The Brahmins.
Before leaving the subject of caste, an answer should be given to the question, "What is a Brahmin?” Should you meet a member of this powerful caste, fresh from his morning washings and prayers, with a snow-white cloth wound around his middle, his body and shoulders bare, his head shaven and uncovered, and his brass vessel of water in his hand, walking with a stately consciousness of superiority to all created things;[1] and should you address this question to him, he might reply—
"I am a Brahmin, of the race that sprung from the mouth of Brahma, the almighty creator. By birth I am pure, holy, and noble, a priest and guide of men, superior to all lords and kings. Twice born, and invested with the sacred thread, I am the repositary of the Vedas, (those
- ↑ The illustration represents a Vaishnava Brahmin, or one who belongs to the sect especially worshipping the god Vishnu. This is known by the marks emblematic of this deity painted on his forehead, arms, and body. The sacred thread, the poita, is over his shoulder, and in his hand he carries his brass water-vessel.
