D. The Jāt Vairāgīs
The fourth class of the sect, colloquially known as Jāt Baiṣṭams, is composed of those who are the offspring of Vairāgīs, or who have come into the sect through being outcaste from their own community, or for any reason whatever.
This phase of Vaiṣṇavism is reflected in a Bengali proverb, which can hardly be improved upon for terseness: Jāt hārāle Baiṣṭam. (a Vaishnava because he has lost caste).
In Risley's Tribes and Castes of Bengal, this section of the Vaishnava community is treated as though it were a separate caste.
This is due, probably, to the fact that it has no caste standing, because it does not observe the Smārta rules, which are the basis of the social and domestic life of all Hindu society.
It is a strictly Vaishnava community in this sense, living by Vaishnava rites entirely. This is what differentiates it, although a group of householders, from the Grihastha class of the sect.
For instance, it has its own marriage ritual, widow marriage is allowed, and divorce is practised. Divorcees also are re-married. There are no gotras in the community, but they claim an Achyuta gotra from Krishna himself.
The lack of the Smārta rites in marriage has occasioned dissatisfaction, since their marriage cannot be recognised as legal in Hindu law. This has led to the adoption in recent years of certain forms to give the appearance of Smārta legality.
The reform marriage Bills, that have occasioned so much discussion in the past few years, would benefit this community particularly.
In the census of 1901 this group was enumerated as below all castes:
This caused much heart-burning in the Calcutta community, with the result that its leaders in a public meeting organised themselves as a non-caste community.
The gurus of this community are usually called Adhikāris, and are men of the community who have raised themselves socially by marriage into a caste family. They are disciples of regular Gosvāmīs.
In some cases Gosvāmīs serve as gurus, but they are looked down upon by other Brahman Gosvāmīs.
The community has gained in strength through the accession of higher grade men, and is growing in numbers.
Vairāgīs who turn from their mendicant life and become householders, and thus members of this community, are called Saṁyogī. The descendants of Nityānanda, strictly speaking, belong in this category.
Burial is observed at death, and there is no regular Śrāddha.