Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 2.djvu/184

 it; and to the sacred Vedas, one of which issued from each mouth. Red is the colour supposed to be peculiar to the creative power: we often see pictures of Brahma of that colour; which also represents fire, and its type the sun. Images are made representing Brahma, but none of Br[)u]mh[)u], the one eternal God.

Br[)u]mh[)u], or the Supreme One, say the Brahmāns, has been pleased to manifest himself in a variety of ways from age to age in all parts of the habitable world. When he acts immediately, without assuming a shape, or sending forth a new emanation, or when a divine sound is heard from the sky, that manifestation of himself is called acasavani, or an ethereal voice: when the sound proceeds from a meteor or a flame, it is said to be agnipuri, or formed of fire: but an avatara is a descent of the deity in the shape of a mortal; and an avantara is a similar incarnation of an inferior kind, intended to answer some purpose of less moment. The Supreme Being, and the celestial emanations from him, are niracara, or bodiless; in which state they must be invisible to mortals; but when they are pratyacsha, or obvious to the sight, they become sacara, or embodied, and expressive of the divine attributes, as Krishn[)u] revealed himself to Arjun, or in a human form, which Krishn[)u] usually bore; and in that mode of appearing the deities are generally supposed to be born of a woman, but without any carnal intercourse. Those who follow the Purva Mimansa, or the philosophy of Jamini, admit no such incarnations of deities; but insist that the devas (gods) were mere mortals, whom the Supreme Being was pleased to endow with qualities approaching to his own attributes: and the Hindūs in general perform acts of worship to some of their ancient monarchs and sages, who were deified in consequence of their eminent virtues.

All the principal, and several of the secondary deities, or incarnations of the principal, have wives assigned them, who are called sacti; and, except in sex, exactly represent their respective lords, being their energy or active power, the executors of their divine will. The sacti of Brahma is Saraswatī, the goddess of harmony and the arts.