The loss of Caste degrades a Hindû to a most miserable condition; cuts him off from all society, and causes him to be regarded as an impure and detestable animal. […] They worshiped the intelligent and active cause of the phenomena of nature, as it is displayed in its most striking and powerful agencies, but without clearly distinguishing the cause from the effect; or they believed that the elements themselves were animated. […] She was esteemed as the cause of abundance, and regarded, like Osīris, to be one of the sources of the inundation of the Nile. […] Fire, as the principle of all things; the wind, as the cause of life; and the sword, as the cause of death, were likewise venerated by them. […] To what monster was Œdipus the cause of destruction by answering her enigmas?