PREFACE

The following pages are taken from the Forlong Bequest lectures which I delivered in March last at the School of Oriental Studies. Owing to exigencies of space, much of what I then said has been omitted here, especially with regard to the worship of Śiva; but enough remains to make clear my general view, which is that the religion of the Aryans of India was essentially a worship of spirits—sometimes spirits of real persons, sometimes imaginary spirits—and that, although in early days it provisionally found room for personifications of natural forces, it could not digest them into Great Gods, and therefore they have either disappeared or, if surviving, remain as mere Struldbrugs. Thus I am a heretic in relation to both the Solar Theory and the Vegetation Theory, as everyone must be who takes the trouble to study Hindu nature without prejudice.

L. D. B.

May 29, 1922.

CONTENTS

I. [The Vēdic Age][:]
Popular Religion, p. [9]—Ṛig-vēda and priestly religion, p.[11]—Dyaus-Zeus, p. [14]—Ushās, p. [18]—Sūrya, p. [19]—Savitā, p.[19]—Mitra and Varuṇa, p. [19]—Agni, p. [22]—Sōma, p. [23]—Indra, p.[25]—The Aśvins, p. [35]—Vishṇu, p. [37]—Rudra-Siva, p. [42]—Summary, p.[42].
II. [The Age of the Brāhmaṇas][:]
Growth of Brahman influence in expanding Aryan society, p. [45]—Systemof priestly doctrine: theory of Sacrifice and mechanical control ofnature thereby, p. [48]—Its antinomianism: partly corrected by thegrowing cult of Rudra-Śiva, p. [53]—The Upanishads: their relation tothe Brāhmaṇas, p. [59]—Brahma the Absolute, p. [60]—Karma-Saṃsāra, p.[63]—Results: Śaiva Theism, p. [65]—Kṛishṇa: early history and legends,p. [66]—Teachings, p. [68].
III. [The Epics, and Later][:]
I. The Great War and the Pāṇḍavas, p. [70]—Vishṇu-Kṛishṇa, p.[74]—Nārāyaṇa, p. [76]—Bhagavad-gītā and Nārāyaṇīya, p. [77]—Growth ofchurch of Vishṇu-Kṛishṇa, p. [79]—Worship of Pāṇḍavas, p. [92]—Newerotic and romantic Kṛishṇaism, p. [94].
II. Rāma: legend of Rāma and constitution of Rāmāyaṇa, p. [98].
III. Some later Preachers, p. [103]—Religions of Vishṇu-Kṛishṇa andŚiva in Southern India, p. [103]—Śaṃkara Āchārya, p. [105]—Rāmānuja, p.[107]—Nimbārka, Madhva, Vallabha, p. [108]—Jñānadēva, p. [109]—Nāma-dēva,p. [109]—Tukārām, p. [109]—Rāmānanda, p. [110]—Tulsī Dās, p. [110]—Kabīr,p. [110]—Nānak, p. [110]—Chaitanya, p. [110].
IV. Brahmā and the Trimūrti, p. [111]—Dattātrēya, p. [114].
V. Two Modern Instances, p. [116].
[Conclusion.]

EDITORIAL NOTE

The object of the Editors of this series is a very definite one. They desire above all things that, in their humble way, these books shall be the ambassadors of goodwill and understanding between East and West—the old world of Thought and the new of Action. In this endeavour, and in their own sphere, they are but followers of the highest example in the land. They are confident that a deeper knowledge of the great ideals and lofty philosophy of Oriental thought may help to a revival of that true spirit of Charity which neither despises nor fears the nations of another creed and colour.