Essays Lectures on Religion of Hindu Vol 01

Author(s): H H Wilson
Publisher: Trubner and Company London

Page 29

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uninteresting preliminary branch of the enquiry, to endeavour to determine its existing modifications, at the period immediately preceding the few centuries, which have sufficed to bestow upon it its actual form:
OF THE HINDUS.
A similar distinction is made even with the Smritis, or works on law. The codes of VASISHTHA, HÁRÍTA, VYÁSA, PARÁSARA, BHARADWAJA and KASYAPA, are of the pure order. Those of YAJNAVALKYA, ATRI, TITTIRI, DAKSHA, KÁTYÁYANA and VISHNU of the Rájasa class, and those of GAUTAMA, VRIHASPATI, SAMVARTTA, YAMA, SANKHA and USANAS, are of the Támasa order.
The study of the Puránas and Smritis of the Sáttwika class, secures Mukti, or final emancipation, that of those of the Rajasa obtains Swarga, or Paradise; whilst that of the Támasa condemns a person to hell, and a wise man will avoid them.
किमत्र बहुनोक्तेन पुराणेषु स्मृतिष्वपि । तामसा नरकायैव वर्जयेत्तान्विचक्षणः ॥
The Vaishnava writers endeavour to enlist the Vedas in their cause, and the following texts are quoted by the Tátparya Nirnaya: एको नारायण आसीन्न ब्रह्मा न च शंकरः । NARAYANA alone was, not BRAIIMÁ nor SANKARA.
वासुदेवो वा इदमग्र आसीन्न ब्रह्मा न च शंकरः ।
Or VASUDEVA was before this (universe,) not BRAHMÁ nor SANKA The Saivas cite the Vedas too, as
सर्वव्यापी स भगवांस्तस्मात्सर्वगतः शिवः ॥
The Lord who pervades all things, is thence termed the omnipresent Śiva.
Rudra is but one, and has no second
एकोऽपि रुद्रो न द्वितीयः ॥
These citations would scarcely have been made, if not authentic; they probably do occur in the Vedas, but the terms Nárayana and Vasudeva, or Siva and Rudra, are not to be taken in the restricted sense, probably, which their respective followers would assign them.