UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORN A, SAN DIEGO 3 182202660 1211 A .,l.ra,LlADjUfI \ i/d .v A, UN VERS T OF CAL FORNIA, SAN DIEGO 3 182202660 1211 SANATANA DHARMA AN ADVANCED TEXT BOOK OF WINDU RELIGION AND PUBLISHED BY THE BOARD OP TRUSTEES, CENTRAL HINDU COLLEGE, BENARES. 1904. All rights reserved. PRINTED AT THK TAKA PRINTING WORKS, BKNABES. FOREWORD. The Board of Trustees of the Central Hindu College has laid down the following principles on which religious and moral teaching is to be given in all Institutions under its control. The object of the Central Hindu College being to combine Hindu religious and ethical training with the western education suited to the needs of the time, it is necessary that this religious and ethical training shall be of a wide, liberal and un- sectarian character, while at the same time it shall be definitely and distinctively Hindu. It must be inclusive enough to unite the most divergent forms of Hindu thought, but exclusive enough to leave outside it forms of thought which are non-Hindu. It must avoid all doctrines which are the subject of controversy between schools recognised as ortho- dox it must not enter into of the social ; any and of the but it must political questions day ; lay a solid foundation of religion and ethics on which the student may build, in his manhood, the more speci- alised principles suited to his intellectual and emo- tional temperament. It must be directed to the building, up of a character -pious, dutiful, strong, li Foreword. self-reliant, upright, righteous, gentle and well- balanced a character which will be that of a good man and a citizen the fundamental good ; princi- ples of religion, governing the general view of life and of life's obligations, are alone sufficient to form such a character. That which unites Hindus in a common faith must be clearly and simply taught; all that divides them must be ignored. Lastly, care must be taken to cultivate a wide spirit of tolerance, which not only respects the differences of thought and practice among Hindus, but which also respects the differences of religion among non- Hindus, regarding all faiths with reverence, as roads whereby men approach the Supreme. Therefore: I. The Religious and Ethical In- struction must be such as all Hindus can accept. 2. It must include the special teach- ings which mark out Hinduism from other religions. 3. It must not include the distinctive views of any special school or sect. The Text Book is intended to be studied by Hindu youths in Colleges, after the elementary one and the Catechism have been mastered in school days. It follows exactly the same general plan, Foreword. Ill filling in the broad outlines given in the elementary one, and supplying details which were not before introduced, lest they should contuse the minds of young learners. It follows the same principle of expounding beliefs common to the vast majority of Hindus, avoiding special sectarian views. In the Introduc- tion a very brief sketch of the great Schools is given, as every youth should know of their exis- tence and of their distinguishing marks. The name to be given to these books was " carefully discussed, and that of Sanatana Dhar- ma" was finally chosen, as connoting the ancient teachings, free from modern accretions. It should cover all sects, as it did in the ancient days. May this book also aid in the great work of building up the national Religion, and so pave the way to national happiness and prosperity. CONTENTS. PAGE. INTRODUCTION. i PART I. BASIC HINDU RELIGIOUS IDEAS. CHAPTER I. THE ONE EXISTENCE. ... 38 CHAPTER II. THE MANY. 61 CHAPTER III. REBIRTH. 88 CHAPTER IV. KARMA. 1 08 CHAPTER V. SACRIFICE. 124 CHAPTER VI. THE VISIBLE AND IN- VISIBLE |WORLDS. 139 PART II. GENERAL HINDU RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS AND RITES. CHAPTER I. THE SAMSKARAS. 165 CHAPTER II. SHRADDHA. 183 CHAPTER III. SHAUCHAM. 191 CHAPTER IV. THE FIVE DAILY SACRI- FICES. 198 CHAPTER V. WORSHIP. 209 CHAPTER VI. THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE. 221 CHAPTER VII. THE CASTE SYSTEM. 238 PART III. ETHICAL. TEACHINGS. PAGE. CHAPTER I. ETHICAL SCIENCE, WHAT IT is. 259 CHAPTER II. THE FOUNDATION OF ETHICS, AS GIVEN BY RELIGION. 264 CHAPTER III. RIGHT AND WRONG. ... 275 CHAPTER IV. THE STANDARD OF ETHICS. 290 CHAPTER V. VIRTUES & THEIR FOUN- DATION. 294 CHAPTER VI. BLISS AND EMOTIONS. ... 304 CHAPTER VII. "SELF-REGARDING" VIR- TUES. 312 CHAPTER VIII. VIRTUES AND VICES IN HUMAN RELATIONS. THOSE IN RELATION TO SUPERIORS. 337 CHAPTER IX. VIRTUES AND VICES IN RELATION TO EQUALS. CHAPTER X. VIRTUES & VICES IN RE- LATION TO INFERIORS. 380 CHAPTER XI. THE RE-ACTION OF VIR- TUES AND VICES ON EACH OTHER. 392 II INTRODUCTION. f: i The Religion based on the Ve- das, the SanStana Dharma, or Vaidika Dharma, is the oldest of living Religions, and stands unrivalled in the depth and splendour of its philosophy, while it yields to none in the purity of its ethical teach- ings and in the flexibility and varied adaptation of " its rites and ceremonies. It is like a river, which has shallows that a child may play in, and depths which the strongest diver cannot fathom." It is thus adapted to every human need, and there is nothing which any religion can supply to add to its rounded perfection. The more it is studied, the more does it illuminate the intellect and satisfy the heart. The youth who learns something of it is laying up for himself a sure increaser of happiness, a sure consolation in trouble, for the rest of his life. " That which supports, that which holds to- gether the peoples (of the universe), that is Dharma." Dharma is not merely a set of beliefs having no necessary connection with the daily life of hu- manity, bat it is the very principles of a healthy and beneficent life. Therefore to know those prin- ciples and act upon them is to be a true Aryan (or follower of Vaidika Dharma), and to tread the sure road to happiness, individual as well as general. " " The etymological meaning of religion is also " " " the same, that which binds together." Vaidika means "pertaining to the Veda or Perfect Know- " ledge." Hence Vaidika Dharma means the Reli- gion of Perfect Knowledge." One of the most remarkable things in the Sana- tana Religion is the way in which it has laid down a complete scheme of knowledge, and has then crowned it with a Philosophy composed of six faces, but governed by one idea and leading to one goal. No such comprehensive and orderly view of human knowledge is elsewhere to be found. This has been sketched in the Elementary Text-Book, but now requires some further elucidation. 1 MalidWidrata. Kama Parva. Ixix, 59. [ 3 ] THE BASIS OF SANATANA DHARMA. of the The *a;f?r: Shrutih, consisting Four Vedas is the final authority in the Aryan Religion, and these four Vedas form in their entirety THE VEDA, THE PERFECT KNOWLEDGE, revealed by Brahma, seen by the Rishis, and clothed in words by Them for the benefit of the Aryan peoples. " The Vedas, together with the Itihasas, were withdrawn at the end of the Yugas. The Mahar- his, permitted by Svayambhu (Brahma), recovered them by Tapas." It appears that modifications were introduced on such recoveries, which took place at the begin- ning of each cycle, so as to suit the again revealed Vedas to the special conditions of the age. For we read in the Devi Bhagavata : 2 li " Then, in the Kali age, He (Vishnu in the form of Vyasa) divides the one Veda into many parts, desiring benefit (to men), and knowing that the 1 Quoted by Shankaracliarya, and attributed by him to Vy&sa. ShdriraJca BhasJiya. T. iii. 29. 2 Loc. cit. I. iii. 19. [ 4 ] Brahmanas would be short-lived and of small in- telligence," and hence unable lo master the whole. Thus the Risjiis are ever wauhing over the Religion they gave, withdrawing and again giving revelation according to the needs and the capaci- ties of each age. If so much has disappeared from the sacred books as may be seen by com- paring the number of shlokas said to be contained in some of them, with the extant shlokas this disappearance has been brought about by the Rishis for men's benefit. In Patanjali's Mah&bh&$hya -much higher fig- ures, as regards the extent and content of the Vec,.s, are given than are found in the now extant books. He mentions 21 shakhas of the Rigveda, 100 of the Yajutveda, 1000 of the Samaveda and 9 of the Athatvaveda. The Muktikopanishat gives 21 shakhas of the Rigveda, 109 of the Yajurveda^ IOOO of the Sdniaveda, and 50 of the Atliaroaveda. Of these but few are now known. * Each Veda has three generally recognised divi- sions : (i) The gf|rfr Samhita, or Collection, consist- ing of flrRift Suktani, Suktas, hymns used at sacri- fices and offerings, the Mantras, on which the efficacy of the rite depends. 1 Cf. on this point the "[ 5 ] (2) The arfTTrR Brahmanani, Brahmanas, de- scribed by Apastamba as containing precepts for stories traditions sacrifice, reproof, praise, and ; they explain' the connection between the Suktas and the ceremonies are treatises on but ; they ritual, interspersed with the ritual directions are many illustrative stories, philosophical observations and profound ideas, especially in the Tdndya Mahd- brdhuiana and the Shatapaiha Brdhmana, Trea- tises named 3Tri 33jrf% Aranyakani, Aranyakas, or Books for the Forest, i. e., for study by recluses, are given at the end of the Brahmanas.