Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 337

COGNIZANT OF THE SUPREME BEING
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travagant that it is not surprising that the Brahmins are
at heart conscious of the absurdity of worshipping such
beings.
There is, therefore, very little danger incurred in
ridiculing the gods in the presence of Brahmins.
Very
often they agree with the scoffer, and even enlarge upon
what he has said. Many Brahmins can repeat by heart
songs and verses that treat with very scanty respect the
divinities which they worship so ostentatiously in public,
while their audience listen without any sign of disapproval.
Brahmins have no fear of such conduct calling forth either
The Sudras, who are more simple
reproof or punishment.
and credulous than the Brahmins, would not be so indulgent
under similar circumstances, and it would be particularly
imprudent to ridicule any particular god of theirs in the
presence of those who are specially devoted to him.
There is another factor which must be taken into account
in estimating the scanty veneration which they pay their
gods, to whom nevertheless self-interest, education, custom,
and respect for public opinion oblige them to display out-
ward respect and that is the clear and precise knowledge
which most of them must have gleaned from their books
of a
God who is the Author and Creator of all things
eternal, immaterial, omnipresent, independent, in all things
blessed, exempt from pain and care
the spirit of truth,
the source of all justice
governor, dispensator, and regu-
;
'
;
;
;
lator
of
all
things
;
perfect in
wisdom and knowledge
;
without shape or countenance, without limit, without
nature, without name, without caste, without parentage
of an absolute purity which excludes all passion, all bias,
all compromise.'
All these qualifications and many others which are not
less characteristic are translated literally from their books,
and are used by Brahmins to explain the Supreme Being,
to whom they sometimes give the name of Parabrahma,
Paramatma, &c. Is it credible that, knowing this, they
can seriously bestow the title of gods on the almost count-
less number of animate and inanimate things which form
the chief objects