in Hinduism, is the sacred Brahminical cord, whose use is restricted to the three superior castes as a mark of distinction. It is composed of a definite number of threads of cotton taken from a particular plant. Its length is such as to allow of its being worn diagonally across the body, from the left shoulder to the right side. The stoutest cord is that worn by Brahmins, that of the Kshatriyas being thinner and that of the Vaisyas being very slender, so that the cord serves to distinguish between the castes. (Butler, Land of the Veda, says that the Brahmin's cord is made of cotton threads, the Kshatriya's of hemp, and the Vaisya's of wool). Brahminical devotees or saints often wear a snake-skin instead of the cord.