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OF THE HINDUS.
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where a stone plat-form, or stage, has been built for the exhibition of the mimic dance in a square near the river side. Besides their public demonstrations of respect, pictures and images of GoPála are kept in the houses of the members of the sect, who, before they sit down to any of their meals, take care to offer a portion to the idol. Those of the disciples who have performed the triple Samarpana eat only from the hands of each other; and the wife or child that has not exhibited the same mark of devotion to the Guru can neither cook for such a disciple nor eat in his society.
The mark on the forehead consists of two red perpendicular lines meeting in a semicircle at the root of the nose, and having a round spot of red between them. The Bhaktas have the same marks as the Sri Vaishnavas on the breasts and arms, and some also make the central spot on the forehead with a black earthi, called Syámabandi, or any black metallic substance: the necklace and rosary are made of the stalk of the Tulasi. The salutations amongst them are Srikrishna and Jaya Gopál.
The great authority of the sect is the Bhagavat, as explained in the Subodhini, or Commentary of VALLABHÁCHÁRYA: he is the author also of a Bháshya on part of Vyása's Sútras, and of other Sanskrit works, as the Siddhanta Rahasya, Bhagavata Lilá Rahasya, and Ekánta Rahasya; these, however, are only for the learned, and are now very rare. Amongst the votaries in general, various works upon the history of
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