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RELIGIOUS SECTS
MALÚK DÁsis.
The Maluk Dasis form another subdivision of the Rámánandi Vaishnavas, of comparatively uncertain origin and limited importance: they are generally traced from Rómánand in this manner: 1. Rúmánand, 2. Ašínand, 3. Krishna Dás, 4. Kil, 5. Maluk Dus; making the last, consequently, contemporary with the author of the Bhaktu Malá, and placing him in the reign of AKBAR, or about 250 years ago.
We had occasion, in the notice taken of NÁBIÁJI, to shew that the spiritual genealogy now enumerated could scarcely be correct, for as RÁMÁNAND must have flourished prior to the year 1400, we have but three generations between him and the date even of AKBAR's succession 1555, or a century and a half: it was then mentioned, however, that according to the Bhakta Malá, KKISHŇA DÁs was not the pupil of ÁśáNAND, and consequently the date of succession was not necessarily uninterrupted: We might therefore place Malík Dás, where there is reason to place NáBHÁJI, about the end of AKBAR's reign, as far as this genealogy is to be depended upon, but there is reason to question even its accuracy, and to bring down MALÚK DÁs to a comparatively recent period: the uniform belief of his followers is indeed sufficient testimony on this head, and they are invariably agreed in making him contemporary with AURENGZEB.
The modifications of the Vaishnava doctrines introduced by Malýk Dás, appear to have been little more
