y also extend to the Shakha, so that a
man can only marry in a family of the same Shakha as himself. This
applies in the Central Provinces mainly to the Yajurvedis, who have
three well-known Shakhas or branches called Kannava, Apastambha and
Madhyandina. These are derived from the Shukla or White Yajurveda,
which can be understood, while the Black Yajurveda is obscure and
unintelligible. The Rigvedis and Yajurvedis have some differences in
their methods of recitation. The Rigvedis are said to move the head
up and down when they recite and not to use the hands; while the
Yajurvedis swing the hands and body from side to side. It is said
that a Madhyandina cannot say his prayers nor take his food before
midday, and hence the name, which means half the day. These points
of distinction are given as stated by the local Brahmans, and it is
not known whether they would be endorsed by the Pandits. The Maratha
Brahmans of the Central Provinces are usually Rigvedis and the Kanaujia
Brahmans Yajurvedis. Followers of the other two Vedas are practically
not found. Among Kanaujia Brahmans it is also customary to ask the
head of a family with which a marriage is proposed whether he ties
a knot in the right or left half of his Shikha or scalp-lock during
his prayers and whether he washes his right or left foot first in
the performance of a religious ceremony.

8. Exogamy.

The exogamous arrangements of the Brahmans are also very complex. It
is said that the Brahmans are descended from the seven sons of
the god Brahma, who were Bhrigu, Angirasa, Marichi, Atri, Pulaha,
Pulastya and Vasishtha. But Pulaha only begot demons and Pulastya
giants, while Vasishtha died and was born again as a descendant
of Marichi. Consequently the four ancestors of the Brahmans were
Bhrigu, Angirasa, Marichi and Atri. But according to another account
the ancestors of the Brahmans were the seven Rishis or saints who
form the constellation of the Great Bear. These were Jamadagni,
Bharadwaj, Gautam, Kashyap, Vasishtha, Agastya, Atri and Visvamitra,
who makes the eighth and is held to be descended from Atri. These
latter saints are also said to be the descendants of the four original
ones, Atri appearing in both lists. But the two lists taken together
make up eleven great saints, who were the eponymous ancestors of
the Brahmans. All the different subcastes have as a rule exogamous
classes tracing their descent from these saints. But each group,
such as tha