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RELIGIOUS SECTS
the former lead a mendicant and ascetic life, and are distinguished by wearing yellow garments and a single streak of sandal, or Gopichandana, down the forehead; the necklace and rosary are of Tulusi beads: they wear also a small pointed cap, round the lower part of which they wrap a yellow turban. Their appearance in general is decent, and their deportment decorous; in fact, although they profess mendicity, they are well supported by the opulence of their disciples; it is possible, indeed, that this sect, considering its origin, and the class by which it is professed, arose out of an attempt to shake off the authority of the Gokulastha Gosúins.
The authorities of the sect are the Sri Bhúgaat and Gitá, of which they have Bhúshá translations: that of the former is ascribed, at least in parts, to CHARAŃ Dás himself: he has also left original works, as the Sandeha Súgar and Dharma Jihúj, in a dialogue between him and his teacher, Suku Deva, the same, according to the Churan Dasis, as the pupil of VYÁS, and narrator of the Purúúas. The first disciple of CHARAŃ DÁs was his own sister, SAHAJI Bái, and she succeeded to her brother's authority, as well as learn - ing, having written the Sahaj Prakás and Solah Nirmaya: they have both left many Sabdus and Kavits: other works, in Bháshá, have been composed by various teachers of the sect.
The chief seat of the Charan Dúsis is at Dehli where is the Samúdh, or monument of the founder: this establishment consists of about twenty resident
