Purchas his pilgrimage. Or Relations of the vvorld and the religions obserued in all ages and places discouered, from the Creation vnto this present In foure partes. This first containeth a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the Floud ... With briefe descriptions of the countries, nations, states, discoueries, priuate and publike customes, and the most remarkable rarities of nature, or humane industrie, in the same. By Samuel Purchas, minister at Estwood in Essex.

CHAP. IX.

Of the Indian Bramenes.

THe Indian Heathens haue a custome, that no man may change his fa∣thers trade, but must succeed in the same, and marry a wife also of the same Tribe. The Brachmanui, or, as they are at this day called, the Bramenes (who haue their shoppes, as well as other Merchants, throughout the Cities) are of best reputation, and weare in signe of their profession (from the shoulder crosse vnder the arme, vpon their naked bodie, downe to the girdle) three strings like sealing threeds: which for their liues they will not, nor may by their vow put off. They are naked, sauing that about their middles, they haue a cloath bound to hide their priuities. And sometime when they goe abroad, they cast a thinne gowne ouer them. Vpon their heads they weare a white cloath, wound twice or thrice about therewith, to hide their haire, which they neuer cut off, but weare it long, and turned vp as the women doe. They haue common∣ly hanging at their eares, gold-rings. They are very subtill in writing and accounts, making other simple Indians beleeue what they will. Whatsoeuer they meet first with in the streets, they pray to all day after.

When the Bramenes die, a 1.1 all their friends assemble together, and make a hole in the ground, in which they throw much sweet wood, spices, rice, corne, and oyle. Then lay they therein the dead bodie: his wife followeth with musicke, and many of her neerest friends, singing praises in commendation of her husbands life, encoura∣ging her to follow him, which accordingly shee doth. For, parting her Iewels a∣mong her friends, with a cheerefull countenance shee leapes into the fire, and is pre∣sently couered with wood and oyle, whereby she is quickely dead, and with her hus∣bands bodie burned to ashes. And if it chanceth (which is seldome) that any woman resu••eth this fiery coniunction they cut the haire cleane off from her head, neither may she after that weare Iewell, but is accounted a dishonest woman. This custome is (as may appeare) very ancient, and supposed to haue beene ordained, because of the libi∣dinous disposition of the Indian women, which for their lusts would often poison their husbands.

The Bramenes obserue fasting-dayes with so great abstinence, that they eate no∣thing that day, and sometime not in three or foure dayes together. They tell many miracles of their Pagodes. They hold the immortalitie of the soule, both of beasts and men, and that so often mentioned Pythagorean succession, and renuing of mens soules, in beasts; and contrariwise. They by the direction of the Diuell (the author of their miracles) frame such deformed statues to their Idols.

The Indian women in Goa, when they goe forth, haue but one cloath about their bodies, which couereth their heads, and hangeth downe to the knees, otherwise na∣ked. They haue rings thorow their noses, about their legges, toes, neckes, and armes, and seuen or eight bracelets vpon their hands (according to their abilitie) of glasse or other mettall. When the woman is seuen yeares old, and the man nine, they marrie, but come not together till the woman is able to beare children. Master Fitch mentioneth b 1.2 the solemnitie of these marriages, & the cause, to be the burning of the mother when the father is dead, that they might haue a father-in-law to bring them vp.

To leaue Goa with this Iland. The Canaras and Decanijns weare their beards and haire long, without cutting, as the Bramenes. They except from food Kine, Hogges, and Buffles. They account the Oxe, Cow, or Buffle to bee holy, which they haue commonly in the house with them, and they besmeere, stroke and handle them with all friendshippe in the world; feede them with the same meate they eate themselues; and when the beasts ease themselues, they hold vnder their hands, and throw the dung away: they sleepe with them in their houses, hereby thinking to doe GOD seruice. In other things they are as the Bramenes. For those are the Laitie; these are the Spiritualtie. When they take their oathes, they are set within a circle of ashes, on the pauement, and laying a few ashes on their head, the other on their breasts, sweare by their Pagodes to tell the truth.

The Canarij••s and the Corumbijns are the rustickes, and countrey-husbandmen, the most miserable people of all India: their religion is much as the other. They co∣uer onely their priuities, and eate all things except Kine, Oxen, Buffles, Hogges, and Hennes flesh. Their women bind a cloath about their nauell, which reacheth halfe∣way the thigh: they are deliuered alone by themselues, without other helpe: their children are brought vp naked, till they be seuen or eight yeares old, without any trouble about them, except washing them in a little cold water, and liue to bee an hundred yeares old, without head-ache, or losse of teeth. They nourish a tuffe of haire on their crownes, cutting the rest. When the man is dead, the wife breaketh her glasse-iewels, and cutteth off her haire; his bodie is burnt. They eate so little, as if they liued by the aire: and for a peny would endure whipping.

In Salsette are two Temples, or holes rather of Pagodes, renowned in all India: one of which is cut from vnder a hill, of hard stone, and is of compasse within, about the bignes of a Village of foure hundred houses: with many galleries or chambers of these deformed shapes, one higher then another, cut out of the hard rocke. There are in all three hundred of these galleries. The other is in another place, of like matter & forme. It would make a mans haire stand vpright to enter amongst them. In a little Iland cal∣led

Pory, there standeth a high hill, on the top whereof is a hole, that goeth downe in∣to the hill, digged and carued out of the hard rocke; within, as large as a great cloister, round beset with shapes of Elephants, Tigers, Amazons, and other like, workemanly cut, supposed to be the Chinois handy-worke. But the Portugalls haue now ouer∣throwne these Idoll-Temples. Would GOD they had not set new Idols in the roome; with like practise of offerings and pilgrimages, as did these to their Pagodes.

I once c 1.3 went into a Temple of stone, in a Village, & found nothing in it, but a great table that hung in the middle of the Church, with the image of a Pagode thereon pain∣ted, hellishly disfigured with many hornes, long teeth out of the mouth downe to the knees, and beneath his nauell with such another tusked & horned face. Vpon the head stood a triple crowne, not much vnlike the Popes. It hung before a wall, which made a partition from another chamber, like a quier, close without any light: in the middle wherof was a little doore, and on each side of it a furnace within the wall, with certaine holes thereby to let the smoake or sauour of the fire to enter into that place, when any offering should be made. Whereof we found there some, Rice, Corne, Fruits, Hens, and such like. There issued thence such a filthy smoke, & stink, that it made the place black, and almost choked such as entred. We desired the Bramene to open the doore, which with much intreaty he did, offering first to throw ashes on our foreheads, which we re∣fused, so that before he would open vs the doore, we were forced to promise him not to enter beyond the doore. It shewed within like a lime-kill, being close vaulted, without hole of window: neither had the Church it selfe any light but the doore. Within the said Cell hung an hundred burning lampes, and in the middle stood a little Altar coue∣red with cotton cloth, and ouer that with gold; vnder which, as the Bramene told vs, sate the Pagode all of gold, of the bignes of a Puppet.

Hard by the Church without the great doore, stood within the earth a great foure∣square cisterne, hewed out of free stone, with staires on each side to go downe into it, full of greene, filthy, & stinking water, wherein they wash themselues, when they meane to enter into the Church to pray. In the euening, they carried their Pagode on Proces∣sion, first ringing a bell, wherewith the people assembled, and tooke the Pagode out of his Cell with great reuerence, and set it in a Palamkin, which was borne by the chiefe men of the Towne; the rest following with great deuotion, with their vsuall noise and sound of trumpets, & other instruments; & hauing caried him a pretty circuit, brought him to the stone-cisterne, washed him, & placed him againe in his Cell, making a foule smoke and stinke, and euery man leauing his offering behind him, intended to the Pa∣gode, but consumed by the Bramene and his family. As we went along by the waies, we found many such shapes vnder certaine couertures, with a small cisterne of water hard by, and halfe an Indian nut hanging thereby, to take vp water withall, for the trauellers to wash and pray. By the said Pagodes doe stand commonly a Calfe of stone, and two little furnaces; before which they present their offerings. My fellow leaping on one of those Calues in the Church, the Bramene called out, and the people came running, but we staied their furie by gentle perswasion of the Bramene before. And thus much of these deformed formes, and mishapen shapes, with their worshippings and worship∣pers sutable. Like lips, like lettice. Vaine Rites, stinking sinkes and smokes, vgly Idols, conspiring with internall Darknes of the mindes, and externall Darknes of their Tem∣ples; to bring an eternall Darknes to the followers, that all may shut vp (as they are begunne) in a hellish period.

Botero saith, The Bramenes also worship d 1.4 one Parabramma, and his three sons, and in honor of them weare those three threeds afore-said. Hee affirmeth, that the Ioghi wander vp and downe through India, abstaining from all carnall pleasure, but a certaine time; which being expired, they are past possibilitie of further sinning, and are then called Abduti, as the illuminate Elders of the Familists, polluting themselues in all filthines. The Bramenes f 1.5 haue Images of the Trinity and haue in religious estimation the number of Three. They acknowledge and pray to the Trinity in Vnity: but affirme many Demi-gods, which are his Deputies in gouerning the world. They honour the Portugalls Images also, as approaching to their owne superstition. They marry but one

wife, and admit no second succeeding marriage. The Bramenes must descend of the Bra∣mene Tribe, and others cannot aspire to that Priesthood: but some are of higher account then others: For some serue for messengers, which in time of war, & among theeues may passe safely, & are called Fathers. They will not put a Bramene to death for any crime.

When they are seuen yeeres old g 1.6 they put about their necke, a string two fingers broad made of the skin of a beast called Cressuamengan, like a wilde Asle, together with the haire: which he weareth till he is foure yeares old, all which time he may not cate h 1.7 Be∣telle. That time expired, the said string is taken away, and another of three threds put on, in signe that he is become a Bramen, which he weareth all his life. They haue a principall amongst them, which is their Bishop, which correcteth them, if they doe amisse. They marry but once, as is said, and that not all, but onely the eldest of the Brethren, to conti∣nu•• the succession, who is also heyre of the fathers substance, and keepeth his Wife streitly, killing her, if he finde her Adulterous, with poison. The yonger brethren lie with other mens wiues, which account the same as a singular honour done vnto them. They haue great reuenues belonging to their churches, besides offerings, and at set houres of the day resort thither to sing and doe other their holy rites. Twice in the day, and as of∣ten in the night, their Pagode is taken out of the Altar, and set on the Bramenes head, looking, backward, and is carried in procession three times about the Church, the Bra∣menes wiues carrying lights burning: euery time they come to the principall doore of the Church, which is on the West side thereof (some churches haue two doores beside) they set it downe on their offering-stone, and worship it. Twice a day they bring it to eate of their sod Rice, as often (it seemeth) as the Bramene is hungry. When they wash them (which is often) they lay a little ashes on their heads, foreheads, and breasts, saying that they shall returne into ashes. When the Bramenes wife is with child, as soone as he knoweth it, he clenseth his teeth, and abstaineth from Betelle, and obserueth fasting till she be deliuered. The Kings of Malabar will scarse eate meate but of their dressing. i 1.8 They are of such estimation, that it Marchants trauell among theeues, and robbers, one Bramene in the company secureth them all, which Bramene will eate nothing of an other mans dressing: and would not become a More for a Kingdome. Ni.di Conti saith k 1.9 he saw a Bramene three hundred yeares old: hee addeth, that they are studious in A∣strologie, Geomancie, and Philosophy. To be short, they are the Masters of Ceremonies and the Indian Religion, in whose Precepts the Kings are trained vp. Besides these l 1.10 se∣cular Bramenes, there are other Regular, as those Ioghi and Vertae: of which wee haue spoken. There are also some that liue as Heremites in Deserts: some in Colledges: some wander from place to place begging: Some (an vnlearned kinde) are called Sanasses: m 1.11 Some, contrarie to the rest, nothing esteeme Idols, obserue Chastitie twenty or fiue and twenty yeares, and feede daily on the Pith of a fruit called Caruza, to preserue in them that cold humour, neither doe they abstaine from Flesh, Fish, or Wine, and when they passe along the way, one goeth before them crying Poo Poo, that is, way, way: yea, the King himselfe honoureth them; and not they, the King: Some liue, enclosed in iron Cages all filthy with Ashes which they strew on their heads and garments: some burne some part of their body voluntarily: All are vaine-glorious, and seeke rather the shell then the Kernell, the shew then the substance of holines. I haue thought good to say thus much together of them, as in one view representing the Bramenes; a name so aunciently, so vniuersally communicated to the Indian Priests, although some par∣ticulars before haue beene, or hereafter may bee said touching some of them in other places, according to the singularitie of each Nation in this so manifold a profession.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Ceremonies at the death of a Bramene.
• b 1.2

  R. Fitch.
• c 1.3

  Linschoten.
• d 1.4

  Gi.Bot.Ben.lib.2.part.3.Maff.lib.1.
• f 1.5

  Od. Barbosa.
• g 1.6

  Od. Barbosa.
• h 1.7

  Betelle, a leafe.
• i 1.8

  Sumario di pop orient.
• k 1.9

  Nic.di Conti.
• l 1.10

  Mas.l.1
• m 1.11

  Nic.Pimenta