ΠΟΤ

abt. Meanwhile, it is our duty to proclaim the fact that the te church is steeped in the very depths of poverty. Neither are tracts, nor books, nor Bibles, nor seminaries of improved ce education, can it, by its own unaided resources, possibly ring secure. For all of these instrumentalities of recuperative power, it must depend wholly on the benevolence of others that have been more amply replenished with the riches of time, as well as the treasures of eternity. These are the British and American churches. Why might they not send fraternal epistles,-faithter ful in remonstrance and expostulation-surcharged with symthepathy and good-will-and lightened all over with divine love? The present Missionaries would form the most effective media of communication; since men, in judgment more sound, in sentiment more enlightened, in disposition more conciliatory, it would not be easy to find. Why not accredit and substantiate every profession of loving-kindness by the spontaneous largesses of a wide expanding charity? And why not, by means of these and other heaven-appointed agencies, confederate in originating the principles, and in propelling the cause, of a real Egyptian "regeneration?" True believers-the disciples of the Lord Jesus-members of his mystical bodycalled, quickened, and sanctified-are "the salt of the earththe light of the world." Let the fallen church of Egypt be made to rise in renovated life and purity, beauty and strength-let the salt of her reviving doctrines display its sanative efficacy:-let the light of her rekindled holiness stream out in its diffusive energy:-and then will the portentous shadow, which at present enshrouds the destinies of Egypt with a gloom as impenetable as the darkness of the plague, be disenchanted of all its mystery. The redoubted Pasha of so many subjugated provinces will then be proved to have been, all the while, but a rod in the hands of Him, who is King and Governor among the nations, for the furtherance of designs which it had never entered into his imagination to conceive, and the accomplishment of purposes which it would have been his policy to have covered with irretrievable defeat. The violence of a tyrannous usurpation, the desolating tide of a lawless conquest, the sudden fall of old dynasties, the spread and consolidation of new empire over the hitherto dissevered realms of barbarism;-all, all will then be found to have been subordinated by an overruling Providence, to facilitate the progress of gospel Truth, in its march to the throne of Universal Dominion.

A. D.

VOL. I.

4 Q

IV.-Absurdities of Hinduism.

To the Editors of the Calcutta Christian Observer.

DEAR SIRS,

If you think the following relation of absurdities, the circumstances of which were narrated to me, some time since, by bráhmans of the places in which they are reputed to have occurred, will serve to illustrate the sad state of Hindu mind and heart, and will contribute to excite the readers of your periodical to more vigorous endeavour and more earnest prayer, for the elevation of this deluded people, to the spirit and power of the gospel, you are at liberty to insert the same in the Calcutta Christian Observer.

Jálná, Sept. 12, 1840.

Your helper in Christ,

S. B. MANGER.

At the distance of about twenty miles from Jálná, on the road leading to Paitan, and near the village of Jám Kei, is the temple of Jámbuwat. This temple, if such it may be called, is situated in the side of a hill. It is simply a cave, and more resembles a haunt of the class of beings to which Jámbuwat claims affinity, than a place to which resort is made for the purpose of religious worship. It is this very circumstance, probably, which has caused it to be selected for the purpose to which it is devoted. At the extreme part of the cave is a projection of the rock which forms the roof and walls of this natural temple, and this is in the place of a likeness of him whom they here adore. Sure am I that none but Hindus can perceive a resemblance in this pointed stone, to the hero of the following story.

Jámbuwat is a fabulous bear and the reputed father-in-law of Krishna. The cave, of which I have spoken, is believed to have been the place of his habitation. A certain king obtained, as a recompense for certain austerities, the inestimable gem, called Shrimantak Aditya. The raja's son purloined the gem, and was subsequently slain in a hunting excursion, by the great bear, Jámbuwat, who seized the brilliant booty, and carried it off to his den. Krishna, in the meantime, accompanied by his friend Nárad, was wandering over the earth in quest of this precious stone. In the course of these wanderings, he one day chanced to come to the residence of Jámbuwat, and finding the entrance unprotected, he very unceremoniously entered this splendid mansion. On casting his eyes around the apartments, what was his surprise and joy, when he saw the long sought gem, fixed in Jámbuwat's bed curtains. However, before he was able to possess himself of the prize, he was perceived by the lord of the mansion, who at once began to upbraid him for entering, unbidden, into his dwelling. Krishna took this remonstrance in high dudgeon, and fearing he might be tricked out of the object of his search, he became filled with rage, and laid hold of the uncouth stranger. Jámbuwat, nothing daunted, grappled with the impertinent intruder. Long and doubtful was the struggle for mastery; at length the conflict turned in favor of Krishna, who, while his

antagonist was laying upon his back, seated himself, upon his breast, and thus prevented him from regaining an erect posture. Jámbuwat finding himself worsted, cried out, "I am vanquished," and suing for terms of amity, asked Krishna what he would have. Krishna replied, "Grant me that splendid gem, which I saw in your bed curtains." "That," said Jambuwat, "is to be given in dowry to him who shall marry my daughter." Krishna instantly replied, Krishna instantly replied, "If it be so, then it is mine; for I will marry the fair damsel." The preliminaries of the marriage were soon settled, according to the customs of the country. Numerous guests were invited to attend the nuptials of this beautiful daughter of Jambuwat. The wished-for day came, and guests, a vast concouse of the bride's kindred and friends, were in attendance. Music, which is indispensable alike to the festivities of gods and men, was not wanting on this occasion-for Nárad had accompanied his patron, Krishna, to this place, and had bronght with him the melodious Víná. Krishna called upon him to entertain, with its sweet strains, his loved spouse, her honorable father, and their numerous and respected friends. Nárad with some of that pride of talent which is common to all distinguished musicians, declined this proposal, on the ground that persons of the character of those who constituted that assembly could not appreciate his skill. Krishna's choler was not a little moved, by this insinuation of a want of musical taste on the part of the people with whom he was forming affinity; but, finding it impossible, either by threats or entreaties, to prevail upon his friend to comply with his wishes, he desired him to give the instrument into the hands of one of his rough visaged neighbours. This he absolutely refused to do, under a very natural conviction of the certainty of seeing his favorite Víná, upon which he entirely depended for the means of subsistence, utterly ruined in the hands of so unskilful a performer. But upon Krishna's promising to remunerate him for all the injury which might be done to the instrument, he finally consented. The black gentleman took the Víná, and began to run his delicate fingers over the strings for the purpose of tuning it; meanwhile, Nárad was quaking with fear for the fate of his Víná. This done, he began to play the instrument, accompanying its soft melodious strains, with his deep, thundering vocal bass. Never was there such a display of musical skill. Every soul of that vast assembly was completely enchanted, and all inanimate nature was moved by the melody. Such was the power of this music that the very stones were liquified. After a time, the music ceased, and the performer laid the instrument down by his side, and Nárad seized it, in an extacy of joy at the idea of its having escaped the destruction which he had anticipated. But, what was his dismay, when attempting to lift it up, he found it inseparably attached to the place in which it had been laid. When the music ceased, the liquified stones resumed their original state, and thus the Víná become immoveably fixed to a rock. To appease the grief of Nárad for the supposed loss of his Víuá, and to convince him that these results of the music were not to be attributed to the peculiar excellence of the instrument, as he would be apt to imagine, Krishna called upon another brother Bruin, who came

forward, and began to sing, beating the time by clapping his hands. And now strains of music were heard not less rapturous than those which burst from the cords of the Víná, and the stones were again reduced to a liquid state, and Nárad received his instrument uninjured.

It is scarcely necessary to add that Jambuwat is regarded as an incarnation of Deity. The people in the neighbourhood resort to his temple in all times of calamity and peril, and seek deliverance of him from present and anticipated evils. They relate, as a proof of his guardian care, that many years ago, a large body of armed men, mounted upon fleet horses, came here for the purpose of plunder; upon which Jambuwat laid aside his bear form and assumed a human form of large stature, and mounted upon a white horse, came among those plunderers, and inspired them with such fear as to cause them to decamp, without committing any depredations. Such are the fables with which the Hindu's mind is stored, and such are the gods whom he adores. What then but the mighty power of God can bring him into obedience to the simplicity of the truth of the gospel. O Spirit of God, dispel the darkness of his mind, and lead him to Him who is the way, the truth and the life.

Rakshas Bhawani is situated upon the Godávarí river, twenty miles below Paitan. The place derives its name from the following circumstances. Some 500 or 1,000 years ago, there were living at this place three distinguished Rakshas of the names of A'tápí, Wátápí, and Ilwal. In a village on the opposite side of the river lived Agastí, a celebrated Ríshí. Agastí had 60,000 disciples, whom he was educating for the service of the gods. The Rákshas, being impelled by the depravity of their nature to molest all those who worshipped the gods, and incited by a deadly hate of all bráhmans, soon began to concert measures by which they might ease the earth of these worshippers of the gods. At length they conceived the plan of making them their own destroyers, while they should secure to themselves their good esteem. They rightly conceived that nothing would be more grateful to the feelings of the Rishi's disciples, than a taste of the delicious dainties which they were denied in the hermitage. They accordingly prepared a sumptuous feast, and invited some five of the most distinguished of Agastí's pupils to partake of it. Not deeming it prudent to decline the invitation of their potent neighbours, they with the consent of their master signified their acceptance of it. Arrived at the mansion of the Rákshas, they were not a little surprised at finding only one of them at home. Ilwal, however, soon relieved them of the anxiety which this circumstance had occasioned, by assuring them that his brothers had been unexpectedly called away on business of importance. At his request they sat down, and ate unsparingly of the rich dainties which were served out to them. In a little time they began to feel most intense gripes and pains. They attributed their distress to their excess in eating, and resorted to a variety of expedients for relief. But nothing availed. They every moment grew worse. Their bodies enlarged, and soon became so distended as to be perfectly hideous. At length death came to their relief. This distension of the body, which terminat

The two absent

ed thus fatally, was occasioned by this circumstance. Rákshas had commuted themselves into the different kinds of food which were served out at this banquet. In this state, the bráhmans had unwittingly conveyed them to their stomachs; where arrived, and confined as in a prison, they assumed their original form, and, by degrees, their original stature, and effected their release by bursting open the prison doors. This device having succeeded so admirably, they resolved to repeat it, and again sent out invitations to five more of these disciples. As no inquiries had been made, respecting those who had enjoyed the hospitality of those gentry, and it being supposed that they had returned, and were pursuing their ordinary duties, permission was readily granted to these also. They accordingly went-ate-drank, and died. In this manner the work of destruction went on, until all, save Agastí himself, were cut off. Then he was invited. Confiding in the efficaciousness of his sanctity, and his power over evil, he unhesitatingly complied with the invitation. Soon after eating he began to feel the pains of dissolution coming upon him, upon which he suspected some mischief, and the thought at once occurred to him, that the two absent Rakshas were struggling in his stomach. Instantly he repeated a mantra, and thus having reduced them to ashes, he cast them forth upon the earth. Ilwal perceiving this, fled for his life. Agastí pursued him. The chase was continued at the top of their speed, until they came to the sea, into which the Rákshas plunged, and claimed protection from the vindictive rage of the Ríshi. Agastí demanded of the sea the surrender of the fugitive. The sea replied, "I am not the unfeeling monster who will give up for destruction those who seek refuge with me. Take what you will of that which is mine; but my suppliants shall enjoy protection from all harm." Upon this the Rishi became exceedingly incensed against the sea, and opening his mouth he swallowed it, and all that pertained to it. Thus he has chastised old Ocean for his injustice in affording refuge from punishment to the deserving, and he executed upon the Rákshas the vengeance that was due to him for the inhuman slaughter of the sixty thousand bráhmans. After this Agastí discharged himself of the sea by the course of nature, and this accounts for its saline properties.

One is disposed to ask, in view of these monstrous absurdities, can it be true that the Hindus really believe them to be matters of fact? My opinion is that many-yea, the greater part of those to whom they are known, do regard them as undoubted truths. Exult as we may in our elevation above this abasement of mind, we should not forget, that we are wholly indebted to the gospel of the Son of God, for the clearer light which shines into our minds. What this gospel has done for us it may do for the Hindu.

S. B. M.