and Christianity. It should be remembered that in Hinduism it is believed
and magnified by those who also hold the law of _Karma_ as supreme. There
is hardly a Vaishnavite and Krishnaolater who does not believe firmly that
his destiny is writ large upon his forehead--that nothing that this or any
god may do can affect his _adrishta_ which is that felt but unseen power
working out the _Karma vivaka_, or fruition of works, done by him in
former births. This belief directly antagonizes incarnation from the
Christian standpoint, where it appears as God's mighty instrument of grace
to man. Not so from the Hindu standpoint. The incarnations of Vishnu are
referred to in their _Shastras_ "as consequences of deeds which the god
himself had performed. One was the fruit of sins he had committed; another
of a curse which had been pronounced upon him." And yet they are doubtless
frequently referred to as undertaken with a view to benefit and help our
race. If such was their intention it is difficult to see how that benefit
could be any other than racial and temporary; for there is no intimation
in any of them of its being a means for the spiritual uplifting, or moral
regeneration, of one human soul.

There is no finality of blessing supposed to be in any Hindu incarnation;
and it would be sacrilege to compare the character of any one of them with
the wonderful incarnation of Jesus. It is not so much that many of them
appear as fish, fowl and beast, and as such are devoid of moral aim and
efficiency; not a few are immoral, some of them, like Krishna,
representing the worst type of sensuality and moral obliquity. Such
examples, in the popular mythology of the land, have done, and are doing,
inexpressible harm to the people and the country. "Like God like people";
and when the god is highly popular and conspicuously immoral the result
will be correspondingly great.

In connection with the doctrine of _avatar_ has arisen the well-known
_bhakti marga_--"the way of faith." Many believe that the latter was the
source of the former and that both were affected by Christian teaching. In
any case they are closely connected. Among many this way of love and
devotion to individual gods has gained preeminence over the other two ways
of salvation--knowledge (_gnana marga_) and works (_Karma-marga_)--though it
should not be forgotten that _bhakti_ itself is regarded as a work of
merit and is by no means synonymous with Christian faith. Yet it must