HURD WAR. 
213 
repose confidence in the infallibility of his single 
wisdom ? 
“ In former days, as at this time, these holy temples 
were served by many Brahmins of such extraordinary 
piety and wisdom, of such pure and heavenly lives, 
that all the world was crying out, saying, ‘ Whence 
came all these devout and sapient persons ?’ The 
whole country, far and near, resounded with the 
echoes of their praise, and they were sought by all 
who had need either of bodily or spiritual advice. 
But Genesa, the great god of wisdom, is often pleased 
to expose the shallowness of mortal judgment and 
foresight, when his just wrath is excited by man’s 
impious assumption of his attributes. 
“ Among the number of these excellent Brahmins 
was one whose name was Suryaput, a man of such 
superior learning and skill, acquired by great labour 
and devotion to his sacred studies during a long life, 
that he was always consulted in cases of emergency ; 
and being raised to the holy dignity of chief-priest, 
he became an oracle, speaking the will of the divine 
Mahadeo. In fact, this extraordinary man was as 
much an object of veneration among the priests as to 
the vulgar : and yet he fell from the tower of his 
greatness. Self-sufficiency and conceit found a lurk- 
ing-place in the heart of this gifted and once pious 
Brahmin, and speedily manifested themselves in his 
contemptuous and overbearing behaviour to the rest 
of the priesthood. Vanity and self-love unhappily 
