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The Ninth Lesson: The Religions of India. Part I.1301
existence-intelligence-power departed from the Aryan Consciousness in
India. The race did not rise at once to the full Realization of this Truth—it has
not fully risen to it, as a race, even to-day. But there set in an evolution of the
understanding and realization of this great Truth, which is the basis of All
Truth—this oneness—this Essence of Monism—to which all human thought
and speculation invariably, and inevitably leads its followers.
And now we shall proceed to trace this evolution of this dawning realization
of the Absolute Truth among the minds of the Hindu races, as evidenced by
their religious forms and schools, as we have already shown in connection
with the philosophical schools. India’s philosophies and religions mingle,
blend and coalesce—there is no distinct and absolute division between
them—but they may be considered as two phases of human thought.
* * *
As we have said, the earliest conceptions of “gods” and supernatural beings,
among the ancient Hindu peoples, were those of beings akin to Nature-
Spirits, that is personified, deified Natural Forces. Thus in the early Vedas
we find records of Dyaus-Pita, or “Father-Heaven,” accompanied by Prithivi,
or “Mother-Earth”; also Ushas, or the “Dawn-Goddess”; Surya, or the “Sun-
God”; Vayu, or the “Wind-God”; and Agni, the “Fire-God.” There was also
Indra, who was originally conceived of as the “Lightning-and-Thunder-God,”
similar to Jupiter and Zeus, of the Roman and Grecian mythology, but whose
character was elaborated as time passed, and the Indra myths developed,
until he was given a high place in the Pantheon of the early Hindus, and was
often regarded as the “King of the gods.” We also find frequent reference to
Varuna, the “Sky-God” whose eye was the blazing sun, and who gradually
developed into the great god having charge of natural laws, and who also
supervised the morality of the people. There was also Soma, the god of the
fermented-liquor, similar to Bacchus or Dionysus, minus their excesses,—the
Hindus using the fermented-juice of the soma-plant in the sacrifices and
religious ceremonies. Soma-juice was also the nectar or sacred-drink of
these primitive Hindu gods, Indra in particular being addicted to its use,