Cosmogony—Mythological & Philosophical. The cosmogony of the Rg-Veda may be looked at from two aspects, the mythological & the philosophical. The mythological aspect has in general two currents, as Professor Macdonell says, “The one regards the universe as the result of mechanical production, the wprk of carpenter’s & joiner’s skill; the other represents it as the result of natural generation.” Thus in the Rg-Veda we find that poet in one place says “what was the wood & what was the tree out of which they built heaven & earth ?” The answer given to this question in Taittiriya-Brahman is “Brahman the wood & Brahman the tree from which the heaven & earth were made.” Heaven & Earth are sometimes described as having been supported with posts. They are also sometimes spoken of as universal parents, & parentage is sometimes attributed to Aditi & Daksa. THE SANKARA SCHOOL OF VEDANTA:- The treatment of the school of Sankara Vedanta in the preceding chapter may be considered fairly sufficient for all ordinary purposs. But the reputation of this school of thought stands so high, & so many people are interested in it, that it was pointed out to me that it would be desirable to go into a little more deatiled study of it. An additional justification for such a suggestion is to be found in the regrettable fact that, though numerous elementary & half-informed treatises have been published both in this country & in Europe, I do not know of any systematic study of the system in any of the modern languages of Europe or Asia which has been based on a first-hand study of the works of the great thikers of this school who followed Sankara & developed his system in a remarkably recondite manner. The comparatively small compass of this chapter in a Hisory of Indian Philosophy cannot be expected to fulfil adequately such a demand; but still it may be expected that an attempt to being out some of these materials by some amount of detailed study will be excusable, though it may seem slightly to disturb the general plan of this work.