252 AN EARLY DUTCH ACCOUNT OF INDIA
realm of Dewendre (Devendra, or the god Indra).
So, whensoever Bramines are named Daetsja, or Dasa,
which also betokeneth " servant," it must be under-
stood that they are servants to God and peculiar to
Him; but it is not to be understood of them as of the
Soudraes, for it lieth far from them to confess that they
be servants to any caste.
The sect of Weistnouwa aforesaid is again divided
into two parts, the first being named Tadwadi Weist-
nouwa or Madwa Weistnouwa. This name they bear
from Tadwadi Weistnouwa, for that they, so they pre-
tend, are mighty disputants, who know how to discourse
profoundly of God and of divine matters, and to defend
their words. For in the Samscortam tongue tadwadi
betokeneth " disputant, " and tadwa " knowledge of
God." And the name of Madwa they bear from one
Madwa Atsjaria (Madhava Acharya), who, they say,
was the first finder, or poet, of this sect. The second
sort of Weistnouwa are called Ramanouja Weistnouwa.
This name of Ramanouja they have from one Rama-
nouja Atsjaria (Ramanuja Acharya), who was a founder
and poet of this sect. Each of these Weistnouwa hath
his own special mode and manner of marking himself.
The Tadwadi mark themselves daily with a little white
stripe which runneth from the nose up to the forehead,
and also on the sides of the head to the place where
the arms are joined to the shoulder-blades; and like-
wise on both breasts with a round mark as large as a
double stiver. They say that this is the mark of Wist-
nou, and that it serveth them as a weapon whereby
