cast, or a virgin, or the wife of another man, is to be inclosed in the arms of an iron female image made red hot. The person who professes different religions, and is familiar with all casts, is to be punished by being continually cast down from lofty trees. The bramhun who commits adultery with the wife of a bramhun, is to be fed with blood. Highway robbers, those who burn houses, or poison others, are to be bitten by dogs with enormous teeth. False witnesses are to be cast from rocks 800 miles high.

The number of Hindoo Mendicants is said to be very great. The regular sects are only three already noticed; but there are some who are a kind of irregular tribes or casts, as the Bouddhus, the Joinus, the Shikhs, and the followers of Cheitunyu, &c. The religious notions of all these sects, are, in substance, the same-one great mass of idolatry and mysticism. The object of worship is the same throughout India, Tartary, China, Japan, the Burman Empire, Siam, and the Indian Isles, with only some unimportant variations in the forms. Some of the Hindoo sects, however, have a few doctrines peculiar to themselves.

The following is an Analysis of all the Hindoo sects extracted from the Vidwunmodu-Turunginse, a work by Chirunjeevu :

This work begins with the following invocation to Doorga : May she who removes the darkness of the mind, who is revealed from everlasting, who, though invisible, exists on the earth, who enlightens the ignorant, whose forehead is adorned with the crescent, the fixed rays of whose body resemble the lightning, whose body is like the clouds--descend into my mind.'

Then follows an account of the author's family; after which the author introduces the reader to the court of Dukshu,king of Gouru, where the priest of the king, and a number of learned men, are assembled in the presence of the monarch.

In the first place, the master of the ceremonies announces to the monarch the approach of a Voishnuvu, in the following words May it please your majesty, the person now approaching wears the mark of his sect, extending from the tip of his nose to the centre of his head; has the representations of the weapons of Vishnoo impressed on his body; is clothed in yellow garments, and wears a necklace of toolusee beads: he has purified his body by bathing, &c. and repeats the name Huree, Huree, as he comes.' The Voishnuvu now approaches the king, and says, May Vishnoo enter thy mind; he on whom Shivu and all the gods, sitting as yogees, medi

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tate; he who dwells in Voikoont'hu; he who fills the universe, but remains invisible; and whose body resembles that of Brumba. Saying this he takes his seat in the assembly.

The master of the ceremonies, seeing a Shoivu approaching mentions him to the king in these words:- The excellent person who is now coming, has his hair bound up as a turban round his head ; is girt round the waist with a tiger's skin; is covered with ashes; and his head, neck, and arms, are surrounded with roodrakshu bead-rolls. The Shoivu, entering the presence of the king, pronounces the following blessing: May Shunkuru, who instructs the world; whose praises are celebrated in the vedus, tuntrus, and the pooranus; who is the object of meditation to the yogee ; who directs the gods in the work of creation ; who, though invisible, for the preservation of the world becomes visible; who meditates on his own qualities-may he preserve thee.' After which, he takes his place in the assembly.

The pundit next announces a Shaktu, thus :—' He who now approaches, comes like the full moon, with a java flower in the air, a garland of mullika flowers encircling his neck; a crescent, the mark of his sect, on his forehead; he comes meditating on Doorga.' The shaktu then addresses the king: -May she, on whom Huree, Huru, and Brumha depend in the work of preservation, destruction, and creation; she who destroys the fear of future birth; who saves the three worlds; who destroys the enemies, and fulfils the desires of her disciples-may this goddess preserve thee.' After this, he sits down.

The same person next annonnces a Huree-Hura-dwoituvadee-He who now advances, is adorned with a toolusee necklace, is covered with ashes, meditates on Huree-Huru, and invites others, for the sake of their salvation, to become the disciples of this god.' He thus blesses the king:- May both Shunkuru and Vishnoo dwell in their heart, the half of whom is engaged in the devotions of a yogee, and near the other half sits Lukshmee; he who encircles himself with Ununtu, (the king of serpents,) who rides on Gurooru-may he, entering thy mind, preserve thee.' Saying this he sits

down.

A Noiyayiku and a Voisheshiku, come hand in hand, and are thus announced-These come viewing the assembly with the utmost contempt, the goddess of learning dancing on their tongues.' They then salute the king :- May God preserve thee; he who, taking the forms of Brumha, Vishnoo, and Shivu, creates, preserves, and destroys the world he

who influences all to good and evil; he whose will, whose work, and whose wisdom, are irresistible; he who exists as separate from animal life, and who is fulness itself.'

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The next person introduced is a Meemangsuku, who is thus described: This man approaches with the marks of vows and of a sacrificer upon him, teaching his disciples the forms of religion.' He thus blesses the monarch ;- May your Majesty always be engaged in religious services, which raised Indru to his throne, Sooryu to be monarch over the hosts of heaven; and the merit of which indeed, descending to thee from a former birth, has now raised thee to a kingly throne.' Having pronounced this blessing, he sits down.

The master of the ceremonies next introduces a Vedantee thus: This person comes as one who has renounced all pleasure; his apparel is painted with earth from the mountains, and in his hand he holds a dundee's staff; having ascended the vessel which is to carry him across the ocean of this world, he approaches as though he were coming to preserve from destruction this whole assembly." Addressing the king, the Vedantee says, May the glorious Being, who is wisdom and joy, who is omnipresent, the only one, the everlasting, who is free from passion, in whom the universe exists as a shadow of the sun in the water, may he give thee the knowledge, that thou art the same with him.' Having said this, he sits down.

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The next persons announced, are followers of the Sankhyu, and another of the Patunjulu school. They are thus described :- These come with bodies bulky towards the head, and lean at the extremities; professing similar sentiments, and meditating on realities. Being introduced, he of the Sankhyu sect thus addresses the monarch :-' May nature, (unaffected by spirit, as the water-lily by the water,) by whom, beginning with greatness, the universe was made, prosper thee.' The Patunjula thus blesses the king :—' -May the king pursue pleasure communicated by the vein through which the soul of the yogee, ascended to the bisilar suture, from the body, and obtains final deliverance.' He then sits down.

A Pouraniku next approaches, and is thus described :— Here comes a person full of words, with a mind fixed on God, instructing others in religious duty.' He thus addresses the king-May Narayunu preserve thee; he who in the form of a fish brought up the vedus: who in that of a boar, saved the earth; in that of a tortoise supports the universe in that of a lion destroyed a giant; in that of a dwarf, carried

Vamunu down to Patalu; in that of Purushoo-Ramu, destroyed the kshutrius; in the form of Ramu, destroyed Ravunu ; in that of Bulu-Ramu, called Rohinee mother; in that of Booddhu, declared the slaughter of animals in sacrifice to be unlawful; and who, in that of Kulkee, at the end of the iron age, will destroy the wicked, and restore the golden age.' He then takes his place in the assembly.

A Jyotishu next approaches the assembly, and is thus announced: Here comes a person acquainted with the fates of men; who can declare things past, present, and to come ; and who meditates on the nine planets.' Addressing the king, he says, May Sooryu make thee glorious like himself; may Chundru make thee a dispenser of joy like himself; may Mungulu bestow a blessing on thee; may Booddhu give thee wisdom; may Vrihusputee endow thee with learning: may Sookru give thee a knowledge of verse; May Shunee destroy thy incapacity; may Rahoo remove the wickedness of thy heart; may Ketoo erect for thee the standard of victory.' He then takes his seat.

Next a professor of the Ayoor-vedu draws near, who is thus described :- Behold a voidyu; who by his medical knowledge removes the miseries of mankind; who gives joy to a patient, as the full moon to the spectators; he comes as the afflictor of affliction.' He thus blesses the king::- May the king possess faith in the virtue of medicine, which renders the person emaciated by disease beautiful as a heavenly courtezan.' He sits down.

The next person introduced is a grammarian, who is mentioned as repeating the Kalapu, (a grammar;) and is announced as the very image of Muha-devu, an incarnation of Ununtu. He thus blesses the king :- May thy glory, O king, be published through the world; be thou the helper of all; sitting on a firm seat, practice religion; compose differences.' He then retires to the circle, and sits amongst the learned men.

An Unkularu professor now appears, and is thus introduced: Here comes a man forming prose and verse with great ingenuity, causing his words to dance as he walks.' He thus blesses the king-Mayest thou spend thy days in the joy arising from pleasant conversation; conversation embracing amorous, heroic, tender, ludicrous, disgusting, wonderful, terrific, and wrathful subjects.' He also takes his place.

An atheist approaches next, and is thus announced ;— Afraid of destroying life, here comes one who sweeps the ground on which he treads; and who has plucked off the hair from his head.' He thus blesses the king :-' Mayest thou

never be drawn aside by the words of deceivers, who worship the gods, and excite to religious ceremonies by the hopes of future rewards; who promise heaven to the sacrificers of animals; who talk of objects invisible.'

Hearing these words of the atheist, all the assembly rise up, saying, 'Oh! thou wicked one!--Who art thou ?Whence comest thou ?'

The unbeliever replies :- I am the sinner; ye are the holy; ye who fruitlessly destroy the lives of sentient beings!? The Meemangsuku replies :- The animals which I destroy in sacrifice obtain heaven; the gods are pleased with sacrifices; the sacrificer likewise obtains his desire that destruction of life therefore which is commanded by the shastrus, is not criminal.'

Unbeliever. Shocking!

What words are these! Where is heaven? Where are the gods? Where are your pleasures and sorrows after death?

M. Dost thou vilify the doctrines of the vedus and pooranus ?

Unbeliever. Shall we believe the words of the deceitful vedus and pooranus, which tell us of things which no eye has ever seen?

M. If there be neither works of merit nor demerit, how is the existence of happiness and misery to be accounted for? Unbeliever. Where are thy works? Who has seen them, or imitated them? And if thou sayest, My sorrow or joy is the fruit of actions done in former birth,' I affirm, that such births never existed; and that as it respects joy and sorrow, they depart and return like the streams of a river. It is true, however, that the world is deceitful.

Vedantiku. Oh! thou atheist, in affirming that the world is deceitful, thou hast pronounced justly; but then thou oughtest to acknowledge that there is one everlasting and true God for if there be no truth, there can be no falsehood wearing the appearance of truth.

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Unbeliever. Well, thy opinions resemble mine; but who is that Brumbu of whom thou speakest ?

V. He remains in a state of inactivity; is invisible; destitute of qualities; omnipresent; glorious; the ever-blessed; indescribable, and unsearchable.

Unbeliever. If, as thou confessest, the world is false, what necessity for Brumhu, a God invisible and inactive? Where is the utility of such a being?

The vedantee, hearing this, remained silent. Perceiving the vedantee's silence, the whole assembly directed its at