SAIVA-SIDDHANTA

"
Brahman
THE SAIVA RELIGION. 28 1
THE UPANISHATS AND AGAMAS.
As we noted above, the polity of the vedas was the per
formance of sacrifices. This was continued in the Upanishat
period and the Brahmanas elaborated the Rituals. But at the
same time, the worship of the many Gods was being given up
in favour of the one God, and the efficacy of sacrifices in general
was being doubted, and a more spiritual form of worship was
being substituted in its place, and the first departure is
noted in the story given in the Kena Upanishat.
4
KENA UPANISHAT.
obtained the victory
for the Dfcvas. The
Devas became elated by the victory of Brahman, and they
thought, this victory is ours only Brahman . perceived this
and appeared to them. But they did not know it, and said :
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What yaksha
is this? They said to *
Agni (fire):
O Jatavedas,
find out what sprite this is. Yes, he said. He ran towards
it, and Brahman said to him : Who are you ? He replied :
1
1 am Agni,
I am Jatavedas. Brahman said : What power
is in you ? :
Agni replied
I could burn all whatever there is
on earth. Brahman put a straw before him, saying: Burn
this. He went towards it with all his might, but he could not
burn it. Then he returned thence and said : I could not
find out what sprite this is. Then they said to Vayu (air) :
O Vayu, find out what sprite this is. Yes, he said. He ran
towards it, and Brahman said to him : Who are you ? He
replied am I Vayu, am I Matarivan. Brahman said What
: :
power is in you ? Vayu replied 1 could take up all what
:
ever there is on earth. Brahman put a straw before him,
saying: Take it
up. He went towards it with all his might,
but he could not take it
up. Then he returned thence and
*
said: 1 could not find out what sprite this is. Then they
said to Indra : O Bhagavan, find out what sprite this is.
He* went towards it, but it disappeared from before him.
Then in the same Akas, ether, he came towards a woman,
highly adorned: it was Uma, the daughter of Himavat. He
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