162
the
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
Kukas observed the injunction to speak the
[MAY 3, 1872.
truth soon attracted the attention of the courts of
unfortunately lost a leaf at the end, but seems to be about 200 years old. It formerly belonged to the
law.
Ram Singh was dis
late Nawāb of the Carnatic, whose seal is on the
missed, and continued directly and through his Subahs
recto of the third leaf from the beginning.—Trib ner's Literary Record, Mar. 7.
Sir Donald was satisfied.
to make converts so fast that their number was soon es
timated at 100,000 more or less. Still, though no overt act was committed, there was a certain mystery or se
SANSKRIT MSS.—Pandit Ramanatti, Librarian to
crecy about the proceedings of the new sect that discouraged the idea of the movement being purely a religious one ; and gave it the semblance rather of a society such as that of the Carbonari of western cele brity. Such, too, seems to have been the view of the
the Sanskrit College at Benares, has collected during the last eighteen months the necessary details about more than a thousand Sanskrit manuscripts. In a late ly published report on education in the North-West Provinces of India, it is stated that the learned
local authorities for instructions were issued to watch
them. Orders were given also not to enlist any more of them in the army : these orders were, however, subsequently withdrawn, but reinforced about eight or nine months ago. The Rájá of Yashmir also find ing the Kukas in his service troublesome turned about 400 of them out of his army.—Times of India. BEGGARS.
THE Lawrence Gazette gives the following description of he different classes of beggars to be found in the Panjab :— Dori-walds, so called from their practice of spreading a dori, or rope, before shops, just like a measuring chain.
The shops coming within the length of of this rope, they collect money from first, and then proceed to other shops, repeating the same process. In case of any one of the shopkeepers refusing to comply with their demands, they form the rope into a noose and threaten to hang themselves, in order to excite his compassion, and compel him to pay something.
Tasmi-uralas, so named from their binding a strap of leather round their necks as if in the act of strangling themselves, and then lying on their back on the ground till they are paid, all the while fluttering their hands and feet Hike one labouring under the agonies of death. -
Dandi-walas, who, in case of a shopkeeper objecting to meet their demands, blacken their face, and with small bats (dandas) in their hands, which they strike together, curse and abuse him in the most scurrillous language, till a
Pandit has visited the districts of Azimgarh, Gorakh pur and Mirzapur, and has found good libraries at Lahhima
(district Gorakhpur),
and
at Dabka
(district Mirzapur). The Pandits entrusted with the care of the libraries put all possible difficulties
in his way, believing that the country would, sooner or later, be deprived of its manuscripts. In order to get admission to a library belonging to a Swa midchi, Pandit Ramanatti was obliged to serve the proprietor during several months as a pupil, with ashes on his forehead.
In another case an old rich
Brahman tried to induce him to buy a number of old account books as a library. The villages Kakhima and Dabka, in which the most valuable treasures seem to be stored, are in the possession of those Pandits who have inherited the libraries.— Ibid. YA/TRAMULLE
UNNA’NSE.
-
THE death of the Buddhist Priest Yātrāmullé Dha
mmārāma, of Bentota in Ceylon, will be severely felt by Pāli scholars. He was not only one of the most learned of the Buddhist priests, but he held such advanced philological views that his assistance
was perhaps more valuable to the English Pāli student than that of any other monk in Ceylon. A
crowd of persons gather round the shop to view the sight, thereby interrupting the shop-dealings, which at last com
fellow pupil of his was the founder of the now
pels the owner to satisfy their request. Uri-mars, or mendicants, who obstinately take their stand before shops, and will not leave them until their
rapidly spreading Ramanna Samāgama, a sect which strikes to restore the old purity of life among the Buddhist monks. The following is abriged
demands have been satisfied, even though they should have
from a notice Yātrāmullé by Mr. Childers in
to stay from morn till eve.
Tribner's Record:—
Gurz-mars and chhuri-mars, that is, fadirs who carry a knife or a club armed with spikes, with which they would themselves in order to extort alms from the people. in case of any one happening to stand in their way, they sometimes inflict blows on him in a fit of rage.—Englishman, April 12.
Mr. WHITLEY STOREs, Secretary to the Govern ment of India in the Legislative Department, has presented to the Bodleian a copy (recently made at Benares) of the Kausika Sūtra of the Sāma-veda. It has been ascertained that no other copy of this sfitra exists in Europe.
Though far junior to many of the most eminent Pali scholars of his native country, his erudition was perfectly astounding, and his opinion on points of scholarship was treated with universal respect. He lent to the great Synod of Palma
dulla,” held for the revision of the Tripitaka, all . the aid which his immense range of reading and his critical acumen rendered invaluable to
it ; and he was a leading promoter of the Tri
pitaka Society, organized for the purpose of
Mr. Stokes has also present
printing the entire Buddhist Scriptures—a scheme
ed to the University Library, Cambridge, a Persian MS., containing the Qacidahs of Naziri of Naishapūr, the Diwan of the same poet, and the largest eollec tion yet found (about 800) of the celebrated Quat rains (rub’aiyat) of Omar Khayyam. This MS, has
which, it is to be feared, will hardly survive his pre mature death. Yātrāmullé shrank habitually from publicity, and seldom quitted the retirement of the provincial monastery of his choice, in which he lived a simple and blameless life. Those who have
- Wide ante p. 31, and conf. p. 140.
