1855.1 Chusan Archipelago. 327 



energy or efficient cause of the Universe, Om being, according to 

 them, a representative of the Omniscient as quiescent and uncon- 

 nected with the world. 



Among Buddhists, following the well known law of phonology 

 whence arises the cockneyism of aspirating initial vowels, Om, 

 we imagine, readily passed into Hum, and when the seed for 

 multiplying mystic symbols was once thus thrown on a soil so pre- 

 eminently favourable to the development of fancy as is supplied 

 by the Indian mind, not only did the original emblem of the Deity 

 undergo the most phantastic transformations, but the whole of the 

 Sanskrita alphabet* was put into requisition to supply materials for 

 esoteric symbols of divinity. The Brahman followed in the wake 

 of the Buddhist, and no ordinary care was taken to assign these 

 new terms to appropriate deities and invest them with the most ex- 

 traordinary attributes. The greater portion of the Gyut or the last 

 division of the Kahgyur is devoted to this object, and the Tantras of 

 the Brahmans are replete with the most varied forms of Mantras. 

 In some instances these symbols are extended to most unwieldy 

 proportions. The Yijamantra of Syama, a form of Durga, accord- 

 ing to the Mahdnirvdn Tantra, is " Kriii kriii krin hum hum 

 hrin hrin Dakshine Kalike krin kriii kriii hun hun hriii hrin 

 swaha" [*fff wf Sfif W W ^f itf ^t ^f%^ 3TT%^ 3jff 3?t 

 siflf # # 3ff :ff ^n^T] ; that of Bhadra Kali is, " Haum Kali, 

 Mahakali, kili kili phat swaha" [^r 3nfe iT^T3TT% i%%f%f% "^ 

 ^T^T] ; that of Katyayani " Aim hrim srim chaum chandikayai 

 namah," [^ ^f ^ %f ^fejru* ifWJj ; that of Narahari "Am 

 hrim khaum hum phat" [^ff sff ^r' ^ W^ ] that of Tvarita, 

 " Om hrim hum khe cha chhe kha stri hum kshe hrim phat" [#f 

 ^Y rf ^ ^ % ^ €t g&$ iCK ^] » 



W^PJ ^JT^fT Sf^fT ?P9T fQWl SJaJTW I 

 ^lf^ 5JT*m ^f% ^WST^3fTT3»: II 



The letters ^ to "^ of the alphabet are mystic emblems (Vija) ; the visarga, the 

 vindu, and the tribindu are manifestations of Brahma and Vishnu : from them, O 

 goddess, proceeds Rudra the destroyer of the world ; from them proceedeth 

 Brahma. Vijachinidmani, I. Patala. 



