OR SACRED WRITINGS OF THE HINDUS. 397 



nounced to be [the deities] of the mysterious 

 names* severally; and (Praja'pati) the lord of 

 creatures is [the deity] of them collectively. The 

 syllable O'm intends every deity : it belongs to 

 (Paramesht'hi) him, who dwells in the supreme 

 abode; it appertains to (Brahme) the vast one; 

 to (Dtva) God ; to (AcVhyatma) the superintend- 

 ing soul. Other deities, belonging to those se- 

 veral regions, are portions of the [three] Gods ; 

 for they are variously named and described, on ac- 

 count of their different operations : but [in fact] 

 there is only one deity, the great soul (Mahan 

 utmd). He is called the sun ; for he is the soul 

 of all beings ; [and] that is declared by the sage, 

 " the sun is the soul of (jagat) what moves, and 

 " o^(tasfhush) that which is fixed." Other deities 

 are portions of him : and that is expressly declared 

 by the sage : " The wise call fire, Indra, Mitra, 

 " and Varun'a ;" &c.-|' 



This passag-e of the Anucraman'i is partly 

 abridged from the Niructa (c. 15), and partly 

 taken from the Brdhmana of the V^da. It shows 

 (v/hat is also deducible from texts of the Indian 

 scriptures, translated in the present and former 

 essays), that the ancient Hindu religion, as found- 

 ed on the Indian scriptures, recognises but one 

 God ; yet not sufficiently discriminating the crea- 

 ture from the creator. 



* Bhur, bhuvaJi, axid sivar ; caWed the Vyahr it is. See Menu, 

 c. 2, V. 76. In the original text, the nominative case is here used 

 for the genitive ; as is remarked by the Commentator, on this 

 passage. Such irregularities are frequent iu the Vtdas them- 

 selves. 



t Niructa, c. 12, § 4, ad finem. The remainder of tlie pas- 

 sage, that is liere briefly cited by tiie author of the Index, iden- 

 tifies tire with tlie great and only soul. 



