posed a Sanskrit drama entitled Pákhanda Dharma Khandan (The Smashing of Heretical Religion), in the year of Samvat 1695 (about A.D. 1639), in which a distinct reference to Vallabháchárya and his sect is made as follows: आर्ये विदितमेव भवत्या वेदैः क्वापि पलायितं प्रियतमे वाती पि न श्रूयते सांख्यं योग पुराण धर्म निचयः मांतर्गतो दृश्यते श्रीमद्वल्लभविठ्ठलेश्वरमुखैः श्रुत्यर्थबाधोद्यतैः प्रोक्तं स्वात्म निवेदनं युवतिभिः संदृश्यते सांप्रतं कंठे कर्णे च हस्ते कटितटविषये मस्तके काष्ठमालां वृंदायाः संदधानो मृगपदसदृशं चंदनं वै ललाटे राधेकृष्णेति जल्पन् श्रुतिपथविमुखो वेदिकान् भर्त्यमानः स्त्रीवृंदैः कामपूरैः प्रति पदमिलितो वैष्णवी' चुंबमानः भो भो वैष्णवाः श्रूयतां आलिंगनं भुजनिबंधनमायताच्यः स्वच्छं निपानमशनं स्वपराय भेदः स्वात्मार्पर्ण युवतिभिर्गुरुषु प्रयुक्तं धन्यंच वैष्णवमतं भुवि मुक्तिहेतुः परस्परं भोज्यमहर्निशं रतिः स्त्रीभिः समं पानमनंतसौहृदं श्री गोकुलेशार्पित चेतसां नृणां रीतिः परा सुंदरि सारवेदिनां यत्पादुका पूजन मुख्यधर्मः सुतास्नुषादार समर्पणंच न पूजनं ब्राह्मण वैदिकानां नवा तिथेः श्राद्धव्रतोपवासः [TRANSLATION OF THE ABOVE.] "The Sútradhára (says to the Nati):-O dear, the Vedas have fled somewhere; no one knows the story of their flight (i.e. whither they have gone). The collection of the Sánkhya, Yoga, and the Puráņas, has sunk into the bowels of the earth. Now, young damsels, look to the self-dedication preached by Shrimat Vallabha Vittaleshvara, who has conspired to falsify the meaning of the Vedas. “ Enters a Vaishnava, having on his neck, ear, hand, head, and around his loins, a wreath made of the Vrinda ( Oeymum Sanctum, or Tulsi), having on his forehead Gopichandana (a substitute for sandalwood). He is one who repeats Rádhá! Krishna! Being opposed to the Shruti, he is the reproacher of those who adhere to the Vedas. He finds at every step crowds of females filled by káma (lust or cupid). He is the kisser of female Vaishnavas. Ye Vaishṇavas, ye Vaishnavas, bear the excellent and blessed Vaishnava doctrine the embracing and clasping with the arms the large-eyed damsels, good drinking and eating, making no distinction between your own and another's, offering one's self and life to gurus, is in the world the cause of salvation. “Mutual dining, carnal intercourse with females night and day, drinking, forming endless alliances, are the surpassing, beautiful customs of the persons who have consecrated their souls to Sri Gokulesha. Charity, devotion, meditation, abstraction, the Vedas, and a crore of sacrifices, are nothing: the nectarine pleasure of the worshippers of the Páduká (wooden-slipper), in Sri Gokula, is better than a thousand other expedients. Our own body is the source of enjoyment, the object of worship reckoned by all men fit to be served. If sexual intercourse do not take place with the Gokulesha, the paramour of men is useless, like a worm or ashes. "The chief religion of the worshippers of the Páduka is the consecration of a daughter, a son's wife, and a wife, and not the worship of Brahmaņas learned in the Vedas, hospitality, the Shraddha (funeral ceremonies), vows, and fastings." Sámal Bhatta, a distinguished Gujaráti poet, who flourished in Gujarát about a hundred and fifty years ago, in his poem entitled Sudá Boteri (Seventy-two Parrots) makes the following remarks in the twenty-fourth story of the book :— વૈષ્ણવ ધરમમાં કહું ! કનૈયે કીધું કાંમ || સોલ શહસ્ત્ર સંતોષીયા || નટવર જેનાં નામ || ૨૩ || તન મન ધન સોપે તેહને || નીરમળ પોતાની નાર | ૨૪ || Translated by Dr. John Wilson. છાપા કરેછે છેલજા || ભાંડ ભાંડ ધાલેછે ભાલ || [TRANSLATION OF THE ABOVE.] In the Vaishnava religion it is said Kanayá (i.e. Krishna) did this business- (They) whose high priest is Gosáiji, The head of the Samarpanis (dedicators), Make over to him their bodies, minds, and wealth, (And also) their pure females (or wives). The Vaishnavas among themselves practice The Vaishnavas sport among themselves the spring sports, Some Vaishnavas are dark, Some Vaishnavas are indecent talkers, Some (are even like) widows. (They) make foppish seal-impressions,* (And) put on indecent brows; They debase their appearance by adultery, Being destroyer of female (virtue). Another sect is that of Braj; Their religion (is) called the husband's religion; And do wicked acts.† Akha Bhagat, a man of distinguished piety, who flourished in Gujarát about the same time, and who was once a follower of the Mahárájas, used to recite a couplet which has since become a proverbial saying among the Gujaráti people, and which is as follows: ‘ગુરૂ કીધો મેં ગોકુળનાથ, ઘરડા બળદને ઘાલી નાથ ।। * On their persons with the gopechandan or white earth. + The attention of the author was directed to this passage by Kalidas. [TRANSLATION OF THE ABOVE. "I adopted Gokulnáth for my guru, and thus put a string in the nostrils of an old bullock: one who lightens wealth but does not lighten the pressure (on the heart),-what good can such a guru confer?” In the Kávya Dohan (the Cream of Poetry), or Selections from the Gujaráti Poets, we find the following piece, written probably about a hundred years ago, by Krishṇarám, a Gujaráti poet: વૈષ્ણવ થઈને વેષ, અળાને આરાધે || કરે ધર્મનો દ્વેષ, શિવની નિંદા સાધે ॥ ૯૧ || વિઠલ તણો વિશ્વાસ, શુદ્રોને મન ભાવે || ૧૦૨ ||* [TRANSLATION OF THE ABOVE]. Having assumed the appearance of a Vaishnava, They hate (the true) religion, And accomplish the defamation of Shiva. Having become Samarpani (dedicators) (they) indulge They receive the consecrated food from their guru, (Thoughts of having) connection with other women Having decked up their persons, With ornaments they sit. * Kávya Dohan, pp. 110, 111, 2nd edition. (Their) non-Vaidik tenets (They) daily read and praise. The deeds of Krishņa Chandra (They) regard as (if they were their) soul. They become the slaves of impostors, (To whom they) bow their heads. The minds of (these) Shúdra (Vaishnavas) like Sajjánand Swámi, better known as Swámi Nárayan, who flourished in Gujaráti about sixty years ago, and founded a new sect, exposed the immoralities committed by the Mahárájas, and thus induced the intelligent portion of the Vaishnava community to become his followers. Mr. H. G. Briggs, the author of "The Cities of Gujaráshtra," in the eleventh chapter of his work, referring to Sajjánand Swami, says: "No longer influenced by those dreads which had hitherto intercepted his career, he commenced his crusade against the Vallabha Kula, better known as the Gosáinji Maháráj. He boldly denounced the irregularities they had introduced into their forms of worship, and exposed the vices which characterized the lives of their clergy" (pp. 237, 238). In the "Transactions of the Literary Society of Bombay" (now the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society), vol. ii., published in the year 1820, Capt. McMurdo, Resident in Katchh, writing about Katchh and its people, makes reference to the Mahárájas as follows: “The Bháttiás are of Sindh origin. They are the most numerous and wealthy merchants in the country, and worship the Gosáinji Mahárájas, of whom there are many. The Maháráj is the master of their property, and disposes of it as he pleases; and such is the veneration in which he is held, that the most respectable families consider themselves honoured by his cohabiting with their wives or daughters. The principal Maháráj at present on this side of India is named Gopinathji, a man worn to a skeleton and shaking like a leaf, from debauchery of every kind, excepting spirituous liquors. |