Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/1003

 VII. ] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. — 957 thousands of years old, would have to be born anew, as a child of to-day, losing the benefit of the rich heritage transmitted by our forefathers through the ages of the past. But has the Raja’s mission failed in its attempt to lead our society to a realisation of the truth that symbols are not to be mistaken for realities and that the deity is not to be confounded with them? Every J right thinking man must emphatically say ‘no’ to this enquiry. The enlightened Hindu youth of the present day has reverted to the Vedanta Philo- sophy ; and the movements of the revivalists, though often displaying ridiculous niceties in their meta- physical interpretations, have constantly aimed at taking a rational and sensible view of matters. The modern Hindu is not the Hindu of the old school. In the general awakening of the intellect and in the widening of the search after spiritual truth which followed Raja Rama Mohana Roy’s advent, the Hindus have not neglected to make their position secure by studying the Castras in a new light; it has been a point of their constant efforts to interpret rationally what a great number of people of the preceding generations did blindly. The Raja has therefore been directly instru- mental in helping the cause of monotheism by founding the Brahmo Samaja, and indirectly by giving a stimulus to Hindu Society, which 11) 105 anxiety to defend itself against the Rationalists, soon came forward to propound myths about the gods in accordance with monthiestic principles, for which, however, it had ample authority in its scrip- tures, Like all great men the Raja came to minis- The suc- cess of the Raja’s mission,