THE HINDU RELIGION. 45 



dence to preserve ; and his power to annihilate or 

 change what he has created. 



In fact, no idea of the deity can be foraied be- 

 yond this : it is simple, but it forces conviction 

 upon the mind. This simplicity, however, was 

 destroyed when they attempted to describe these 

 attributes to the eye by hieroglyphics ; perhaps let- 

 ters had not then been invented, in which case 

 they could have no other mode of instruction than 

 by signs arid emblematical figures. 



In order to impress on the minds of men a sense 

 of their total and absolute dependance on him, by 

 whom they live, and from whom they have their 

 being, they invented the hieroglyphical figures of 

 Brahma —Vishnu Siva. 



As emblematical of 



Creation Preservation Destruction. 



These are referred to 

 Matter Space Time. 



And painted them 

 Red Blue White, 



" i F s i ?■ s i 



S . S (Jfc 



«>. f» 1^ :>."*• 



2 '* 



Brahma had originally fi-ve heads, alluding to the 

 five elements ; hence in one of the forms given to 

 Si'vA, as the Creator, he is likewise represented 

 with five heads. But the introduction of images 

 soon led the mass of mankind to consider these per- 

 sonified attributes as real distinct personages ; and as 

 one error brings with it many others in its train, 

 men separated into sects, each selecting one of the 

 triad, the particular object of their devotion, in 



