Page:An Essay On Hinduism.pdf/46



HAVE advocated that the phenomena should be first analysed so as to separate the like from the unlike. It is impracticable to enter here into a complete analysis of a civilization into its most elementary or ultimate factors. We should confine our attention here to only such factors as may help us to study "religions" and express their relation to the social organization, Something has already been done by the Hindus in this direction, and their analysis deserves to be stated here, as in the first place it should help us to understand the Hindu civilization, and secondly, part of their classification should be of value to a general social science and to a scientific study of religions. The various factors which are put together in the occidental conception of religion have been distinguished and their mutual relationship has already been established. There is no word in Sanskrit which now causes so much trouble as the word "religion" does in English. The various concepts above referred to are

(1) Dharma, or Duty.

(2) Märga (sādhana), Path by which the desired good result (sādhya) like heaven, absorption into Brahma, nirvana or Godhood or Buddhahood can be attained. Rh