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OF THE HINDUS.
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and are the Śri Bhashya, the Gita Bhashya, the Vedártha Sangraha, Vedanta Pradipa, and Vedanta Sára: besides these, the works of Venkata Áchárya, are of great repute amongst them, as the Stotra Bháshya, and Śatadúshini, and others: the Chanda Máruta Vaidika, and Trinśatadhyanam, are also works of authority, as is the Pancharátra of NÁRADA: of the Puráñas they acknowledge only six as authorities, the Vishnu, Náradiya, Gáruda, Padma, Váráha and the Bhagavat: the other twelve are regarded as Támasa, or originating in the principles of darkness and passion, as we have already observed. Besides these, the Rámánujas have a variety of popular works in the dialects of the South, one of which, the Guru Para, containing an account of the life of RÁMÁNUJA, was procured by DR. BUCHANAN, in the course of his statistical researches in Mysore.
The chief religious tenet of the Rámánujas, is the assertion that Vishnu is BRAHMA; that he was before all worlds, and was the cause and the creator of all. Although they maintain that Vishnu and the universe are one, yet, in opposition to the Vedanta doctrines, they deny that the deity is void of form or quality, and regard him as endowed with all good qualities, and with a two-fold form: the supreme spirit, Paramátmá, or cause, and the gross one, the effect, the universe or matter. The doctrine is hence called the Visishthadwaita, or doctrine of unity with attributes. In these assertions they are followed by most of the Vaishnava sects. Creation originated in the wish of
