Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 654

MANKIND CREATED BY BRAHMA
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motive, it is an accepted fact that Brahma does not any-
where receive public worship.
They allow him, however, three attributes of high impor-
tance: for he is (1) the author and creator of all things;
(3) the sovereign
(2) the dispenser of all gifts and favours
disposer of the destiny of man.
At the creation of mankind the Brahmins, the most
noble of all men, sprang from his head, as I have stated
elsewhere the Kshatriyas issued from his shoulders, the
Vaisyas from his stomach, the Sudras from his feet. This,
at any rate, is the version most commonly recognized
but it is denied by some authors, who say that Brahma
created a first man, who was the father of all the rest.
Brahma made him first of all with only one foot but seeing
that he had difficulty in moving about in this form, Brahma
destroyed his work, and made another with three feet at
last, perceiving that this third foot was like a fifth wheel
to a coach, Brahma began his labour over again, and made
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man
with two feet.
through Brahma in his quality of supreme disposer
It is
that the other gods, the giants, and certain other privileged
creatures, have obtained the privileges and prerogatives
which they enjoy. Brahma can even confer immortality,
as he has done in the case of some famous personages, such
as the giants Ravana, Hirannya, and several others.
By reason of the sovereignty which Brahma exercises
over the destinies of mankind, all men are born with their
fates written on their foreheads by the hand of the god
himself.
This destiny is absolute and irrevocable. It
embraces five principal objects, namely, length of life,
disposition, intelligence, worldly condition, and virtuous or
What Brahma has predestined in all
vicious inclination.
these is inevitable and must be strictly fulfilled. The
Hindus are so fully convinced of this that in all adversities
and troubles of life they are heard to exclaim Thus was
If they are called upon to
it written on my forehead/
sympathize in the troubles of relative or friend, they never
omit to utter this consolatory saying No being can escape
Thus, in all cases
that which is written on his forehead/
where a Christian would exclaim with humble resignation,
GckVb will be clone, they say with an equal resignation,
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