104 REV. G. U. POPE, D.D., ON 



devotees who must be looked upon as his disciples, though, 

 curiously enough, scarcely any reference to him is found in 

 their writings. From his time dates the foundation of that 

 vast multitude of (^aiva shrines that constitute a peculiar 

 feature of the Tamil country. 



In considering the causes of his success, I feel inclined to 

 set aside all stories of persecution carried on at his insti- 

 gation. These belong, it appears to me, to a later period. 

 His own personal devotion and fervour of spirit made him 

 an altogether irresistible apostle of his faith. I see no evi- 

 dence of anything like it in the after-times. He went about 

 testifying that he had seen Qiva in Pernn-Turrai, and that 

 he had then and there passed from darkness to light. He 

 thus declared to all what he fully believed himself to have 

 seen and handled. He was an enthusiast, but absolutely 

 sincere. The doctrines that he taught will abundantly 

 appear from an attentive consideration of his disputes with 

 the Buddhist gurus. He taught the people that there was 

 one supreme personal God, no mere metaphysical abstraction, 

 but the Lord of Gods and men. He also taught that it was 

 the gracious will of ^iva to assume humanity, to come to 

 earth as a guru, and to make disciples of those who sought 

 him with adequate preparation. He announced that this 

 way of salvation was open to all classes of the connnunity. 

 He also taught very emphatically the immortality of the 

 released soul — its conscious immortality — as he said that the 

 virtual death of the soul which Buddhism teaches is not its 

 release. It will be seen liow very near in some not 

 unimportant respects the ^aiva system approximates to 

 Christianity ; and yet in some of the corruptions to which 

 it has led, by what almost seems a necessity, are amongst 

 the most deplorable superstitions anywhere to be found. 

 Here the truth of the old maxim is abundantly verified, 

 " Corruptio optimi pessima." 



Again the ^aivites led the way in the propagation of their 

 system by means of popular songs. Anyone who compares 

 the fervid piety of his very beautiful and generally very 

 simple lyrics will feel with what force how they must have 

 struck the chord that vibrated then as it vibrates still in 

 millions of hearts. " One touch of nature makes the whole 

 Avorld kin," and no one can read the Sage's verses without 

 profound emotion. Scarcely ever has the longing of the 

 human soul for purity and peace and divine felloAvship found 

 worthier expression. 



