;:Bi - ESSAY ON THE 



to the ely slum, and land of the Messed of the western my thologists". 

 Szverga^ of course, does by no means signify what we understand by 

 heaven: the real expression for which, in Sanscrit ^ is the Saha46cas,QT 

 the place of those, who abide in the presence of the Supreme Being, 

 According to divines in India, there are two places for good people after 

 death, and we may choose which of them we like best. These are the 

 Swerga-hhumis, or terrestrial paradises, and Mdcsha, which includes the 

 Saha-locas, or heaven, according to our ideas. To obtain these, there are 

 two modes of worship very different from each other: for the first com- 

 prises exterior observances, and in fa6t is downright idolatry ; in tlie second 

 you are diredled to reje6l entirely the former mode, and to worship only 

 the Supreme Being in spirit and truth: sacrifices, pilgrimages, ablutions 

 are then no longer required. Though they talk much of the latter, yet 

 I could never find a single Hindu \hzX would follow it, alledging that 

 it requires a renunciation of the world, and it's pleasures, an absolute self 

 denial ; and that besides they do not conceive in what the pleasures of the 

 Saha-ldcas may consist, as there is no eating, or drinking, nor marrying 

 die. On the contrary, in terrestrial paradises, they eat, drink, marry &c. 

 The world, its pomps, and all sensual pleasures, when enjoyed without 

 distressing our fellow creatures, is by no means a sinful state : for this 

 reason they prefer Sw erg a, where they may become kings, great men 

 &c„ This is a sort of paradise, contrived for publicans, scribes, pharisees 

 and other wordly persons, who in general are endowed with many vir- 

 tues; which, however, remain sterile, through want of a vivifying principle. 

 In this mode of worship, sacrifices, pilgrimages, the worship of superior 

 emanations, and of their representations in wood, stone &c. are pecu- 

 liarly requisite ; and in cases of great guilt incurred, extraordinary pe- 

 nances, mortifications &c. If to the other system of religious worship, 



