«aw ...,.‘

8 The. Religion of the Veda.

is shut forever. Tho-re is littlo chance.- for national or patriotic: combination.

Moreover tho laws, or rothor tho vagarios of costo have taken largely tho plate: of practical rcligion in the mind of tho ztvorago liliqu who has not (Imam cipotod himself through highor philosophy. The supremo law which molly Comoros him in his daily life: is, to oat correctly; to drink corroctly; to marry correctly. Tho broader, moro usual, tlictotos of religion, such as worship of the: gods and othicol conduct, are not ignored, but they take: :1 distinctly secondary place. India has at all times put tho stamp of religion upon much that Europo counts as social habit, or social institution. Thoro is not, and there seems never to have boon, fixed mood in. India. Hinduism has always boon tolerant, liboral, latitodfl inarian in matters of abstract boliof; tyronoous, illiboral, norrowmindod as regards such social proo- ticos as can be in any way connoctod with religion. Fluidity of doctrine, rigidity of practice may be regarded as the unspoken motto of Hindu roligion at all times.

Fortunately there are not wanting signs of a rovulfl sion of feeling which bids fair to swoop the entire: system of caste with all its incredible foolishness off the face of the earth. The great Hindu reformer Rfija Rammohun Roy declared as early as the year