________________
MAY, 1881.]
BOMBAY BEGGARS AND CRIERS.
145
sAkyaśrama pa s did not then exist. But, named in Bhagavata X. 2, 20, are stated the prima facie antiquity of the Yajurveda Aran. in V. 4 of the same, to have been nine of the one yaka and the circumstances noticed by the hundred sons of Rishabha, and also thus: Rev. Mr. Beal, render it almost certain that long . These are the nine ma hâbh âga vatas, before Buddhism, the religious zeal of the mis- the expounders of the Bhagavata dharma, whose cellaneous classes of ancient India had developed history (charitam) illustrative of the greatness itself into Sramaņism, if I may use the expreg. of god and occurring in the dialogue between sion, and it is natural that the name of this Vasudeva and Närada will be described by us by form of asceticism was found appropriate to be and bye.'-The charita occurs as far down as adopted by or applied to Buddhist Bhiksbus, the 10th skandha, which is in poetry, while the and in course of time, exclusively,--the other story of Rishabha is in prose, and it may perhaps classes probably discarding it owing to the be suspected that the story was added afterwards, notoriety it had in the palmy days of Buddhism. but no conclusive inference can be drawn that Perbaps the present Bairagis, who are hull its author was different from that of the other naked and wander from place to place from the portions of the Purana. We have therefore in Himalayas to Cape Kumari, are the survivals of this work the Jainas denounced as heretics, the pre-Buddhist Sramaņas.
and the Sramaņas spoken of as holy men. The Since writing the above, I have read Prof. different slokas which Nárada puts into the H. Jacobi's article on “Mahavira and his | mouth of each of the nine Sramaņas in the 10th Predecessors" (Ind. Ant., vol. IX, p. 158) and also skandha teach bhakti. On the theory that that portion of the Bhagavata Purana (V. 4) in Sramanism gradually developed itself into which the story of Rishabha is narrated. In the Jainism and Buddhism, it is not improbable Vishnu Purana, Rishabh a is not mentioned as that before the development took place, it was the incarnation of Vishnu, but is said to not decidedly antagonistic to the Vedas; that have been a great king, who performed various on account of the pious life it taught, even sacrifices, installed his eldest son Bharata, Brahmaņs counted its leaders as great men and went to the Asrama of Pula ha, performed tapas accepted their teachings, and that the author and sacrifices according to the Vánaprastha of the Bhagavata had a tradition of that period, Vidhana, and went the Maháprasthána journey, though the particular bhakti doctrines attributed naked, gagging his mouth with vidá-stone (Kand. to the nine Sramaņas inay have been the work ukasadpisamaśmakabalam, commentator) Tapard of imagination. karshito'tyarthari kriso dhamanisantatah | Nagno The word sramana occurs also in the vitám mukhe kritvi vîrádhvánan ito gatah Arjunavanardsaparva of the Mahabharata Vishmi Purána, II, 1, 32.
(adiparva, adhyâya 214). The following classes of The Bhagavata says that king Arhan and men followed Arjuna : Bráhmand vedapáragáh(1) others fell into bad ways, by presuming to Vedaredángavidvárias tathaivadhyatmachinimitate Rishabha, an incarnation of Vishnu. takáh Bhaikshas cha bhagavadbhaktáh sútáh The word Arhan is evidently Jaina, and it is paurdņikás cha ye (2) Kathaküs chápare, Rajan, evident, as observed by Prof. Jacobi, that Sramands cha vanaukasah Divyákhyán&ni ye Jainas are meant. But it is said in the chápi pathanti madhuram dvijáh (3). Here latter part of Bhagavata V. 3, that Rishabha Sramanas are made to honour a Brahmaņical was born to teach duties to vátarasandnám hero with their company in his journey to holy Sramandnám sishinám urdhvamanthinam; the places, along with Brâhmans. It is also to be very names by which Sramaņas are called noted that they, the Sramaņas, are stated to in the Aranyala. And the nine Sramaņas be dwellers of forests, uanaukasah.
BOMBAY BEGGARS AND CRIERS.
BY K. RAGHUNATHJI.
(Continued from p. 75.) WIGHARI DANCERS.
long red flowing coat and a cap of the same Waghari dancing beggars are either boys colour, and to their ancles are tied strings of or girls from Gujarat, both dressed alike in a bells. These youngsters are accompanied by
