The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-07

and from anger, avarice and lust. He
has his own special heaven, and can
take his followers there. This god is said
to have had ten incarnations. I have
described one of them in a previous let
ter in my visit to the monkey temple
here, where he is revered as Hanuman.
AS Rama, he is the model son, brother
and husband, and as such his name Rama
is given to children. When friends meet
they say Ramas name twice In way of
good day. AS Krishna, Vlshnu posed as
a lover and husband, and according to
the records he will fit the part. He had
over 5000 wives and 100000 children, not
counting the girls.
Vishnu's wife was called Lakshmi. She
was the goddess of wealth and beauty,
and sprang from the froth of the ocean
when 1t was churned by the gods. She
correspondent somewhat to Aphrodite, the
daughter of Jupiter. who rose out or the
sea at Cyprus and was worshiped by the
Greeks as the goddess of marriage and
love.
The Terrible Kalf
The last of the three great gods Is
SILVA, the destroyer, associated with
whom is his wife, the terrible Kali.
This sacred lady wears garland OF
human skulls, a necklace of dead mans
hands and her long outstretched red
tongue is supposed to always drip blood.
I visited one of her chief temples dur
ing my stay at Calcutta. 1t lies on the
banks of the Hooghly and 1T sacri-
fees of kids and goats are now made
almost daily. They were killing goat
during my stay, and scores of worship
ers passed me on my way in. each car
rying a kid in his arms Before the
British took India human sacrfhces
were made to propitiate this goddess,
and during famine of about a genera
ton ago, human heads decked with
flowers were placed on the altar. Kali
was the goddess of the thugs,V he caste
which used to travel throughout India,
strangling victims in her honor. She Is
supposed to live in the cemeteries and
delight in pestilence and famine and all
the misery of mankind. Her worship
is altogether worship of fear. 1t Is
one of the most revolving features Of
the Hindu religion.
AS to SILVA himself, he has 1000 diff
ferent names. Upon his head he car
ries the Ganges. He has three eyes
end around his neck Is garland or
skulls. His weapons are bow, thun-
derbolt and an axe. lie Is the goo OF
death and destruction and also the god
of asceticism and dancing, In the lat
ter manifestation being somewhat like
BacchuS.
The Sacred Books of Hinduism
The Hindus have their sacred books,
upon which their religions are based
Some of these are about the oldest oi
religious manuscripts. They are known
as the Vedas, and are published In San
skirt. There are four Vedas, the most
important of which is the Rig Veda
This contains over 1000 hymns adj
dressed to the gods, and CONNIE morat-
Ing the march of the Aryan race from
Kabul to the Punjab. And then there
Is the Sauna Veda, which Is largely
taken up with the ceremonies of the
religion; the Atharva Veda, composed
chiefly of nominations, and the Yatuf
Veda, the publication of which the gov
eminent is trying to suppress on &C
count Of its .obscenity. Connected with
these Is the code of Manu-. which gives
the laws and customs of the HinduS and
is generally obeyed today There are
also religious and philosophical works
written by tile Brahmans, and of late
these men have uttered new doctrines
through their religious journals ana
newspapers. They are advocating the
more strict observance of their religion
insisting on the customs OF infant mar
riages and upon the abandonment OF
the remarriage of widows. There are
others who are advocating reforms
moro along the lines of our civtliza-
ton.
The Four Great Castles
1t Is in the code of Manu- that we find
set down the four great castles which
have existed among the Hindus for thou
sands of years. These are the main d.
visions of castles which form such big
element in the situa ton of today, al
though there are thousands of minor d.
visions The first and highest caste is
that of the Brahmans or priests These
men are the Levites of the natives. but
they have a higher position than the
Levites held In Judea. They are sup
posed to have sprung originally from the
mouth of Brahma and were enioined 10