A History of the Mahrattas v1.c7.55

v1.c7.55

The Concanist Bramins, before the elevation of Ballajee Wishwanath, commonly called the first, though in fact the fifth Peishwa, were not employed as clerks and men of business, but as hurkarus and spies. They carefully suppress or destroy all copies of the Syhadree Kind, where their origin is mentioned, and a respectable Bramin of Waee was, a few years ago, disgraced by Bajee Rao for having a copy of it. The Concanists say, that the word chitpawun was originally chitpohle, literally signifying ‘searing the heart,’ made use of in their addresses to their patron Pureshram for not attending to their petitions; this expression, however, being considered undutiful, or improper, was changed to chitpawun, ‘pure-hearted,’ which they interpret ‘a sinner pardoned.’