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Maratha country. Even in English territory the opinion of the Peishwas in such matters would take effect, and was enforced by the British Government.

But the days of the Peishwas are gone, unfortunately, to return no more. At present there is no council, no definite authority to which appeal could be made and whose decision would be respected. Let us mark the effects.

The Peishwas are gone, and so is the power of the Shāstrīs and Pundits in Poona. The priests, Shāstrīs and Pundits in Poona still like to play their excommunication formalities. They often excommunicate persons, either those who have returned from England, or married a widow, or drank tea with Englishmen, but nobody pays attention to their excommunication excepting their own circle, which to-day has become very small and unimportant.

As in Poona, so in other places; the priests and Pundits of a town gather together to consider the case of a Brāhmaṇa culprit. Very often the culprit does not care to obey their summons, and the case is decided in his absence. The priests may pronounce an excommunication, but the culprit is not at all afraid of it, for their excommunication is not much regarded by the bulk, or at least by a considerable section of the Brāhmaṇa community. Very often the person excommunicated by the priests has far more influence in the society than that of all the priests in the town put together, and thus the excommunication by the assemblies of priests and Pundits have become a joke.

What is the reason of such a condition? Why is it that persons who are either the priests of the society, or men learned in Vedas and Shāstras, should not have enough influence on the society to cause at least ostracism of persons who have violated the traditional custom? The main