﻿OF THE HINDUS, &C. 279 



NOTES. 



(A) That Hindus belong to various sects is uni- 

 versally known ; but their characteristic differences 

 are not perhaps so generally understood. Five great 

 sects exclusively worship a single deity ; one recog- 

 nises the live divinities which are adored by the other 

 sects respectively, but the followers of this compre- 

 hensive scheme mostly select one object of daily de- 

 votion, and pay adoration to other deities on particu- 

 lar occasions only. Even they deny the charge of 

 polytheism, and repel the imputation of idolatry ; 

 they justify the practice of adoring the images of 

 celestial spirits, by arguments similar to those which 

 have been elsewhere employed in defence of angel 

 and image worship. If the doctrines of the Veda, 

 and even those of the Piirdn'as, be closely examined, 

 the Hindu theology will be found consistent with 

 monotheism, though it contain the seeds of poly- 

 theism and idolatry. I shall take some future occa- 

 sion of enlarging on this topic : I have here only to 

 remark, that modern Hindus seem to misunderstand 

 the numerous texts, which declare the unity of tiie 

 godhead, and the identity of ViSHjJu, Siva, ihe 

 Sun, &c. Their theologists have entered into vain 

 disputes on the question, which among the attributes 

 of GOD, shall be deemed characteristic and pre-emi- _ 

 nent. Sancara a'cha'rya, the celchr ted c.;ra- 

 mentator on the Veda, contended for the iiJ^iiibiites 

 of S'l VA, and founded or confirmed the sert of S'aivas, 

 who worship Maua' deva as the supreme !;^'ing, 

 and deny tiie independent existence oi Vishn'u and 

 other deities. Mad'hava ACHAiiYAand Valla bha 

 AC K ART A have in like manner established the sec t of 

 Vaishnavas, who adore Vishn'u as TiOO. The 

 Suras (less numerous than tlie two sects abovemen- 

 tioned^ worship the Sun, and acknov\ le<:iie no ottier 

 divinity. The Gduapatyat adore Ga s es'a as unit- 

 ing in his person all the attributes of the deity. 



T 4 B£i;OIiE 



