54 or THE ORIGIN OF 



the attributes of creation and apparent destruction : 

 that this power, and matter, are two distinct and co- 

 existent principles in nature; the one agent, the 

 other patient; the one ?72a/e, ihe othtr fema It ; and 

 that creation was the effect of the mystic union of 

 these principles. 



The hieroglyphic of this union was worshipped 

 under a variety of names, Bhava and Bhava'm', 

 MahadeVa and Maha' Ma'ya', Sec. Thus the 

 attribute of creation was usurped from Brahma, 

 by the followers of Si'va, to adorn and charac- 

 terize their favorite Deity. 



This seems to have been a popular worship, for a 

 great length of time. Two sects, however, sprang 

 up out of it : the one personified the whole universe, 

 and the dispensations of providence in the regula- 

 tion thereof, into a Goddess; this sect retained the 

 female symbol only, and denominated tliemselves 

 Sacta, as worshippers of the Sacti, or female power, 

 exclusively, which they called Pracriti; and 

 which we, from the Latin, term nature. 



The other sect insisted, that there was but one, 

 eternal, first cause ; that ^very thing existing, de- 

 rived its existence from the sole energy of that first 

 cause (N'lrunjtn). 



In order, therefore, to express their ideas of the 

 absolute independence of this supreme power upon 

 any extra co-operation, they took for their symbol 

 the maleen.biem, unconnected with that of the fe- 

 male; a third sect likewise arose, which intended 

 to reconcile the idea of the unity of godhead with 

 that of the existence of matter and spirit; they, 

 therefore, contended, that the union of those two 

 principles was so mysteriously intimate as to form 

 but one being, which they represented by a figure 



