Page:The Religion of the Veda.djvu/112

 The Religion of the Veda Further, there are gods in the Veda-not too many in number-about whose origin we can determine nothing that is either definite or helpful. Either these gods have been obscured totally by later events in their natural history, or they are derived from aboriginal tribes or other. foreign sources about which we know nothing at all. 96 Keeping in mind this idea of genesis, we might divide the gods into three classes: transparent, translucent, and opaque gods. And being by nature and occupation philosophically inclined, plagued by an incontinent desire to find last causes, I shall fol- low the lead of these my suggestions, and de- scribe the gods from the point of view of their origin and the rationale of their being under five heads: I. Prehistoric gods, whether their origin be clear or obscure. 2. Transparent, half-personified gods, who are at the same time nature objects and mythic persons. 3. Translucent gods, who impose upon the in- vestigator the theory of their origin in nature. 4. Opaque gods, who refuse to reveal their origins. 5. To these may be added, as a fifth class, the abstract or symbolic gods who embody an action, a wish, or a fear in the shape of a good or evil divinity,