Heaven and earth are believed to have been made or to have been established by certain gods. Elaborate theories of creation, which abound in the later works, the Brâhma_n_as, are not to be found in the hymns. What we find are such passages as: 'Agni held the earth, he stablished the heaven by truthful words' (Rv. I. 67, 3). 'Varu_n_a stemmed asunder the wide firmaments; he lifted on high the bright and glorious heaven; he stretched out apart the starry sky and the earth' (Rv. VII. 86, 1). More frequently, however, the poets confess their ignorance of the beginning of all things, and one of them exclaims: 'Who has seen the first-born? Where was the life, the blood, the soul of the world? Who went to ask this from any that knew it? (Rv. I. 164, 4).[24] Or again, Rv. X. 81, 4: 'What was the forest, what was the tree out of which they shaped heaven and earth? Wise men, ask this indeed in your mind, on what he stood when he held the worlds?' I now come to a more important subject. We find in the Veda, what few would have expected to find there, the two ideas, so contradictory to the human understanding, and yet so easily reconciled in every human heart: God has established the eternal laws of right and wrong, he punishes sin and rewards virtue, and yet the same God is willing to forgive; just, yet merciful; a judge, and yet a father. Consider, for instance, the following lines, Rv. I. 41, 4: 'His path is easy and without thorns, who does what is right.' And again, Rv. I. 41, 9: 'Let man fear Him who holds the four (dice), before he throws them down (i. e. God who holds the destinies of men in his hand); let no man delight in evil words!' And then consider the following hymns, and imagine the feelings which alone could have prompted them: HYMN TO VARU_N_A (Rv. VII. 89). 1. Let me not yet, O Varu_n_a, enter into the house of clay; have mercy, almighty, have mercy! 2. If I go along trembling, like a cloud driven by the wind; have mercy, almighty, have mercy! 3. Through want of strength, thou strong and bright god, have I gone wrong; have mercy, almighty, have mercy! 4. Thirst came upon the worshipper, though he stood in the midst of the waters; have mercy, almighty, have mercy! 5. Whenever we men, O Varu_n_a, commit an offence before the heavenly host, whenever we break the law through thoughtlessness; have mercy, almighty, have mercy! [Footnote 24: 'History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature,' p. 20 note.] And again, Rv. VII. 86: 1. Wise and mighty are the works of him who stemmed asunder the wide firmaments (heaven and earth). He lifted on high the bright and glorious heaven; he stretched out apart the starry sky and the earth. 2. Do I say this to my own self? How can I get unto Varu_n_a? Will he accept my offering without displeasure? When shall I, with a quiet mind, see him propitiated?