World Religions Conference November 1957

Author(s): Sushil Muni
Publisher: Achal Singh Seth

Page 16

Background
them pariahs. But in no time their purity of purpose came out in broad relief and the generality of people, began to worship them as great religious refarmers. Thus Lord Krishna whose clarion call directed the people, "To leave all religions and come unto Me", came to be regarded as the very incarnation and embodiment of Dharma itself. Not only this but, for what he said in Chapter II of the Bhagvad Gita against Vedic rites and rituals, he was called "Bahi", the destroyer of 'lşms' the reason for this being that the people having forgotten the intrinsic value of the Vedas had dragged them down to the level of polemics; and the staunch savant-priests and punditsby preaching that there was nothing real but a delusion, had assumed arrogance and uncalled for dignity for themselves, and made the performance of Vedic rituals as the means of their livelihood. In these circumstances it was but necessary for Shri Krishana to reform the Vedic religion of the various corruptions that had gradually crept into it. This, in fact, has been the case with all religious leaders and reformers.
Religion & Religious Leaders
In the time of Lord Mahavira, the Vedic religion had as many as 363 ramifications; and each came to be known as "Anya trithi" and "Pra-ou-duk". Lord Mahavira by uniting them into one common fold, once again restored religion to its original glory. After Mahavira, Jain religion too split into four parts:
| Digambras 2 Savitambras 3 Sathanak Vasis 4 Terapanthis. And each in its turn came to be divided and sub-divided into various sects and sub-sects. Similarly, in course of time, Buddhism branched off into innumerable sections of thought and no wonder that the country came to be flooded with countless philosophies. We cannot thus purify religion without taking cognisance of the various corruptions and evils that have entered into its very vitals and to extricate it from their octopeon tentacles. The leaders of the Bhakti movement had also to wage a ceaseless war against religious bigotry and blind prejudices and tried to destroy, root and branch, all distinctions of castes and creeds.
Blind Faith and Saints
It has ever been the endeavour of saints not to encourage fissiparous tendencies as may separate man from man and to lead to divisions and subdivisions. But man is so beset and overwhelmed with blind desires and blind thoughts as cast a dark spell over the light of righteousness and the saints, as torch bearers oflight, have always been dispelling the dark clouds of unreason and ignorance. History provides us with many an instance of human frailities and the redeeming power of the saints. In the present age there is a great need for the Saving Grace of the Master-Souls, for Righteousness is now at its