The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-11-16
DemOnism in the HindoO Religion.

DEMoNIsM, in fact, has always been
from the earliest times an essential in
gredient in the Hindoo religious sys-
TEN. 1t probably began in the sup
posed peopling of the air by spiritual
beings, the personifcations or compan-
ions of storm and tempest. 1t is GER
tain that in the present day the worship
of the majority of the people of India
is worship of fear. 1t consists in con-
slant efforts to appease the malevolence
of evil spirits. Not that the common
people doubt the existence of good be-
ings, presided over by one Supreme
Being, but that they believe these be-
ings to be too absolutely good to need
Precipitation. Just as in ancient histo-
ries of the Slav races, we are told that
they believed in white and a black
god, but paid alteration to the last
alone, having, as they supposed, moth
ing to apprehend from the beneficence
of the first or white divinity. The truth
is that evil of all kinds, difficulties,
dangers, and disasters, famines, dis
eases, pestilences, and death, are
thought by an ordinary Hindoo to pro-
coed from devils, and from devils alone.
And these malignant beings are held to
possess varying degrees of rank, power,
and malevolence. Some aim at destroy
ing the entire world, and threaten the
sovereignty of the gods themselves.
Some delight in killing men, women,
! eng children, out OF mere thirst for
I .fuman blood. Some take pleasure in
tormenting, or revel in the intiiction of
sickness, injury, and misfortune. All
make it their business to mar the prog
ress of good works and useful under
takings. l verify believe that the re-
ligion of the mass of the HindOos is
simple demonolatry. Men and women
of all classes, except perhaps those edu-
Gated by ourselves, are perpetually pen
etrated with the idea that, from the
cradle to the grave, they are being pur-
sued and prosecuted, not only by de-
structive demons, but by simply mis-
chievous imps and spiteful COLLINS.
This, in my opinion, is the true eXplana-
ton of the universal worship of Ganesia,
lord of the demon hosts. And the re-
markable thing is, that the power
welded by certain arch-demons over
men, and even gods, is supposed to
have been acquired by the practice of
religious austerities. 1t is said of the
demon Ravana, that after undergoing
severe austerities in forest for 10000
years, standing in the midst of five fires
with his feet in the air, he obtained
from the god Brahma powers greater
than those possessed by the gods them
selves. Another noteworthy point is
that the majority of petty fiends are be-
lieved to have been originally human
beings. If any man is killed by a tiger
or the bite of a snake. or has died a
away from his relatives, and out OF
reach of proper funeral ceremonies, he
forthwith becomes an unquiet, mischiev-
Gus spirit, roaming about in a restless
manner with maIevolent proclivities.
And a curious notion prevails in some
parts of India that the better the man
the more mischievous will his ghost be,
unless steps are taken to allay its irrita-
bility by the due performance of funeral
rites Again, when man remarkable
for evil passions dies, the man himself
Inlay DcCOluc 6NuluCl, DuJ HIS CIV ii utluEe
never dies, for every one of his bad pas.
sions, foul habits, and even criminal
acts, becomes, as it were, personified
and demonized. There are Pride-de,
mons, Lust-demons, Adultery
Thief-demons, Deceit-demons, Lying,
demons in an infinite array. Futher
NOR, all the disease that flesh is heir
to are perSonitied and converted into
veritable devils. There are Small ,poX
demons, Cholera-demons, and demon,
of various forms of typhus and jungle
fever. Even hail-storms, drought, anC
blight do duty in the devil army
Many villages in India possess profes
sional charmers or cenjurers, whose
business consists in charming away
(by the repetition of particular VediC
Mantras,) particular demons, such a!
the Hail-storm-demon, Drought-demon
Blight-demon, from the growing crops
Contemporary ReCieO.