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HINDUISM PREFERABLE TO ATHEISM
612
psychosis proves that
lie
has infinitely more
common
sense
than those vain philosophers who utilize all their logic in
proving that they are merely brute beasts, and that death
for the reasoning man as well
is merely an eternal sleep
But whatever
as for the animal which cannot reason.
I might say on this subject could in no way excel the logical
conclusions which I might quote from Montesquieu, who
refutes a paradox expressed by a man more celebrated for
his genius than for the purity of his religious principles \
And I may fitly terminate these remarks by drawing
attention to the testimony of Voltaire, a man whom nobody
can accuse of too much partiality in the matter of religion 2
'
'
.
CHAPTEK V
The
the Hindus. — Brahma. — Vishnu. — Rama.
— Siva. — The Lingam. — Vigneshwara. — Indra. — The
Abodes of Bliss of these Different Gods. Surtrga. — Kailasa. —
Vaiknnthu. — Sattya-loka.
Principal
Gods
of
Krishna.
Surely no one will expect me to relate here the histories
of all the inferior deities which swarm in Hindu mytho-
logy
a mere catalogue of them would fill a large volume
;
;
and much more numerous still are the strange stories that
Hindu legends contain about them. Only the gods of the
first order, di majorum gentium, can find a place here.
Among those of the highest rank are first of all Brahma,
Vishnu, and Siva. Sometimes, under the name of the
Trimurti, these three gods receive the homage of their
devotees in common at other times each one is the object
of particular worship.
From these again have sprung a
multitude of others, whom the Hindus, faithful to their
practice of exaggeration, reckon up to the astounding total
of three hundred and thirty millions.
I will only refer to
the most renowned of these, and I believe that my readers
will thank me for sparing them the greater part of the
foolish and disgusting details which the people of India
;
which he can obtain only from God, concludes that there is no God
a conclusion which is evidently contradictory. Only a fool, then, can
be an atheist.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.'
Dubois.
;
—
'
1 Esprit des Lois, xxiv.
- Traite de la Tolt ranee, xx.
-.