THE Doctrine of Maya - HolyBooks.com

""DEVELOPMENT OF ITS CONCEPTION 37only the One having real existence. The innumeraBleVedic gods began thus to be conceived as notat war with one another, but only manifestations ofOne God. Monotheism conquered Polytheism inits exclusive sense. The last book of the R.V. isparticularly rich in philosophic hymns, many ofwhich strike a chord of the same sentiment of unityunderlying diversity."The bold speculation ofthe ancient Vedic people is picturesquely portrayedin R.V. x. 129 one of the earliest records knownof an attempt at explaining the cosmogonic mysteryby grasping the idea of unity. It is one of the mostsublime and exalted hymns in the R.V., both fromthe philosophic and the literary standpoints, and isa true index to the early mystic thought of theHindus. To a somewhat prejudiced mind it mayappear as a mere conglomeration of contradictionsand a piece of abstract sophistry. But it is one ofthe finest songs that any literature may be proudof. Deussen describes it as the most remarkable"1monument of the oldest philosophy, and hastranslated it into German. 2 As the hymn is veryimportant for our purpose, we give our own translation as follows1Deussen, Outlines of Indian Philosophy, Berlin, 1907,p. 13, 1. 20.2 Deussen, Geschichte der Philosophic, vol. i., p. 126, andalso in his Geheimlehre des Veda, zweite Auflage, Leipzig,J907> P- 3- The hymn has been translated by many, butmost of the translations seem to be incorrect in places.