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OF THE HINDUS.
Any Hindu of the three first classes may become Sannyasi or Dandi, or, in these degenerate days, a Hindu of any caste may adopt the life and emblems of this order. Such are sometimes met with, as also are Brahmans, who, without connecting themselves with any community, assume the character of this class of mendicants. These constitute the Dandis simply so termed, and are regarded as distinct from the primitive members of the order, to whom the appellation of Daśnúmís is also applied, and who admit none but Brahmans into their fraternity.
The Dasnámi Dandis, who are regarded as the descendents of the original members of the fraternity, are said to refer their origin to SANKARA ÁCHÁRYA, an individual who appears to have performed a part of some importance in the religious history of Hindustan ; and to whom an influence has been often attributed much exceeding that which he really exercised. His biography, like that of most of the Hindu saints, is involved in considerable obscurity; but a few facts may be gleaned from such accounts as we have of him, upon which reliance may be placed, and to which it may not be uninteresting here briefly to advert.
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A number of works are current in the South of India relating to this teacher, under the titles of Sankara Charitra, Sankara Katha, Sankara Vijaya, or Sankara Digvijaya*, following much the same course of narration, and detailing little more than SANKARA's
[Mackenzie Collection, I, 98. 314.]
