38 Mr. Colebuooke on the Philosophy of the Hindus. 



mates while awake. Swoon, or stupor, is intermediate between sleep and 

 death. During insensibility produced by accident or disease, there is, as 

 in profound sleep and lethargy, a temporary absence of the soul. In death it 

 has absolutely quitted its gross corporeal frame. 



Subject to future transmigration, it visits other worlds, to receive there 

 the recompense of works or suffer the penalty of misdeeds. Sinners fall to 

 various regions of punishment, administered by Chitragupta and other 

 mythological persons in the realm of Yama. The virtuous rise to the moon, 

 where they enjoy the fruit of their good actions ; and whence they return 

 to this world to animate new bodies, and act in them, under providence, 

 conformably with their propensities and predispositions, the trace of which 

 remains. 



The wise, liberated from worldly trammels, ascend yet higher, to the 

 abode and court of Brahme ; or, if their attainment of wisdom be complete, 

 they at once pass into a reunion with the divine essence. 



Three degrees of liberation or deliverance (jnucti) are distinguished : one 

 incorporeal, which is that last-mentioned, and is complete ; another imper- 

 fect, which is that before-mentioned, taking effect upon demise, when the 

 soul passes to the highest heaven, the abode of Buaiime. The third is 

 effectual in life-time (jivan miicti), and enables the possessor of it to perform 

 supernatural actions ; as evocation of shades of progenitors, translation of 

 himself into other bodies called into existence by the mere force of his will, 

 instantaneous removal to any place at his pleasure, and other wondrous per- 

 formances. 



These several degrees of deliverance are achieved by means of certain 

 sacrifices, as that of a horse (as'rcmnedha), or by religious exercises in various 

 prescribed modes, together with pious meditation on the being and attri- 

 butes of God : but the highest degree of it is attainable only by perfect 

 knowledge of the divine nature, and of the identity of God with that which 

 emanated from him, or was created of his substance and partakes of his 

 essence. 



Questions most recondite, which are agitated by theologians, have en- 

 gaged the attention of the vedunlins likewise, and have been by them dis- 

 cussed at much length ; such as free-will (sUYUanti-j/a), divine grace (is'wara- 

 prasdda), efficacy of works {carman) or of faith {s'radhd), and many other 

 abstruse points. 



On the last-mentioned topic, that of faith, nothing will be found in the 



