258 AN EAKLY DUTCH ACCOUNT OF INDIA
are less than he, yea, even Wistnou, whom the Weist-
nouwa pretend to be the chiefest god. Those of the
Soudra caste who agree herein with these Bramines are
called Sjangam (Sanskrit sanga, " company "). This
sect mark their heads with three or four streaks of
ashes of burnt cow-dung. Some of them wear about
their necks a certain stone, or idol, which they call
lingam, and some wear it in the hair of their heads;
they let their children, when they are eight or ten years
old, wear it covered with wax, bound to their arm with
a cord. They that wear this lingam, do it for a proof
and open avowal that they put their full trust and con-
fidence in Eswara, and that they recognize no other
god but him. The Soudraes who wear this lingam re-
frain from fish and flesh and from all that hath died,
even as the Bramines.
The third sect is called Smaerta (Sanskrit, Smdrta,
" traditionalists ") and had, as the Bramin Padmanaba
testified, who himself was of this sect, one Sancra Ats-
jaria (Sankara Acharya) as a poet and founder of their
sect. They say that Wistnou and Eswara are one, even
though they be worshipped under different images, and
they are averse to some saying that Wistnou is the
chiefest god and object to others esteeming Eswara as
of this rank. I have not been able to find that these
Smaertas mark themselves outwardly with any mark
whereby they may be distinguished from each other.
They seem not to have many followers among the com-
mon folk, since this matter is somewhat too high for
their understanding and their concept cannot be at-
