ORIGIN OF THE SEVERAL CASTES 261
nevertheless, they receive their name from Bramma for
that they be sprung from his chief est part, namely, from
his head; whilst that the Settreaes are sprung from his
arms, the Weinsjas from his thighs, and the Soudraes
from his feet: the which is used by the Bramines for
a proof of their greater worthiness above other castes.
The Bramines are distinguished from one another both
in respect of their faith and in respect of their manner
of life. In respect of their faith the Bramines are of
six kinds: the Weistnouwa, the Seivia, the Smaerta, the
Schaerwaecka, the Pasenda, and the Tschectea (Vaish-
navas, Saivas, Smartas, Sarvakas, Pasendas (?), Sak-
tas).
They of the sect of the Weistnouwa (Vaishnavas)
say that Wistnou (Vishnu) is the highest god, and that
none is like unto him; and for that they recognize
Wistnou as the highest god, are they called Weist-
nouwa. Moreover, they of the caste of the Soudraes,
whensoever they agree in their faith with these, are
termed daetseri, that is, " servants." But it must be
known that, when they are so called, it is to be under-
stood, as the Bramin Padmanaba said, that they are
servants to the Bramines; which service the Bramines
hold to be a great honour for the Soudraes, in that they
should be esteemed worthy to be servants to the Bra-
mines. They persuade these people that the deity
esteemeth the service which they do the Bramines even
as it were done to himself; and they testify to the
Soudraes that whosoever of their caste yieldeth up his
life to protect Bramines, cometh after death to the
