66 OF THE ORIGIN OF 



and Ca'li', introduced by the sect of Si'va, which 

 caused a total separation of the sect of Vishnu, and 

 introduced those rehgious wars which, in distant 

 ages, seem to have distracted mankind; and of 

 which traces are, even at this day, to be found. 



With a view to unite the three great attributes of 

 creation, preservation, and destruction in one sym- 

 bol, the S'aivas personified the abstract idea of time 

 (Ca l), which may, figuratively, be said to create, 

 preserve, and destroy. They therefore distinguished 

 artificial time and eternity with peculiar emblems, 

 in which the attribute of destruction, the charac- 

 teristic of Si'vA, evidently predominates. The per- 

 sonified Sacti, or energy of each of these allegorical 

 personages, was decorated with corresponding em- 

 blems. The contemplation of the distinctions of 

 day and night; of the light and dark divisions of 

 the month ; of the six months night and six months 

 day of the Gods (occasioned by the apparent obli- 

 quity of the Sun's path); and lastly, the contrast 

 of the visible creation with eternal night, suggested 

 the idea of painting Ca'l white and Ca'li' black. 



To SiVa they have given three eyes ; probably 

 to denote his view of the three divisions of time, 

 the past, the present, and the future. A crescent 

 on his forehead pourtrays the measure of time by 

 the phases of the Moon. A serpent forms a neck- 

 lace to denote the measure of time by years. A 

 second necklace, formed of human skulls, marks 

 the lapse and revolution of ages, and the extinction 

 and succession of tlie generations of mankind, lie 

 holds a trident in one baud, to shew that the three 

 great attributes are in him assembled and united. 

 In the other hand is a kind of rattle, called \lamani, 

 shaped like an hour glass: I am inclined to thnik, 

 it was really, at first, intended as such; since it 

 agrees with the character of the Deity; and a sand 



