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ORIGIN OF THE SEVERAL CASTES 261 nevertheless, they receive their name from Bramma for that they be sprung from his chief est part, namely, from his head; whilst that the Settreaes are sprung from his arms, the Weinsjas from his thighs, and the Soudraes from his feet: the which is used by the Bramines for a proof of their greater worthiness above other castes. The Bramines are distinguished from one another both in respect of their faith and in respect of their manner of life. In respect of their faith the Bramines are of six kinds: the Weistnouwa, the Seivia, the Smaerta, the Schaerwaecka, the Pasenda, and the Tschectea (Vaish- navas, Saivas, Smartas, Sarvakas, Pasendas (?), Sak- tas). They of the sect of the Weistnouwa (Vaishnavas) say that Wistnou (Vishnu) is the highest god, and that none is like unto him; and for that they recognize Wistnou as the highest god, are they called Weist- nouwa. Moreover, they of the caste of the Soudraes, whensoever they agree in their faith with these, are termed daetseri, that is, " servants." But it must be known that, when they are so called, it is to be under- stood, as the Bramin Padmanaba said, that they are servants to the Bramines; which service the Bramines hold to be a great honour for the Soudraes, in that they should be esteemed worthy to be servants to the Bra- mines. They persuade these people that the deity esteemeth the service which they do the Bramines even as it were done to himself; and they testify to the Soudraes that whosoever of their caste yieldeth up his life to protect Bramines, cometh after death to the