Page:An Essay On Hinduism.pdf/47

 (3) "Mata" means the doctrine, specially regarding the nature of God.

(4) Sampradāya means the following of a teacher or of a school of teachers, the membership of which enables a man to seek God or the other desired bliss.

(5) Sadhya is the object to be attained, like heaven, absorption in the Brahma, etc.

The terms given above are but a small portion of the large number of terms which exist in the science. The various ideas of the Hindus in this subject have been reduced to one single system, but a unity terminology has not yet been attained. I shall try to present the ideas held and the terms used by the orthodox writers with as much consistency as possible.

I have already stated that the word “religion” is translated by Hindus by the word "dharma," and also that it is a bad translation, as the ideas conveyed to the mind of a Hindu by the word "dharma" are yet different from those conveyed to the European mind by the word "religion." In order to convey a correct idea of the Hindu theological and moral system it would be better for me to give first of all the Hindu theory of dharma. It is as follows:—

To all things animate or inanimate, dharma (qualities) has been assigned at the original creation. For example, the dharma of gold is yellow colour and brightness; the dharma of stone is weight, etc. ; the dharma of tiger is ferocity and eating other animals; the dharma of a deer is nimbleness. When they speak of Mānava-dharma, they mean both "dharma of man" and "dharma for man"; that is, they either mean human characteristics or qualities, or qualities and conduct proper for man, which are, in their