Page:Advice to the Indian Aristocracy.djvu/28

 Towards the end of his book, the Maharaja, as men in their later lives, gets back to religion, and with robust common-sense untainted with theology he beats the whole Hindu system into shape, wipes off excrescences, and shows up the underlying truths in strong relief. He makes short work of the monkey folk, and the magnanimous apes, of whose proceedings I have read with wrapt attention in the Ramayana, whose route march I have followed in the field. "It is necessary that not only Hindus, but also men of other creeds should impartially throw aside any statements, or accounts made in their religious books that do not stand to reason." Here is a religious reformer indeed and at once away go the Lilavati, "the light loves carved in the temple stones." He says "I should like to deal with the Ramayana, and reserve it for another occasion." To this we may look forward with pleasure