Page:An Essay On Hinduism.pdf/90

god, but those who have received the key of the teacher will see a meaning entirely different in it. Let me give a translation of very common Marathi verses of Jñanadeva of the thirteenth century.

"God Viṭṭhala quarrelled with his consort Rakhumai, and who will now put a stop to their quarrel? It is I, Jñanadeva, humble at the feet of Nivṛitti (elder brother and teacher of Jñanadeva) will do it."

The meaning of the above verses is not so simple. The names, Viṭṭhala, Rakhumai are to be interpreted as Brahma and Māyā; and the names Nivṛitti and Jñanadeva are to be taken as common nouns, meaning renunciation and knowledge respectively. We shall then have the verse to mean: "The sole eternal one Self is always in conflict with Māyā, which causes all the delusion, and makes one thing appear different. Who will stop this conflict? It is knowledge alone which leads to renunciation." Suppose a man of the Christian caste goes to a Hindu teacher for spiritual elevation, the teacher would then tell him how different is the real Christ from the Christ whom he really adores. The teacher would persuade the student to ignore the historical Christ as the latter is only a partial manifestation of the real Christ, omniscient and everlasting, incorporated in human form and acting in human ways. Thus the chief object of the teacher is not to create a change in the object of worship, but in ideas and philosophy, leaving the old paraphernalia unchanged.

Another characteristic of Hindu cosmopolitanism is the recognition of the propriety of the various forms of worship. In this way they got over the differences which the dissimilarity of worship may have caused among the various tribes and sects. Above the practice of the variety