New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-19
THE FOREIGN MAIL.
DEATH or 4 GREAT INDIAN RELIGIOUS
REF0RMER
rtnf.s.ar Mar nnllIer in rhe IN Man eazete


pyofessor Mar Muller IN me ran Malt Gazette
The Indian newspapers contain the announce
meut OF the death of Dayaumda Sarasvati Most Eng
lish readers even many old Indians VIII ask VINO was
Dayananda sarasyat Ia question al pe5ags ~ SIess
a want OF familiarity with the social anu iciEpuS nc vi
India II among us any one were 10 ASK no Mis III
Pusey Dnyananda sarasyat was the ion.ovt I ~
leader Of the Arya-SamU one OF e nosI WI ,',,
the modern sects in India. He was curious MIXTURE
scholar 70 bcsn Win deeply read in the theological
literature OF his country Up 20 certain polul ne ""I
iOQuN ana persecution during III, NJ, - i =. iso,
Is limited IN the papers that bis death was que 10 poSu
administered by his enemies. lie was opposed 10 my
OF the abuses That had cret IN rs ne wen hneW uuiu
the later periods OF the religious growth Of india ana OF
ancient sacred books of India the Vedas lie was op
posed Ia idol worship he repudiatcd caste ana a!vocgu
dspuatons with the most learned Pandits at Benares
victorious though often the aid of the police had to DE-
f"es Tie took his stand on the Vedas. Whatever
no be found I'm the Nedas he declared to he false on
useless; whae found in the Nedas WAS TO hn ne
vond the reach Of controversy Like all the ancient
thcologans of India he looked upon the Nedas as divine
revelation. That idea 10 have taken such com
pcie possession OF his mind thai argument could ever
Touch IT, II is hcye where Dayanandl SarIsvatis move
ment branchcd of from that Of Rammohun Roy Ram
mohun Roy also and his followers held for time To Inc
revealed character 0 the Vcdas and Ia all their earliest
controversies with English divncs they maintained That
there argument in favor of the divine inspiration
OF the Bible which did not apply win me same or eArh
greater force to the NedaS A. the Ncdas ~ that lhc
almost inaccessible. II was dincut 10 ATTACK sucu
position But when IL bccamc known tt the text OF me
Nedas. and their ancient commentaries were eng
studied IN Europe, ana wore 81 a,t ar I , ,,
printed ia England the friends OF Ralnohu Roy h1n'S'
and fearless rs they nave always proved lhGlHvN,''
sent some yonng scholars 10 hehaieS 10 SI3 tne ltd9
and t. report THEN contents A. soon ~ ths report
was received. DcbaudrGnath Tacorn, the head o. me
Bralna-Samdj, saw that venerable a. the NtddS
might DC relies Ol former age. they contained ~
much that was childish erroneous; in}sr,''' a.
make their descent rom diVue soulct uiuIg ul,th
able. Even they could hardly be expected - perceive
the real Of the vedas. and their perfectly unique
character IN the literature 81 thr WoiIu; a Nt
period in the growth Of religion oil when we hnd no
his ignorance OF English and, III consequences ms lack OF
acquaintance with other sacred books ana m, toa lg
norauce of the result, obtained by comparative study
OF religions, alternative between either complete
surrender all religion unwavcring belief IN every
word aud letter ~ the Vedas To those who know ne
Vcdas such position would seem hardly o"mlItl'"
we can hardly say that he consciously dishonest
The fundamental idea Of his religion was reYciat"h
That revelation had come 10 him IN the NeaS II one
chapter one verse word OF the NCdaS mad To be sur
rendered coming from human source Tue "H1e
ediGce of fth would have crumhIed 10 pieces lie
knew the Vcdas by heart; his whole m'ndi"d' saturated
with them He published bulky commentaries on Two OF
them. the Rie-Neda and Yayur-Neda; and one might
almost say that he possessed by the Ncdd$ lie con
sidered the Vcdds not only divncy inspired or rather
expired, but prehistoric or pehuan hdiah c,SuSlS
do not understand how Christian dylues can he SATISFIED
with maintaining the divine origin OF their revc alton be
cause they hoid mat though revocation III y III Ii' o
in its origin 1t j, liable to every Kind OF accident II the
recipient Is merely human. TO o9ylttc ms mihelity,
they admit number OF intermediate beings hclinGr
quite divine nor quite human thron@h whom ihr ruin
rs brcathcd font from God. safely handed down to
human beings II any hlsiorlGdI OF Ieo-Id pnc' ii,'
occur i'm the Vcdas they all explained away because
If taken m their natural sense they would lmrt 10 the
NedaS an historical or temporal taht; IN Iict' IN VIZ
character which We in Europe most appreciate IN me
Vclas-namcy. the Eisorcal-S secuted by the orth0-
dox theooeanS OF lnda, most Gl az y lay mart'
Sarasyat. In his commentary on the I2-Neda written
own Interpretation OF Nedic hymns though he had cy-
IDENTIFY formed hi, opinion OF my treatment OF the lci5
why should tor the Nela at AL di not consider
It rs divney revealed. While valued most whatever
indicated human sentiment in the Nedic hymns, what
n -SsT iToIndn"5 ne WA. bent on leaving in it
niD bVf q .