Page:The Religion of the Veda.djvu/14

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xiv
Contents

PAGES

pretation of the same myth – Renewed definition of the religion of the Rig-Veda – Renewed definition of Vedic practicalities – Conflicting prayers and sacrifices – The conception of faith – Faith related to Truth and Wisdom – Faith personified – Faith and works – The reward for faith postponed to heaven – Contrast between early "faith" (çraddha) and later "devotion" (bhakti) – "Gift praises," another sop to the sacrificer – The religious feeling of the Rig-Veda. – The utilitarian sense – The glory of the gods. – Absence of real sentiment towards the gods – Poetic inspiration the true religious feeling – The complacent master-singers – The poets' own estimate of their work – The divine quality of devotion 150-207

LECTURE THE FIFTH.

THE BEGINNINGS OF HINDU THEOSOPHY.

Statement of the problem – Time when theosophy originated – Metempsychosis and pessimism unknown in the earlier Vedic records – Place where the higher religion originated – Priest philosophy at the sacrifice – The theosophic charade – Specimens of the theosophic charade – The riddle hymn of Dirghatamas – Interrelation between the sacrifice and theosophy – On the supposed origin of theosophy with the royal caste – Criticism of this view – Transition from ritualistic polytheism to theosophy – Early scepticism – "Götterdämmerung" – Failure of God Varuna – Monism, or the idea of unity – The creation hymn – Translation and analysis of the creation hymn – Attempts at Monotheism – Prajāpati, the Lord of Creatures – Viçvakarman, creator of the universe, and kindred conceptions – Purusha, the world man – Brihaspati, the Lord of Devotion – Transcendental monotheistic conceptions: "Time," "Love," etc. – Defects of the earlier monotheistic and monistic attempts 208-248

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