him the only object of adoration.

And Europeans have some

times been surprised on further acquaintance, to learn how much they had mistaken some of the first principles and usual practices of Brahminism. But the meaning intended by such expressions is quite consistent in the opinion of the Hindus with their whole system of polytheism, and with the worship paid to its numerous deities. By such expressions they do not mean the unity of the infinite Spirit to the exclusion of other gods, any more than to the exclusion of men. They mean that he alone is the self-existing God, primarily the Creator of all things, and into whom all created beings and things, spiritual and material, will hereafter be absorbed, so that as he alone existed at first, so he alone will exist at the close of this dispensation or kalpa.

Thus, though expressing views of the Unity of God, which have often appeared to Europeans to be inconsistent with the worship of any other deity, the Hindus have a system of polytheism containing gods more numerous, multiform, monstrous, and immoral, than any other nation ancient or modern. The number of these deities is declared to be 330,000,000, and any one of these deities may be worshipped. Some of these have great power, and others are comparatively small and feeble. Some are male and others are female. Some are parents and others are children. Some have a form in which they generally appear a kind of natural form and yet they can assume any form they please, and become visible or invisible as may best suit their purpose or convenience. Strange and monstrous forms are common among them. Some have eyes on different parts of their bodies. Some have faces on all sides of the head. Some have four, and others have many more hands. And as though these variations, distortions, and perversions of the human form were not enough, some of the Hindu deities have forms partly human and partly animal, and some are entirely in the animal form.

Brahminism has yet another form—it is not only monotheistic and polytheistic, but it is also pantheistic. And this is generally the system of the learned, and the primary doctrine of the Vedantas. They say that the supreme Spirit and the universe are one and the same that he does not exist separate from the creation, nor is the creation separate from him. The universe is

only an expansion of the Deity, and the expansion of the Deity produces the universe. So with mind and so with matter. There is no mind or spirit in the world which is really separate from the infinite Spirit. Nothing but this Spirit exists in the universe, and all which appears to be material, actual, and substantial, is such only in appearance and not in reality—it is all illusion. It is only the endlessly varied energetic operations of the all-pervading infinite Spirit, the all-pervading and animating principle or agent in the world. He alone has any real existence, and he produces by his immediate and direct agency, all the phenomena in the universe. There is no such thing as substance or matter, and all that appears to be such, is only the infinitely varied and diversified operation of the self-existing and all-pervading Cause. The advocates of this system say that it is owing to the ignorance, dulness, and darkness of the human mind, or to the qualities which produce this state in human beings, that men think they are separate, distinct, and individual beings, and have the power of voluntary action and moral responsibility, that if men could in any way acquire sufficient knowledge, discernment, purity, and light, they would at once lose all consciousness of individual existence, and their spirits be absorbed into union with the infinite Spirit.

The following extracts show these sentiments:-"Bramh, (the infinite Spirit) and individuated spirit are one."—"That which pervading all the members of any body, is the cause of life or motion, is called individuated spirit; that which pervades the whole universe giving life or motion to all, is one. That which pervades the members of the body, and that which pervades the universe, imparting motion to all, are one. So Bramh and all individuated spirits are one. All life is the Creator or Bramh; he is the soul of all creatures. All spirits are one, not two, and the distinctions I, thou, he, etc., are all artificial, existing only for present purposes. The universe is only an expansion of the divine substance. The human spirit like the divine, is eternal and uncreate. The highest object of religious meditation is to discover that the worshipper is himself God, or a part of God, and the ultimate reward of such discovery is absorption into the Deity. As soon as a man can fully realize that God is every thing and every thing is only a part of

God, he will no longer retain any conscious existence-his spirit or what he thought was his spirit, will be united with or absorbed into the infinite Spirit from whom he emanated."

MINOR DEITIES.

In the accounts given of the creation of the world it is said that the supreme Spirit Bramh created, or rather by his authority the god Brahma created, among other beings "an assemblage of inferior deities with divine attributes and pure souls, and a number of genii exquisitely delicate." It is said that the number of these deities is "immense," and they are declared to be "lords of other created beings, to be eminent in holiness and to be adored and worshipped." They are also declared "to have control over human affairs, and to interfere with them whenever they please." The world where these deities reside, is Meru or Sumeru, a mountain supposed to be north from India. This mountain is said in the Purans to be 600,000 miles high. Its form is like an inverted cone, being 128,000 miles in circumference at the base, and twice as much, namely, 256,000 miles, at the top. Here the principal gods, as Brahma, Vishnu, Sheva, Indra, etc., have each their separate places of residence where they live with their wives and children. Some of these places are described as being gorgeous and splendid, abounding with every thing which can contribute to their gratification. They have palaces, gardens, servants, musicians, courtesans, etc. These gods and goddesses are often engaged in domestic quarrels and in disputes and contests about their comparative rank, power, etc. They are described as having a natural and generally preserved form and appearance, but they have power to assume any form, to become invisible, and to proceed to any place at their pleasure. They can descend to the earth at any time, assume any shape or appearance, and manifest themselves to any human being whenever they please.

Among these deities Brahma, Vishnu, and Sheva hold the highest place in the Purans and in the general opinion of the Hindus. They are sometimes called the Hindu triad. Brahma is often called the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Sheva the destroyer, of the world. Some account of them will be given.

BRAHMA.

The creation of the world is generally ascribed to Brahma. The Ayeeni Acberry says there were 16 different accounts among the Hindus of the creation of the world. Some of these accounts are long, obscure, contradictory, and much of them unintelligible. The more commonly received opinion is that Brahma first created the waters, then the earth, then a great number of inferior deities, good and bad genii, etc. Then he created the brahmins, who came from his mouth; the kshatryas, who were produced from his arms; the vaishyas from his thighs, and the shudras from his feet. These constituted the four primitive castes.

Brahma is described as of a bright yellow or golden color, with four faces and four hands, dressed in shining garments, and riding upon a bird resembling a swan. In one hand he holds a portion of the Vedas, in one he holds a vessel of water, one is raised as bestowing a blessing, and the fourth as offering some gift. No temples are ever dedicated to him, and he is never worshipped alone or separate from the other gods. The brahmins sometimes make prayers to him, and perform some ceremonies in his name. It appears strange that this god, who is declared to have created the universe, and who is always mentioned first in enumerating the deities, should receive no worship from the great body of the people, and have no temple dedicated to him. The reason of this neglect and dishonor is stated in the Purans to be that in some matters, which involved the honor and veracity of Vishnu and Sheva, Brahma not only told what he knew was false, but hired two witnesses to confirm what he said. The gods, on knowing this iniquity, deprived him by their curse, of all homage and worship. Sheva was so angry (the falsehood was concerning him,) that he cut off one of Brahma's heads. Before this he had five, but since then he has had only four heads.*

These are not all which is said in the Purans concerning Brahma. When spirituous liquors were first made, all the gods,

* Some accounts ascribe Sheva's cutting off one of Brahma's heads to another and yet more disreputable cause.

genii, etc., used them, and often to intoxication.

One day

Brahma having become intoxicated, made an attempt upon the virtue of his own daughter. In one of the Purans, it is said that he lived in a state of incest with his daughter for 100 years.

The residence or heaven of Brahma on Sumeru, is said in the Mahabharat to be 800 miles long and 400 miles broad. His reputed son Narad, when inquired of concerning the place, declared he could not describe it in 200 years, and that it contained in a superior style all that is in the heavens of the other gods, and that whatever of beauty, splendor, and glory exists in all the creation of Brahma on the earth, may be seen there in its highest perfection.

VISHNU.

This god has acquired the character of the preserver of the world. He is commonly described in the form of a dark, or blue or black man with four arms, holding in one hand a war-club, in another a conch-shell, in another a weapon called chuckra, and in the fourth a water-lily. The vehicle on which he rides, is a creature partly human and partly bird. This god is chiefly worshipped in the form of the supposed incarnations, which he at different times assumed for the preservation of the world.

The incarnations of this god called Awatars, form so prominent a part in the Hindu system, that their probable origin and nature appear to deserve some consideration. Some have supposed that Brahminism is indebted to Christianity for this peculiarity in its system, or at least for the suggestion of it. But the incarnation of the Hindu gods were all so different in their nature and object from any thing contained in the Christian system, that it does not appear necessary nor reasonable to suppose that they ever had any connection whatever. The account of these incarnations are contained in the Purans, which are chiefly made up of poems and traditions. The early poetry of the Hindus was of a very fanciful and extravagant character. The Hindus have always been exceedingly credulous, ready to believe almost any thing however strange, improbable, and unrea