3^2 ON THE RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES 



The names of the worlds are preceded by the trir 

 literal mono fyllable, to obviate the evil confequence 

 announced by Menu, " A Bra'hmana', beginning 

 t( and ending a leclure of the vidp, (pr the recital of 

 " any holy ftrain,) muft always pronounce to himfelf 

 " the fyllable 6m : for unlefs the fyllable 6m precede, 

 " his learning will flip away from him ; and, unlefs 

 " it follow, nothing will be long retained ; or that fyl- 

 f lable is prefixed to the feveral names of worlds, de- 

 c noting, that the {even worlds are manifestations of 

 i£ the power fignified by that fyllable. As the leaf of 

 " the palafa" fays Ya'jnyawalcya, " is fupported 

 " by a tingle pedicle, fo is this univerfc upheld by the 

 " fyllable 6m, a fymbol of the fupreme Bea'hme." 

 Ci All rites ordained in the vida, oblations to hre, anil 

 " folemn facriflces, pais away, but that which paifeth 

 " nojc awav,-' fays Menu, is declared to be the fylla- 

 €C ble 6?n, then called acjhara, iince it is a fymbol of 

 ■ 6i God, the Lord of created beings." 



" The concluding prayer is fubjoined to teach the 

 <( various maniieftationsof that light, which is the Sun 

 " himfelf. It is Bra'hme, the fupreme foul.- The 

 Ci hxn, fays Yajnymtoalcya 9 is Bra'hme ; this is a 

 " certain truth revealed in the lac red ?/jvimj7?a/s, and 

 " in various fdchds of the vedas. So the BhavSijhya 

 <c pkrana, fpeaking of the fun. Becaufe there is none 

 " greater than he, nor has been, nor will be, there - 

 '•' fore he is celebrated as the fupreme foul in all the 



u 



vedas." 



That greateft of lights, which exifts in the fun, 

 exilts alfo as the principle of life in the hearts of all 

 beings. It ihines externally in the iky, inter- 

 nally in the heart ; it is found in fire and in 

 flame. This principle of life, which is acknow- 

 ledged by the virtuous, as exifting in the heart 

 and in the Iky, fhiner> externally in the etherial 

 'region, manifefled in the form of the fun. It is alfo 



mad: 



