54 Evolution of Life and Form. 



no real thought responds to our speaking ; the lips 

 speak, not the intelligence or the heart. Step by 

 step we have to climb from the manifested to the 

 unmanifested, and, in His compassionate love, God 

 veils Himself in forms of beauty to attract the 

 human heart, in order that the human heart may 

 rise adoringly to His Feet, and that some portion of 

 His life, pouring down thereinto, may enable the 

 Self of the worshipper to realise even partially its 

 unity with Him. 



The Devas, then, in their many ranks and divi- 

 sions, perform functions according to their grade. 

 Speaking generally, their work in the world is to 

 guide evolution according to the design of Ishvara. 

 That really sums up their functions, although we 

 are going to study them in detail. I say nothing of 

 the vast functions of the higher Devas that lie 

 beyond our knowing, beyond the teaching that 

 Rishis have given. I deal only with those lower 

 functions that are concerned with our world, and 

 with the solar system of which our world is part. 

 Taking that limitation, suitable to our ignorance, we 

 can study some of the functions of the Gods within 

 the limits of our solar system. 



Speaking generally, as I said, that function is to 

 guide evolution, to adapt, to correlate, to carry out 

 the living will of the Supreme, and to carry out that 



