VISHNU HIS AVATARS. 215 



To Brama, the first and highest person in the Hindoo 

 trinity, is assigned the work of creation. Mr. Ward thinks 

 that he is considered by the Indian sages as the Soul of the 

 world ; yet, from the examination of their writings, it does 

 not appear that they took so refined a view of the subject. 

 They represent him rather as having produced or drawn 

 the universe out of himself, so that all that ever was, or is, 

 once formed a part of his essence. His own origin was 

 very singular. The Supreme Mind, it is said, having by a 

 thought created the waters, laid in them an egg, which 

 remained inactive for many millions of years, till Brama, by 

 the energy of his own thought, caused it to divide, and from 

 it he himself was born in the shape of the divine male r famed 

 m all worlds as the great forefather of spirits. 



Brama, among the Indian deities, holds decidedly the 

 pre-eminence, sharing even the essence of the Supreme 

 Mind; yet, perhaps from the very circumstance of this 

 lofty position, he attracts comparatively little attention or 

 worship. He has neither temples erected, nor sacrifices 

 offered to him, nor festivals celebrated in his honour. He 

 gives name indeed to the great caste of the Bramins or 

 priests ; but no sects derive from him their appellation, or 

 specially devote their lives to his service. In return the 

 priests in regard to him have indulged less in those scan- 

 dalous and indecent fictions which crowd the history of in- 

 ferior divinities. 



Vishnu, in the sacred annals of India, makes a much 

 more frequent and conspicuous figure. In his character 

 of preserver, or more properly deliverer, he is represented 

 as having interposed whenever the world and the race of 

 men were threatened with any peculiar danger. The avatars 

 of Vishnu, his descents to the earth in various animated 

 forms, furnish the most fertile theme of Hindoo legend and 

 poetry. The chiefs and heroes whose exploits appeared 

 to indicate a celestial origin were considered as incarnations 

 of this deity. These illustrious personages, in becoming 

 Vishnu, did not lose altogether their own identity ; they ac- 

 quired a sort of compound existence, and had worship paid 

 to them under both characters. 



It were tedious as well as disgusting, to trace at any 

 length the many marvellous and ridiculous transformations 

 ascribed to this god. A few instances will afford a surli- 



