which these books are said to inculcate, is either altogether neglected, or carefully concealed in this district, although indecent figures are common in the ornaments of the places of worship. Indeed, I am told, that this mode of worship has made little progress among the Brahmins of Bengal, who are mostly married; and is chiefly confined to holy men, who have relinquished the world, and can trust themselves with safety in the midst of temptation. No books however are in such request as the Tontros, which I believe may be considered as a system of magic. In this country all the Brahmins who are of the sects of Sib or Sokti, acknowledge the Tontros to have been revealed by the former, and to be the proper guide in religious matters. Now in these books, there are said to be forms of invocations for six kinds of witchcraft.
1. Maron, by which an enemy may be killed.
2. Uchchaton, by which an enemy becomes a vagrant like an idiot.
3. Vosikoron, by which a person may procure the friendship of his enemy.
4. Stombhon, by which an enemy becomes dumb.
5. Vidiveshon, by which an enemy is made to quarrel with his friend.
6. Santi, by which a person may be cured of sickness.
These are supposed to be effectual only when pronounced by a Brahmin, and accompanied by sacrifices. The Brahmins of Kamrup are considered as the greatest adepts in this science, which is contained in the Tontro, called Sarodatilok. This I have stated on the authority of the Tontrosar composed by Krishnanondo of Nodiya, who is supposed to have lived about 300 years ago, and to have been descended from Agom Vagis, the most learned person in the Tontros that has ever been known.
The lowest of all the sciences studied by Pandits, in their opinion, is the Jyotish, which comprehends astronomy and the knowledge of the past, the present, and the future, which is attained by means of the stars, and of the lines on the human hand or forehead. Many people have imagined, that the Jyotish were a sect of philosophers, who neglected fable, and followed reason as a guide, and who were numerous, and much respected in India. If there are any such philosophers, I have never met with them; all whom it has been my fortune to see, professed astrology, and most of them also practised chiromancy. Although all Hindús of high rank are addicted to this folly, the Pandits, who profess no other science, are considered as the lowest of all others; and indeed the science is often possessed and practised by Sudros, who are called Gonok, and who belong to the Daivoggno tribe, commonly called Daibok. In this district, however, the Daiboks procure a living chiefly by selling almanacks, and cannot make calculations. As the practice of astrology is profitable, a considerable number of Brahmins, even men very learned in other sciences, follow this art, and in this district almost every academician (Odhyapok) practises it more or less. No undertaking of any sort of consequence can commence in a Hindú family of rank, without a wise man having been consulted to find out the proper day. Whenever a child is born, the star of its nativity is calculated, by the art called Thikoji, which is not considered as difficult. Afterwards, the earliest opportunity is taken of procuring a man of profound science in the art called Koshthi, by which from the Thikoji he foretels the events of the child’s future life. Every Hindú of rank has two names, one public and one private, which last is only known to the parents, Gúrú, Purohit, and astrologers, and is carefully concealed from all others, lest any person should use it in enchantment (Montra, Bhibhut, or Gún), which is of no efficacy where the common name only is used.
