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"The Jesuist narrates a conversation with a certain Babansa,1 a wealthy notable of Cambay, favourable to the Fathers.
He is a deadly enemy of certain men who are called 'Verteas', concerning whom I will give some slight information (delli quali toccaro, alcuna cosa ).
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The Verteas live like monks together in communities (congregationi); and when I went to their house (in Cambay ) there were about fifty of them there. They dress in certain white clothes; they do not wear anything on the head; their beards are shaven not with a razor but pulled out, because all the hairs are torn out from the beards and likewise from the head, leaving none of them, save a few on the middle of the head up to the top, so that there is left a very large bald space.
They live in poverty, receiving in alms what the giver has in excess of his wants for food. They have no wives. They have (the teaching of) their sect written in the script of Gujarat. They drink warm water, not from fear of catching cold, but because they say that water has a Soul, and that drinking it without heating it kills its Soul, which God created, and that is a great sin, but when heated it has not a Soul. And for this reason they carry in their hands certain brushes, which with their handles look like pencils made of cotton (bambaca ), and these they use to sweep the floor or pavement whereon they walk, so that it may not happen that the Soul (anima) of any worm be killed. I saw their prior and superior (maggiore) frequently sweep the place before sitting down by reason of that scruple. Their chief Prelate or Supreme Lord may have about 1,00,000 men under obedience to him, and every year one of them is elected. I saw among them boys of eight or nine years of age, who looked like Angels. They seem to be men, not of India, but of Europe. At that age they are dedicated by their fathers to this Religion.
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1.
"Babansa" is the name of a Parsi gentleman. The correct name appears to be "Bahmansha". Parsis are known to be residing in Khambhat in those times.
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
