The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-22

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are included In the Brahmanic literature,
gradually evolving out Of early polythelsm
the conception OF one universal power,
finally merging into pantheism. The
germs OF uniting conception may be
traced already in some OF the Yedic hymns.
But 1t found full expression only in much
later works, especially in the so-called
upanishads C'Teaehings'0. To the specu-
lative Hindu the material world was then
but an emanation Of the spiritual. II had
come from the Supreme Soul (Atmanl las
the wave OF the river from its source"
as the spark from the fame" and it was
destined once to return unto 1t. Man when
eleansed from the slime of ignorance wss
! to be reunited with the Eternal Soul I'm
til then he was constantly reborn into the
material world to begin a new existence
varying from the very lowest TO the high
est.
Except in their coarsest form these uni
tary conceptions never reached the
masses To them the gods with various
substitutes and metamorphoses continued
to exist, while even in ordinary literature
they kept their place without reference
to the exact belief of the author.
The rlpened Hindu philosophy found a
beautiful expression in the Bhagayad-
Gita C"The Lords Lay" rendered into
prose by Chatterji Houghton, Mifflin &
Co., 1922 This work occupies high
place among the Brahmanic scriptures,
and has been great influence upon tho
spiritual life Of the Hindus. 1t represents
the teachings Of God incarnate to a hui
man prince. The object Of life, he says.
is the attainment of true knowledge,
which is beatifc vision Of the Supreme
Being. Having known even Him, man
attans TO deathlessness. There is no
other way" (Cf. the scriptures rAnd
there is life eternal, that they might
know Thee, the only true. God" etc.).
Those who do not gain such knowledge
remain fettered to material existence by
repeated births and deaths. But who,
/ then is He, that Supreme Being? Says
the incarnate Lord tvii.. 6ff):
l am the origin and end
, or all this changeful universe,
There is, o hero naught beyond!
For all is strung on Me alone,
AS are the beads upon the thread.
] am the freshness of the waters,
l The splendor of the sun and moon,
The essence OF the holy writ
t The sound of sounds, the man In men.
: am the life of life, o prince,
i All true devotion's centersd power.
, All beings seed am !, the strength,
The wisdom of the strong and wisel
oil And how, then are nortals to know
4 Him? Says again the divine teacher (xii
6ff):
, 10, those who worship Me alone.
Committing all their acts to Me-
Regarding Me their aim and end,
= And thinking above all of Me,
A Their hearts, o prince, do dwell in Me,
? And ! to them shall be, forgooth,
D A savior from the surging flood
, OF death and migratory life.
e N Thus the whole teaching Of the Bha-
= gavad- Gfta is TO fix our soul upon the
= Lord, to the exclusion of all things tend
!. ing to draw us from Him. Not that we
i should neglect our dltties in life, but that
G these should be saDGt.ded by recognizing
/ all blessings as faint rays OF Him "whc
: is the life OF life, the splendor OF the sun
C and moon"
It Out of Brahamani.in grew Buddhism as
s reformed faith Its tents were eX-
= pressed In Pail, sister dialect of sans
= krit. The sweetness of many ofAts teach
! ings may be inferred from few quota
o tions of the words attributed to Buddh'
g himself in one otthe canons of Buddhism
h the Dham mapaden(" Virtues Way" trans
: lated by Max Muller ((sacred Books o
d the East"):
= Hatred Is never conquered by hatred
hatred Is conquered by love-
: him overcome evil by good let him over
come the greedy by liberality; the liar b!
truth"
"As the vassika plan sheds its withere'
flowers, men should shed passion an'
hatred"
Him I call indeed pious man VIII,
is tolerant with the intolerant, mild Wit
IS fault-Gnders and free from passion anon
the passionate.
'If a man conquer in battle thou
sand time thousand men. and If anothe
conquer himself, he is the greatest OF con
querors."
But Hindu literature though largely re
ligious - d philosophical, is also in n
small degree secular, even II then usual
permeated by religious conceptions. tn
Hindu possesses at least two great epic'
IS Of which one. the Mahabharata t'th'
great Bharata War; is the most famous
Tfds huge epic OF about 100000 verse-line
l. describes the contest between two roy.
families, both descendants Of Bharata
ne But being the production, not OF one MAJ
but of successive ages, the chief nara
n. tive. propably rooted In a simpler one {
historical foundation, Is interviewer vii
T. numerous unalien episodes, breaking II
chain OF events, and filling by far tn
, larger part Of the epic
As Lyric poetry also found rich eypressio
in Sanskrit. Among larger lyric poem
of recognized worth, the most celebrate
r. is Meg baDuta C"The Cloud MESSENGER
Translated by II. H. WILSON, London, 1914
: This poem, composed by the great drama
nd list, Kalidasa, who is supposed 10 ha'
he lived in the early part of the Sixth cei
IN tury, A. D., is really overcharged wi
70 striking poetic imagery.
ne Strange as it may seems, India is y
I'd more famed for its dramatic than for
NJ lyric and epic poetry. Among the dramal
no poets Kalidasa, the author Of THE Clo'
're Messenger" stands foremost and "Sha
or untala." the gem OF Irdian dramatic col
position, and one Of the great world peon
lis his masterpiece.
o, When first made known to Europe mo
than a century ago, II was hailed wi
ed expression OF unreserved admiration
the foremost literary men. Humboldt SO
no that 'Tenderness in the expression
ne feelings and richness in creative fancy ha
assigned Kalidasa his lofty place amo
ali poets OF all nations"
ed Only some salient works OF the sansk
literature have been touched upon IN u
he necessarily brief sketch. They may 81
foe however, TO show that this siteratu
~ among much that is valueless from
aesthetic point OF view, also contain wol
btv Of no small merit It may be true q
even the best Hindu Poetry contains e