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296
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[NOVEMBER, 1911.
maintains the existence of natural differences (7) Divine Grace alone can ultimately secure between the three entities--matter, soul, and salvation, as human efforts by themselves will be God-while regarding the Supreme Being (Param- fruitless. at man) as inseparably united with matter and (8) All recognize that salvation consists in the souls, the universe of matter and souls forming attainment of Brahman, which is Eternal Bliss. the body of the Supreme Being. "The attributes It being inconceivable that any European could of God", be observes, "are as real as God accept the whole of those eight propositions, Himself; that is, the universe is not unreal." which would require bim to admit the authority Mr. Narasimhiengar, although holding that of the Hindu scriptures, to receive the karma 'every object in the universe is pervaded by the doctrine as axiomatie, to worship Hinda images. All-pervading God (Vishņu)', considers the term and to attnch himself to a guru, it appears to be
Indian Pantheiem', commonly applied to impossible for any European to declare himVedântist philosophy, to be misleading. It seems self an adherent of the Vedantist philosophy, to me that a teacher who maintains that "every which is so inextricably mixed up with the pracobject in the universe is pervaded by the tice of Hindu religion. If that view be correct, it All-pervading God” may be described as 'a is easy to understand why Hinda philosophy ou pantheist' with perfect correctness. If that its own account is unable to attract the serious doctrine is not pantheism,' I have no notion notice of the teachers of philosophy at English what that term means,
universities. An Englishman may be a follower Mr. Narasimhienger begins his discourse by of Aristotle, Plato, Kant, or Hegel, but he cannot remarking that "to treat of Religion separately be expected to become a Hindu in order to enrol from Philosophy is, from the Hindu point of view, himself in the ranks of the Vedåntists. an impossible task." Maintaining this attitude | Mr. Narasimhiengar approaches the Upanishads throughout he tacitly assumes the divine authori- as the older Christian commentators approached ty of the Upanishads and other Hindu scriptures, the Bible, with a firm conviction that all passages and must be regarded as addressing Hindus in the sacred writings, however contra lictory rather than the world of scholars in general, in appearance, are reconcilable and must be and as appealing to authority rather than to pure reconciled. He states his attitude frankly in the reason.
words: Every Vedantic scholar should admit He sums up as follows the points of agree that the Upanishads are, as a whole, a consistent ment between the three schools of Hindu er bodiment of philosophical thought; and any Vedantists:
interpretation given of them, can be considered (1) All the three systems are based upon the sound, only if such interpretation is capable of authority of the Srutis (the Upanishads), the elucidating all the passages in the Upanishads, as Smritis, the Itihasas, and the Puranas.
giving a consistent idea throughout.' The appli(2) All believe that the beginningless karma iscation of such a principle to a literature, the work the cause of worldly bondage, and that the soul of many authors, and probably extending over will undergo birth after birth until the whole of several centuries, cannot but produce forced karma is exhausted.
interpretations, such as we are familiar with in (3) All recognize that the study of the Vedanta the pages of Biblical commentators, is essential for the attainment of Jhana (wisdom) Some Indian Vedantists, I believe, cherish the which serves as a passport to the Heavenly Abode. hope that the teachings of the Vedanta will give
(4) Bhakti or Love of God is the most perfect birth to a universal religion fitted to supersede meape of salvation according to all the three all the existing religions of the world. But it is systems.
plain that such dreams cannot be realized if the (5) Image-worship is an essential feature of all philosophy is presented, after Mr. Narasimhienthe Brahmanaic systems; and Narayana (Vishnu), gar's method, as inseperably bound up with purely in various forms, is generally worshipped, as the Hinda beliefs and practices and as resting on Supreme Being by all the three sects.
the postulate that the Upanishade, whatever (6) The Spiritual Preceptor is the mediator be the date or authorship of each, form one between the individual soul and God; and is consistent whole. Tevered as equal to God in several respecte.
V. A. S.
