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WORSHIP OF SUBSTITUTES AND IMAGES. 73
object of worship, because He, as Brahman, is superposed on the pratikas just as Vishnu, and other Gods are superposed upon images" *-says Sankara.
The same ideas apply to the worship of the pratimas or images as do to that of the pratikas—that is to say, if the image stands for a god or a saint only, the worship is not the result of bhakti and does not lead to liberation ; but if it stands for the one God, the worship thereof will bring both bhakti and mukti. Of the principal religions of the world we see Vedantism, Buddhism, and certain forms of Christianity freely using images to help the worshipper-and only two religions, Mahomedanism and Protestantism, refuse such help. Yet the Maho'medans use the graves of their saints and martyrs, almost in place of images. The
* फलमादित्याधुपासनेषु ब्रझैव दास्यति साध्यक्षत्वात्। ईदृशं चाच अख: उपास्यत्वं यतः प्रतीकेषु तथ्याध्यारीपणं प्रतिमादिषु व विणादीना।
(Vedanta Sutras-Bhasya by Sankara ).
