Page:An Essay On Hinduism.pdf/14

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INTRODUCTION
xv

Those who would ask this question and those who would answer in the positive or negative will show nothing but ignorance. When the Hindus of orthodox education ask a question regarding the propriety of a particular custom they inquire whether that custom is :—

(i) Shastrokta, or Shastra-sammata, that is mentioned (approvingly) by the sciences (shastras), or approved of by the sciences.

(ii) Vedokta, mentioned in the Vedas; or

(iii) Purāņokta, mentioned in the Purāņas.

The idea involved in the question is that if a custom or a conduct has backing of any of these three, then it is a good custom to be followed. All that a person is expected to do is that he should go by a path by which the good people have gone. Shastras, Vedas and Purāņas are all authority to a certain extent. When a recent order was issued by the sacred college (matha) of Sankeshvara His Holiness stated that the particular custom in question has no support of shruti, smriti and Puranas. Moreover the phrase shrutismritipnranokta is one of frequent occurrence in the ritual.

The goodness of any conduct has been in proportion to the support which it may have from Vedas, sciences and antiquities. If any custom has the support of all these three then the custom deserves the greatest respect. If it has no support of either Vedas or Purananas, and if it is injurious (that is, has no support of Shastras) then the custom should be abandoned. There were of course people who would say that the authority of the Vedas is supreme, and what is against the Vedas should be abolished; there were also men who advocated the cause of Shastras. But in general the questions of this nature as to what

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