OF THE HINDUS. 349 



Ci We meditate on the adorable light of the refplen- 

 " dent Generator which governs our intellects ; 

 "" which is water, luftre, favour, immortal faculty of 

 u thought, Bra'hme, earth, lkv, and heaven." 

 According to the commentary, of which a copious 

 extfaft fhall be fubjoined, the text thus recited figni- 

 fies, " That effulgent power which governs our in- 

 cc tellects is the primitive element of water, the luf- 

 " tre of gems and other glittering fubftances, the favour 

 " of trees and herbs, the thinking foul of living be- 

 if ings ; it is the creator, preferver, and deftroyer, the 

 '* fun and every other deity and all which moves, or 

 '* which is fixed in the three worlds, named, earth, 

 "iky, and heaven. The fupreme Bra'hme, ib ma- 

 Ci ni felted, illumines the feven worlds ; may he unite 

 " my foul to his own radiance (that is to his own foul, 

 " which rdides effulgent in the feventh world, or 

 " manfion of truth)." On another occafion, the con- 

 cluding prayer, which is the Gdyatri of Bra'hme, is 

 omitted, and the names of the three lower worlds 

 only are premifed : thus recited, the Gdyatri properly 

 lo called, bears the following import : " On than 

 c effulgent power, which is Bra'hme himfelf, and is 

 (< called the light of the radiant fun, do I meditate ; 

 Ci governed, by the myfterious light which refules 

 £i within me, for the purpofe of thought ; that very 

 (i light is the earth, the fubtil ether, and all which ex • 

 " iris within the created fphere ; it is the threefold 

 i( world, containing all which is fixed or moveable ; it 

 i: exiiis internally in my heart, externally in the orb of 

 '* the fun ; being one and the fame with that eflul- 

 i{ gent power. I myfelf am an irradiated manifeftation 

 " of the fupreme Bra'hme." With fuch reflections, 

 fays the commentator, ihould the text be inaudibly 

 recited. 



r iheie expofitions are juftified by a very ample 

 commentary in which numerous authorities are cited ; 

 and to which the commentator has added many pai- 

 iages from ancient lawyers and from mythological 

 poems, ihowing the efficacy of thefe prayers in ex- 



Y 3 p ; ating 



