Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 154

BEGGARS AND INTEMPERANCE
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sing indecent ballads.
The
the latter are interlarded with obscenities,
the better are they calculated to attract offerings from
the public.
The intemperance to which these religious beggars, and
indeed all the devotees of Vishnu, are addicted, causes the
better class of Hindus to regard them with great disfavour.
In fact, such mendicants seem rather to pride themselves
on their want of moderation in eating and drinking, from
a feeling of opposition to the Lingayats, and in order to
make the difference between themselves and their adver-
The sobriety of the latter equals, if
saries more apparent.
Vishnavites eat
it does not surpass, that of the Brahmins.
all kinds of meat ostentatiously, and drink arrack, toddy,
or any other intoxicating liquors or drugs that they can
Excesses of all kinds
procure, without scruple or shame.
are laid to their charge, and it is amongst them that that
deities
more
;
and they very often
freely
l
most abominable rite called sakti-puja is practised, of
which I shall speak at greater length further on.
The chief objects of veneration amongst the votaries of
Vishnu are the monkey, the bird of prey called garuda, and
the cobra. Should any one be so imprudent as to kill, or
even injure, any one of these creatures in their presence,
he might find the consequences very unpleasant, and he
would only be able to expiate this supposed crime by offer-
ing the sacrifice called pavadam, which is only performed
on very grave occasions, such as those just mentioned, or
when it is a question of obtaining reparation for an injury
done to some member of the sect, but felt to reflect on all
This expiatory sacrifice
others.
for it consists in immolating a
then resuscitating him
the
affair
;
is
a
very serious
human
victim,
and
!
When it is reported that any person has committed such
an offence as renders the pavadam necessary, all the Vishnu-
bhaktas flock in crowds to the culprit's ho