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Vol. XXIII, 2000
REVIEW
147
society. And very recently H.D.H.Shri Pramukh Swami Maharaj has taken up the cause of Hindu revival in collaboration with the efforts in the same direction by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Svādhyāya Movement of Respected Shri Pandurang Shastri Athavale and the Yuga Nirmāna movement of the Gayatri Parivāra of Respected Shri Ram Sharma. And, the first among these three has built and consecrated more than three hundred fifty Vedic style stone teinples in India and abroad, so much so that The Guinness Book of the World Records (1997 edition, p.185) 1996, has proclaimed it as a world's Wonder. The author seems to keep himself and his readers totally ignorant about all this. And, he is out to write an Encyclopaedia!
(5) On p. 198, under the caption 'varna' he defines it as "the largest social unit, based on birth". He seems to misunderstand the term in the sense of 'caste'. Now, as regards the 'varnd proper, it is definitely not based on birth, it is based rather on the basis of the division (vibhāga) of guna (quality) and dharma (duty), as has been specifically laid down by the Manusmrti (10.65). The author's ignorance is unpardenable, especially as he claims to be an author of an Encyclopaedia !!
(6) There are at least four most important ommissions in this book. They are: (i) Guru Nanak; (ii) Sikh Sampradāya; (iii) Swaminarayan; (iv) Narasimha Mahetā, if not many others more. This is unpardenable for the author of an Encyclopaedia!!!
The reason behind all these, and numerous more drawbacks is that the author has irrelavantly included a gamut of past western researchers on Indology who were more intent on dubing the Hindu cultural outlook and Hindu values of life as outmoded in their blind allegiance to British colonialism and Christian enthusiasm of civilizing the Indians to their own faith. The author is out to contribute his mite in this gallery of the ghosts. NMK.
