Page:The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.djvu/252

Rh illiterate classes, but they were not calculated to inspire anything like a pure and rational devotion.

The chief anti-brahminical religions, which were popular among the Tamils, were the Nigranta and the Bauddha. These two religions, considered the rites and ceremonies of the Vedas to be useless labor, and the exclusive privileges arrogated by the Brahmins to be empty pretensions. The Nigranta system was older than Buddhism and the Nigrantas called the Buddhists Pâshandas, or heretics. The Nigrantas worshipped Argha whom they considered to be the Supreme Intelligence which governs the Universe. His image was generally in the form of a naked man, seated or standing under an Asoka tree, with a triple umbrella above him. They had two principal vows, not to speak an untruth, and not to kill any living creature. They trained their minds to avoid envy, greed, anger and evil speech. Their community was divided into two sections: the srâvakas(hearers) or laymen and the religious men; and of the latter there were five classes, who were called Pancha-paira-meshtin, namely, Argha, holy men; siddha those who had acquired supernatural powers; Upâddhyâya, religious teachers; Achâraya, priests; and Sadhu, pious people. Near their temples, and in the open squares at the crossing of public roads, they erected pulpits from which their monks preached their religion. Both men and women were allowed to enter the monastery, and take vows of celebacy. Their monks and nuns carried an alms-bowl, a hoop made of twine to suspend a water-pot, and a bundle of peacock feathers with which they could sweep off insects, without injuring them, from the places where they have to sit or lie down. They created a short prayer of five letters, which they called the Pancha-mantra.

Images of Buddha had not yet come into use, but the impressions of his feet engraved on stone, and platforms built of stone representing the seat from which he preached his doctrine were objects of worship to the Buddhists. The pious Buddhist walked round them, with his right side towards them, and bowed his head in token of reverence. Standing in front of them, with joined hands, he praised. the Buddha as follows: “How shall I