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OF THE HINDUS.
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VALLABHA was succeeded by his son VITALA NÁTH, known amongst the sect by the appellation of Śri Gosain Ji, VALLABHA's designation being Śri Áchárj Ji. VITALA NÁTH, again, had seven sons, GIRDHARÍ RÁE, GOVIND RÁE, BÁLA KRISHNA, GOKUL NÁTH, RAGHUNÁTH, YADUNATH, and GHANASYAMA; these were all teachers, and their followers, although in all essential points the same, form as many different communities. Those of GOKULNÁTH, indeed, are peculiarly separate from the rest, looking upon their own Gosáins as the only legitimate teachers of the faith, and withholding all sort of reverence from the persons and Maths of the successors of his brethren: an exclusive preference that does not prevail amongst the other divisions of the faith, who do homage to all the descendants of all VITALA NÁTH's sons.
The worshippers of this sect are very numerous and opulent, the merchants and bankers, especially those from Guzarat and Málwa, belonging to it: their temples and establishments are numerous all over India, but particularly at Mathurá and Brindavan, the latter of which alone is said to contain many hundreds, amongst which are three of great opulence. In Benares are two temples of great repute and wealth, one sacred to Lál jí, and the other to Purushottama ji1. Jagannáth and Dwaraká are also particularly venerated by
1 Many of the bankers of this city, it is said, pay to one or other of the temples a tax of one-fourth of an áná, on every bill of exchange, and the cloth merchants, half an áná on all sales.
