OF THE HINDUS. 3.">3 



made apparent in the luftrc of gems, froncs, and 

 metals, and in the tafte. of trees, plants, and herbs ; 

 that is, the. irradiating being, who is a form or 

 Bra'hme, is manifeiteei in ail moving beings (gods, 

 demons, men, ferpents, beafts, birds, infecTs, and 

 the reft,) by their locomotion ; and in fome fixed 

 fubftances, inch as Hones, gems, and metals, by their 

 lutirc ; in others, fuch as trees, plants^ and herbs, 

 by their favour. Every thing, which moves, or 

 which is fixed, is pervaded by that light, which, in 

 all moving things, exifts as the fupreme foul, and 

 as the immortal thinking faculty of beings, which 

 have the power of motion. Thus, the venerable 

 commentator fays, " In the inidft of the fun Hands the 

 *' moon, in the midil of the moon is fire, in the midil 

 u of light is truth, in the midli of truth is the unpe- 

 li ri (liable being." And again, God is the unperifhable 

 (i being, reiiding in the facred abode ; the thinking foul 

 " is light alone; it mines with unborrowed fplendour." 

 This thinking foul, called the immortal ' ; principle," 

 is a manifestation of that irradiating . power, who is 

 the liipreme foul. 



This univerfe, confiding of three worlds, was pro- 

 duced from water. " He firft, with a thought, 

 created the waters, and placed in them a productive 

 feed/' (Menu, chap. i. v. 8.) Water which is the 

 element, whence the three worlds proceeded, is that 

 light, which is alfo the efficient caufe of creation, 

 duration, and deftination, m^nifelied with thefe 

 powers, in the form of Bkahma, Vishnu, and 

 Kudra ; to denote this, " earth, iky, and heaven," 

 are iubjoined as epithets of light. Thefe terms bear 

 allufion alio to the three qualities of truth, pafiion, 

 snd darknefs, correfponding with the three mani- 

 festations of power, as creator, preferver, and de- 

 it royer ; hence it is alfo intimated, that the irradiat- 

 ing being is manifested as Bi-a'iima, Vishnu, and 

 BudrAj who are respectively endued with the quali- 

 ties of truth, pafiion, and darkneis. The meaning 

 is, that this irradiating being, who is the fupreme 



Bra'hmEj 



