MYSORE, CANARA, AND MALABAR. 
336 
order to procure bread, officiate as priests in their temples ; for the 
populace believe, that these beings have the power of bestowing 
temporal blessings. 
The most learned Smarted here say, that Para Brahma is the su- 
preme god, and Mayci , or Sakti Prakriti, is his wife. They deny the 
four forms of God worshipped in heaven ; but say, that from Maya 
proceeded three great Avatars , of a good, of a kingly, and of a 
destructive nature ; and named Vishnu, Brahma , and Iswara , or 
Siva. Vishnu has assumed a great number of inferior Avatars, or 
incarnations, of which however ten are more distinguished than 
the others. The three Avatars, called Vishnu, Brahma, and Iswara , 
are however to be considered as all the same with Para Brahma; 
and Parvati , the wife of Siva, is the same with Maya. All the Sale t is 
are a kind of Avatars of Parvati ; but Brahmans ought not to wor- 
ship her under these forms. To obtain wisdom, the Smartal worship 
Siva, and his wife Parvati; Ganeswara, their son, to prevent 
him from obstructing their views ; and Vishnu, to obtain heaven. 
They do not allow that there is any image of Para Brahma or Na- 
r ay ana ; and say, that the image, so called by the Aayngar, is one 
of the forms of Vishnu. This sect evidently believe in a kind of 
Trinity, there being three forms, which are essentially the same, 
and yet different;, but their doctrine is very distinct from that 
taught by Christians ; as they have in their supreme god-head a 
male and a female power, from whence proceed three persons of 
CHAPTER 
V. 
July 1 6 . 
Doctrine of 
the Smart aL 
the male sex, accompanied also by three female persons, and the 
female is always called the Sakti, or power of the deity. 
it was God who assumed the form of San- Sankara 
leara Acharya, and that he lived long before the time of Rama Achanj(U 
Anuja. At that time all Brahmans were Smartal ; but the kings and 
people were mostly followers of Buddha, or of the other heretical 
sects. 
All these Brahmans, when asked for dates, or authority, say, that 
they must consult their books, which may be readily done; but 
