Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/628



‘You should take an honest course, and follow the track of your fathers and grandfathers; it would not be wrong to pursue that track.’ Vidyasagar continued,—‘Now, what is the meaning of this? If you would take an honest course, why then should you go to follow the track of your forefathers? The simple meaning is, that unless the two ways are indicated at the same time, the screw of your party becomes slack. Manu was afraid that if he indicated only the honest course and let it alone, the members of his party might quit his side, and pursue the honest course of other nations. It was this fear, that led him to bestow his best thoughts on the subject and indicate two ways at the same time.’

Panchanan Tarkaratna very humbly and politely suggested,—‘My interpretation is quite different. But, under the circumstances, it is not a very difficult thing to give such a signification of the Manu's passage as may be somewhat gratifying to you.’

Vidyasagar.—‘How can you give that signification to it?

Tarkaratna.—In the expression, সতাং মার্গং there might be a clerical error; it might very conveniently be read সত্যমার্গং; and then, the meaning would be,—‘To follow the track of forefathers is the true course for virtuous people.’