File:Hindu Trinity Elephanta Caves India 1913.jpg

Identifier: indianmythlegend00inmack Title: Indian myth and legend Year: 1913 (1910s) Authors: Mackenzie, Donald Alexander, 1873-1936 Subjects: Hindu mythology Publisher: London, Gresham Contributing Library: Indiana University Digitizing Sponsor: Indiana University

View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book

Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image: tive reasonings of the unknown authors ofthe Upanishads. The Pantheistic doctrines of these ancientphilosophers, however, hardly constituted a religion: theywere rather an esoteric system of belief devoid of popularappeal. But they have been the inspiration of a succes-sion of profound thinkers and eloquent teachers of reveredmemory in India, who infused ancient modes of thoughtwith high philosophic doctrines, and utilized archaic mythsto develop a religion which in its purest form permeatesthe acts of everyday life and requires the whole-hearteddevotion and service of pious Hindus to the will of theSupreme Being. In the Brahmanical Age Upanishadic teachings madelimited appeal, but evidences are not awanting that know-ledge of them was not confined to the Brahmans, becausethe revolts which gave India Buddhism and Jainism origi-nated among the Kshatriyas. Meanwhile the gods of theVedas continued their hold upon the allegiance of thegreat masses of the people, although the ancient Vedic

Text Appearing After Image: THE HINDU TRINITY AT ELEPHANTA (see page 119) NEW FAITHS 121 religion had been divested of its simplicity and directnessby the ritualistic priesthood. Gods and men dependedupon the Brahmans for their prosperity and even for theircontinued existence. It was taught that the gods livedin fear of death, the strong Ender, but were supportedand fed by penance and sacrifice. The priests achievedspiritual dominion over their rivals, the Kshatriyas. There was, however, more than one school ofthought among the Brahmans. The sages who mem-orized and repeated the older Upanishads, and composednew ones, could not have failed to pass unrecorded judg-ments on the superstitious practices of their ritualisticbrethren. Account must also be taken of the exampleand teachings of the bands of wandering devotees, theBhiksus, who neither performed penances nor offered upsacrifices, and of the influence exercised by the indepen-dent thinkers among the Kshatriyas, who regarded withdisfavour the pretensions of

Note About Images