i6
The conception of God as immanent in all things, as
identical with the Universe itself, must necessarily preclude
restrictions of any nature of the Divine and so present the
idea of
5. GOD WITHOUT LIMITATION OP PERSONALITY.
It follows, therefore, naturally and necessarily, that the
ancient Hindoo religion should lack any representation of its
God in art.*
Only when God is conceived of as possessing a definite
form and distinct personality—as, for instance, of a human
being or of an animal—can He be represented in art. Thus
the gods of ancient Greece could take form in sculpture only
when they had been incarnated in Greek poetry and conceived
of as bearing the forms of perfect men, and Christian art
could take its rise only after the great revivalists had revealed
the Redeemer as Son of Man, as well as Son of God.
It was, however, foreign to the very fundamental idea
and character of the Hindoo religion to restrict the One who
is at the same time the All by attributing to him a definite—
and therefore limited—personality. He is characterized as :
“Brahma, whose body is ether, whose nature is true,
rejoicing in the senses, delighted in the mind, perfect in
peace and immortal.’’ f
His worshipers strive to divest themselves of any linger-
ing definiteness of conception. Brahma bears no resemblance
to any single created thing :
others think that God created it for His pleasure, as a plaything. No,
it is God's very essence.
It is interesting to compare the expression of thought in Whittier’s
“ Andrew Rykman’s Prayers : ”
“ Not through blind caprice of will,
Not by cunning slight of skill,
Not through sport of mind or force,
Hast Thou made Thy Universe ;
But as atmosphere and zone
Of thy loving heart alone.”
* See Schroeder ; “ Indiens Kultur, ” p. 80-85.
f Yajur-veda, Taitt-Upan, Max Muller, Vol. IV, p. 49 ; cf. Vishnu
Purana, p. 73.