________________
20
RELIGIOUS SECTS
which their adoration was offered: they stamped circular orbs en their foreheads, arms, and breasts with hot irons; a practice uniformly condemned by SANKARA, as contrary to the laws of the Vedas, and the respect due to Brahmanical flesh and blood.
GAÑEŚA, as well as Súrya, had formerly six classes of adorers; in the present day he cannot boast of any exclusive worship, although he shares a sort of homage with almost all the other divinities: his followers were the worshippers of Maná GAŃAPATI, of HaridRA GANAPATI, or DHÚNDÍ RÁJ, who is still a popular form of GANEŠA, of UCHCHHISHÍHA G., of NAVANÍTA G., of SwarNAG., and of SANTANA G. The left hand sub-division of the UCHCHHISHľHA GANAPATI Sect, also called Hairamba, abrogated all obligatory ritual and distinction of caste.
The adorers of the female personifications of divine power, appear to have been fully as numerous as at present, and to have worshipped the same ocjects, or BHAVÁNÍ, Malá LAKSIMÍ, and SARASWATÍ: even as personifications of these divinities, however, the worship of Sírá and Rádhá, either singly, or in conjunction with Ráma and KRISHŃA, never makes its appearence. The worshippers of Sakti were then, as now, divided into two classes, a right and left hand order, and three sub-divisions of the latter are enumerated, who are still well known---the Púrńábhishiktas, Akritárthas, Kritákrityasamas.
There can be little doubt, that the course of time and the presence of foreign rulers, have very much ameliorated the character of much of the Hindu wor
