Page:History of India Vol 9.djvu/300

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