Page:A Geographical, Statistical, and Historical Description of the District, or Zila, of Dinajpur.djvu/109

Rh of, a learned and holy Brahmin of Santipúr, who declared himself a worshipper of Krishno, and established rules for the belief of his descendants, none of whom, whatever his private opinion may be, will venture to say, that he departs from the creed of his ancestor. In the same manner a Rarhi Brahmin of Nodiya, named, who lived about 300 years ago, openly professed himself a follower of Vishnu; and his descendants follow his tenets. Both the descendants of Odwaito and Nityanondo are called Goswami, or Gosaing, (vulgo Goseyn,) but must be carefully distinguished from those of the same title, who come from the western provinces, who are persons of all castes, and who say that they have forsaken the world, and have taken vows of poverty and chastity, although most of them are keen merchants, and pay very little other respect to their vows, except in abstaining from marriage. The Goswamis of Bengal, on the contrary, marry; but almost all of them adhere to the proper duties of their caste, and very rarely accept of service.

The other Pandits of the five tribes, who do not acknowledge the nature of their creed, call themselves simply Pandit Gurus. The Goswami form about a tenth part of the five tribes, having been able to multiply fast, as they are Gurus, or religious instructors for almost all the Sudros, aad have considerable means of subsistence. Like other followers of Vishnú they chiefly study, as their guide in religion, the Purans, or works attributed to Vyas; while the Guru Pandits, although they occasionally read the Purans, study chiefly the books called Tontros, supposed to have been revealed by the god Sib. The science contained in the Tontros, and which is eagerly studied in most parts of Bengal, is called Agom, and the most learned doctor in this law is esteemed to have been Agom Vagis, who lived at Nodiya about the same time with Nityanondo. These differences of sect produce no sort of difference of caste, and every Goswami is anxious to procure a husband of the 1st or 2nd rank for his daughter; although none of these dignified persons profess the worship of Vishnú, and the wife is always expected to adopt the sect of her husband.

A most essential difference arises in the rank of the five tribes from that of the persons, whom they condescend to instruct in religious matters, or for whom they act as priests. The former, or teachers, are called Gurus; the priests, who read prayers on solemn occasions, are called Purohits, and in general are less respected than the former. Those who perform these offices for Brahmins alone are the highest in rank; but few of such respected persons belong to the five tribes. Next follow such as perform these offices for the two higher ranks of Sudros, the physicians, and scribes. Then follow those, who act for the nine pure castes of tradesmen, (Novosakh,) and for a few tribes that are admitted to be of a similar rank.

All these Brahmins continue to be tolerably respected, and may give their daughters in marriage to Kulins; but certain religious offices in some measure deprive a Brahmin of caste, and his daughter cannot intermarry with a person of any of the three pure ranks.

The highest of these impure Brahmins are the Ogrodani, who receive the first charity (Dan), that a person offers in commemoration of his deceased parents. The charity offered on all future occasions is accepted by the highest, and is a considerable source of revenue. A tradesman of the nine pure castes will condescend to drink the water of an Ogrodani; but rejects that of all the inferior Brahmins, who are considered as inferior in rank even to a Sudro.

The Brahmins who condescend to act as Gurus and Purohits for any of the