BRAHMA.
Brahma, the personification of the crealke power of the Deity, although the iame of the three most familiar perhaps to European readers, is, in fact, not so often heard of in India as either of the other two great powers of preservation and destruction; or as of several other deities, or incarnations of deities, of an inferior description. Images are made of BRAHMA, and, placed in the temples of other gods, he is reverently propitiated by offerings and invocations; and he has had, like VISHNU and Stvs, also incarnations, or avataras, but he has no temples, as many other deities have, or rites, exclusively dedicated to him. The act of creation is past; the creative power of the Deity has no immediate interference in the continuance or cessation of material existence, or, in other words, with the preservation or destruction of the untverse. At a stated time the creative power will again be called into action, as will be noticed when we speak of the period Calpa: till when, the powers of preservation and destruc- ( tion only excite the hopes and fears of the devotee. But as, according to the generally received theory, destruction (as we must occasionally, although in view to such theDry, rather unphilosophically, term the effects of the destroying power,) is only reproduction in another form; and as creation is a modificatioti of a pre.existing formation of matter, the creative, as well as the destructive power, is thus admitted to be also, although less evidently, in constant action. Such action is, however, inevitable in its results, and the principle or power exciting it is less ardently, and less conspicuously, invoked and propitiated, than its dreaded destructive and contingent precursor; althongh their reciprocal action and reaction have caused a sort of unity of character; and BRAHMA and SIvA are sometimes found almost identified with each other: oftener, however, in direct opposition and hostility. BRAUMA creates, SIvA destroys; but to destroy, is to create in another form: Siv.& and BRA HMA hence coalesce.
In mythology, therefore, BRAHMA is the first of the three great personified attributes of BIIAHM, or the Supreme l3eiug. He is called first of the gods; framer of the universe guardian of the world: uader the latter character, agreeing with VISHNU. In physics he is the persou.ificatioaof matter gene
