On account of their sanctity the Bairagis have a fairly good social
position, and respectable Hindu castes will accept cooked food
from them. Brahmans usually, but not always, take water. They act
as _gurus_ or spiritual guides to the laymen of all castes who can
become Bairagis. They give the Ram and Gopal Mantras, or the texts
of Rama and Krishna, to their disciples of the three twice-born
castes, and the Sheo Mantra or Siva's text to other castes. The last
is considered to be of smaller religious efficacy than the others,
and is given to the lower castes and members of the higher ones who
do not lead a particularly virtuous life. They invest boys with the
sacred thread, and make the sect-mark on their foreheads. When they
go and visit their disciples they receive presents, but do not ask
them to confess their sins nor impose penalties.
If a mendicant Bairagi keeps a woman it is stated that he is expelled
from the community, but this rule does not seem to be enforced in
practice. If he is detected in a casual act of sexual intercourse
a fine should be imposed, such as feeding two or three hundred
Bairagis. The property of an unmarried Bairagi descends to a selected
_chela_ or disciple. The bodies of the dead are usually burnt, but
those of saints specially famous for their austerities or piety are
buried, and salt is put round the body to preserve it. Such men are
known as Bhakta.