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animals of a prolific kind, as the bull or goat; his BENEVOLENCE, by the facred cow, whofe milk nourishes the gentle Hindoo; while the combination of these animals or parts of animals were intended to designate his united wisdom, power, glory, and benevolence. Degrading, I obferved, to the divine nature as these representations appear to be, and as they really are, they are only fuch as might be expected from a race fo deeply involved in physical researches as the Indian nation is known immemorially to have been; whose brahmins, while they acknowledge the fupreme Deity to have occafionally defcended from heaven, and invested himself with a human, and even a bestial, form, have themfelves opened a wide field for the allegorical defigns which decorate their pagodas.

But, independently of these animal-figures, the symbols of the divine attributes, all the three great deities of India having wives, as, for inftance, Brahma being married to Sereswati, Veefhnu to Lacfhmi, and Seeva to Bhavani; and these wives, respectively producing a numerous offspring, is the occafion of their temples being filled with a thousand fubordinate divinities, whofe names and functions it would be an endless labour to repeat.

The

The history of many of these mythological perfonages may be found in Sir William Jones's Differtation in the Afiatic Researches on the gods of Greece, Italy, and India; and in the publication of M. Sonnerat. I shall still adhere to the great outlines only of the Hindoo faith, and principally confine myself to an account of the rites paid to the great triad collectively or feparately. It is a circumftance equally curious as true, that there at this day exifts throughout Hindoftan scarcely any one temple facred to Brahma, in his individual character of Creator; nor, though in honour of Veeshnu and Seeva numerous feftivals croud the Hindoo almanac, is one day peculiarly confecrated to Brahma. The brahmins alone, in memorial of their original descent from Brahma, every morning at sunrife perform to his honour the ceremony of Sandivane, or ablution in the Ganges, or fome facred tank. In all other respects, his functions and worship feem to be abforbed in that of Veeshnu, in whofe temples he is fculptured with four heads and four arms. The four heads, as often before explained, are fymbols of the four elements and four quarters of the world. Some authors affert, they are allufive to the

four VEDAS;

but

that.

that is impoffible, fince, originally, there were but three of thofe facred books.

In

one of the four hands Brahma holds a CIRCLE, the mystic emblem of eternity; in another, FIRE, the juft emblem of power pervading to the centre of that world which he made. With the two others he writes on OLLES, or Indian palm-leaves, poffibly in token of his having given the Hindoos the grand code of their theology, as Menu, who by Sonnerat is too often confounded with this perfonage, imparted to them the code of their laws. I fhall not infult the reader's understanding with a ridiculous tale, told by M. Sonnerat concerning the reason of this general neglect and degradation of Brahma, the fupreme Creator.* With thefe mythologic details let the priests of India amuse their deluded followers. Such, however, being the fact, let us endeavour to explain the mystery in the best manner we can, and I humbly propofe the following query for the folution of it. Do not the Hindoos mean to intimate, that the great work of creation being completed, and every thing fet in order and motion by the Almigh

ty

* See Sonnerat's Voyages, vol. i. p. 51, in which Brahma is degraded into a pedestal to support his fellow-deities, Veeshnu and Seeva.

ty CREATIVE FIAT, the regulation and ma nagement of the world thus formed naturally devolved upon the PRESERVER?

The pagodas, confecrated either to the one or the other of these latter deities, are invariably adorned with two ftatues of the god, one without the temple, to which the people themfelves present their offerings; the other, more facred and richly arrayed with cloth of gold and jewels, tenants the inmoft fanctuary, and can only be approached by the officiating brahmin. These images are generally made of stone or copper, painted and gilt; fome are of folid gold, but few or none of filver. They had, formerly, for eyes, rich gems, rubies, or emeralds, but Mohammedan and European avarice united have obfcured thofe more brilliant luminaries, and glafs ones have been substituted in their place. Tavernier tells a curious story of a certain goldfmith; who, fecreting himself in the great pagoda of Jaggernaut, robbed the idol of one of his envied eyes. The story is exceedingly doubtful, however the thief was not permitted by indignant Veeshnu long to enjoy a treasure obtained by fuch tremendous facrilege; for, when the brahmin opened the door the ensuing morning, and he attempted to go out of the pago

da,

da, he was ftruck with death at the very threshold, when the ftolen jewel was found upon him. Tavernier adds, that no goldfmith, nor can we wonder at it, was ever after fuffered to enter that holy pagoda.*

Veefhnu is variously represented in his temples according to the different characters affumed by him in his avatars or defcents, but more generally by a human form with four arms. In one of his hands he bears a certain shelt or CHANQUE, as they denominate it on the Coromandel coaft. It is the holy fhell used in the rites of public worship, and its nine valves or foldings allude to his nine incarnations. Another bears the radiant CHACRA, defcribed before, as inftinct with life; a third grafps, fometimes a drawn fword, like that engraved in the plate of the Matfya Avatar; and fometimes a mace, mace, or fceptre, broad and ponderous at the extremity, but tapering where the hand holds it. The fourth is unoccupied, and ready to assist those who call for the affiftance of the heavenly preserver. Near him is conftantly pourtrayed his GARUDI, or fwift-winged bird, on which, in these benevolent expeditions, he is wafted through the air. According to M. Sonnerat, it is the

* Indian Travels, book ili. chap ix. London, folio edit. + Voyages, vol. i p. 39.

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