bhaktivinoda idols
DESCRIPTION
BHAKTIVINODA IdolsTRANSCRIPT
-
T H E 7 J N D U I D O L S .
(Aii answer to Prof. Max Midler on Durga,
published by tho Tract Society, Calcutta,
K E v m .N i G e n t l e m e n ,
You havci loon denouncing onr Kali, Durga, and Siva
for a Ion lime, but a f'sw only have over cared t;> listen
(o jou, a} cvrry body, ovcu the comm&n-.st pedant of
India, knows that you laik unusually inn.'b, iitd m.i'i
talk in vain. Uallled in your attempt lo rouso the pullic
mind against idolatry, you havo recently Lad reccurso
to Prof. Max Mu Her, who, you ur^o, snjs iu Lis book
callcd Anthropological Ilcligioii,
Tburo is such a decidedly non Vedic spirit in tho
coiu'uplion of Dnrga and her cousort Siva tbat 1 ie< I
inclined to tr ico it to some independent ionrce............... I
hold tberei'uro that neither Durga nor Siva can bo looked
upon an natural developments, not even a3 more conceptions, oi VeJic doilies.
>Iovr you Ijiv* iuU:tvn I'yci, and if 1:0 it they can nay anything
:ibjut the dcilirs in (jiiusciull.
-
Diugft, aa a Vedlc concoptlon.
For tbe original conception of l)urg beg to cite
3-27-9 lligved:. which i? as follows :
gfl fam *4* 1 ^ I
^ * 3 fafn:
Tho daughter of l'aksha embraces Agni (the Firo),
that exist in everythiug, th.it protocts a father, ami
that -* adorable lor its works.
In Vedic times, the nacrilicial altar was termed tlu
daughter of lJaksha. Tho fact that the sacrificial altar
contains tire, or the daughter of Daksha embracos Agni,
is the very gerin of tho conception that Duiga has fur
her consort Siva, who no olhor than Agui (the Fir;),
the term lludra having been applied to both. The Pau-
ranic legeml tliat Suti, the daughter of the kin^ Daksha,
was married to Siva, owes its origin to tho above Rik,
being either au illustration of it, or an exposition of tho
in*parability of tho altar from the tire, or of the
from thu end.
The A ltar developed into Durga.
As to tho development of the sacrificial altar into
, I may say that there was a time in the annals
of ancient India, when tho Itishis had to put out their
sacrificial tiro. They then performed no rites and made
no olleiiugs to tho Fire, but they to huvo preserved
the altar, for it was said in the Yedas,
'itfaWUt ft fa Vl^riUlI I
l-liit>-3 Uigvoda.
-
' This altar is all brilliant, all [mrfcct, and gooddook-
ioy, ami is tlio way to uvii.
1 hey therelore preserved tho altar, heforo which tlu* sat, and wore absorbed in 1 [ moditatiou. Now
a revival tool; place. It wuo neccssary that offerings
should ho made tu tho lire. And the Uishia, instead of
kindling the tiro again, placed upon the altar, upon tho
daughter of Daksha, an imago to represent the tiro, and
'idled it Jlubya-bahani, utter tho namo of Agni, who was
>o callf'il lor his capability of convoying the sacrificial
offeringd to the. gods. This imago is our Durga, her
ten hands representing the ten directions of the altar.
'I lie existence of a number of minor dciliuS with hur also
proves, without a shadow of doubt that Durga is a lull re
presentation of a Vediu sacrifice. Itor Saruswati is tlio
knowledge of the Vedas incarnab*. Her Lakshini re
presents the wealth needed for tlm performance of a
sacrifice. Karlika, tho warrior prfl'crves tho sacrifice,
while Oanesa begins it, his lour bauds representing tlio
llota, llitwik, l'uiohita, and Yujainana respectively. And
sff fw rarot tw t
3-15-1 Higveda.
You, brilliant with your lustre, dnstioy our enemies,
destroy such Hakshaslm a~ are tree from diseases.
such Vedio mantras as this necessarily pi ije the tur
bulent Asura, uml a group of fierco animals undoi tho sub
jugation of tho great Goddc-s of .
Another very striking proof olD urga haviug been
-
A THE IIINJH; IDOLS.
the Agni of tlio Vedas, i> that when we worship her, we
are to invoke her hist by ih following l salui of the
bumaveda.
b iu 3-lnnfl? ^l?nt p m t I
fa W l a
Thou come, 0 Fire, lor wo welcome the to rocfivo
these ohlafions, ho seated on tho spread-out Kusa, and wel
come the gods ou our behalf.
Frof. M ax M uller's oontrivauce.
Thus while 1 find in Durga a faithful fe presentation
nf w hat is essentially Yedic and exclusively A,rj:m, you,
Keverend Ucntloincn, allego 1 that a groat European scholar found bar coming from u uou-Aryau origin, it
the study of tin same text would really tnaku students
difler so widely in their opinion, it were better lor them
to till the land 11mii to indulge themselves in the idle dreams of yoie, or rather tho hopeless huinhugs of a
fictious antiquity. Itut l rof. Max Muller is no more.
All hopes of his revi>ing the Vcdic texts nnd reversing,
if possible, the fatal finding aro ovor. In vain did ho try
to trace Durga to ltatri, Uodasi, or other Vcdic deities,
win n tho above single Uik would convince him of her
having existed in Vcdic times in tho form of tho sacriii-
cinl altar. Ho probably missed the Itik, and therein
lost the chance of identifying fcjati, the l auranic daughter
of DaksLa that was inarriod to Siva, with tho sacrificial
altar or the Vedic daughter of Dakshu that embraced
Agni. Therein he also lost tbo chance of identifying
ISivu with Agui.
-
U U U A .
Thus failing to tri'.ne Durga and Siva to tliuir proper
1*11 , lie contrived it .vote to extricate himself of an intricate ;i Dti i| u 11 y, by saying, It then O bnd i v.a-. origiually tho I of somu savane mouutaiiuors, tho
brahmans might '.Msily liiivo grafted l-ev on iJur^a, ;m
epithet ol Uatii, an at^innont wLicb vani :1is liko tin
illusivo . itj phantasmagoria, soon as \v h lo-ji;
into tho d illerf,n t atage.s wli.eh tlw allar lias auooessively
parsed through in its development.
Tbo devblopmcut of Sati iuto Uma
I*nr.n*? say tint iai.i, tiiu daughter o fD iiish i,
died on account of her husband Si-.a boiug in-tilld by
lier lailter. and 'lint shrj .: ugaiu born ad Lima, tho
daughter 01 Himalaya, uinl ir.airicd to .Siva fur tbe : t > I time.
ouch sayings a? these, wl:i> h are generally put usid''
by tbn European scholars, as productions of a highly
tropieal imagination, aro ol tho utmost importance to tho
|iiirpo.-:) of tho present research. Kor Sati being identi
fie 1 with tho Vedic altar, and Uina being ideutilieJ with Sati, there can bo no doubt about Unrga having been
exclusively a Vedie conception, l ut tbirf eau not In*
exhaustive, unless wo determiue liist \vl:at tho I aurauic
sayings essentially aro, whether lietious, real, ot .-
Ciil. Th'jy can not be liciioiis, lor they deal with Dakdn,
d ughtor of hakslia, and Ambiea, ebarad-rs or
coiieeptmus thal ooonr in S lit Vedas. I hoy cm not In
real, for tho idi.iiLifioatio:! ol Lima 'ith "uti /
involves a ijuoslion ol the transmigration k>l ->, an
-
6 n i S P U l l ' O I . S .
earnestly calls lor something like positive proof as to tl
-
I) . 7
Spirit prohibiting meditation or enforcing sacrifico, conld
h personified in Durga. Wo sco mention of Uma in Kena
Upantshad a- u splendid fotnalo being seen in the iky,
whom Mi* lJMii.s held to lhahma, or the supreme Lo
in;;, as will appear from tin; tollowiug extract.
c fa l l ' !1 $ %
fa T fa l tri
Thon lie :ni ucro-s a splendid iemalu iu the sky
known a.* Uma llaiinubati, and raid lliat lie was Brahma
thiMcfore he knew that she wu; brahma.
Thus wo
-
T H F , Il I N LUI I I H U . t j ,
to thf4 definite form of Dnrga, tho following Uayatri ol the Tnittnriy Aranynka lias, iu iny humble
opinion, contributed more than all tlit: rost.
ni \ I
^ f l ^ i f ; ^
Wo invoke lhirjra, whom Katyuyaiu s;c.v in (lie
s| *e ol an unmai ried giil lhat solide iu understanding. "
illi tho iui port * tin above (jrijutri, there seem
to have sprang two oh-ues uf worshippers, one worship
ping unmarried gil1.4, and tbo other un imago ol the
same denomiti;ition. i
The development of Ambica Into Duiga.
Now I lie Iuurunic age begun to dawn upon India,
an age, properly speaking, of ( lombis positivism or humau
worship to follow Um terrible revolution of a heart,-lend
ing Ivurukshelm ; an ago of enjoyment, not of stuloriitg,
an uge of lovo not of haired, (in age of illustration, not
of orijiinalily. ll begin to amplify the erudo roveahuiou
ni lin* V *, us lo 'Uit all sections and communities
ol a dnerMliod nationality. Ambica wai sluwn in
diilereut I onus, now with tour hnniU, bestowing upon man
toui things, virtue, weahb, enjoyment, and salvation ;
then with , representing the ten principal deities in
l>:tia-dik palas, the preservers of the ten direction:',
beginning with India, tin* niost hrilliaut of i.lie Ycdic
god.-. Tho pvie trt invigorated thi by surroiiod-
iug her with a number of minor doilies, representing
the lull establishment ol Vudie ; while the kiiijj-
I) cbia.s would keep a ljjij t-honltl they not have heard
-
. .
1
that the sum Atnhicn Lad mauu a common with
tlinii liuroic fon'latlicrs, and tought battles, wliua nucessarv,
on tin ir behalf, Such it liarga w orsh ip J for th1*
lirai by K in Hnratha of the I it nur dyna.-ty. Though
. tortile brain, ;i splendid litcratur, a nobh fntneudcut,
) a **i>od dippiihitioii, iuuiindated tho country *iih
inmmu'raUe wav.s ilio wur.ship !' Ambira, esoteric :tn
t:vuU'ric, subjective uuJ ubjvjiivo, rational and irrational,
nothin," coull, in my huinhlu
-
1U nil: tiiNi'ti iwiLR.
Chhandogya Upanishad says,
wwt h W *r
-
P t R C . A .
ni, which, it said, have exhaustively proved Her having
been origini'.lly tlio (joddc4S of the non Ar-, an tribes liviruJ * in lTiouiitain j. and subsisting upon very base profe.-vious.
As rc'Tjirds Char.di, I m;iy say that Durga i? so called. lo
calise sho rrpri'scrits tho bre. .Sho is called Chamur.da,
because of the Aryans having destroyed the t A-iiru-
Chanda and Mumia. It was characteristic with the Kishi*
ol old to nttrihul-! au act of heroism or national glun to
their presiding deity. We road in the Pnrans,
gic'g W t * n *] i
UtllMfa crl nt
Silice you have come sifior aricsnpg < hand:: and
Munda, yo i shall therefore l.c known to tin: wcihi a*
Chamuivla. '
The I* ii'i.J I'arvati and ilain.avati Inve Lecn nlrea.!
f*.\phiin'd by saying that the. revival of the V-Jh.-Mri
tions took place =omeubjru i:i (he northern d ist.ku. il.-,
l uians too say that 11 saint named Kalvavana (or inoiv corrnctly Katya) wlio tirst saw L)urga, had his hermitage
in the Ilim al.na mountain?.
Next come Kirati and K.vpalini. Those are ind-vd
very base trilies. How Uurga came to I. styled nltei
them, is no duulit a matter of suriou.i considration. \\ itli tin* Hindus, hortovrr, tho problem piosrnts no unusii.J
ditlieully, but with otli T-, its solution is n\t tu ini| -i-
1 I tv. Durga is the icpreseuiativc ot A^ni (animal h-.i in hcr are to be seen nil living hc?n"e. It was thcrrloie
timt tin' Hishi? saluted he . {W e salutethee that dost represent tin* living uuivei>cj. ihu.' i:
-
TI1R HINDU IPO I.S .
wm that the lvishii saw in Durga all maukind, tlioy saw
KiraLis and lvajn-lis oven. They therefore saluted her
*W. . (AVe paluto thee that hast
Kiratas aud Kapalis in thyself). To roveal tho true hpiiit
of Hindu idolatry, )t< verend Genrlemon, I can assure you
that il tlio Itishis \\
-
RIVA. l
Or in otb.cr vrorils, allbough tlio idols appoir to t
nnmerous from an objective point of view, tbry are
subjectively 01 io and llin 'imo.
Siva lias becii looked upun a separatn dt.ily, tut
frmn wliat lia? alieudy bocn iaid abolit Dnrga, it can
lairly bo asscrtftil lliat Siva is no t lier tbsm hur^a in
anutlicr torm. JoHi aro rcprcsnntative.s of ono
Agni ; tlie dilfercnco ibat of tho ses ouly,
-
14 Til K IIIN 1*1' in O L a i
It was at their hand, that tlie worship of Siva, Diirga,
and Kali, necessarily imbibed a wiil chunicter. The
lirahmans or tho Aryan conquerors, who i i u w wished
to love tin* conquered tribes, did not think it wiso to
interfere with their native method of worship, which
must have beou of an exoteric character.
To make this argument sufficiently clear, I would
request you, Reverend Geutlomen, to aupposo that we,
tho couquered Hindus, have made an idol of Christ, the
deity of our conquerors, and are worshipping it in our
own way, i.e., with offering of Howers, sandal, boiled rice .Ve., animal sa.rilice not excoptod.
The probability is that though you would not
approve.of it, you should not comn to obstruct it for any
artlily reason. This uiuy explain tho toleration of tho
l auranic lhahmans, who wore probably of opinion that
it was enough that tho Dusas came to worship at all, no
matter if they would according to their own tastes and
capacities. It was thus that tho great problem of con-
v.-rtin>4 a Slato religion into the roligiou of tho people, could bo solved by tho I rahmaus of India, and by them
only, the problem presenting au unusual diiliculty with
I ho utlicr State religionists of tho world. It was about
tliis time that the term Dasa, which meant iu Vediu
times a tierce dacoit, was being converted into a term
as endearing as over, and expressive of love and attach
ment of an unearthly character.
Siva, aa a Vedlc conception.Although it has been seen in tho light of Durga that
Siva existed iu Vedic times iu tho form of tho sacrilicial
-
C -
FIVA. \j
Fire, yet for two special reasons,.I havo thought it proper
to trace him independently of Durga.
I. iicsidos the saerificial Fire, Siva represents somo
other Vedic deities.
II. Ilia ravage look, sueh as tho (jangcs ufion hi-t
undressed head, or a serpent in his neck, shows him to be
rather a scientific god, than either mythological or non-
Aryan deity.
I.
A pat I, from the idol, what doe* tho term Siva iguih ?
It signifies all good, a conception of tho highest divi
nity, manifest according to the Shustras in eight dirb -
rent forms in Nature, such us the sky, fho uir. tho lire,
I In* nu, Vx\
This conception is of course I'aurunic. I*ut when
see that such natural objects as tiiCJ jmiii, the fire i.c. are
none but tin? most uncicul Aryan gods, who w*-re wor
shipped during tho lime of the Vdas, wu can fairly assort
that the Puntauic conception of Ashta-mui ti or tho eight
forms in which Siva is mauifest, is essentially Vedic. Ilia
probability is that the worship of the natural objects led
the Itishis finally to the conception of a higher lining, of
whom they were mere manifestations. This Being was
railed Siva, a Spirit known and worshipped during tin
latter part of tho Vedic period as Huilra. Far Irom be
ing a uon-Vedic deity, Sivu appears therefore to ho un im
provement upon tho system of polytheism iuculcatcd by
tho most ancient Vc laj.
II.
Again vro road iu the VedaJ,
-
r 4
10 Till? HINDU llOL3.
^*1 I
5-47-5 Uigvivl:i.'Oh priests. tho sun before you is hiffhly adorable, lor
it in liitu that water resides, and it is frotn him that I he
rivers flow.1
The 11 runs too say,
' s fc % ' \ [\ I
Tho rain comos from tho sun, which mikes tho crops
grow, wbieh men subsist upon."
It i no wonder Ihon that Siva, who ia in ono f his
forms, tho himself, should Imvo a river his head,
-ad that baa Ihu otlicrial sky undressed hai'\ lot
wliiel Si\a is called 1'yoma-kesa, head that has the lire, or I ho Hash of lightning, as its oyea.
As regards Si\as holding a serpent, I beg (o refer t
-
17
nhovc ideas in his mind, ho can not reasonably eay that
tho sight i9 revolting. Nor in it possible that a non Aryan idul might have accidentally been possessed of a counte
nance to i luridato so many observations of the Aryansoientibt.4.
K ali,as a popnlar Deity.
Kali ne.'.t, UoveriMid (ji-ntlemen, tho dreaded Kaii,
whom you seem I fear as children fear darknc.j. Yea
have no ^ to se, or rather have your eyes fixed upon
tho cross,eyes iuflexibb* and partial, g>,od fur to rational
Use. Kali is Dlirga ill another form, developed upon
such philosophical principles as the nuya of Vedanta,
and the. huiiun fiullei ings of liuddba. >iur does her trr.-
gno present a non Aryan absurdity. You Kali'i
icugui* prolruding from her mouth ; jou see bar one
tongue only, but sh^ues, tho Higveda :
ri IT f?TT4t 4 fO ltra I
Hrff 4 t *il ?! |Itigvcda.
Yon God, retiovo with your tongue that mischiel-
making man, who wishes to kill us.
( originally said of Aj>ui, the God of Firo ), is lot
destroying our enemies ; and tliu other, as the popular
belief goes, is to be bitten by her as u sign of repentnuee
for her trcudiug under loot her husband Siva the all good.
ITi.li,r 9 Humanity ami Heyealatiou.Kali is id.n L, beeauvo wo are in maya, illusion or dark
ness ; four dialled, because we aie in need of lour tL rg-
-
T E f r . .
here, virtue, wealth, enjoyment, aii
-
K A M . 1 !
woro Lu 1js3 niiulc lo , I ho find of Firc. Agni
supposed to hiivo Pcvtii touaiKP, euch :ts Kali, Kru[i,
Maoojaha &t\, as will from (In: quotation bclow.
. ~j ^ i ntrrlt 'Tj ] i l i . i l p>it (Hit thu V c i i i .-
r i a l lii'i1, musi havu bci-rt I ' >11 %v :* 1 bv n 11 aj/i* f j r:i. I.r.il
wur.-liip. T h is rot1 ms tu L iv n d o i o b p i d K u l i , tin* lir-l
lo ngm *
-
J!() TflF. IIINOtt
This stale of things was nl first porsonifird by the
Vedio Riliis in Rafri (tho night), when it was all dark,
wild onimnls abounded, men woro uncouacious in sloop,
until tho dawn camo nnd saved all.
Kail,as Philosophy aud Love.
Now lo the philosophical aspect of Kali, which
atlracU all llio sects of Hindu worshippers, diniotrically
opposite to each other, nnd binds them together with tics
universal brothor-huod.
Kali represents Prakriti or Nature, and Sivn Piirualui
or (iod. Tin olio upon the other is the manifestation of
llio principle of Nature being emanated from (Uni.
Huddha sens in Ilor, huiniin eulierings, which can
only end in Siva llio Nirvana. Ryasa lliinks Ilor t
-
\CT OF UNIVERSAL UENtOACIf. 21
und i lool. docs not lo. discredit it It/ aii\ act violence. iJut au act that docs in
justice to H induisit), ami speaks ill of any other reli^icu
too, .is I will presently she*, is ly . nature bubject u
universal repror.ch.
You ar* no doubt profound tbink-r*, and lnvo at n :t
found out Ur.r^a to lit* tlx.* cause ol Indian !a< oiti* .111 murders. Dues it not belli;; e you in tlw .same utanucr
ascertain llie raiiso of ti.'* \vat3, revolution- aid iiiassj^n , i t tli*.* ( lu i'lin ii v. rid? Von j-vribe then: t j pubt.' il motives, lint uhaf. can p dtic i.o but reliai.>u in aauth-:r
loi in . it posdlde. lor a man b. be n-; i:i reii^ioii, >
/ in pjli-iis ? l*o you mean fo s:V iliai -
wa< othervko a ^ood man, but only bound by political mo
tives to send idmcst hourly prsents t.i at. iiicessaui "iiiii.>-
line ? t oiideiaii if you liko Itob'*jpiorre and such others
-
22 TUH U1NI-U IDOL.
tbat |>rcachcil (lio uni\eriral ci|ii!ilily of mankind, nnd
jircli iulcil al'lor ult tu ;:i\o muny ut tlio sacriGcc of u few,
wlicii it lia! (*i. socict tienjitl' of ilestroyiiijf tlio wbolu ?
\V(> acn (bat no sonner tbo famous i^hls of inan vus
intrmlm-eJ in Ki'aun tlum tbo Royal iamily bnd tn
bo broit^llt to I lit': 'Clltold, 1110 riuLlility II) j erish bjrtboiiiaii'l-, nnd tlio e^altcd uunv agni lo rot round ll)
walls (il Mo-tow.
1 tbcriiforo ask yoti, iverond UcidlenKii, it' [)ttr|>i iioii
wa* tli* cuu.m -f Ibu lu n c h Kevidnlioii, (liai btiirible
St. Murtludoiuow of un* million of buiimu .'"'ils at tiw
\ny taxes fur tbo
lii>.t lin .u now . But ibey lailod, l lio y utiirmurcd.
Atioiber moment tbun luIluiVL'd, tbo National Assembly
li.ivin jf conti.icuti.d tbo b a i l? of tlio cbundi to n r > ! lll
^xi;;encies of l lo Slul. bar fri-m aeritieing lln ir ow n
nue ro ii , lb c eleijty jow di^porsed ill ii% ev l'ranci-,
addiSifcd t.le tou- o f i^no rauce to risc a-ain .it ih i'ir
-
* \voNrK!in;L . 2 .!
10 9, au! as soon as Llu: fe arfu l body ,vto in m o tio n ,
fo llow ed tlii * it h as it vvurc, G o -ni, friend--,
0 OU. tllf i i in ^ d u l l l I l(jUVOIj l:t IMI a t h a n d ."
not tlie tier/, wlin cll.*J tliorrbelvt*:; b'-a.ciilv
beings sac ilico u fc.v acre* of land cacli t j save a uruiori,
w tlioj v.iwf .stipends .-ad of tbur b.nii- ) They could, but Ibev would , * in loved th-.-ni-
Mdves more tliiLi Itiey Io\cd thi ir neighbour>. .j f5
\mj se, tbiil it Is neither faintnr, nor any oilier chin",
! blind ---Ilislii.--s only that brin/'s di-.iid. > .11 > tbe binnaii nuoicty, ',dacoili- in India, and -it- b l-:t -
ml destructions in 'In 'lep'biin. Iut ly den.^
, ;ij il; patron deity of dacuils, havu .
rririJy propounded In; theory rd cmdenini::^ tl:
-
J1 111 R H I N D U I D O L S .
01 favoured in with jjrand St. I aul ou the dilnpiialrd hmi'C of d:gawuHth f Verhups uot, lor you are our well* wishers. It h n.)l perhaps your disappointment but
nur lui.it} tli.it you invoke tho spirit of Sultan
M in l id , although it is a fact that tho world is not going
10 -oo apaiu wli.it it bad of yore. Iar from taking vour icsnark iii a hostile light, 1 rutlur regard ;.<
doctor wishing to euro tin* present diseased condition of
..ill relisjious in - litutious. bu t should you bo likn a ,
th a t, b e in g unable to tind out the real euus' of a disease,
make* uu imiiiodiato arrangement lor vivisection V
A ' regards the. thousand lJenguli youngmeu, lo whom
you have appealed, regret to say lluit u j bumble self
is one of them.
. Tho Light of Christianity.
To do you justice, Reverend Gantb-uion, it is your
light, that has illumined what was dark. You educated mo
wheu 1 was young, and asked me even, if 1 were ni-fdy. on laiilitaleil the study of the acred bo.'ks, whero
ymir lia -N again ma.le me divu into a little mom than
a ('hristiuu depth. it is your light then (hut discovers
iiuid the mouldering lie.ips if our ancient shrines, a stu
pendous Monument, which thousands of summer sui.3 mse in vain to hr.it, the blasts of foreign compiisls :>trovo
in vain lo shake, and the most violent of iconoclasts
-ou^ht iu \ u in to d
-
accountable dogma of '(V I in every tiling, and all-
disi lining, but avoiding anything btosaiional, nnd tbui
re p e llin g by its keun foresight and sobor judgment tbo
cause- nf nn impending revolution;a liberal institutii n,
h u v .r r in g on man honour and tddrcbses when iu the em-
l.rvo , ami continuing to d'< ;-o nntil a Jew hundred vf-irj
liu\i- I ijicrd nfter his dea th , solacing him in dll ti ,-nJ
tu n n o ils ol th is v o r ld , |iri>|anng him tor (he cm i tu come,
and rc*-ultllely i n i ' l i t to s tand by b iu t to the ;--- j
Holy Trmpb), u ilh an ocenn of ' in it. t...w
te t forming j. ri'al neiiihc.-, now* at.-orbed iu ' im.di
lation, iiiiv: living in aUnteio ou-J*, now silking ai. t
shouting in the i tn-f *u, now no-ling tiower.s lo the j I i
and chu of its own mailing, d im ting, a it v.ero, ;.il in
.i to u ad i a .irtain point o! f-iert al riit ; ik>.v
rilling an i.lol father, a ^ n , a brother, a tru-ud ; tmw railing another ti mother, a daughter, a si-t^r, develop
ing,
-
2G > : m o i s .
S ; i l i . I.ikrt K i -lin. I l o w :h b u i n U d v r t l io vi- ilun l.
sw or l o f il KllIlS .l 1 I. I i l k o t l l . i t o l H l l l l ' l l l l l , l i i s
l i l lb l lU l l l i l l irs liy VV.IS JuCC' l lod b y 11 lilt* o f M ! f ln .4 o n
m nii i ti a iu I lie illod r et re.il ol' .Nu'/m'lli. Likn
Pralliu.l, lu bail t 1)0 brougbl belmo :i i^anUc ditilya* nii!fltilig in Ibo S.ilillO'lrili, [iiid pcrsceilloil llwie willioul
inorey ; iiitil liuo S;ili, Ilo bad lo jdcad ili- |siri*y and
rvti hiij s. Bul onr pefM'fiilurs v. very sinoore indeod.
T l l o U g b lln,y illOUgbl W l11 tllOIII D U O trlll ( iu .l , t b o y \V(fO
not lu e Iruin tlio nb;i ol a jiit.in, whicb niiido
lliuin dcstrny ;tfery Ilit lidl in their way. In india,
, iu Ibis liiud of Kkuun. Iadv\ iti vain (onn only, nu
second, nntiiini' oI.t\ tboy nouii gave up thn ininiii-al ideu,
i.inl ln ,,1 ^Ivliair i.dii o scar rabi Alla bu la ala\ ib ;l oviirj tliiii|j eiihci ^ood or bail, ; cieulcd by aui.c.
-
TF.V,M . O V F J t .
As * * f b it idea, ili*r iMusulmun.H, in t!.c
sli.ipo ol pi us i akirs, I .ill over li Jia, to ptc.ub tii
now J..itrini! i'rom vill::^4i to v ill ^ . and J'luiu duo: lo
door, which tiny -- till iu riuy.
T lio te r m uf U D U -K acriiijia l r e l ig io n u i j over.
* i ' l . i s o f y o u r i t h ^ i o i t I h u e U l o u r ; - . ( ' l i r
a s \\ b i l l a . . o n . : > i i ; . t l i o u o . s i i - d i o l c : r I - a . -
! t S l l l M C J / o t n i l l O ' l i t i o l l l ! / . 1.1 1 . ' . I ' I ' i i i i u l l . l , ! !
I l l V o t i c i l l , M i l i t l O . ' ' S . i t l . I l l l
w i n . I a v ; . i ! . ( I i l , l l . * v . - ( i i i i t l i - i r . f i ' . t l i ' . ' U :
O Y l l . I ll' VOt lii llaS .;:ilhi_iUir.lj 11 1 - jil: .4' I: aI' Vi l|11111 II J.: *1 f i t Ij1 Irt ! ptl-Ujj l-iitl;.. ' ' ' ! i d M I* LMl l i | ' l . i . II. i l ! I 1 U I 1 1 . . I I - o c b ' j . ) < ( ' n . : .
O U l . - b u r . - j U O l t l .IJ H u l l U I i l i l i . l l U ^ I J , i i - - . l l 0 1 ( ! ' ;
l i m e s , e x t i c n i c i of i i u i i v . m p , 3 . 1 ii ; n v . i n
: i | i j u l i f e d li> 1* -1 oil I In* nialcri.il ixijiiMi' oi a mall . iriply uiiUai- ''', and ii.in lib* ilrvinJ ol .ill il- *.'** and | . - ; .
could .iiilv cud in a ilcjporuK- atheism ol tin- ini'-i i : i i -
p:iralilu nature, 'i'liu po.-ilivn assirliun ol i rulliud l-uIu
only Hid in a snetai inn bigotry, and his acll'-.uMicionf}
provouii dit) powi-rlul, and malm pciscout.ir> ul il.:n
ntl'cr .so l\01 so cruel. Till* CMJCSalM do Vv-t I on 01 ."ali tmvird> her husband disregard1-11 bur lalL'- and her d< .(Ii persuaded my* isids ul' illudp !cni.'.b-i i j bwa lbcli.ii.!' cc
alive on Jit*) i* liuab.ni'. 4 luu'jrid p ih ..
-
r2a ! inoi.s.
The s:\iiio observations hold good l'or Christ (. The
violent deatb uf Chri t mus novotoil by mauy uf lii* folio-
vers. The* rvlijiiou of ist as t.o ail iutuiits and purpotos
a M'ctariuu ludief, dividing inankind at tbe ver) outsot
iiito tv\o nutriemlly divisions, bilievera and uon-boliovers.
The absolutely steie reprsentation of tbo u-ligion pie*
vented tbo soller foelings ol mao 011 being properly cultivatod Aud lastly tbo intolrant sptrit ut Chislianity
ilN il Hoems tu bave led tu tbe dowulall of aliuost ail thu
]! 111 empires on eurth.
hougli I admit it to bo a higli divine inctiou to havo
llio oppre.ssors punishml by tlm oppres^ed, or tbo impnrci
icplarcd ly tbo pure, )'ul l muit liot ignore tbo .lill
bij.lu'i prim iple 0 Uivinity which could Ilio oppiej- surs and tbo upprodieil, tbo impure and tbo pure, erditru
suif by yitle in a haruiouious existeuce.
It is uni verbal hivo, a priciple, whicb, iu niy humhln
opinion, wi |nito uuknowu to the incarnations ol' tins
uoii-^aurifiri.d ago. Now if it lie alleged that Krishna
gavo us tbe univorsul love cf llaillia, I eau only admit it
witb tin- remark that \\t. di t uot aci|uiro it for uothing,
), huJ to pay diar for it iu tbo bu L ie of Kuru*
kdu-na. So wlien wo einpiiro into tbc cause ol tbe mod-
rri idia ul toleratiou in the Christian world, tbo iirst and
-it ihiug that tutelle our sight tbo seriea of sutlerin s
tbe ' bristians weit fiubject to, during tbe last two tbou-
y cuis. i>u also vvheu \vo tnu'O tbo origiu of llkobuu.au
wm bip tu le iiuulcnted bv tbo Positive philoniphj of
) lauco, wo 6eo an oeeau of blood boing hucriticeil lu ;lu> l uucb lt'jvoluliou to arrive at that liappy cud. Tlms it
-
rll>U.\i IlY IS rOSlTlVISM TLL'S THKIaU. 2'j
is soon that tho non sacrificial stage of human society
sacrifices for itself, until it arrives at a point which some
call toleration, some nniversal love, some human worship,
and others the revival of the Veiiic sacrifices. Man is
not irreligious, lie has tho religion of sacrifice with him
which lie had heou carrying along sinco the time of crea
tion. Every attempt that has been maile to urrost its pro
gress, h:is ultimately proved a failure in all ages and soih.
Idolatry Is F o B it lv ls m p lu s Theism.
The principlo of toleration, which has been levelupcd
into Positivism liy tho atheistic thinkers of t!* modern
uge, was, in all probability developed into Idolatry by .1 class of thinkerj that had the facility of realizing (in I
in everything. liolli are materially tho very saint* princi
ple, although differing widely from a spiritual point i>l
view. That idolatiy involvus as much of human uor-diip
as positivism itself, is manifest in the following iiccs ot
the Murkandoya Piirunu.
f a s n : r?r. i
Ua*r. w w i: ii
All the knowledges of the the world are thy mani
festations. Thou art manifest in the dawjhttrt, icivef, >u
-
, IDOLS.
meaning of tin' term, mid practised human worship on-
that solid un
-
rA V E l . . n i F I l d LT I'ROIiLKM. 31
culing Romo, hut probably bocausn n groat nuny of thoir
former adherents are on the ovc of defecliou. The same
ilestiuclivo spirit which unco induct'd thu violeut Sultan
to destroy t)ic idol at Soninath, is non*, under tlie intlii-
ouco of a Ko-callcd civilization, threatening Durga, with
all pO'Siblti ways ol destruction ; and (In; satno offensive
spirit which caused tlio t>aiTo I fia^monts of Somuath to be
jdaced at thi palace-gate ol (il;a/.m, h abu-iug Kali with
such unheard-of tcrim of hatred and contempt us a grin
ning ourang-outaug.
A very Difficult Problem.
And what is the rauso '< Education refuse: to l>e ti:c caiise of self-sulilcicrioy ; and purity, that of outrage.
Is lovo or Ftema the cause 'I Then what is its nature t
Love, like thu bud ol a ilov.er, ha.- onlv to expand, or
like a ('u.km.s subs tan eo to hale cnmptV'-ion. Even \> ) :i
it concern?' u particular object, it lends to become general.
Wc i-ei licit iliu love of her child naturally L< g'.'is in the
mother n luv< for children tin a cl a a.s. Wc see that a man
that loves h ij pure ills duarly, imbibes the most sacred ideal
for tin* parents ol others. Such being the natural course
of luvo, wo are really at a lo.-;J why the love of Chris'iani-
ty, far from creating a love or regard for other religion?,
invariably tends to destroy thoin in even conceivable v.uy.
Thu truth, hou- ver, is that all non-sacriticial religions
must fall, or if they should stand at all, must lean cpua
a semblance of l*rema, i. e., utmcisal love, which as fjr a3 I know, was for the lirr.1 time preached by a jonng Uralnnan of Nuddea. Ko system o f religiou can attain to
perfection without the principle o f universal love. \ ou
-
r>3 Tirr: T iisi'U id o l s .
Iiave thereforo impor ted the torin Pronia into yonr system,
but the logic must be wonderful that could reconcile it
with a creed that posits eternal damnation for a great
majority of mankind. The preacher of Prcma should boar
in mind that though it proscribes no particular sacrifice
to be oiferod to God, it is iu reality the most sacrificial
mood of the soul, roi|tiiring men to sauilice at tho very
outset all (heir sectarian piide and to unite under one
universal ban11nr of lia ri tho Spirit that neither promises heaven to some, nor threatens others with hell, bu! is
above all earthly differences and disr>entiuus, tho intelli
gent Lii'iug whose very essence is lovu and delight.
Tho doctrine of universal lovo must therefore stand
opposed to all sectaiiau ideas. A sectarian missionary
preaehing universal lovo is but a groat inconsistency,
Tim only love he can lay claim to is a morlnd love of self,
as has actually been shewn by him iu his desire to gain
his point by arguments not always most scrupulously lair.
It is uften represented to UK that C'brislivjify is the
only u.iij to salvation. It can not however bo ignored that (he fjllowoLS of Islam tuo attiimud that theirs was
the only ip ay. Had tho Hindus imbibed Lliu same iollisb idea ul religion, the struggle might have boon vory tsovoro
indeed, the po.^iliou more trying, and the wholo history of
India considerably changed,
T V , I. Ynur* fra tern a llyK m UUN a IH VlUVAt.lNOD!:
* V. *