(    395    )
 

CHAPTER   XLVI.

ON  NARAYANA,   HIS  APPEARANCE  AT  DIFFERENT  TIMES,    Page 198.
AND  HIS NAMES.

Narayana is according to the Hindus a supernatural onthe

*-  .   ,     ,                                ...                    ,     .          ,           nature of

power, which does not on principle try to bring about Narayana.
the good by the good, nor the bad by the bad, but to
prevent the evil and destruction by whatever means
happen to be available. For this force the good exists
prior to the bad, but if the good does not properly develop
nor is available, it uses the bad, this being unavoidable.
In so doing, it may be compared to a rider who has got
into the midst of a cornfield. When he then comes
back to his senses, and wants to avoid evil-doing and to
get out of the mischief he has committed, he has no
other means but that of turning his horse back and
riding out on the same road on which he has entered
the field, though in going out he will do as much mis¬
chief as he has done in entering, and even more. But
there is no other possibility of making amends save
this.

The Hindus do not distinguish between this force
and the First Cause of their philosophy. Its dwelling
in the world is of such a nature that people compare
it to a material existence, an appearance in body and
colour, since they cannot conceive any other kind of
appearance.

Besides other times, Narayana has appeared at the
end of the first manvctntara, to take away the rule of
the worlds from Valakhilya (?), who had given it the