Hinduism and Its Development

This book traces the evolution of Hinduism from ancient period to the modern age. It records Dravidian and Aryan symbiosis in Hinduism, and the impact of Greeks and British, Buddhism and Islam. Quoting liberally from Hindu sacred texts and related literature, this book enumerates the ethical and socio-political implications of Advaita Vedanta, delving into the working of self-consciousness and the falsity of the world. It emphasises the significance of the thoughts of Adi Sarnkara and others in this context.

The book will be very useful for students and scholars of Hindu religion and philosophy as well as general readers.

Padma Vibhushan Professor K. Satchidananda Murty has taught philosophy at Andhra University for a quarter century. Formerly he was the Vice-Chancellor of S.V. University, Vice-Chairman of the UGC, and the Chairman of Indian Philosophical Congress. He is the most thought-provoking philosopher of our times, whose books on Indian philosophy, culture, and religion —particularly Vedanta — contain instructive and penetrating analyses.

HINDUISM is too vast to be summed up in — short speeches, mainly intended for graduate and under-graduate students of a college. The omissions, which are noticeable, by any careful reader, have been inevitably deliberate. Without being detrimental to individual views and ideals, Hinduism has built up a unity of spirit, which has survived the ravages of time. A recapture of this spirit, so unique to our religion and culture, is the essential need of these times of strife and tension. I shall be delighted if this brochure could attract the attention of some of our young men and women in the colleges towards that ideal.

Vacaspati expounded a number of philosophical systems as if he were a follower of each. . . .Following his example, I have sympathetically explained some of the ideas of Advaita Vedanta — relying only on classical sources, refraining from criticism or comparison — Awareness of consciousness, falsity of the world, the great Upanisadic Sentences and Brahman-knowledge in that order. This work sets forth the traditional stand point that only the great sentences of the Upanisads could be the source of Brahman-knowledge and nothing else, clarifies that contemporary science cannot demolish any type of Eastern wisdom, and argues that Vedantic sociology, social vi Hinduism and its Development organization or action ought to conform to Vedantic metaphysics. With all his vast knowledge Narada admitted: "I am only like a knower of words, not a knower of the self."1 And when Asvala, the hota of king Janaka of Videha asked whether he was brahmanista, the wisest among brahmins, Yajriavalkya replied: "We bow to the brahmanista while we just wish to have cows."' The great Ibn Sina at one stage wrote that he did not know what he was and what he wished to become; and in our time Gabriel Marcel once exclaimed that he did not know what he believed. It is difficult for lesser men to have a firm awareness (drda-bodha) or clear assured conviction regarding transcendental truth.

"Therefore, a knower of Brahman ought to desire to live as a child:" tasmad Brahmanah pandityam nirvidya balyena tishtaset.3 The Murylaka Llpanisad (1.2.11) states only those who practise tapas and §raddha become tranquil-knower: santo vidvamsah. As Sri ankara Bhagavatpada explained, for the self-controlled (pragdnta) the Supreme Self is immediately present as self: jivatmanah prasantasya paramdtma samahitah.

**Contents and Sample Pages**