officialdocuments laid beforetbe SupremeCourt; tbe
"substanceof the evidenceadduced onbothsides(whichwehavetakenprincipally
from the reportprintedat the Gazette Pressandpublished at theofficeof the
Times<?/India]; andthe elaborate andsearching judgmentsof Sir Matthew
Sausseand Sir JosephArnould. Many of our readers,who will admit
the necessity, in the presentcircumstances of India,-with other systems of
corruptiondefilingthe land but partiallyexplored,-ofa recordbeingmadein
this periodical©f the great contestfor truth and purity in which that most
amiableandpromising reformer, Karsandas Mulji, andhis associates
havebeen
latelyengaged,
willdecline
toread
thedisgusting
details
ofthisremarkable
trial.
Theirentireavoidance of themmaybealtogether expedient in manycases, while
the studyof them,with someattention, maybeincumbent on the philanthropist,
the reformer,andthestatesman.The apostolical adviceof Paulto the Gentile
convertsat Ephesus is applicable to all in a caseof this kind: "Have no
fellowshipwith the unfruitfulworksof darkness, but ratherreprove(orexpose)
them. Por it is a shame evento speakof thosethingsthat aredoneof themin
secret. But all thingsthat arereproved (or exposed) aremademanifestby the
light: for whatsoever dothmakemanifestis light." Eventhoughshamemust
be felt in the veryimagination, or expression in conversation,of the deedsof
darkness, they must,to bring about their cessation, be both laid openand
reprobated.Light mustbe thrownon the darkestplacesand darkest deeds of
iniquity, that theymay be broughtto a speedytermination.Thereis often
a moral power evenin disgust,which,in someimportantquarters, cannotbe
dispensed with. Thereis a greatdifferencebetween writingof evil to enticeto its
commission,and showingits existence,to deterfrom its commission.
"Weshould have beenglad to have.givena report of the pleadingsof counsel
on both sidesof this case; but our space,on which we havemuch encroached
by
devotingto it'Considerably
morethan thenumberof pages
contained
in anytwo
issuesof our periodical,forbad us to make the attempt. This is the less to be
regretted, as of thesepleadingsbut very imperfectnotes have beenpreserved.
They were of an able character,particularly in behalf of the defendant. Mr.
Anstey'sefforts,bothin his searching
examinations
andimpassioned
exposures
of
the evilswith whichbehadto deal,will neverbeforgotten
in Bombay.
The Friend of India has proposedthat Sir JosephArnould's admirable
judgment shouldbetranslatedinto the variouslanguagesof India, and published
as a tract. With a generalview of the evidence, it hasalreadyappearedin
Gujar-citi,It is intended,
we believe,to give it in the Brij-Bhashk,
assoonas
practicable.
Somenotices
in theIndianpressof thisextraordinary
trial, wehopeto givein
an early issue.-Oriental ChristianSpectator,for July andAugust^1862.
COMMENTS OF THE ISTOIAN PRESS. 149
TCI.-The Decvan HerM:
The1Judgment inthegreatMaharQ libelcase hasatlengthbeen made public;'

curiosityhasbeensatisfied",
andtheverdictof Her Majesty's Judgesis nowa
topicof generalconversation.It is-to'beregretted thattheopinionof thetwo
Justicesisdivided,
asit isfeared
that theapparent difference
in theirdecisions
will giveriseto a1considerable
amount of litigation. Thatthe-plaintiffwill
appealto the Privy Council,
cannotreasonably
bedoubted,
andindeed,
wehave
heard
thatspecial
counsel
hasalready
beenretained
in England
for this purpose.
Substantially,the verdictis in fevour of the defendant, who has successfully
vindicated theright of free discussion.No publicwriterneednowbe»afraid to
appearbeforeHer Majesty'sJudges, if their causeis good,andtheir evidence
unimpeachable. Sir JosephArnouldhas,in his judgment,placed thelibertyof
the Pressupona basisof securitywhich it neverpreviously occupied.Onlya
veryfewyearsago,to becalleduponto defendan actionin the Supreme Court,
for libel,wasoneof the mostperilouspositions in whicha journalistcouldbe
placed."Weremember upononeoccasion, the counselfor the defendant,
in an
allegedlibel case,advisingthe adoptionof.a compromise, at all hazards,
on the
groundsthat having the ear of the Court,he knew that a determinationexisted
in the mind of oneof the Judgesto makean example-ofthe first Indian Editor-
who had the misfortune to be cast in- damages-that came before him. His
Lordship's decisionshad provoked the criticisms'of the pressrandhe,therefore,
awaitedin grim expectancythe advent of the first victim. Fortunatelyfor his
reputation,the opportunity, so eagerly desired,never arrived, and Bombaywas
spared
the humiliationof seeing
the erminespotted
by individualanimosity.In
the caseunder notice,few will venture to deny that both Sir MatthewSausseand
Sir JosephArnouldhaveexhibiteda degreeof patienceandresearch,in endea-
vouringtO'arriveat a knowledgeof the true meritsof the discussion,rarely
equalledin judicial investigation.For'morethana monththeyhadto listento
a massof evidenceasconflicting, as it was disgusting,andfor upwardsof another
monththeyappearto havebeenassiduously analysingthe wholedepositions-
separating,
the few grainsof truth from the mountainof falsehood, with such.
discrimination
andprecision, as will entitlethemto the lastingrespectof the
nativecommunity,.It will bebornein mindthat, in the Maharaj. case,
theysat
in the capacityof both jurors andjudges,andtheir responsibilitywasconse-"
quently
all thegreater,
especially
as their,legaltrainingwouldinclinethemto
leanto the law of the caserather than to its equity. It seems
a. singular
anomaly,
that in Indiaactionsof this naturearenot referred
to a jury,for
decision,
astheyarein England.If theywere,
thejudges
would
berelieved
froma gooddealofanxiety,
anda feelingofsecurity
would
beengendered,
which.
thepublic
donotat all timesfeel. "With,
judges
likeSirMatthew
Sausse
and
Sir Joseph
Arnould,no apprehension
needbe entertained
that theirverdicts
150 , APPENDIX.
"wouldat any time not be in strict accordance

with justice; but, unfortunately,as
"wehave already mentioned,there are sometimesmen elevatedto the Bench
"whocannotsubmergethe prejudicesof the individual in the impartiality of the
judge. Into the meritsof theallegedlibel, it is notourintentionto enter,until
we have perusedthe written judgments, which we have been informedwill
shortly be published, The European public can take but little interestin a
question of Hindu immorality, the more especiallythat the priesthoodof the
heathenhave everbeennotedfor their profligacy and hypocrisy. Theplaintiff in
this caseis, we daresay, no worsethan the generality of the brotherhood,and we
cannothelp thinking that the goodwhich the causeof Christianityis expectedto
derive from the exposure,is extremely questionable. The followers of the
Mah&rajVill be inclined to regard him as a martyr, and it is not unlikely that
Ms influence,insteadof being diminished,will be greatlyincreased. Thesterling
benefitwhich will result from the investigationof the case,consistsin the right
which the judgmentguaranteesthe people,to indulgein the legitimatediscussion
of all questions,affectingthe civil andreligious liberties of the subject. The veil
of superstition,which has for such a length of time deadenedthe senses,and
darkenedthe intellect, has beenruthlessly swept away,never more,it is to be
hoped,to disgracethe humanity which it held in fetters. That India is in a
state of transition both politically and socially, cannotbe for a momentdoubted.
The peopleare beginning to despisethe darkness,in which they have so long
dwelt; their delusionsarepassingaway, and in the succession of organicchanges,
which we see constantly taking place around us we recognizethe dawnof a
glorious day. The starlessnight of ignoranceand error is rapidly passingaway;
the sun of knowledgeis nearing the horizon ; and beforemanyyearshaveswept
by, we trust to seethe millions who peoplethis land, standingfree and emanci-
pated from everyvice that degrades,and every belief that enslaves.In some
parts of India, a native pressmay be dangerous,but in the Presidencyof Bombay
it has everbeenfound oneof the strongestleverswhich progresspossesses. The
triumph which the editor of the Satya Prakdshhas just achievedis not, by any
means,the first of its kind, although it is perhapsof moreimportancethan any
that have precededit. The native journalists of Bombayhave ever beendis-
tinguished for ability and independence ; and the calm mannerin which all
manner of questionsare discussed,is oftenquite equalto the toneof the English
press. "Wecongratulate
Mr. Karsand&s
Mulji on thevictoryhehasgained
and
trust that his couragewill be duly appreciatedby his countrymen.-Deccan
Eerald, April 25, 1862.
, YIIL-TJie Poona Observer.
We have to acknowledgewith thanks the report of the Maharaj Libel Case,

and of the Bh&tti& ConspiracyCaseconnectedwith it. We are also informed
that it is intended to put all the notices of this famouscasein the various
newspapers
andperiodicals,
in theformof a pamphlet,
andcirculate
themamong
the followers
of theMaharajas,-averydesirable
ohject.
Theaspect of this case,whichperhaps givesit its greatest
importance
is
this:- thefactthat theplaintiff,Jadanathji
BrizrattanjiMaharaj,
should
have
thought it necessary
to denythedoctrinesof hissect,whentheywereimputedto
him.
It must strike his followers that this is not the conductof a teacherof a true
religion. Persecution is alwaystakenadvantage of by teachers
of truth as an
opportunity of assertingthe heavenlynatureof their creed,"Whydid not the
Maharaj,a high priestof the secthe belongs to, takeadvantage of this public
opportunity,andusingthe witnessbox for his pulpitproclaimfromit thetruth
lie believedin ? "Whydid he not declarethat it wasthe duty of all true
believers
to give up their -wivesand daughtersto his embraceandthat of his
colleagues; that carnal intercourse with him on the part of a woman was
equivalentto her communion
with the Infinite; that eternalhappiness
in
another state is of the samenature; and that holinessand sanctityconsistsin
makingthis world a foretastein this respectof the next?
He did nothing of the sort. He disclaimsthe imputationsto him of the
doctrinesheld and the practicescountenancedby the Yallabhacharyasectas an
injury and insult, to be atoned for by a fine of five thousandrupees, A
newspaperpublisheswhat has since been proved in open court, and at a fair
andcareful trial, to be nothing morethan a true pictureof the proceedings
of the
sect; andhe knowsno escapefrom the infamy whichhe well knowsit will biing
uponhim, than to denounce the imputationasa false,scandalous, malicious,
infamous, anddefamatory libel, wickedly,maliciously,
anddesignedly printedand
published with a viewto bringhiminto disrepute, andinjurehisgoodfame;and
whenit wasprovedthatthe allegedlibel wasonlysober truth, heis saidto have
fledfromBombay in fearof a prosecutionfor perjury.
It is suchconductwhichis likely to produce sowidean effectuponthenative
population.
It isnotsomuchthescandalous
nature
of therevelations
madeas
to the deedsof this false and licentious priest, which seemto us so important.
There have been false and licentious priests of other religions. Mahomet
usedhispretended
propheticalofficeto excuse
his licentiousness;
andeven
Christendom,
we grieveto saymaybe reproached with its Borgias
andits
Achillis. But it is that whenwhenthe creedof the sectof theMaharajas
was
brought beforethepublic,oneof theirhighpriests
denied it justat thetimehe
wasexpressly calleduponto confessandproclaim its truth. "Who will believe
in. a religionwhichthe.prieststhemselves are the first to repudiatewith
pretended
horroranddisgust
?
Thereligionof theYallabh&.charyans
will notsurvive
thisblow;at leastwe
hope
soforthehonour
ofhuman
nature.Buttheeffect
ofit will befeltstill
farther.It will resound
throughout
the Hinduworld. Forin truth,though
thisparticular
sectissaidtohave
originated
onlythree
hundred
years
ago,
it has
152 APPENDIX.
derivedits doctrinesandpracticesby not illegitimatedeductionfrom the old

theologyof the Hindus. The worshipof Krishna is certainlytouchmore
ancient;andthe -worship of Krishnais indirectlybut mostdecisivelystruckat
in the judgmentof the SupremeCourt of Bombay.
That the consequences
of this casewill be veryimportant,there canbeno
sort of doubt; it must occasiona great revulsion of religious feeling amonga
largepart of the population. And we shouldhopetherecanbe little doubt
in what direction"this will take place.
We arenot amongthosewhoregardthe exposure of the falsehoodof the old
fablesof the Hindu bookswith much apprehension. It has beensaid that
to exhibitto a Hinduthefalsehoodof thepretension
of these"booksto infallible
truth-which the knowledge possessed
by Europeans
asto geography andsoforth
mustnecessarily do-is to leavehim without anyreligionat all; andthat it
is better he shouldretain his old belief than fall into scepticism.
We might perhapsreply that no religion at all is better than a religion of
which the principal end and object is sensuality and vice. But speaking:
generally, we believe there is on the whole no real truth in the theory. We
believethat to deprivemost men of their former theory would be, not to reduce
them to infidelity, but to drive them to seek a new one.-Poma Q&sewar,
May 20, 1862..
IX.-Tie Sindim.
The Maharajlibel casedraggedon so slowly during the time it wasbeforethe

SupremeCourt, andsucha long period was allowed to elapsebefore the judg-
mentwas delivered,that it is not surprisingif the public interest in this remark-
abletrial hasrather-fallenoff. We havepostponed
makingany remarksupon.
the subjectuntil we had receivedand perusedthe judgment in externc*. Two
issuesback we presentedour readerswith an abstractof it taken fromthe Bombay
papers.The extended
text hasnow cometo hand,but is of suchgreatlength
as to precludeus entirely from reprinting it. There cannotbe a doubtthat the
evidentconscientious
carewith which this document
hasbeenprepared,
the
rigid attention to formsof law which it displays,andthe substantialjustice which
it dealsforth,will addlargelyto the generalrespectwithwhichthe Supreme
Courtis regarded.The publicat large, if we exceptthe Mah&r&jand his
deludedvotaries, have every reason to be satisfiedwith the verdict. "It would
certainlyhave beenpleasanterhad the Chief Justice beenableto take the same
view of the legal technicalitiesof the caseas his colleague,but his decisions
show so clearly his determinationnot to allow his knowledgeof the law to be
overborneby the sympathywhich every honest man must have felt with the
defendant,that it is hard to take exceptionsto it. On the other hand it is
eminently gratifying to find a lawyer of Sir JosephArnould's well known at-
tainments
ablehonestly
to declare
his conviction
that in thisinstance
atleast,
astrictlegalaward
is thoroughly
compatible
"withourpreconceived
notions
of
whatwasjustandright. If themanwhosofearlessly exposedtheabominable
superstition
whichhad gradually become engrafted uponhis creed,-without
malice,asmaliceis understoodby the worldat large,
but honestly
andwith
becomingindignation-ifthis manhadbeencastin damages forhispains,the
libertyof thepress
might
indeed
have
been
setdown
asathingof thepast.On
this point Sir Joseph
Arnould'sownwordswill beread withpleasure,
andwill
find an echoin theheartof everyonewhodesires thereformation
of society
and the promptexposure of abuses."For generarations" saysthelearned
judge," thehereditary
highpriests
of hissecthad,ashe(thedefendant)
believed,
committed
whoredom with the daughtersof his people. Like the sonsof Eli
theyhaddonethis openlyat the gate of the temple-like the sonsof Eli they
haddonethisunderthepretended
sanction
andin theabused
name
ofreligion.
Thisis the thinghodenounces. It wouldbe a wasteof wordsto pointout that
in denouncing it-vehemently,bitterly, indignantly-he waswithin the strict
limits of his dutyas a public writer. The interestsof societyrequirethat
wickedness suchasthisshouldbesternlyexposed andunrelentingly
hunteddown.
If to writevehemently,bitterly,indignantlyonsucha subjectasthisbelibellous
-then werethe Prophetsof old libellers-then were the early Fathersof the
Churchlibellers-then have all earnestmen in all time beenlibellers, who have
published
to theworldin thefit languageof generous
indignation,
their scornof
hypocrisy and their hatred of vice." For this bold expositionof the laW'Sir
JosephArnould deservesthe thanks of the whole pressof India. It is a matter
of no small moment to have it so clearly laid down that a public writer is not
exceeding
hisdutyin thefearless
exposure
of abuses,
whenhedoes
it in goodfaith,
and without maliciousexaggeration. And yet it causes
us considerablesolicitude "
to find that Sir Matthew Sausseseemedto consider the mere publicationof a
defamatory statement as prim&facieevidence of malicein law,andthat there
wasno "justifying occasion'*for the libel in question. He admitsthat the
defendant enteredinto the controversy " with thehonestpurposeof exposing
to
publicreprobation doctrineswhichhe conscientiously believedto besubversive
of socialmorality"-(surelytherecouldbe noroom for doubtasto thetendency
of the abominable doctrinesof the Mah&raj)~-andthat he did not exceedthe
" licentious comment"as it has been termed,which is allowableupon matters
more immediatelyaffectingpublic interest; but the argumentof the Chief
Justiceappears to be thatthe defendant beforepublishing
thealleged
libel hadnot
madeproperenquiries into the truth of the gravechargeswhichheurgedagainst
theplaintiff,andthat theseonly cameout in evidenceafterwards.Further,that
in singlingout by name,a manwith whomhehadhadnoprevious acquaintance,
andwho hadgivenhim no direct causefor hostility,helaid himselfopento the
chargeof havingipublished a " malicious'*'
libel. We areof course
satisfied
from
Sir Matthew Sausse's
assurancethat this view of the easeis in strict consonance
with law andprecedent;but Sir JosephArnould'sarguments
arethosewhich
154 APPENDIX.
"willbemostappreciatedby the public,andtheyappearto usto dealmorefairly

"withthe broadfeaturesof the casebeforehim. He pointsout that if theplain-
tiff wassingledfromthe restof his sectfor the animadversions
of the defendant,
it wasbecause hehad put himselfprominently forwardas anexpositorof their
quasireligious doctrines, and was thus to some extenta marked man amongst
them. In other words the strictures of the defendantwere directedagainsta
class,whichby common reputeheld the mostatrocious doctrines,
andthe argu-
mentwhich headdressed to the plaintiff simplywas,"You havecomeforward
asthe defenderof the antiquityof your sect,andasa propagatorof religion;
wouldit not bemoreconsistent with proprietyfor you andyourco-religionists
to
devoteyourselvesprimarily to the repressionof the abuseswhich havebecome
so notorious-? Desist from your evil practices and you will then have some
claim to be consideredfit teachersof religion."
So muchfor the legal technicalities
of the case. It is gratifyingthat"both
judges are unanimous in declaring that the practices alleged against the
Mah&rajushave beenfully proved, and that looking at the questionin this light,
the man Avhoso fearlesslyexposedthem, and hasin consequence beensubjected
to such an amount of persecutionand intimidation, in order to force him from
his purpose,is entitled to a substantialverdict in his favour. The falseprophet
has been remorselesslyexposed. The man who was so solicitousthat no one in
court should so much as touch him, lest his godshipshould be defiled,hasbeen
publicly shownup as stainedwith the foulest excesses, and it hasbeenprovedthat
he-the leader of his people-had perjuredhimself shamelessly and unblushingly
in a court of justice. It hasbeenprovedbeyonda possibility of a doubtthat the
horrible creed, which it is impossibleeven to particularize without offenceto
modesty, is practically believedin by a modernsect of Hindus,-and that the
dedicationof their bodies and property to the men whom they regardas the in-
carnationof the Deity is no mereform of wordsbut is taken advantageof to the
utmost"byone at leastof their religious teachers. Sofar as a thorough exposure
is concerned,the editor of the Satya Pralcdsh has accomplishedhis object;-it
remains to be seen whether the deluded votaries of this false creed will be induced
thereby to return to the comparativepurity of Brahminism, or whether they will

show themselvesdeaf to remonstrance,and cling more closely than ever to the
priest who has now someclaims to be considereda martyr. The strongfeeling
which from the first hasbeendirectedagainstthe defendant,is but too conclusive
evidenceof how the current is likely to turn; but whatever may be the result
of this remarkable trial, the gratifying fact remains,that this effort for reform
hascomefromwithin,andassuchis entitledto ourhighestrespect
andsympathy.
There is yet hopefor the degradedidolators of this country,when we find that
there are men amongstthem who are not afraid to standboldly forward as social
reformers;andwehaveno reasonto fear but that the goodw,orkinaugurated
"byKarsandasMulji, will in the fulnessof time hearits legitimate fruits. It is
to behopedthat his investigations
into the historyof the YallabhkchCirya
sect,
mayhave,
theeffect
of convincing
himthatacreed whichcould develope
sucha
bastard
offspring
asthis,must
in itselfbeintrinsically
false.Leaving thefol-
lowers
of theMah&r&jtowallowin sensuality andtocallit religion,
heandhis
adherents
mayyetbeableto advance a littlefurther
intheironward progress
towards
apurerfaith,andtorecognizethefactthatthetendency
of an idolatrous
worship
is everto degenerate
into something evenmoredegraded.-Sindian,
May 7, 1862.
X,- Our Paper.

THE MAIIARAT LIBEL CASE.-Thejudgmentandverdictin the causeof
JadundtJtji
BrizmttcwjiMahdrdjv. Karsandds
Mulji andanother,
whichof late
hasexcited
asmuchattention
asit hasdisgust,
underthetitleof the,"Mahar&j
LibelCase,"
arenowbeforeusunabridged,
andaffordtheopportunityforwhich
wehavewaited,to pronounce upontheir justiceandmerits,fromthat point of
viewunderwhicha subjectof this natureandmagnitude presentsitself to the
publicjournalist. From the brief abstract
whichwe gleaned aweekagofrom
the Bombay newspapers, we hastily formedthe opinionthat the ChiefJustice,
Sir MatthewSaussc, hadfounded his decision
too religiouslyuponthelaw of the
issue,greatlyto the prejudice
of equity,andthecause of publicmorality. Now
that we have carefully perusedhis judgment, we feel confirmedin that first
opinion,andregret that suchshould be the case. We are indeedpositivethat in
all the annalsof the British judiciary, there is not suchanothertrial whichin its
resultsbetter exemplifiesthe dangerand the actual wrongof bowingscrupulously
to the dictates of sheerabstractlaw, than this revolting caseof that brutal man
the Maharaj. To precedent and technicality
we do nothesitate to saythat the
ChiefJusticehassacrificed principleandthe bestinterestof the community.
Underthefoldsof alabouredplea,assisted by an ostentatious
displayof impar-
tiality, Sir M. Sausse,
with aneyesingle,it appears,to the establishmentof his
reputation asa shrewdandprofoundlawyer,has dealta heavier blowat thepro-
gress
of moralityandcivilization
in this countrythananyotherhandsowell
armedcouldeverhavedaredto aim. Althoughhe himselfadmits-andhow
couldhe do otherwise
with the overwhelming
massof testimonyreekingbefore
him,with the evidence
of lecherousabominations
incredibleif they were not
solemnly
swornto bytheoutraged
followers
of theinfamouspriest,-headmits,
wesay,that theMahar&jhasbeenguilty of thevilestoutrages
uponpublic
morality,andinvokedin their perpetration
the prestigeof sanctity,
with which
hispoordupesinvested
him; the ChiefJustice
furtheradmitsthat,in theposi-
tivedenial
whichtheplaintiffmadeunderoathof thoseshameful practices,
he
hadgrossly perjured
himself;andyet in thenextbreath, Sir Matthew pro-
nouncesthatthisperjured,
adulterous
wretchhasbeenlibelled,
andawards hima
nominalverdict,it is true,but onewhichamong
the deluded
victimsof thisman,
andhisdesigning
coadjutors,
maybefraughtwith themostdeplorable
conse-
quences,
TheChiefJustice
hasdecided
that,although
theMaharaj
wasguilty
156 APPENDIX.
of all that wasbroughtto Msdoor,of adulterywiththe wivesanddaughters of

an.influentialclassof thenativeinhabitantsof nolessaplacethana presidential
town,it did not belongto the editorof the Saty-aPraJsdsh to expose
his mis-
deeds : he had no business to libel that disgustingly
lewd andperjuredman.
Thejudgment
even
goes
thelengthof denying
tothepress
theexercise
of oneof
its mostsacredduties,
thedutyof stigmatizing
vicewherever
it mayflauntitself,.
andcrimebywhomsoever,
behehighorlow,it is.committed
shamelessly,
openly
in the faceof all mankind,
andbeforehighheaven.He argues
thatbecause
Mr.
Karsand&s
Muljihadnoearthly
directinterest
in stirringupthisloathsome
filth-
pit, he ought to haveleft it alone:in otherwords, because the editorwho sa
noblycameforwardhadneitherwifewhomthe infamous Mahar&jhad de§ledr
nor daughterwhomthe sameindividualhad for everlost to shame, he, the
editor,shouldhavekeptsilentandpassed on.to theperformance of somelessdis-
agreeable duty. Tins is the law of libel narroweddownto its straightest
appli-
cation,andit proves plainerthanargument canestablish,
thatthe suspicionwith
which the masses look uponthe law as a subterfuge whichdefeats the endsof
justice,whichscreens theguiltyandblaststhe innocent,is but toowell founded..
The object of the law, in its abstract sense,is the interpretation of enactments,,
and its task is to sift their meaningsothoroughlythat in their applicationno
misconceptionmayarise,and no wrong be done;,but asall mindsdo not possess
the sameanalyticalpowers,
andastheyarenot all endowed withthe samelogical
capacity,
it will happen,
asit doesbut toooftenin ourcourtsof justice,especially
thosewherecauses arenot submittedto the decisionof juries,tliat the wily
pleaderwinsthe dayoverhislesscleveradversary,andthe verybestandpurest
cause is thus lost. "We do not mean to insinuate here that Sir Matthew Sausse
hasbeenarguedinto thedecision
hehasgivenby theadroitness
of the plaintiff's
counsel. "Wemaintainthat he haseven-gone beyond: he hasassumedthe place
of thosegentlemen,for they too know aswell as he, that the MahAr&j is guilty
of all the grossactionschargedagainsthim, and that he hasperjured himself in
swearing that he had nevercommittedthem From this view which we take of
the case,it will be perceivedthat we disagreewith the great majority of our
contemporariesif not all of them, in the significancewe attach to the Chief
Justice's decision; but we must not be mistakenasanxiousto imputeunworthy
motives as his guidesin aiming at sucha decision; far be it from us to hint at
such a possibility, But we cannotdeplore too deeplythe error into which his
esprit de classehas evidently betrayed him: and had we not Sir Joseph
Arnould's able judgment to accompanySir Matthew's side by side, correcting
at every stepthe insidiouseffects which the latter might have wrought; had it
goneforth to the world alone and uncontradicted,we should have anticipated
evils too great to be estimatedto their full extent. Yet this timely antidote
can only operateamongthe moreenlightenedmembersof the native population.
"With the lower orders,those upon whom villains like Jadunathji Brizrattanji
fatten and thrive, no hope can be entertainedthat $ similarlybeneficialresult
"willfollowthePuisne
Judge's
abledecision.It is among
these
poorpeople
that the Mahar&jwill exhibitthe five rupees
he owesto Sir MatthewSausse's
legala-cumen,
asaninvaluable
tokenof hisrighteousness,
andhis power
to
triumphovertheenemies of the" Oceanof HasLild^ andasa homage to his
godshipfromthehandof a Christian
judge!
Notwithstanding
thedishearteningaspect
whichthiscaseassumes
in theeyesof
a conscientious
press,which doesvastlymore than is expected
at its hands
towards
thesupport
of thejudiciaryin therepression
of crimes
andabuses,
and
yet sooftengetsspurnedin return for zealwhichits dutybidsit exercise
in the
causeof the common weal,we still cherishthe hopethat there is yet left a
remedyfor the evil wroughtby the ChiefJustice'sdevotion to Msprofession.
Thisremedy
is the attitudewhicheveryenlightened
nativeshouldadoptin
conjunction
with Karsandas
Mulji, towards
the Maharajandhis followers. But
if theyfail to extend
a cordialsupport
to theSatya,
PraMsh
; if theylookon
supinelyat the commission of bestialactsat their verythresholds;then the task
will devolve uponthe Christiancommunity of Bombayto punishthe perpetrators
of thosedeeds andall whomaytoleratethem,by refusingto holdany communion,
beit sociallyor otherwise,with them. Themanof honour,behis creedwhatit
may,should recoilwith loathinganddisgustfromthe contactof beingssovile, so
lost to all sense
of shame, asto countenance the prostitutionof their own wives
and daughtersto debauchedmen veiled under the cloak of sanctity. Then, if
this still fails, if the persistinginfluenceof the governing race fails to root the
dreadfulevil out of their neighbourhood,
it will remainfor the authoritiesto
indict the Maharajasas theydo keepersof houses of ill-fame, and bring the
Maharfrjhimselfto the criminal'sdockas aperjurer; onthispoint at leastthe
Chief Justice is clear and there would be the chanceof obtaining a conviction.
If we do not considerthis asthe beststep to be adoptedevenwhile the caseis yet
freshin the mindsof the people,
it is because
a prosecutionof this description
may investthe Mahar&jwith a semblance of martyrdom, in which eventhis
causewouldpushfreshanddeeper rootsin thebosoms of his deluded anddebased
disciples.Thesealternatives,
andtheseonly,dowe think,will effectually
remove
the nuisance to which Sir M. Saussehas lent the sanction of the law. It remains
to be seenwhether the communityof Bombayare preparedandwilling to embrace
them in vindication of the fail- fame of their city and the causeof morality
at large.-Our Paper,May 9, 1862.
"KL-The Friend, of India.
Sometimeagoournewscolumns contained
fromweekto weekthe recordof a
suit in the Supreme Court of Bombayknownas the MaharajLibel Case,in
which the wholesystemof Hindu Idolatry waspracticallyon its trial. The
decisionof the judgeshasnow reachedus,andweproceed to put ourreadersin
possession
of thefactsof a lawsuitmuchmoreremarkable
in its character
and
158 APPENDIX.
important in its consequences, though lessexciting in its attendant circumstances,

than the " Nil Darpan" trial in Calcutta.
On the 21st Octoberlast KarsandasMulji, Editor of a Gujarati newspaper
called the Satya Prakdsh, or " Light of Truth," publishedan article in which he
chargedthe Mahar&jasor high priests of the Vallabhacharya sect with teaching
immoral doctrines and indulging' in adulterouspracticeswith their female de-
votees; and accusedJadunatbji Brizrattanji, a high priest in Bombaynoted for
his opposition to religious and educationalreforms, as especiallyguilty of the
grossestimmorality. The Mah&raj brought a civil action against the editor,
whoseleading counselwasthe well-known Mr, ChisholmAnstey. The Mah&raj
complainedthat the article characterisedthe sect of the Vallabhdeharyansas
heretical, attributed to its high priests the inculcation of immoral doctrines,
chargedthe whole bodywith immoral practices,and brought definite accusations
of adultery againstthe plaintiff individually. After a vain attempt on the part of
the Maharaj to prevent his devoteesfrom giving evidenceagainsthim, the case
cameon, the editor having fortunatelythe moral courageto brave the penaltiesof
excommunicationand social persecution. The defendant pleaded justification
among other pleas, and on this the casevirtually went to trial. Thirty-one
witnesseswere examinedfor the plaintiff and thirty-three for the defendant,the
latter embracing some of the most distinguished native reformers and men of
sciencein Bombay, like Dr. Bhiiu Daji, and oriental scholarslike Dr. "Wilson.
The plaintiff himself, whosesanctity had neverbeendefiledby a court of justice,
appearedin the witness-box,only however to make the most self-contradictory
admissionsof the truth of the charge,and to call forth from both of the judgesthe
declarationthat he had deliberatelyperjured himself.
In spite of the excitementamong the native community of Bombay,of the
crowdedstate of the court and the long continuanceof the trial, neverwas a case
conductedwith more fairness,or so as to reflect more credit on the judges,the
counsel,and all parties concernedexcept the plaintiff and his witnesses. The
evidencewas of the mostrevolting characterfrom the depthsof moral pollution
whichit revealed. The sacredbooksof the sectwritten in Sanskrit or Brij Bh&.sh!a
were necessarilylaid before the judges, in the shapeof translations of leading
passages, and they were required to pronounceupon the doctrinesvery muchas
Dr. Lushington doeson the Thirty-nine Articles. But the point at issuewas so
much more oneof the grosslyimmoral life of the plaintiff than of the theological
tenetsof his sect,that the court werenot required to losethemselvesin the mazes
of Hindu theology. As Sir JosephArnould put ifc, the principle contendedfor
was " that what is morally wrong cannot be theologically right; that when
practiceswhich sapthe very foundationsof morality, which involve a violation of
the eternal and immutable laws of Eight, are established in the nameand under
the sanctionof Eeligion,theyought,for the common
welfareof society,andin
the interest of humanity itself, to be publicly denouncedand exposed." The
conclusionto which both judges camewas that the essentialpoints in the libel
wereproved,andaverdictwasaccordingly
givenfor the defendant
on the main
issue. The Chief Justice should not have weakened the moral effect of this
decisionby enteringa verdictfor the plaintiff on threepurelyformalpleas,and
giving hjmfiverupeesof damages.The judgmentof Sir JosephArnouldis a
nobleanddignifiedprotestagainstthat idolatrywhichsapstheveryfoundations
of society,and in favour of that freedomof public opinionthrough the press,by
whichsuchpractices
asthoseof theValkbhach
Aryanscanalonebeexposed.The
judgment should be translated and widely circulated among the natives. "We
only regret the casecould not have been tried under that chapter of the Penal
Codewhich dealswith offencesrelating to religion, The clausesare so vaguely
worded and a recent trial in Calcutta showsthem to- be so dangerous,that a
precedentsuchas the Maharaj's defeat would have beenof inestimablevalue to
the causeof true religiousliberty and morality.
The light let into the hideousrecessesof Yallabhacharyaobscenityby the
evidence in this case far more than confirms all the statements of such scholars as
"Ward and II. H. Wilson. It is a fact that the wealthiest and largest of the
Hindu mercantile communitiesof Central and "WesternIndia worship as a god
a depravedpriest,comparedwith whom the filthiest satyr is an angel,and that
their femalesapply to amorousdalliance with a diseaseddebaucheethe sacred
principle of the love of God and of self-dedicationto his service. Prom such
profanitiesthe readerrecoils appalled. It is no less true that three-fourthsof
the people of Bengal are devoted to the adoration of the Shakti or female
principle, which in manycasesis attendedwith midnight orgies,even to hear of
which pollutesthe imagination. To this has Hinduism come,and lower than this
must it sink. Every centuryas it rolls on steepsthe peopleand their priests in
deeperdefilement,and removesthem from the comparativepurity of thoseVedic
days,to which someyouthful reformersare striving to return, The last bondof
societyis the family : whenthat is corruptedthe endis at hand. It wasso with
ancient heathenism,with the society which Juvenal lashes,and such writers
as Pctronius and Martial depict, If only all the Shaktaand Yaislmavasects
of the Hindus-that is almostthe whole of them-could be draggedto the light
of heavenasthe Yallabliucluiryaushavebeen,whatrevelationswouldnot bemade!
Here we find it establishedin a court of justice that the wives and daughters
of the wealthiestHindus in the Presidencyof Bombay,the Baniansand Bhiittifis,
are at the disposalof a wretch, who as God daily commitscrimes from which
Tiberius would haveshrunk. When lust is deifiedand adulteryadored,not asin
Corinthand Cyprus
by a specialcastebut by the matrons
of a wholecommunity,
and when this is donewith the sanctionof their husbandsandbrothers,there can
be little hopeof a people. It remainsto be seenif anyshameisleft in theYallabh-
6.ch&ryans, if JadunatlvjiMahCir&jwill still pursuehis careerin Bombay,and
fatherswill still permitthe females
of their families
to frequenthistemple.
Hinduismwill neverreformitself. Slowlythe process of mortification
is begin-
ning, Thelight whichourmissionaries, ourschools, ourcourts,ourrailwaysand
160 APPENDIX.
allthatis English
is lettingintothelandmakes
it seem
onlythemorehideous."
A religion"whichmakes proselytismimpossible mustperishof inanition. Caste
maykeepit for a timein a sortof life-in-deathexistence.A newgeneration,
influenced by the secular
instructionimpartedin stateschools and the civilizing
agencies everywhereat work,mayfor a time find peacein sucha compromise
"between truth anderrorasVedantism is,andmayevenshowthe moralcourage of
Karsandas Mulji andDr. BhauDaji, the defendant andprincipalwitnessin this
case. But all compromises aretemporary, all scepticism
failsto give permanent
satisfaction.Yedantism will asinevitablyrisein timeinto the regionof ahigher
faith, asHinduismmustdegenerate till it expiresunderthe weightof suchcor-
ruptionasthiscasehasrevealed.Meanwhilewetrustthis decision will givethe
honestnativereformers of bothBengaland Bombay newcourage to expose the
evils of a superstitionwhich bearssuch fruit, boldly to comeout from among a
peoplewhosoworshipsuchgodsandsoadoresuchpriests,and" to seekthe Lord
if haplytheymightfeelafterhim andfindhim, thoughhebenot far fromevery
oneof MB:'-Friend of India, May 831862.
XII.-The Hindu Patriot.
THE MAHARAJ LIBEL CASE: ITS MORAL.-"We have received a thick octavo
volume of two hundred and thirty-four pages,being a full report of the great
Maharaj Libel caseof Bombayand of the Bhattia conspiracycaseconnectedwith
it. The history of the libel and of the trial of the libeller is the history of a
strongreligiousmovementin the Western Presidency. Conservatives though we
are,we needstill hardlyprotest that we have no sympathywith the demoralizing
superstitionsof our country. The Hinduism of to-day is not the Hinduism of
our forefathersthree thousandyearsago; an avariciousand licentious priesthood
has engraftedon a simplesystemdoctrinesof which we find no tracein the beauti-
ful and spirit-illumining texts of the Yeds,and which by the immorality they
inculcate and the bondageof degradationin which they yokethe people,are pre-
ciselythe very reverseof what the-great teachersof a nation of Hishis,as Max
Miiller calls the Hindus,taught in the golden age of the creation. "Whenwe
advocatethe conservation of Hindu society; whenwe battle for the preservation
of our national individuality, asmarked out by religion, customs,and manners"
whenwe rebukethe irreverentspirit of our youngcountrymen,
and call upon
themto moderate
their novelzealfor go-ahead reform; wedonot intendby any
meaasto perpetuatethe vile courseof error and degradationwhich Brahminical
dominancehas forcedinto existence. "We-areproud to confessthat we yield to
nonein our desirefor true reform; in fact, we considerevery day of the present
epoch
ispushing
usonastepnearertothatgoalwhichis justlytheambitionof every
right-mindedandpatriotic Hindu. English educationis destined,we believe,to
effecta greaterchangein the moral and social constitutionof India than the re-
COMMENTSOP THE INDIAN PRESS. 161
vivalofletters
didinEurope,
andnone
can
rejoice
more
atthisglorious
result
in
prospeotu
thanwedo. Such
movements
astheMaharkj
libelcase
ofBombay
are
greathelpers
of thegreatendin view,andwerejoice
at thetermination
which
hasattended
thisvitallyimportant
moralquestion.Thereport
before
usgivesa
detailed
account
oftheproceedings
ofthetrial,andnone
whohasthepatience
to
readit, whichwebelieve
willnotbewanted
byanythattakesaninterest
in India
orlooks
forward
toitsfuture,
willfail tobestruck
withadeep
impression
ofthe
earnestness
andenergyof the ReformPartyrepresented
in thetrial. " To those
(to quotetheeloquentwordsof SirJoseph Arnould,
oneofthepresiding
Judges)
whoconsider howlittletheHinduis accustomed toindependent
thought andin-
dependent action--how hiswholelife is circumscribed
withinthesphere of the
familyorthecaste-how entirelythewholesocialhappiness
notonly*>fhimself
ûtofthose
nearest
anddearest
tohimisblighted
bythatterrible
penalty
ofout-
casting-(equivalentto theexcommunicationof themiddleages)-those whothink
of thesethingswill probably
beof opinionthat nothingbut a strongbeliefin the
truth .of what theyhavestated,anda firm convictionof the dutyof statingit,
couldhaveimpelledthe witnessesfor the defendant
to comeforwardastheyhave
doneon his behalf. For the majority of thesewitnessesarenot studentsor editors
or non-believers; they are grave, reputable, middle-aged,family men, having a
firm belief in the teachings
of their ancientreligion,andprofound
reverence
for
the authority of their ancient scriptures." Tbe circumstancementionedin the
last sentencecarriesa gravermeaningthan thebare wordsimport. It is not stu-
dentsor lads,idle talkers without any stakein society,or dreamyspeculators,
that
have raisedthe cry of Reformat Bombay. Theywere, as Sir JosephArnould ob-
serves,followersand supportersof theVallabhachfcryasect,and they have recanted
their faith after personal observation,enquiry, and sincereconviction. Remem-
bering the tremendousinfluencewhich the Maharajaswield in the WesternPresi-
dency,and the stronghold which religiousbigotry hasover the mindsof the people
evenin the most enlightenedpartsof that region,it wasindeedno homoeopathic
moral courage,to use the words of a contemporary, which he directedagainsta
bandof youthfulreformers
in Calcutta,that ledthe Bombay
Reformers
to under-
take their crusadeagainst their quondamfaith, a faith in which they were origi-
nally broughtup, whichtheyfollowedlike otherdevotees, andwhichwebelieve
manya member of their familiesstill follow. Menof substance,
position,andof
matureyears,theyareprecisely the mento inaugurate a reformmovement, and
we congratulate
Bombayonthe happyconjuncture whichhasattended hermarch
in the path of progressand enlightenment.
It is difficultin thecompassof a newspaper
articleto discuss
satisfactorily
the
meritsof thelibel suit. We can,however,testifythatthedefencecouldnot have
beenplaced
in betterhands thanthoseof Mr.Anstey.Thebarrister
didnotfor
onemoment losesightof the realcharacter
of thecase,-ofthepregnant
issues
whichwereat stake. He battledwith the sameenergy andvigour"withwhich
the advocates
of the LutheranReformation directedtheir thundersagainstthe
11
162 APPENDIX.
Vatican.Thejudges
whotriedthecasewere,astheirjudgments
testify,emi-
nently qualifiedto presideover a tribunal investigatinginto suchmomentous
issues
as the caseinvolved, We cannottoo highlypraisethe rigid impartiality
of SirMatthewSausse
displayed
in hisjudgment.In a country
likeIndia,the
religionof whichis split into differentsectsanddivisions,
andwherethe lawis
administered
bya foreignrace,widelydifferingin religionandcustoms,it is of
thegreatest
importance that thejudgeshouldmaintain theutmost
neutralityin
matters
ofreligion.SirMatthew Sausse hasnotonlypreserved that neutrality,
but hasevengoneso far as to rousea suspicionof a leaning to the other extreme.
If, however,Sir Matthewhasgivencauseto the orthodox partyfor someconfi-
dencein their power,the bold andemphatic wordsof Sir JosephArnouldmust
havechilledthat momentary feeling. The two judgeshavetaken two stand-
pointsof view: Sir MatthewSausse hasmainly confinedhimselfto the legal
question;Sir JosephArnouldhas takenthe loftier view by surveying alsothe
moralaspect of the question."WhileSir Josephjustifiesthe libel onhighmoral
andpublicgrounds, Sir Matthewdoesit onpurelylegalgrounds duly established
by evidence.Takinga broadviewof the two judgments,noman,whetheran
illiberal bigot or a large-mindedreformer,can havecausefor complaint.Law
hasbeenrespected, justicehasbeenupheld,andthe causeof moralityduly con-
served. TheMah&rajcannotsaythat hehas"been yictimizedby partialjudgesj
norcanthe Reformpartycomplainthatenlightened Christian
judgeshavearrested
their goodwork by a discouragingverdict.
Now -to the moral of the trial. It has a doublebearing ; it bearsuponthe
problem of social and moral improvementof India, and also upon freedomof
speechand freedom of opinion. As Sir Joseph Arnould justly observes,this
great libel casehas probably taught some to think; it must have led manyto
enquire,:"it is (asthe learnedjudge adds)not a questionof theologythat has
beenbeforeus, it is a questionof morality. The principle for which the defend-
ant and his witnesseshave been contendingis simply this -that what is morally
"wrongcannot be theologically right-that when practiceswhich sap the very
foundationsof morality, which involve a violation of the eternal and immutable
laws of right-are establishedin the name and under the sanctionof religion,
they ought, for the commonwelfare of society,and in the interest of humanity
itself, to bepublicly denouncedand exposed. They have denounced,they have
exposedthem. At a risk and to a cost which we cannotadequatelymeasure,
thesemen have done determinedbattle against a foul and powerful delusion.
Theyhave daredto look custom and error boldly in the face,and proclaimbefore
the world of their votaries that their evil is not good,that their lie is not the
truth. In thus doing they have done bravely and well. It may be allowableto
expressa hopethat what they havedonewill not havebeenin vain-that the seed
they have sownwill bearits fruit-that their courageand consistencywill be re-
warded by steady increasein the numberof thosewhom their words and their
exampleshave quickenedinto thought and animatedto resistance,whosehomos
COMMENTS
OF THE INDIAN PRESS, 163
have
helped
tocleanse
from
loathsome
lewdness,
and
whose
souls
they
have
eefroma debasing1
bondage."
(âbove
arewords
ofhighimport,
andcoupled
withwhat
thelearned
judge
aidregarding
thedefendant's
position,
hisconsequent
interest
andduty,
havea most
impressive
significance.
Asapublic
journalist
wequote
with
ireandpridethefollowing
wordsofthelearned
judge.-
LSaVallabhacharyanaddressing
hisco-sectaries,
asaBanian
addressing
his
follows-aboveallasa journalist
addressing
hisreaders,
composed
princi-
offollowers
oftheMaharaj, hadthedefendant
nointerest,
hadhenoduty
louncing themalpractices whichit is theprincipal
object
of thisalleged
ioexpose ? It appears to methathehadbothaninterestanda duty.
. publicjournalistis a publicteacher;
thetruefunction
of the.press,
that
:tueof whichit hasrightlygrownto be oneof thegreatpowers ofthe
:nworld-isthefunction of teaching,
elevating
andenlightening
those who
ithin therangeof its influence.
'o expose anddenounce evil and barbarous
practices;to attackusages and
ns inconsistentwith moralpurityandsocialprogress, is oneof its highest,
>stimperative duties. Whenthoseevils anderrorsareconsecrated by time,
1roundby custom,countenanced and supportedby the highestandmost
ntial classin society,whentheyarewhollybeyondthe controland sup-
onof anyothertribunal,then it is the functionandthedutyof thepress
euvene;honestlyendeavouring by all the powersof argument,denunciation
idicule,to changeand purify the public opinionwhich is the real basison
'.theseevilsare built andthe real powerby which they are perpetuated."
i feel anunqualifiedsatisfactionto seea member of the Native Pressafford
i notableillustration of the noble definitionof the dutiesandresponsibilities
Press,sonobly expressed by Sir JosephArnould.- Hindu Patriot, June 9,
XIII.-The Indian Reformer.
i arenot at this time of dayabontto delineate

the features
of the Maharaj
Case, With the details of that extraordinarytrial our readersmust be
y acquainted.
And,certainly,
whether
weconsider
the deepsensation
, it createdin all sectionsof the Indian community,the length of time over
it extended,
thevariedcharacter
of the witnesses
whosedepositions
were
theablopleadingwhichit called
forth,andtheabler
judgments whichwere
red,orreviewtheexposure whichit made of afearfulamountof depravity
rofligacy
existing
in Hindu,society
under thecloakof religion,
theBombay
Case
mustbeconfessed
to havebeenperhaps
themostextraordinary
of any
ledin anyofHerMajesty's
Courts
in India.Neither
isit ourobject
inthis
5to holdup topublic
reprobation
thepractice
ofthesocalled Maharaj.
practices
areofsodiabolical
anature,
thatasimple
description
ofthem
is
164 APPENDIX.
sufficient
to excitethe disgustandthe horrorof anymanwho is not absolutely
devoidof everyvirtuousemotion;and weshouldalmostconclude
that Hindu society
wasincapable of amelioration,if afterthe exposure
of suchappallingimmorality,
theVallabhach&ryans continued to respectthe MaMr&jasbefore. Ourobjectin
thisarticleis entirelydifferent.Wewishto commend to the youthof Bengal,the
spirit whichanimates that classof the educatedpeopleof Bombay, who have
deservedly wonthe proudappellation of " Reformers."It wouldbesuperfluous
to remarkthatYoungBengalis a betterEnglishscholarthan YoungBombay;
but it seems thatthelatteris a truerpatriotanda moreearnest reformerthanthe
former. A Bengalipatriot,in the ordinaryacceptance of the term, is onewho
dabblesin politics, makeslongwinded speechesin florid language on liberty,
equalityawdfraternity,writescausticlettersagainstthe non-official
Anglo-Indian
community,hateseverythingAnglo-Saxonexceptpantaloonsandiced champagne,
anddefends
everything
Hindu,good,bad,or indifferent. He seesnoevil in the
pernicioussocial,moral, and religious institutions of 'his country, and has there-
forenowishto reformthem. In Bombay it is different. Thereis not thereso
muchof patrioticdeclamation,
of finewriting, andof emptytalk. But thereis
moreof substantial
workdonethere. YoungBombay is by no means
a stranger
to politics, yet he bestowsa largeshareof his attention on the discussingof ques-
tionspertaining to socialreform and moral improvement. He loveshis country
asmuch asYoung Bengal,but he doesnot blindly admire everythingbelongingto
Mscountry. He boldlydeclaims
againstthe vicesof his countrymen, andis of
opinionthatthe manwhoadmires
everysocialor moralinstitutionof thelandof
his birth, howeverperniciousin its tendency,is an enemyto his race and a traitor
to bis country. In Bengal,vernaculareditorshave beenprosecuted,but only for
libelling or indulging in filthy abuse. In Bombaythey are prosecutedfor declaim-
ing againstthe profligacy
of their countrymen.All honourto Mr. Karsand&s
Mulji for so boldly, so patriotically exposingthe enormitiesof a most licentious
priesthood. In Bengal,they screenthe faultsof their countrymen; andthe man
who hasthe boldnessto lay thembare, is regardedas an enemyis diguise. "We
put it to our countrymenwhether sucha method of procedurewill everresult in
national reformation. Let them be persuadedof the truth that he is a traitor to
liis countrymenwho flatters their prejudices,and thereby confirmsthem in their
errorsand their evil practices.
To the BombayReformerswe will just say oneword. You havedonewell in
exposinga vile practice; but rememberthat the practice is essentiallyconnected
with the system
of religionwhichis yetdominantin the land. Lay the axeat
the root of that systemitself; uproot it, and plant in its steadthe tree of true
religion. And then, but not till then, will you witness the dawning of.your
country'sregeneration.-Indian Reformer^Juw 6, 1862.
COMMENTS OF THE INDIAN PRESS.
XIV.-TJie Indian Mirror.
TheMaharaj
LibelCase,
theproceedings
ofwhichhave
occupied
for sometimepast
thecolumns
oftheIndian
journals,
hasbeen
finallydecided.
Seldom
wasa trial
conducted
amidanunusually
excited
publicwith morecalmness
and dignity and
manly
respect
forthecause
of truthandhumanity.
Never
did both,judgeand
counsel
discharge
theirhighduties
morecreditably
andhonourably.Nor canthe
importanceof thedecisionarrivedat, considered
in its socialand moral bearings,
beover-rated.Thisgreattrial maywell bestyledthe Trial of Superstition versus
theNineteenth
Century
; andthetriumphofthelatterovertheformeris beyond
doubtamatterfor congratulation to all who are interestedin the -progressof
truth, andespecially to the enlightenedcommunity of India. Honour, all honour
to Karsancl&s Mulji, Editor of the SatyaPrakdsh, who somanfully and in bold
defiance of thepenalties of excommunication,disclosedthe immoral doctrinesand
practicesof the Yallabhach&rya sect,and to the worthy Judge, Sir Joseph
Amould,whosevigorousdenunciations againstidolatry constitute a lasting
monument of the harmonyof law and religion. Thanksto English court and
Englishlaw,the awfulsorewhichhadbeenfor a long timeeating into the vitals
of nativesocietyhas at last beenprobedto the depth,that the horrors of tho
exposuremight procreatea desireto forthwith find out a restorative and root out
the malady, Is thereaheartthat doesnot recoilfrom the repulsive disclosures
madeby thetrial of the frightful extentof corruptionto which Hinduism has
driventhesoulsof thousands of God'schildren? "Whobeholdingthesepernicious
corruptions will not instantaneously ejaculate:-"Oh! for the day when
Hinduism shall "beno more !" Is it not astoundingthat in one of our most
enlightenedPresidencies,in the teeth of somany civilizing agencies, such flagrant
profligaciesshould have beenperpetratedwith impunity by crafty and immoral
hierophants, and the wives and daughters of respectablefamilies allowed to
frequenttheir temples
to learnadulteryinthenameof sacred
religion, making lust
and sensuality a virtue and a passportto heaven!! Assuredly the most callous
heart will beinflamedwith righteous indignation againstsuch profanities. For
the good of India and humanity however,the den of Vallabhaeh&ryan wicked-
ness has been penetratedby the keen-eyeof the law, and tlie depraved culprit
has been dragged out of it, and visited with condign punishment. "Who
can say that there are not abominationsyet more hideous than these lurking
in somesecretcornersof Hinduism not yet exposed; yea, which years to come
will not be able to expose-abominationswhich, if revealed, would shake tho
stoutestheartthat lookshopefullyto India'sfuture. Let our educatedcountry-
men riseas one man and demolishthe stupendousedifice of Hinduism, and save
millions of their fellow countrymenfrom the horrors of idolatry. A constant
struggleandanheroicwarfare-notby means
of penor lips-not a wordy warfare
of argumentsand emptysounds-but an earnestmoral struggle. We can assure
166 APPENDIX.
themthattheirhighest conceptionsofHinduism's
horrors
mil fallfarshortof the
reality,andthathalf measureswill neveravailto exterminatethem. If our
educated countrymen will not allowthemselvesto bearousedby suchhorrid
exhibitions
1 alasfor themillionsof ourdaughters,
andwivesandmothers
andthe
poorpeasantry
groaning
under
theoppressionsof relentless
andinfatuated
priests.
Werequire
not arguments,
but a heartto feel,to bemoved
to immediate
action,
andwe entreatyoungIndia with all the earnestnesswecancommand to rise in-a
crusadeagainsttheevilsof idolatry-that nationalcurseof ourcountry. It is a
pleasureto observethe attemptsthat aremakinghereandthereto gain this
object;but we want a broaderassociation anda moreextended community of
feelingsand co-operation
of handsto ensuresuccess.-Indian Mirror, May 15,
1862.
XV.-The Indian Field.
KNOWLEDGE 0. SUPERSTITION.-There is no doubt that obstructionists make

hereticsand hereticsmake obstructionists. The former are representedby men
of the past and the latter by men of the future. The one fights for precedence,
the other for progress. Dogmatic and presumptuous,Hinduism is no longer
allowed to trample on reason and conscience. Its strongholds have already
becomeuntenable. Its high priestsare no longer permittedto assume infallibility
and wallow in vice with impunity. True that ceremonies are performed and
mantras are mumbled,but they meanno more than an oath " by Jove/' The
collegesand schoolshavebeentoo strong for the S/idstras,and the geographical,
astronomical, and historical truths inculcated there have left behind Mann's
dogmaof Br&hminic supremacyand demolishedthe tortoiseupholdingthe earth.
The beginning of the end is approaching. A spirit of enquiry and progresshas
workedits way among the educatednatives. Every part of British India is now
witnessingand tolerating a searchinginvestigation and severescrutiny into those
institutions and opinionswhich had for agesmarkedthe peculiarcharacterof her
inhabitants. Liberties in thought and action are now fearlesslyassumed,which
would have scandalizedYius and V&lmik. Progressis the law of God and
obtains alike in the religions of the races and the sectsof the provincesand
presidencies. No wonderthereforethat the educatednative in all partsof India
will not submitwith implicit faith to the pilotageof their spiritualguides,
but
summon Drahminism to the bar of their own reason.
The BombayLibel Case
whichhassuggested
theseremarkshas givena sub-
stantial victory to Hindu reformers. It hasset themfar abovethe opponentsof
progress,and shouldinstil into them confidencein respectto the greatwork which
lies before them in the future.
The particularsof the casearebrieflytold. Karsand&s Mulji, the courageous

editorof the SatyafraMsJ^ in his issueof the 21st October last, preferred
chargesof grossimmoralityagainsttheprincipalPorohitsof theYallabhacharya
sect,corresponding
to the Bamachari sectof Bengal. JadunathjiBrizrattanji,
COMMENTSOF THE INDIAN PRESS. 167
theMaharaj
and thearch-offender,
instituted
anaction
forlibelagainst
Karsandas
Mulji. Heavailed
himself
of therulingof SirMordanntWells
in theNil
Durpan case,
andcomplained
thattheleader
in theSatija
Prakdsh
libelled
the
whole sect
oftheVallabh&chtiTyans
asheretical
andimmoral.
Buttheplea
ofjus-
tification
set
upbythedefendant
wasfullysupported
bytheevidence
notonlyfor
thedefencebutfortheprosecution.
TheCJields
ordisciples
oftheMaharaj
were
obliged
totestify
tohisadulterous
practices
withfemale
devotees,
under
thefireof
cross-examination.Thirty-onewitnesses
wereexamined
forhim,andthirty-three
fortlieEditor;butthepreponderance
oftheevidence
wasinfavourofthelatter;the
&overend Dr."Wilson, Dr.Bha-u Daji,andseveral
otherdistinguished
menbore
their weighty
testimony to theinfamouscharacter
andconduct oftheMaharaj
andMs co-religionists. «
The judgmentwasvirtuallyin favourof the plaintiff,anda verdictonthe first
plea with nominaldamages
wasrecorded for the Maharaj. Thefollowingwords
of Sir JosephArnouldareveryimpressive and encouraging to all Hindu re-
formers:-"The principlefor whichthe defendant andhis witnesses havebeen
contending is simply this-what is morallywrongcannotbe theologicallyright-
that when practiceswhich sapthe very foundationsof morality,which involve a
violation of the eternal and immutablelaws of Eight,-are established in the
name and under the sanctionof Religion,they oughtfor the commonwelfare of
society,andin theinterest
of humanity
itself,to bepubliclydenounced
andexposed.
They have denounced-theyhave exposedthem. At a risk and at a costwhich
we cannotadequatelymeasure,these men-have donedeterminedbattle againsta
foul andpowerfuldelusion.Theyhavedaredto look customamierrorin the
face,andproclaimed
beforethe worldof theirvotaries
thattheir evil is not good
-that their lie is not the truth. In thus doing-they havedonebravelyand well.
It maybeallowableto express a hopethat whattheyhavedonewill not have
beenin vain-that the1seed
theyhavesownwill bearits fruit-that their courage
and constancywill berewarded
by asteady
increasein thenumber of thosewhom
their wordsandtheir examples-
havequickenedintothought,andanimated to re-
sistance,
whosehomestheyhavehelpedto cleanse fromloathsome lewdness, and
whosesoulstheyhavesetfreefrom-a debasing bondage."-Indian Field,May
10, 1862.
XVL-The Phoenix.
THEBOMBAY
MAHABJU
LIBELCASE.-Thiscase
hasformedaprolificsubject
of commentfor almosteveryjournal
in thecountry,
anda printedcircular
onour
tableinforms
usthatit is intended
to republish
in bookformallthatthejournals
havesaidthereon. "Wehavefurtherwithin the last dayor tworeceived
from
Bombay,
thereport
of thetrial,whichin small
print,andlargeoctavo
form,
makesa stoutbookof 284pages.Therecanbelittlequestion
thatthisremark-
ablecaseis destined
to exercise
a powerful
infiuence
forgood
ontheHindupopu-
lationof theWestern
Presidency,
It haslet in afloodoflightona terrible
168 . APPENDIX.
system
of the mostcorruptingimmoralityhithertov-aniAoii, andconcealed
from
theknowledge
of thegeneral
public,undertheclonkof i-cljîon.Thehistory
of
the casedatesfromthe 21stOctober,
the day 011-which"i"A(l|v%Ufcor
of a Gujarati
newspaper
calledtheSatyd
FraJcash,
orLightof Truth,published
anarticle
in which he chargedthe Maharajasor high prii^',?;of tCfcVallabhucharya
sect with inculcatingimmoraldoctrines,andunder the lire!onceof religion,
- practisingadulterywith the femaleswho visited the temple as devotees.
Jadun&tbji,a Bombayhigh priest, was especiallychargedwith theseevil
practices,
and in consequencebroughta civil actionagainstthe Editor of the
Light of Truth, Karsandas Mulji, who has sincepublishedthe trial, and
now proposesto publish the commentsthereon. Neither KarsandasMulji nor
his journa^were,however,
the first to makeopenassaultonthe badpractices
of
the Mahar&j&s.Otherjournalsof the nativepresshadfor sometimepreviously
warned againstthem,andthoughthe denunciations seemed to be productive
of
little immediate effect, they so frightened Jadunathji that he camein personto
Bombay from Beyt, the site of the Chief Temple of the Tribe, to take legal
measuresto. put a stop to the attackson his order. He evidently dependedon
wealth and influenceprocuringa judgment in his favour, and countedon deterring
any Bhatti&sfrom giving evidenceagainst him. He was egregiouslymistaken,
for the result of his going to law has been the exposureto the world of vile
practiceshitherto only suspected by the great body of the Hindus themselves. It
was establishedat the trial that the wives and daughtersof the highestof the
Bhattia casteused to frequent the temple to prostitute themselvesto the high
priest, and seemedto considerthat in so doing they were doing what wouldpro-
cure them favour with the Deity. The details of .the caseare of too grossa
characterto bearmorethan allusionto them. They all tell of a debased,diseased,
debaucheepriest dishonoringthe wives and daughtersof his flock, and teaching
as a sacredtenetthat it was the desireof God he shoulddo so! Worse still,
the presentsmadeby the womenthus dishonoredappear to have formeda chief
sourceof the revenueof the temple. Thesedaughters of Yallabhacharyapiously
robbedtheir husbandsand fathersthat they might dishonor them in the name
of God! The trial createda very great sensationin Bombay. Every art of
inducementand intimidation was resorted to in order to prevent partiesfrom
giving evidence. Those effortsmost signally failed, for bold estimablemen,who
set prejudice and caste at defiance,prosecutedwith a will, and in the future
history of Indian civilization the namesof those men will rank asreformersof
the highesttype. Somemiserablefollowersof the depraved
priestessayed
to
disprovewhat thesegentlemenhad established,and drew downon themselves in
opencourt the reprobationdue to perjury.
Looking over the report of the casewe find that almostall the witnesses
who
spoke in. justification of the articles in the Satya PraMsh were "educated
natives,"that is nativeswho had imbibedthe knowledgeand undergone
the
trainingof the Englisn.schoolsandcolleges,
someof thembeingMedicalPrac-
COMMENTS OF THE IK"))IAK PRESS. 169
titionerswhohadgraduated
at the GrantMedicalCollege.Whoafterthiswill
saythatEnglishschools
andcollegesare doingno goodin the country,doing
nothing towardsthe growth of a purer morality ? Had those menbeenof the
old school,taught hut the false learning of the Brahmins, it is not too much to
saythey wouldneverhaveheenwitnesses againstthe MaharSij. Theythemselves
fully appreciate
the advantages
of knowledgeand education
for their country-
men,for it. appearsin the evidencethat could the Mah&r&j Jadunathji but
have heen induced to forego his secret opposition to religious educational
reforms,and to sincerely exert his influence in their furtherance he would
not have heendenounced."We are not competentto estimatethe goodeffect
this casewill have on native society in Bomhay. That effect cannot,'
however, be other than most beneficial. The prosecutorcould^not brook
exposureandassaultin the columnsof the native journals, and madea desperate
effort to beat them down, by ruining by money damagesthe publishers and
writers. Evidentlyalive to the power of the presshe soughtto muzzle it. The
resulthas beenthat insteadof mention in the native journals of Bombayhis ill
practicesare now bruited throughout the whole country by every European
journalandby manyof thenativejournals,to boot. Thatthis will be effectless
noneneedfear. . If it were likely to be so the Mah&r&j and bis friend would
neverhave exertedthemselves to extinguishtheir vernaculartormentors. They
dreadedthepowerof publicity, and would risk all to prevent that power being
broughtto bearon their owninfamous
doings. Theyfailed,wereexposed,
and
the result of that exposurewill every day becomemore and more beneficially
apparent. It has beenurged by someof our Bombay contemporariesthat the
local Government should take action on the case,and erase from th.e list of
Justicesof the Peaceand from Governmentemploy,the namesof thosewho put
themselves forward prominently as supportersof the Mah&riij. "We think this
would be a most mistakencourse. Governmentmay interfere with individuals
for their actions,but not for their opinions. If it can be shown that a native
Justiceof the Peacedeliberatelypermitsthe prostitution, to a priest, of the wives
anddaughtersof his household,let his namebe struck off forthwith as unworthy
to remainon the roll. But that he is a follower of the Mah&j&j,or a Yallabb.-
acharyanof the old school,is no sufficient reason why he should be considered
ineligibleformunicipaldistinctions
by Government.Mahomedanism
recognises
conversionby the sword,but so long as a Mahomedandoesnot attempt to carry
the doctrineinto practice,heis consideredas eligible for public distinctionsas the
members of anyother sect. Thereneedbeno fear that the Mahar&jcasewill be
otherwisethan productiveof a full crop of the most beneficialconsequences. -
Phoenix,June3, 1862.
XVIL- The Delhi Gazette.
Oneof themostimportanttrialsthat hastakenplacefor manyyearshaslately

Deenconcluded,
aftera lengthenedjudicialenquiryextendingoverayear anda
170 APPENDIX.
half,at Bombay. Theprinciples involvedareof the utmostpossible consequence

to thepeopleof thiscountry. Indeedit is difficultto overratetheweightwhich
the decision of the Judgesof the SupremeCourt havecome to, must, if fairly
dealtwith "bythe Hindunation,bearuponthe mind andmoralsand religionof
thepeople. "Wealludeto the famouscase,familiarwe doubtnot by nameto
manyof our readers,asthe caseof the MahkrSj&sof Bombay.
We proposeto describebriefly what the casewas,how it was decided,and why
we considerthe questionof somuch importance.
Thereis a sectof Hindusin Bombaydenominated
theYallabhach^rya,
who1
arestyledunorthodoxby thosewho call themselvesorthodoxHindus. Dr. "Wilson,
the bestauthority
probably
in India,whowasexamined
before
theSupreme
Court
onthese points, says, the sectis a new sect,inasmuchasit hasselectedthe god
Krishna in oneof his aspectSjthat of his adolescence, for its peculiar object of
worship; and it is a new sectinasmuchas it has establishedasthe road to eternal
happiness
the injunctions
contained in the holy book&of theHindusin a carnal
andmaterialsense.Or, as Sir Joseph Arnould in his veryablejudgmentmore
plainly puts it, "by selectingKrishna in his characterof the love-hero,the hus-
bandof the 16,000shepherdesses,
for the especialobjectof worship,the sublime
Brahminical doctrineof 'unition' with Brahma is tainted and degradedby this
sensuousmode of regarding the Deity." And Sir Matthew Sausse,"the love
andsubserviency inculcatedby the Hindu religion to be duein a scriptural sense
to the SupremeBeing,hasbeen by thesecorrupt teachings"(the teaching of the
plaintiff in this case,the high priest of the sect or the Mahtu'aj) " materialised
and to a large extenttransferredto those who claim to be his living incarnation."
The Bombayjudges,andas far aswe know of their opinions,the Bombaypress
too, appearto look on this materializedHinduism as exceptional. They speakof
the Vedsas if they werenow the acceptedscripturesof the Hindus accordingto
whosetenets they endeavour,as they profess,to live. This view of the case
is new to us. "Wehavealwayslookedon the Yedsas the sacred
bookindeed
of the Hindus,but with the massof the people to all intents and purposesan
unknown book. The writings that regulate, so far as any sacredwritings do
regulate,the lives and actionsof the massof the Hindu nation,are the Purans, a
muchmoremoderncompilation
than the Veds,andverydifferentto them}
inasmuch
as in themtheoriginalandundoubtedly
purespiritualized
systemof
the Br§hminical faith has beensadly degradedand materialized. No onewho
hasread the Prem Sagarfor instancecanhave much idea of the spiritual nature
of the system
inculcated
in it. The sportsof Krishnawith the * gopis'andthe
very questionable(to usea very mild term) sort of connectionbetweenthem,may
indeedby a great stretchof languageor imagination,be construedin a mystical
sense
signifyingthespiritualunionof a godwith his worshippers,
but to saythat
the massof the peopleregard it so is to utter nonsense. Thereally learned and
religious Hindus themselveswill tell you how they regret the degradationof
their spiritualsystem
to oneof sense
andmatter. Andasfor the masses
theywill
COMMENTSOF THE ISTDIAN PHESS. 171
notseektoconceal therealnature
andobjects
oftheirsensual philosophy.Ask
themto produce authority
fromtheYeds fortheirceremonies andfestivals,
the
orgies
andindecenciesoftheEoliforinstance,
andtheywill,if theythinkatall
about
it, lookonit asanimplieddesecration
totheirholybooks, tosupposethere
is anything
in themtosanction
suchritesat all. Anyonewhohadstudied
these
books
andhadopportunities
of learning
theviewsof Hindus withregard
to
them,
would
have
expected
assoon tohaveseenachiefjustice
announcing
that
theearthwentroundthesunasanewthing,that people in general
wereunac-
quaintedwith,asgravelydevoting
timeandlabourto elucidating
thefactthat
theHinduism of thepresent
day,wasnottheBrahminical
philosophy
oftheTeds.
Whatwewantto findoutis,in whatpointsdotheYallabhacharyasectdiffer
fromtheHindusin thisor thegreaterpart(perhapsthewhole)of.Indiawho
"haveselected
thegodKrishnaas anespecial
object
orworship.TheHinduism
of theWestern Presidency
maybepure,andlesscorruptedbywhatê maycaH
jpuranismthan that of the Hindusof Oude,and theUpperProvinces
of India,
fromwhence
our Hindusepoys
weremostlyenlisted';
but certainly
nojudicial
officerin this part of theworld,whohadthe leastpracticalacquaintance with
Hinduismas it is,wouldhaveeverthoughtit necessary to announce that the
Hinduismof the present centurywasnotthe religionof theYeds.
Onepeculiaritywe observe in theYallabhacharya sect,andthatis the extra-
ordinaryreverence, amounting indeedto worship,paid to their priests,or high
priests,or Maharajasas they call them. To themthey appearto pay divine
honour,to them theymakethe offering of to, man,and dhan,or body,mind, and
property requiredby the tenetsof the Brahminicalfaith to bemadeto the Deity.
Great asis the respectpaid to priests,and Brahmins in general,in this and other
parts of India, and to certainones in particular, we never heardof a sect before
in which the divine characterand the claim to divine worshipwereso openly and
unblushingly assumedas by the Maharajas. Most undoubtedly,however, the
storiestold of the Maharajas,
out of whichthisfamousactionarose, areby no
meanswithout their parallelin otherpartsof India andamong otherHindus.
Theyareof anaturethatwecannotalludeto themspecifically in apublicjournal
like this. Any onewhoseknowledge of the subjectevenis confinedto reading
"Ward's Hindus" mustbe quite familiar with, theseviews.
The editorof a native(Gujarati)paperin Bombay, to whose
honourhis fellow
countrymen oughtto erecta statueaslargeasGovernment House, publishedan
article in whichhe denounced the practiceand systemof religionas carried
on in this sect. He denounced the practiceof the Maharajasreceivingthe
worshipin a materialand sensualform, in their own persons, intended
accordingto the purereligionof the Hindusto be paidto thegods,and
that only of course
in a spiritualsense. He accused the Maharajasof
themostdisgraceful and immoralacts,of publicindecenciesand breaches
of the la\vsof the land,too obscene
anddisgusting
to be enumerated
here-
our reader's
imagination
will easilysupplythe filthy details,
especially
if
theyarefamiliar
withthewords
ofholywrit,andrecollect
thattheheartof
manis " desperately
wicked"andcallto mindthepainfulpicturedelivered
hy
theApostlePaulof thestateto whichin hisdayshumannaturehadbeen
of animpurereligionamongmen," who changedthe.
brought,hy theinfluence
gloryof theuncorruptible
Godintoan image
madeliketo corruptible
manand
to birdsandfourfooted
beasts
andcreeping things,for whichGodalsogavethem
upto uncleannessthrough
thelustsof their ownhearts."
TheMahar&j chiefly
aimedat it in thisarticle(ahighpriest
whohadpublished
writings
ina sectarian
controversyjustifyingthese immoraldoctrines),
replied
by
an action for libel; the defendantpleadedjustification,and hencethe exposure,
andthe defeatof the MaharCij'sparty. For the defendant therewerethirty-
threewitnesses
examined,for theplaintiff thirty-four. Theformergavepositive,
the latternegative
evidence.The disclosures madeby this evidence,
aswe had
saidbefore,wecannotdetail-our readerswill readilyunderstandits naturewhen
we tell themthe result of the trial, that the libel was considered
to be justified.
Sir MatthewSausse(forbothjudgesdeliveredjudgment, as,thoughtheyagred
in themainpointstheydifferedon a minoronethat did not materiallyaffectthe
vital questionin the case),consideredthat "the essentialpoints in the libel, as
the record stands,havebeensufficientlycoveredby the proofsadducedin support
of the plea, that there must be a verdict for defendanton that issue." Sir J".
Arnould said," On my mind the evidenceleaves not a shadowof doubt: the
chargesmadeare,in my opinion,fully substantiated."
Thereasonwhy we think this trial so important is that it must surely strike
forcibly everyeducated Hindu in the countrywho readsit. Indeedwe cannotbut
think that it will lay the foundationof a reformationanalogousto that in which
the great Luther took a lead after the exposuresof the practicesand moralsof
the priesthoodin the sixteenthcentury. Accordinglywe learnfrom the Bombay
papersthat so greathasbeenthe revulsionof feeling amongtheir fellow-country-
men in Bombaythat the Maharajashave beenforced to leavethe place.-Delhi
Gazette,May 22, 1862.
XYIIL-TA0 Oudh Gazette.
Therehasjust beentried a caseat Bombay, whichdiscloses

a stateof factsso
horrible,
that it is hardto conceive
otherwise
thanthat a numerous,wealthy,and
mostinfluentialcasteof men,wholive therearebrutesby choice,
andbestialfrom
sheerlove of bestiality.
TheBhattikcaste
aresecond
to noclass
in theworld,
in theforce
andconstancy
of theiradherence
to all the formsandcustoms of theirreligion,and in theex-
ceeding reverence
theypaytheir priests;but, strangeto say,the claimswhich
theirreligionhasupontheirregard,and the natureof theadoration
they
renderto their spiritualsuperiors,
are so utterly the oppositeof reasonable
or tolerable
that the sectpresentsthe curiousproblemof an entire raceof
menwhosolemnly ignoreright becauseit is right, anddiligentlyworshipevil

"because
it is evil. In theselection
of the strangepeculiarities
whichform,their
creed,
theyseemto havebeenactuatedby the mostperfectsystem of unreason.
Theixtenetsareimpossible of observancewithout the outrageof everyordinary
humanpassionandfeeling. The grossest, foulest,and mostdegradingof all
matters imaginableconstitute their ritual; and the vilest brute amongthem is
worshipped
for his vileness,
asanincarnation
of thegodhead.
A native newspaper editor exposedthis state of things in a temperateremon-
stranceon behalf of the communityagainstthe existenceof so foul a blot, pro-
tectedby law. TheBh&ttifis met their antagonistsboldly enough,but after their
own unreasonable fashion. They at onceprosecutedtheir asperser for libel, and
calleda caste
meeting,
at whicheverymemberpledgedhimselfto belie, their own
doctrines,
anddenytheirowncustoms.Thisconspiracy was,however, discovered,
andthepoliceforthwithprocuredevidence
of it, which,in the fearless
handsof
counselfor the Crown,hasresulted in a trial that hasconvictedand doomedto
punishmentthe criminals.
Now out of thesefactsarisesomevery important considerations,chiefof wMch
is this, that by this caseat Bombaythe first direct blow hasbeenstruck by the law
itself againstfanaticism. It is a heavyand most important blow-surely fatal
though slow in its effects. The purity of the stern decisionwhich this case
affords,namely,that the law will permit the exerciseof nopowergivento a man
by a. superstition,to the injury, disgrace,or evenannoyanceof his fellow subject,
levelsa blow at castewhich wealth or creedcannotlong withstand. Let but the
proceedings of this casebe published throughout the land, and the principle of
religiousliberty and freeconscience is establishedfor ever; for, to saythe plain
truth, the only hold of superstitionon men'sminds, and the solesupport of idol-
atry hereas elsewhere, hasrestedon pretendedpowerswhich this decisionrenders
impossibleof pretenceany longer. Every man may now rest securefrom every
let, hindrance,or harm, arising from authority or powernot legal and material.
The exerciseof authority not givenby enactmentis penal. And from the sweep-
ing forceof this declaration,that the useof superstitionas the meansof coercion
is illegal and penal,there is no man,not evenif a wholerace believehim to be a
god, excepted.
Let all reformersrejoice,then, and let the membersof the Brumho Sumaj of
Lucknowlearn, and usethe strengthof the weaponthus put into their handsby
law. May we bepardonedfor suggestingthat, if it be in the powerof this body
to conferor offer an honour, the strongestfriends of their causewho have yet
declaredthemselves, are the prosecutorin this case,and Sir JosephArixould,the
judge.-Oudh Gazette,January 1, 1862.
XIX.-The SamdcMr Hindustani.
TUBMAH^RAJLIBELCASE.-Allthingshavean end. Thesunhimself,as

Thomas
Campbell
says,mustdie, andeventhe greatMahar&jcasecouldnot
174 APPENDIX.
occupythe Bombay
SupremeCourt forever.Afterdraggingitsslowlength
alongforauunusual
duration,
it hascometoa standwiththedecision
ofthe
Bench,andwecannowsafely moralizeuponit.
In WesternIndia thereis a largesectof HinduscalledYallabhacMryans,
fromVallabh,their founder.The BaniS. and Bhattia,castescompose the laity
of the sect,andthe Maharajas the clergy. Both in doctrinesandin practices,
YallabhachiLryansappearto us to he worsethan theverydregsof themodern
Yaishnavas.Hadthe factsnotbeenproved in a courtof justice,thepracticesof
the Yallabh&chiiryans
wouldhavebeenincredible to ourreaders.TheYallabha-
ch&ryalaity allowtheir priesthood
to take,and'the latterarenot slowto take,
liberties with the former'sfemales,which we had thought hardly possible. But
we will nt)t anticipate.Mr. Karsandas Mulji, the editorof a Gujaratipaperin
Bombay,the SatyaPraledsh> orthe "Light of Truth," andthe defendant in the
presentaction,asa Yallabhacharyan of theBaniacaste,couldnot but be aware
of practiceswhichweretoo notorious.Theprogress of intelligence
hadopened
his eyesasthoseof otheryoungYallabhacharyans to their enormity.But heand
his friends did not content themselveswith merely"seeingandperceiving- they
tried to removethe evil. They promotedthe educationof girls that thesemight
learn the sin of their parents'ways. Theytried to introducethe re-marriageof
widows,that thesemay not have an irresistibletemptationto buy-it is literally
boughtasthe readerwill seeby andbye-at the handsof the Mah&r&jtis
satis-
faction of their animal desires. They exhortedthe Mah&r&j&spersonally to
mend their conduct. The plaintiff, Jaduntithji Mah&r&j, came to Bombay in
1860,and thought fit to ingratiatehimselfwith the reformatoryparty by the most
liberal assurances.He even went the length of founding a girls' school, and
appeared
to be earnest
in the causeof widow-marriage.
Sometime after his
ardour cooled,and his next appearance in public must havesurprisedthe young
reformers. He set on foot a periodical called the " Propagator of our own
Keligion/' for the purposeof, we believe,neutralizingthe effectof the attacks
upon YallabMch&ryanismso oftenmadeby the reformersin the papers. In this
periodicalhe openly invited criticism. The reformerswere not backward in
respondingto the call. Meanwhilethe defendantwashorrified to discoverthat
the immoral practicesof the Mahar&jtiswere sanctionedby the sacredauthorities
of the Yallabh&cMryans.
At the sametimehewasinformedongoodauthority
that the plaintiff wasas immoralashis class. On the 21st Octoberin 1860the
defendant
published
an articlein theSatyaFrakdsJi,
in whichhetried to prove
that the YallabhachAryansare a new sect heretical in respect of the ancient
Hindu religion,andwhosesacred booksinculcatethe grossest
immorality,and
roundlycharged theMaMrajasas a body,andtheplaintiffasoneof them,with
-immoralpracticesin the nameof religion. At this the plaintiff broughtthe
actionfor libel. In regardto the second
pleaof the defendant,
justification,
both
thejudges
agreedintheirverdict
inhisfavour."We, along,
wearehappy to say,
withtheentire
press
of Bombay,regretthatonthetechnical
pleaof " notguilty,"
theChiefJusticeprevailed
against
his Puisnein recording
a verdictfor the
plaintiff for Us.5 damages.We regretbecause, as wasto havebeenexpected,
tho plaintiff^ party,aswe learnfromthe BombayTimcsjtried to takeadvantage
of it by announcing that he had gainedthe victory, explainingthe nominal
natureof the damages by suggesting
thatthejudgestookpityuponthedefendant's
poverty, and that the award was made in referenceto his condition. But
fortunately tho bazaar was too shrewd to swallow sucha transparentfalsehood,
and nil classesof the natives have understoodthe decision properly. Those of
tho plaintiffs friends who had preparedsweetmeatsto distribute assoonasthe
decisionin bin favour, uponwhich they countedas certain,shouldbe given, were
too crest-fallento assumethe airsof a fictitious triumph.-Samdchdr Hindustani,
Luotoww,May 17, 18C2.
XX.-27w CeylonTimes.
Wo recentlyreceived
from Bombaya copyof tho proceedings
in thelibel case
tried in the SupremeCourt of that city, in which Jadunathji Bmrattanji, Mali&raj
or high priest of the sectsof Bhu.ttii.is,Banians,Br&hmins,wasthe plaintiff, and
tho proprietorand publisherof a Gujarati newspaperat Bombaycalled the Satya
PraJMi were the defendants. The libel complainedof wasto the effectthat the
Maharajasof thosescotsinculcateddoctrinesopposedto the Shustrasof the Hindus,
and that this JadunWhji in particular was,under the cloak of religion, guilty of
tho grossest
immoralities
with thofemales
of his sect.
In the plea of justification as filed by tho defendants,it is declaredthat tho
loaders of thesaidsectassortthat theyaretho incarnationsof thegodsBrahma
and Krishna,andare themselves gods,and arc and oughtto be worshipped,
implicityobeyed, andserved asgodsby themembers of the saidsect,with all the
minds,bodies,andproperties of suchsectaries,
andthat tho neglectof anysuch
to performthe saidworship,
implicit obedience
andservice,is a sin of tho gravest
character,andthat it is the duty of the femalemembersin particular of the sect
to love the Raidleaderswith unhallowedlove, and to performworship in implicit
obedienceand servicewith their bodieswhensoever calleduponor requiredby any
of tho said leadersso to do; albeitsuchfemalemembersare, or maybe,unmarried
maidens,or wivesof other men,and in no wisemarried or betrothedin marriage
to the saidleaders. Tho pica goesonto allegethat adulteryandfornication aro
by tho religiousbooksof the sectencouraged and commended, andthatthe surest
wayof procuringeternalhappiness is by acquiescence
in suchpractices.Horribly
disgusting asthesestatements maysound in ourears,theyarcmild enoughcom-
paredwith the awfuldisclosures madein opencourtandreported in the volume
before us.
Wo havenodesireto do morethan recordourutter detestation
of suchprac-
ticesanthose which, under the pretenceof religion of anykind, appearto have
prevailed
in andaboutBombay.With sucha codeof religious
morality,
the
176 APPENDIX.
nativesof India must remain debased

to the level of the brutes. Until they be
utterlypurgedof these
iniquitiestheymustnot talk aboutequalrightsandsocial
advancement."Weare,however,glad to find that there is a small bandof re-
formers
at workamongstthem; andwetenderour cordialacknowledgments to
theEditorwho,havingbravedthe hostilityof his countrymen,
hasboldlypro-
claimedthe truth at all hazards.-Ceylon,
Times,June24, 1862.
.-People's Friend.
Thelibelcasebroughtforwardin the SupremeCourtof Bombayby Maharaj
Brizrattanji,
oneof the gurusof theVallabMcharya
sect,againstthe editorof
the SatyaFrdkashnewspaper, hasat last beendecidedin favour of the defendant
with costs. The casependedin the aboveCourt for severalmonthsand excited
great interest amongthe native community. Its particulars are these:-The
defendant,who seemsto be a memberof the SoodharLele or reforming party
of the natives,and edits the Satya Prdkash,a G-ujar&tinewspaper,disclosedin
one of his articles the indecentand immoral practicesof the Vallabh&charyan
gurus,and accused the plaintiff (oneof thosegurus)of adulterous conducttowards
his femaledisciples. The plaintiff instituted this law suit against him, and the
defendant
pleaded
that whathe hadstatedin the articlewas correct. Many
rich and influentialbankersand merchantsgave their evidencein favour of one
sideor the other, andthe Judgescameto the conclusionthat the abusesbrought
to light weresuchasdeserveda public denouncement.On the technicalplea of
not guilty they awarded
Us.5 as damages
to the plaintiff, but acquittedthe
defendantof the higher chargeof defamationand libel, and awardedto him costs
of thedefence.Theplaintiffis saidtobeintending
to appeal
to thePrivyCouncil.
Wetrust that onreading thiscase, theVam-margis, whonotoriouslysurpass
the
Vallabhach£tryan
priestsin their immoralities,
will feelashamedof themselves,
andmind their religion'scharter,andthat manymoreHindu reformerswill be en-
couraged
to denounce publiclythe defects
whichtheymayobservein the manners,
customs,
andritesof theircountrymen.-People's
Friend,jfitawah,May23,1862.
COMMENTSOF THE BOMBAY VERNACULAR PRESS. 177
ENTS OF THE BOMBAY VERNACULAR PRESS OX

E IMMORAL PRACTICES OE THE MAHARAJAS.
I.- The Bomlay Sdmdchar.

cial generalmeetingof the respectable
and sensible
personsof the
caste
wasassembled,
and,afterconsultation,
it wasresolved
that the
r which their Maharajasexerciseover them, is, on manyoccasions,
andpernicious; and,in consequence
of this, their moneyis wasted,and
offeredto their understanding,and a blot is cast on the respectablityof
lily. Thereforethese personscame to the resolution that as much as
possibletheHindusshouldnot asktheopinionof theMaharajas on any
ind that females,after they havearrivedat the ageof puberty,should
>ermitted to pay darshna(divine homage)to the Mahfi.rfi.jas in their
It is not necessaryfor us to saythat if the authorityof
harajasbe not undermined at present,
theywill havethe moreto repent
, whentheir money is wastedanda staincastonthe reputationof their
-2Ist Decmiber^1855.
II.-The J'dm-e Jamshed.
\mannersensibleand right thinking Hindus haveseentheir error,though

have madefit and proper arrangementswith respectto it. They have
meetingof their own castemen, and have arrived at this resolution:-
o caseunconnected with matters of religion they should ask the opinion
religious preceptors,as they on many occasionsexerciseover them
authority,and causethem to commitacts which reflect shameon the
a of their families; and that after a certain,hour of the daythey should
it their females
to pay darshana
(divinehonours)
to their religiouspre-
Ltheir temples Thus very often they gaveto their
preceptors, with great willingness,permissionto destroythe reputation
families, and thought it an act of holiness, sufficient to carry their
;othe seventhgenerationin heaven. But all this folly hasspontaneously
.made
public.' Themeaning
of ourwordsis simply
t they should be backwardin respectingthe notoriously immoral, the
stroying,and the unrighteous as well as improper commandsof their
sof religion.--Z5th December,
1855,
12
17S APPENDIX.
III.-The BamdcMr Darpan.

Muchdiscussion
is nowragingregardingthe improper
conduct
of the Mah&-
rajasof theHindus,
andmanycomplaints
havebeenmade
to usin respect
to it;
alsoseveralcommunications
havereached us,whereinmoreis written than the
improperconductof the Maharajas.If the Maharajas,
not dreadingGod,com-
mit evil acts,they oughtto be punished.
Themorethepeopleadvance
in civilizationthe moretyrannicaltheir actswill
appear;
andtheHindus
will notnowbelieve,
astheyformerly
did,thetyrannical
actsof theMaharajas
asthecommands of God. At presenttheir knowledgehas
helda torchbeforethem: by its light theyemergefrom darkness into day.
Thereforethey will not now approvethe acts of the Maharajas,and will not see
their familiesdishonoured.-29MNovember^ 1855.
IV.-2%* Bombay ChdML
The Gosainji Maharajasof the Vaishnavasof this place, instead of giving

religious instructions,carry on debaucherous
practiceson their followers, This
appearsnothing, looking on themwith the eyesof a savageman; bat thinking
justly it appearsa wickedpractice. TheseMaharajasappeartotally divine to the
Hindus,but their actsseemextremelybase,and their heart full of sin, and their
conductout of the way of social arrangements,and their practicesopposedto
religion. Their followers
expose
thevicesof their religiousguides
with respect
to all this Oh S'iva! S'iva ! that agedmatronslike their
(Maharajas) mothers,young womenlike their sisters, and maidens like their
daughters,
who cometo touchthe feetof thesetrue religiousguidesin their
temples,who cometo pay darshana(divine homage)to thesegodly Maharajas,
who repair to pay darshana,believingthemto be God-that they should be made
victimsof carnalintercourse
by tbe Maharajas,
insteadof givingthemreligious
instructions. Fie! Fie! upon this incarnation,oh! damned(burnt) your
Vaishnavareligion.-21 st June,1859.
*V.-The Hast Gofldr.
"You Maharajas!ceaseto fine, to "excommunicate

and to interferein tlxjs
private domesticaffairs of your followers. You will sometimesbe involved in
troubleinsteadof gaininganybenefitin the shapeof money; and you and
your creedshallfall intodustby this (interference).
HinduMaharajas!
manyyoungmenof yourclassareimmersed in debauchery; withholdyourhand
from that, otherwise
you will have to tasteits fruits sooneror later. Hindu
Maharajas!
keep
yourselves
alooffromalltyranny,
immorality;
givereligious
instructions
andmoraladmonition
toyourfollowers,
andendeavour
to actaccord-
COMMENTS OF THE BOMBAY VEENACULAE PRESS, 179
thosereligionsinstructions,
that therebyyou maygaingloryin thisworld,
£oo<l
placein another
world. Otherwise,-if
youcontinue
to conduct
your-
is youdo at present,nothingbut repentance
andsorrow,shallyouhaveat
Beassuredof this.-Gth June, 1858.
VI.--The Satya PralcdsL
thru whydonot theVainhnavas selecta singleandhonestMahur&j,and

wt the other MahfirfijaHfrom their holy oilice? Why wantedfoppish,
tyrannical, and adulterous MaharajnHin the holy officeof religious pre-
\! OhYnishnavns;
howlongwill you sufferoppression
? Howlongwill
" <lrn#£<'<!under (he restraint and awe of tyrannical Maharajas? Oh !
rolled-,and devisemeant?wherebyyour own reputation and that of the "
if Vallabhuehuiyamay be preserved.-20^ Jtfarcfij 1859.
VII.-The
tnnplo of thn Hindu Maharajasis proved a brothel; their private dwel-

ukhomo,of a corrupt and disrespoctaJile family; their eyeswanton liccn-
»SH; th<'ir senses(,h<»
stuit of wickc<l appetites(desires); every poreof their
lum^hkouHncHH, unelcanlincHB, dirtinoss; and, in short, they have been
incaniatioiw of (ktvilH,and poMscsscd of the qualities of Satan,instead of
wnmtion of God.-22>tt£June, 1850.
VIII. -The SamMr Bdhdur.
rcllgiouHpn^'ctpiorsought so to conductthemselvesas to do good to their

ITH,and ought not to poNnesB a denireof richesand women. Insteadof that,
"rtt'rilMahlirajiiHbwcomoguilty of great Kim by committing debaucherywith.
uiakBof iludr followers. Again, the Mah&rfrjasoughi to treat alike their
nd poor followera;insteadof which they causethe poor peopleto be
mlwith cords,and allowrich persons
to makedarshanaby admittingthem
land.-10/A September,
1858.
"
IX -The Dost-e HMa.
cuttBCof all thiBis that theMaharajasaredefective.Theyarethemselves

al, themselves avaricious,themselves
partial,themselves
ignorant,andper-
ly sunkin pleasures j wherebymanyof their sensible
Yaishnava followers
catlydisgusted, and,owing to thecowardiceof the headmenof the Hindu
areobligedto remainin slavery.-21<tf April, 1861.
ISO APPENDIX.
X.-The Sudharma fiodhaL
OhGod!howmuch iniquity
happens
onthisearth!Severalreligious
guides
(whoareknownhythename of Maharajas),
underthenameofreligion,
and
under
thepretence
ofreligion,
plunder
theestates
andproperties
ofsimplepeople,
(and)
hycommitting
adultery
withtheirsisters,
daughters,
andwives,pollute
theiimodesty.
Oh God!is therenooneonthisearthto punishthese religious
preceptors!Howmuch guilt,howmuchimmorality,thatthepropertiesof men
shouldbeplundered
in thebroadlight of day! Notonlyproperty
is plundered,
but thechastity
of people's wivesis robbed,and adulterycommitted with
themin a mannerasto makeit known to all. Oh I other criminals are punished
inthisworld,
buthowdothese
religious
impostors
escape
punishment
1 OhGod!
how this iniquity canlast in Thy reign!"-20*A Januaryy1861.
XI.-The Pahrejagdr.
When the king (Maharaj)contemplates

on his riches,what words candescribe
hisjoy I A gentlefragrantcoolbreezeblows; wreaths
of flowersarescattered
around; melodioussoundsof the cymbalsof the Gopis(females)fall on the ears;
rich clothes lie on the body; and the Gopis and Gope (Mahar&j) sport with
eachother. How can the poor have a chanceof redressin such a temple! If
the king were to acquirelarge storesof wealth, even then the poor shall never
receivebenefitat his hands.-18th December,1855.
XII.-- The Pdrsi Reformer.
In this mannertheseMaharajas, claimingto be your spiritualguides,enjoy

youryoungdaughters (and)sisters,
destroy yourdomestic comfort,andstainyour
character.Therefore(you)Vaishnavas! shouldkeepanxietyaboutit, and,asthe
"reformedparty" of yourcaste,
haveusedtheir prudence to shuntheserefuges,
it behoves youto beonyourguard. It is a creditto you to keepoff yourfemales
fromthesedebaucherous (Maharajas),andto observe thedictatesof religionwith
prudence.-29t't May, 1861.
XIII.-The KJiojdDosta.
Mostof thesimple
andignorant
female
devotees
areentrapped
into thisreli-
gious
snare,
and,
giving
money
totheMaharajas,
practise
adultery
withthem.
Butthese
immoral
creatures,
theMaharajas,
arenotcontent
withthis,andthey
many
atimeuse
violence
onthetender
body
of themaidens
(oftheirdevotees),
theinstances
ofwhich
are
notuncommon.
Sucharethese
Mahar§jas-the
pre-
tended
preceptors
ofreligion-and
theiracts.-25*7*
Augmt,
1861.
COMMENDSOP THE BOMBAY VERNACULAR PRESS. 1S1
XIV.-The Vruta Bar.
Shoul.lthe templeof theMaharajasboa placeof religioustopicsandadmoni-

tions, or that of dancingof prostitutes? Doesit become the Mah&r&jto
encouragea prostitute? We recommendthe Yaishnavasto
p:mdtTuponthesequestions.It is necessary for themto devotetheirattentionto
them1,questions.They should(also)pay attentionto the presentstateof the
Mahfirfijos. The Maharajas actaccordingto their ownfancy,(and)it is neces-
saryto givea checkto this at once. If the Gu.jnr6.ti
(people)payproperatten-
tion to tho conductof tho Maharajas,their gurus themselves will act in con-
Konaucc with their dulios. If, however,anyMahar&jado not behave properly,
\w mustheexpelled (fromlawholy office).-25MAugust,1859.
XV.--Tlie JDhuma 2Tetu.
AN ANECDOTE.-Some oldgentlemen,assembling
in oneplace,werediscussing*
«Kto who in happyin Bombay;whenoneof them decided that in Mumbassur
(i.e.,the townof Bombay)
there aretwohappybeings:one,theMaha.rujof the
Bumfw,and the other,tin; (stallion)ImlMoe of BauappCi the milkman.-
l-itfi toytanfor, 1855.
XVI. -The PraUdfar.
On this account,tho UhfittiQ.Malvurajhas createda disturbance

about the
("happanJl/iogtt,and what will the meeting of the Brkhmansdo (to him) when
his mindis abHorbetl
into thojingling of the foot-ornaments of the Gopis(female
ditvotcoM)
attendinghis temple. II o thoughtthat if tho incomeof tho Brahmans,
which wan all in the bunds of his Bhattia devotees,be stopped,they (the
BrfihmanH)
thcttiMclvcs
wouldbe compelled
to sidewith him.- IGtli September,
1836.
XVII.-37«? ParVkodaya.
Not only are their bodiesand wealth dedicatedto tho serviceof these Mali&-
rfijan, but thoir duughtern,HiHtern,
and wives, with their persons,are dedicatedto
tluwe(IchmichcrouBreligiounpreiuiptors.We feelmuchpainandshameat seeing
tins. That th(»rearc mc\\ blind religiousguides(the calvesof kiue) amongst
mankindI'Ma disgrace.The authorityof the Maharajas is exercised
overtheir
followerswithout any restraint.-Awjust, 1859.
XVIII.-The Dnydnodaya.
The Gujarfitipeopleart*verypious: somuchso,thatsome(of them)touchthe

feetof theirgurus(spiritualguides),sometouchtheirbodywith their hands,and
whenthe Mahfcrajus-their ^wi«-wash their body,they(the devotees) drink
182 APPENDIX.
the dirty water droppingfrom their dhotaraand body with suchfeelingsas if this
water were from a holy place The femalesof the Gujarati
(people)showpietytowardstheir gurusevenmuchmore; it is an injunctionof
the S'astrasto selecta guruând to consignto him thesethree objects-tan, man,
anddhan(body,mind,andwealth). Thatis to say(thefemales) makeoverthen-
body(in aliteral sense) In fact,the guruof the Gujarati(people)
is their God.
-1st March, 1845.
XIX.-The Sdmddd.
We hadoftenheardof thewickedconduct
of thesereligious
guides-theMaha-
rajas ; but several of the narrativeswere such that we could not believe them.
That theywho pretendto bereligiouspreceptors
shouldentertainevil thoughts
and do wicked thingswasto us incredible;but nowwe are compelledto
believe.--October,1858.
XX.-The Guru and TFomm.
At this timea fewMaharajas

maybegoingin theright path, Themajorityof
themfollowthe wrongpath. Theyouthfulfopsaregivento ostentation.The
presentchildren of Yallabha disgracethe nameof their ancestors
The lalaji (showy)Maharajas,when the darshana
time has commenced,
and
peoplecrowded,sit in their bed chamberinside the temple, andby the gestureof
the eyes,t>rthrough somepersonskept for the purpose,invite the femaledesigned
(for evil purpose),and commitevil act with her. In Surat, onceupon a time, a
Maharaj,exertinghis wild strengthupona girl whohadnot attainedthe ageof
puberty, had almost causedher death. Similar horrible eventshavehappenedat
(Katch) M&ndavi, with which the Baj£ and his subjects(Bh&tti&s) of that
country are not unacquainted. In many placessuch a thing has happened.
What kind of oppressionis this! what kind of debaucherythis! what kind of
religious guides these! I blush to write more of such things. Many of the
Maharajasare almostblindedby theseimmoral practiceswith females.-1858,
XXI.-The Defiaucherous Gurus,
The Mahar&jas, for these evil purposes,through certain femalesand males,

order sooneror later the femalewhom they havesingledout fromthosewho have
come to pay darshana (divine homage). Sumptuouslydressedfemales,who are
"wanjtons,
a^reinvitedby theMah&rajas
merelywith abeckof their eyes. An invi-
tation from the Mah&raj is aninvitation from Krishna, and thinking shehasmet
God, shehastenswith delight and precipitation to touch the personof the Maha-
rajas For thesepurposes,they (the Maharajas)do not use
females
of their ownage; but upontenderyouthfulgirls theyexerttheir beastly
strength.-1859.
COMMENTSOF THE BOMBAY VERNACULAR PRESS. 18?
XXII.-Z5te Whippings(CMbakd).
I havesoonthotlomtof theMaharajas. Now,lady!noneof youshould go
intotinsMuhfirfijaH*
temple.Invitinga girl of tenderago,theygivethesacred
KWM'tmeulK,
and,roprcH«nting
tho story of tho Kahu Gopis,makea wanton
iwswilt.If theyBOO
wealththoyinvitewith affection,
otherwise
theyheednot;
robingthewealthandbloom of youthful
beauty! Seethohonestyof religious
nwlructoro 1-1860.
XX [II.-The Authority of Gurus.

The Muhfu'HJaK shouldbeheadthoVrtislmavas, or cause themto ho beheaded,
plunderIhi.'irproperty,defile(heirIwuttlcs;and"shouldnot thoirfollowerslay a
romphunf;of their wrongsbeforegovernment.Ha, ha! they shouldnot drag
thornto court,but Khamolussly .submitto thoseimpiousgurus,for doing that
whichin opposud to tho lawnof socialunion,opposed to the lawof God. These
MuhfirfijjiK,liko wivngohulls, thrust their headsinto the domesticconcernsof their
ilrvotecH,nuisi'.disKoiiHioiiH
by misrepresentationasto their family, caste,and friend-
ship, midaccomplishtluur (U'il dosign.s.-1859.
XXIV.-The Ancirni Religion of the Hindm, etc.
T)io conductof tho (ioHamjirt(IMahfirfijaH)of tho present day is so notorious

that,it in not noowwiryto Haymuohaboutit. BesidcH, their actsarc so disgraceful
that (our) pundoonnot move to describethornin this work. Being possessed of
ullhiwK^, they arc from their childhoodbroughttip in indulgence,and are allowed
to do JIKthuy fancy,andrcccivono educationwhatever.Mostof the present
(Jo.Hfunjis,
therefore,are ignorant fools; they do not possess
us much knowledge
u« in n»quin'(lfor the oilice of a yum. What admonitioncan one impart to
othm'riwho doesnot poHSi'KB any knowledge Tho Gosuinjispass
thrir tiwo in wititig duiutioKtviaudH,in wearing fancy clothes and jewels, in
drivingatrriagun,iu committingadulterywith strangewomen,
andin repose.-
1801,

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How are the Maharajas described in their conduct?

How are the Maharajas described in their conduct?

What issues are highlighted regarding the authority of Gurus?

What issues are highlighted regarding the authority of Gurus?

THE SECT: OE MAHAEAJAS.

1 HAVE NO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE UNFRUITFUL WORKS OF DARKNESS, BUT RATHER

TEUBNER & CO., 60, PATEEFOSTEll ROW.

IT is still a generalcomplaintthat comparatively

and observation,as from the limits imposedon in-

are supposedby many to be not only of an immea-

the surfaceof Hindu society, forgetful that the

inonial manipulations* The PhilosophicalSchools,

scopeto the popularchoice; and the spirit of sec-

fessorBL H. Wilson's valuableSketchof the Beligious

ism, such asthey were in its earlier days,havenearly

testedby the keen and impartial investigationsof a

RELIGIOUS SECTSOB THE HINDUS.

Chief Sects(continued)- PAGE

ORIGIN OP THE SECT OF MAHARAJAS.

His Death,attendedwith a Miracle 41

The differentTitles designatingthe Descendantsof Yallabha 44

CHIEF AUTHORITY OF THE SECT.

Extractsfrom the Prem Sagar(continue^)- PAGE

RELIGIOUS DOCTEINES .OE.THE Sficr.

The Object of the successive

The Templesof the Sect 99

OPPRESSIVE EXACTIONS OF THE MAH.UI.UAS.

The Penaltyof Excommunication.

THE MA.HARAJ LIBEL CASE.

EVIDENCE FOB THE DEFENCE -

SECT OF MAHARAJAS, » '

WE proposeto give in. tlie following chaptersa history of

Jdl of thesehaveothersub-divisions, either explanatory,com-

instructions,so greatvariations crept into tlie text,

is within him. Otherthanhim,nothingexisted(which)since(has

Sanhitais divided,or arranged, on two methods."Aceo

which comprelieiidsthe mantras. Tlie Sanhita,or collection

their supposed efficacyis apparentlyascribedto this modeof

ceremonialportions of the Vedaswerewritten in the third

claimsMs due. *One who had eyes/lie says,'saw it; iibe*

" In the samehymn oneverseoccurswhich boldly declares

"I addonly onemorehymn,in which the ideaof one God

"Wehaveshownthe tendencyof this Vaidik creed,that

purpose,the foundersof new sectshad no scruple and no

ledge,in 15500§h&a8.12. XurmaPurdna,in 17000

The four Upavcdascomprise-1. Ayurva, winch treats of

EELIGIOTTSSECTSOF THE HINDUS.

" Theworshipof thepopulace,

no knowledgeof thesesystems,and eventheir namesarenot

period endeavour,by great exertions,to suppressthesedif-

* H, H. Wilsons Works, vol. i. p. 31.

attacks both the Vedasand the Brahman*, and assert

9. YaUabMcli&ris;or Rudra Samprad4yis.

11. Madliwacli&ris,or BralrmASampraddyis.

The Sawascomprise the-

There is a further miscellaneous class which cannot be

These Miscellaneous Sects are the-

This long enumeration

nities which adopt modificationsof the doctrine ar

claimsMs due. One who had eyes/lie says,'saw it; iibe