Page:An Essay On Hinduism.pdf/136

how excommunication, ostracism, and boycotting are practised in the Maratha country; and for this purpose it may be well to recapitulate what I have just said. In the Maratha country there is no organization controlling all the castes of Hindu society except the British Government, and the British Government does not exert any influence in social matters. The Brāhmaṇas are still a power, but inasmuch as their caste is unorganized they are not able to exert it in a useful manner. The colleges of Shastrīs and Pundits, which have still kept up the habit of pronouncing bahiṣhkāra, have become powerless, mainly for three reasons. First, in order to secure the confidence and the respect of the people, and to get their decisions obeyed by the people, they ought to have a power delegated by the government or by the people; but this is not the case. Secondly, there is a class of educated Brāhmaṇas in society which is not entirely in sympathy with the ideas of the Shastrīs, and Pundits, and which to-day has more prestige in society than the old-fashioned Pundits. And thirdly, society itself is in a process of transformation as regards ideas, principles and customs. It is divided into parties, one party approving and the other party disapproving the departures from the traditional rules.

In such a condition of affairs, exclusion of a man by the entire Hindu community by a formal excommunication is impossible.

Formal excommunication of a man by his caste is also impossible if the caste is not well organized.

Though excommunication has to a great extent disappeared, still ostracism continues to exist. Boycotting is often practised. Even excommunication is also practised to a small extent.