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704
GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
wenn
eminence of the societies of Buddhistic ascetics,, working in the propagation of religion, was before the public eyes in the intervening period, there arose a kind of liking or respect for the life of an ascetic in the public mind, long before Samkarācārya was born; and although Samkarācārya had refuted the Jain and the Buddhistic doctrines, yet, he gave a Vedic turn to the respect which reigned in the public mind for the life of an ascetic, and brought into existence Vedic ascetics for the establishment of the Vedic religion, instead of the Buddhistic religion, who were as active and energetic as the Buddhist ascetics. It is true that these (Vedic) Samnyāsins led the lives of celibates, and used to wear clothes and carry a staff, which were the emblems of Renunciation; yet, they like their spiritual preceptor, continued the work of establishing the Vedic religion. Seeing in this way, that Samkarācārya had established an institution similar to the Buddhist societies of ascetics, a doubt may even at that time have arisen as to whether there was any difference between the teachings of Srimat Samkarācārya and the Buddhistic teachings; and possibly Samkarācārya has on that account said in his commentary on the Chandogyopanisad thai. "Buddhistic and Samkhya asceticism is outside the purview of the Vedas and false; and as the Path of Renunciation enunciated by me is consistent with the Vedic religion, it is true” (Chan. Sām. Bhā. 2. 23. 1), in order to clear that doubt. Whatever may be the case, there is no doubt that Asceticism was first introduced in the Kaliyuga by the Buddhist and Jain teachers. It is, however, quite clear from history that even the Buddhist ascetics later on performed Action for spreading religion or for public good and that the societies of Vedic ascetics, brought into existence by Samkarācārya for defeating the Buddhistic ascetics, also did not abandon Action altogether, but re-established the Vedic religion by their activities. But soon after that, our country began to be invaded by Mahomedans; and as the Ksatriya rulers, who were maintaining and protecting the country by their prowess against foreign invasions, and also simultaneously, the prowess of our country, began to die out during the Mahomedan régime, the original one-sided opinion that the path of sitting idle, taking the name of God (saying 'Hari',
