The religions of India are many and diverse, l)nt in this
sketch Ave shall notice but a few, Avhich, on account of their
prominence, require mention. And just now Ave shall not sto|)
long Avith this, for Ave are soon to get nearer views of the things
of everyday life in which, from time to time, the religion of the
people Avill attract our attention. Hinduism, the leading and
most ancient religion, ruimliers as its A'otaries o\er one hun-
dred and eighty-eight million. The ]\Iohammedans have filty
million, and the two taken together comprise ninetj'-four per
cent of the entire population of the country.
19S GLANCING OVER INDIA.
The Hindus recognize a triad of .suiirenie d.eities l)esides an
innumerable class of secondar}- gods. From their most ancient
writings we gather the idea that the first objects of worshij)
were the forces of nature. But in these things the Creator
himself is revealed. It requires no extraordinary degree of
astuteness to i)evceive that bej'ond nature there is a jnamary
cause ; that natural objects are but the creatirres of a divine
power, whose harmonious actions show the unity of that }iowei-.
The Brahman philoso}ihers discerning this ci'eative power, gave
to it the name of Briihm. But they did not follow this ray of
light. They worshiped him not as God, Inrt turning tlieii- de-
votions to other conceptions, they thus worsliiped the creature.
Brahm is regarded as little else than an abstraction. His
worship is but rarely observed, there being in all India but
two or three temples devoted to that purpose. Associated
with Brahm ai'e Vishnu the preserver, and Siva the destroyer.
