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 ‫הספריה הלאומית‬
SC 46 C 820
Lectures on Hindu religion, phil
Chakravarti, K.

C.1

2872250-10
 LECTURES
ON

Hindu Religian,
Philosophy and Yuga.
BY
ra Polo
shet
K. CHAKRAVARTI, YOGA-SASTRI ,
SECRETARY , CALCUTTA YOGA SOMAJ
AND

BENGAL ACADEMY OF LITERATURE .

" "Truth,
than which no greater blessing can
man receive or God bestow ."
Plutarch.

u k i s
R
0
‫ברסיטאי‬1‫י‬1‫ נ‬992
‫האו‬
‫דיעונ'ס‬
‫י‬

PRINTED BY U. C. SHOME :

THE NEW BRITANNIA PRESS,

78 , AMHERST STREET, CALCUTTA.
1883 .
 -

4820
ЭН 94. -
 This Yolume of LECTURES
ON

HINDU RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY AND YOGA

INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO

MAHARAJ KUMAR BENOY KRISHNA DEV BAHADUR ,

THE PATRON OF THE YOGA SOMAJ,

AS A MARK OF

ADMIRATION FOR HIS MANY INESTIMABLE QUALITIES

AND OF

GRATITUDE FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT

GIVEN BY HIM

TO THE SOMAJ.

CALCUTTA :
K. CHAKRAVARTI ,
The 15th. October, 1893. }
 CONTENTS .

PAGE .

I. Spirit Worship of Ancient India I 22

II . Patanjal Yoga Philosophy .. 23- 48

III. Early Tantras of the Hindus ... 49- 66
The Religious Aspects of the Tantras 67–78
The Medical Aspects of the Tantras 79-91
IV. Some Thoughts on the Gita 91-113

V. Raj Yoga 113-136

VI . Chandi ... 137--146
...

VII. Tatwas : what they may be 146--158

2
 PREFACE.

The author of the following lectures is well known

to the public, and this fact renders any introduction
from the Publisher unnecessary . He began efforts
as an author when he was only in the First Year Class
of the Calcutta Presidency College. Commencing in
1873 he wrote a series of interesting novels in the
Vernacular, which earned for him the reputation of
being “ one of the best writers of the day. In 1886
he had a vision, which was followed by a calamity which
induced him to study the question of life after death.
He studied Hindu religion, philosophy, psychology
and yoga with great diligence, and founded a society
which was called " the Calcutta Psycho-religious
Society” -a name which has subsequently been changed
to " Sri Chaitanya Yoga Sadhan Somaj .” The following
lectures are the result of his studies, and were delivered
from time to time at the meetings of the Society, and
were printed in the leading journals of the day, name
ly, the Statesman , the Indian Mirror, the Indian
Public Opinion, the Theosophist &c, -a fact which
speaks for the interesting character of the lectures.
Those who have studied Hindu philosophy, psychology
and yoga, know how dry the subjects are , yet the
author has, by the gift of his imagination and the clear
understanding of his subjects, moulded his lectures
and clothed them in a way which is at once artistic
and pleasing. The lectures are published with the
consent of the author for the benefit of the Yoga
Somaj.

PRAMATHA NATH MOOKERJEE,

ASST. SECRETARY, BAGBAZAR HARI-SAVA.
Publisher
 LECTURE-1 .
SPIRIT-WORSHIP OF ANCIENT INDIA FROM THE EARLI .
EST VEDIC AGE TO THE AGE OF THE TANTRAS.

(Read at the general meeting of the Calcutta Psycho -Religious Society

on the 29th March 1889).

It has devolved on me, as Secretary of the " Calcutta

Psycho-Religious Society,” to deliver a lecture at one of
their general meetings during the current year on any subject
that may tend to advance the cause of the society generally,
and be useful to it in particular. To choose such a subject is
by no means an easy matter. I have thought of divers themes,
but one appears to me suitable to the present stage of
the institution, and that is an attempt to trace the various
phases of Spirit-worship in India from the earliest Vedic
age to the age of the Tantras, or the age in which
spiritualism, almost as understood at present, was sedu
lously cultivated -an age in which the lamp of Hindoo intel
lect burnt with supernatural lustre. The task, though self
imposed, is by no means a light one, especially as no competent
writer took it up before me ; and as the materials to be worked
upon, lie so wildly scattered all about, that the idea of raising
a superstructure out of them is fraught with misgivings. My
position appears to me like that of a solitary traveller, standing
in moonlight in the midst of a vast ruin, and wishing to build
a hamlet out of the grand and dilapidated edifices around him.
The earliest religious books of the Hindus are the four
Vedas. They are considered by them to be the words uttered
by the Creator Himself, and are in their estimation as sacred
and infallible as the Koran or the Bible is in the estimation
of the Mahomedans or the Christians. The Vedas are also
called Srutis, because long before they were collected, arranged
and written down into books, they had passed through memory
 ( 2 )

from generation to generation like the Iliad of Homer. The

worships, enjoined in the Vedas, comprise the worship of one
Supreme Being, and the worship of the presiding deities or
spirits of the five elements, Fire being the most prominent
of all , of Indrá , the ruler of heaven, and Jámá, the spirit
of destruction . The Bráhmá of the Vedas is described to
be
" Satyam bijnanandam Bráhmá,”
i.'e., He who is truth, who is purest intelligence and
happiness. I translate the three words satyam , bijnanam ,
and anandam as truth, purest intelligence, and happiness ;
but they, by no means adequately convey the meaning of the
three terms in question ; for instance, the word satyam , though
literally means truth, yet it carries the idea of everlastingness.
Similarly the word bijnanam means not merely purest intelli
gence, but intelligence as distinguished from matter, convey
ing at the same time the idea of chaitanya', or animation in
the abstract ; and anandam is unalloyed happiness, based on
all that is of love-holy, grand, and beautiful.
Thus it will be seen, that the idea of the existence of se
parate spirits, besides the Highest and the Purest, was not
only entertained, but worshipped, which used to be done among
other ways in yags. Very many of the yag's were used to be
performed from selfish motives - such as the Ashánaidhá for
securing dominions in heaven , the Syana for conquering
enemies, &c. Besides the spirits above alluded to, we find
later on in the Ayurvedá (the ancient Hindu system of
medicine), which is a part of the Athárvavedá, allusions to
diseases which were ascribed to the influence of good or evil
spirits. These diseases, although included under the heading
of " insanity," have been nevertheless treated separately as
" Bhoretik Unmad ," or spiritual insanity. While the most in
curable forms of insanity have their remedies, these have been
left to prayers and incense as the only curative agents. A de
tailed list of these disorders with their specific symptoms will,

S
 ( 3 )

no doubt, be interesting to many at this distant time. It is

as follows:
( 1 ) Asurāvasa ', or pos
session by Asuras Constant sweating, indomitable cour
age, dislike for every thing holy,
insatiable appetite, and inclina
tion for doing evil.
(2) Gandharvabasa', or
possession by Gun
dhurvas ... Cheerful heart, love for music, sweet
smell and garlands, and walking
on river banks. Love for cleanly :
habits and occasional laughing
and dancing
(3 ). Jakshavasá', or pos
session by Jakshas ... Intensely red eyes, inclination for

wearing red clothes, gravity of

manner, hurried walking, little
disposed to talk, and ever readi
ness at all times to give bless
ings.
(4) Pitravasa' or posses
sion by Pitripurushas... Fondness for walking by the river
side or going to rivers with the
object of offering funeral cakes
to the spirits of diseaseď ances
tors.

( 5) Devavasa ', or posses

sion by Devatas Fondness for clean habits and gar-,
lands of flowers, gladness of heart,
conversation in chaste and classic
language, full of devotion, and al
ways disposed to bless.
(6) Rakshasvasha ', or

possession by Rakshas... Inordinate fondness for Alesh , blood

 ( 4 )

and intoxicating liquors, desti

tute of shame, unusually power
ful, very passionate, disposed to
be unclean , and to walk at night.
(7) Pisachvasa ' or pos
session by Pishachs ... Slender body, stern appearance,

greedy, fond of secluded places,

body emitting offensive odour, and
disposed to cry at times.
From the above it is also evident, that the existence of spi
rits, whether they were of dead men or they belonged to other
orders, at present only known to us by names, was seriously
believed by the scientific men of the time ; and it was believed
also that under peculiar circumstances, the character and the
general mode of life of an individual could be materially alter
ed for good or evil by a spirit.
Of God Himself as immaterial spirit*—an abstract Being,
the Hindus had, and till have, the clearest conception. The
ancients, while acknowledging Him to be such, distinctly state
that it is necessary for the purpose of devotion and worship,
to contemplate Him in some shape or other, who is the source
of life, who is without an equal , indivisible, and immaterial.
Thus : --
Chinmayasyá-dityasyá niskalasya sharirină,
Upasakanam karyrthaw Brahmanairupa kalpanam.
It was immaterial to the ancients in what shape a devotee
is to conceive the Creator in his mind. He may contemplate
Him as a ray of light, or ascribe to him a human shape with
ultra -human qualities ; in a word, in the way in which he him
self is best satisfied. I think our ancestors were judiciously
right in this respect. True it is, that the human mind alone is
capable of realising an abstract truth , such as (a + b) 2 = a? +
2ab + b2 , but to contemplate an abstract being - an abstract
* Every spirit except the highest is considered by the Hindoos to be material to a certain
extent.
 ( 5 )

existence, is infinitely more difficult than to contemplate an

abstract quantity or quality, of which some shadow of analogy
we have here for the basis of our contemplation. The diffi
culty does not stop here. For a man who requires to commune
with his Maker, who wishes to pour out his full heart to Him ,
who wants His protecting power in various ways and under
various circumstances, an imaginary corporeality in place of a
pure negation a vacuum -a name, is necessary to fix his mind ,
to call the best feelings of his heart into play, to raise his soul
from all that is earthy to all that is etherial. Moreover, the:
human mind, privileged though it is to soar so high as the foot
of theThrone of the Almighty, is nevertheless, hy its very nature,
incapble of grasping the awful depths of infinity : and when
we hear men and nations worship God as an immaterial spirit,
we really believe that they do so with some idea of
corporeality.
The way in which the Hindus of the Vedic times used to
inyoke God or an inferior spirit, is both unique and admirable,
for we see in it distinct traces of profound thought, clear
understanding of the subject, wise discovery of means, and
systematic arrangement of methods to attain the wished for
object. The whole is known by one happy term, called Yoga' or
union , from the Sanskrit verb yoja, to unite. It is the ardent
desire of one mind to be united to another either temporarily,
or permanently for the sake of union itself -- an union self
surrendering and absolute, known by the term Nrivana '. Various
are the forms of Yogas, inculcated to suit various dispositions
and to attain various objects, but they all have to pass through
six stages, called Asan, Pranayam , Pratyhar, Dhāranā, Dhyan,
and Samadhi, i. e., ( 1 ) a certain method of sitting; (2) a certain
method of drawing breath and letting it out; (3) a control over
the senses to produce abstraction ; (4) acquirement of the power
to hold one idea in the mind for the purposes of contemplation ;
(5) meditation profound and abstract which brings its object
fully and undisturbedly before the mind ; (6) absolute forgetful
 1

( 6 )

ness of self and surroundings to produce complete absorption

of one mind in another. +
According to some authorities, the stages to be passed are
eight in number, but as the two additional stages, named
Yama' and Niyama', refer more to the rules of living than to
actual processes, I have thonght it best to leave them out.
The time of the year chosen for the first commencement of
Yoga' is the spring season, i. e ., the months of February, March
and April, after which the Yoga' is to be postponed till autumn,
and then recommenced in the next spring, till the young
devotee is able to hold breath for aJamardha', or such a length
of time as about an hour and a half. In treatises on Yoga',
the rules of living, as also the articles of food to be taken and
abandoned, are cautiously and judiciously laid down ; and the 1

whole thing is so beautifully arranged that one cannot help

thinking that the ancients not only understood well their sub
ject, but also the relations of external nature with ourselves
and the vital principle of life.
In the narration of the virtues of some of the Yogas, Maha
mudră for instance, we find it distinctly asserted that a
person practising it, is able to overcome fever, spleen, dys
pepsia, and even phthisis, and one practising Tataka' is
sure to get immunity from diseases of the eye, and is able to
preserve a clear eye-sight for life . It is stated in praise of
Kapalavati Yoga, of which there are three sorts, that those
† (1) A devotee is required first to learn how he should sit for Yoga. This entails some sort
of physical exercise, which gives him at the outset a oonrtol over his body and all its parts.
(2) The breath is to be slowly drawn by the left nostril, and kept in the lungs for a certain
length of time and then to be let out gradually by the right nostril.
(3) The second process, when fairly learnt, will enable the devotee to exercise a strong
restraint over his senses, which will help him to realize more vividly the object he has in mind.
(4) By the fourth process he is able to acquire the power of holding the object of his worship
in his mind for contemplation .
(5) When the mind is able to hold its object for some length of time, the devotee is able by
this process to realize it undisturbed by self and surroundings.
(6) When the mind is brought to the fifth stage, it remains to be united to the Deity or A
spiritma stage known to be the highest effort of finite mind, namely absorption , pure and
eomplete in its object.
 ( 7 )

who practise it, need scarcely suffer froin diseases arising

from cold, and can arrest old age.
From the time of the Vedas I now come down to another
period, namely, the age of Durshana' or philosophy. It was
the age of contention, fierce and fiery, between six different
schools of philosophers, known by the names of Sankhya', Pa
tanjal, Vedanta', Byshashika', Nyaya', and Mimamsa '. Of
these the first and the last do not acknowledge the creative
and controlling power of God ; the four intermediates do.
The venerable Kapilá, the author of the Sankhyá philosophy,
was of opinion -an opinion shared by all the subsequent
schools of philosophers-that the highest aim of man should
be to free himself from pains, which, according to him , are
of three descriptions, namely, ( 1 ) those arising from our own
infirmities and unwisdom, such as diseases ; (2 ) those arising
from our relations with other animals, such as a thief or a
tiger ; (3) those arising from our relation with external nature,
such as a cyclone, an earthquake or an evil spirit. To free
one's self from all these three sorts of pains entirely and abso
lutely, one is required to cultivate knowledge, practise yogá
and to cut himself thoroughly and well from all wishes for
enjoyments. According to his theory, the combination of
Prakriti and Purushá, i. e . of Nature or the passive mate
rial cause with the active or spiritual cause is the creation .
The Patanjal school agree in the main with the doctrine of
the Sankhyá school, with this difference that they acknowledge
the creative and controlling power of the Deity, The Nyaya
and the Byshasiká school while they join issue with the Patan
jal school, in regard to the existence and power of the Deity,
differ from the Patanjal school in regard to the number of
Podarthos or categories which they put down at sixteen and
seven respectively, such as substance, quality, action , iden
tity, variety, relation, and annihilation. The Byshasiks
further hold that every organic or inorganic object is composed
of its own special atoms. The Vedantá school attribute every
 ( 8 )

thing to God , who is only real , and all that we see, hear,
feel or perceive are Mayā or illusion. The word illusion is
hardly a significant term to convey the exact sense of socomplex
a term as Mayā. Mayā is illusion so far as it leads a mind to
conceive an object to be its own , which is not really its own.
It is in this sense they hold that all things of this earth, nay
of this universe, are transitory, and God alone is everlasting.
The Mimamsa school ascribe the creation to the combination
of clements, and when the combination falls away, destruction
ensues. They ascribe intelligence and life also to the combi
nation of elements, as alcohol is the result of sugar-water when
exposed to a certain extent to the sun.
Of the six schools of philosophers and their doctrines , very
briefly enumerated above, the Shankhyá school requires special
attention ; for Maharshi Kapilá was the only seer who spoke
with some definiteness about nature and soul.
He says
Totsannidhana dadhishtatritam Monibat.
i. e., as the loadstone does not by any action of its will attract
the iron, the Prakriti or the passive material cause ( matter )
is attracted to the spiritual or the intelligent, and the result is
the creation .
He further states
Sabhaba -chestita monivishandhanat Vritabat.
i. e . as the best servant does not from any motive of self
enjoyment engage himself in his master's work, so the Prakriti
without any motive of its own, i. e ., naturally, is anxious for
creation .
With regard to soul, he says
Mata Pitrijam Sthulam Prayashaitaranna íotha.
i. e ., the active or spiritual cause ( the soul ) sprang before
the creation. It is not born of mother and father .
Purbath potastath Karjatham Vogadaikosya Naitarashya
It is the soul, he says, that suffers pain or pleasure, and
not the heavy body, for we see the corpse does not.
 ( 9 )

According to him, the soul requires a subtle body ( which

is the architype of the grosser body ) as a receptacle. This
subtle body cannot be like Anu ( atomic ), for then it would
have been almost immaterial, which is not the case. It is small,
but at the same time parichanná (detached) , for it has action .
While the idea of God, he says, cannot be logically arrived
at, he believes when he says as in the line below
Doibadi Provedá.
Such orders of spirits as Brahmā, Prajapattyá , Gondharbyá,
Jakshá, Rakshd, Pishachá or the spirits mentioned in the
Vedas. According to him
(2) Sahi sarbabit Sarbakartá .
2. e. the Prakritilina spirit of one creation becomes the
creator of another.
In his opinion,
Bhabonopachoya Chudhyasa Sarbam Prakritibat. i. e .,
a Purusa can be sinless by ( I ) Bhabana (meditation ), and then
he acquires all the wealth of Prakriti, i. e., acquires the
creative, preservative, and destructive powers of Prakriti.
Of the way to Mukti or absorption, he says,
Jnanatmukti.
i. e. , true knowledge is mukti or absolute freedom from
pains.
A clear resumé of what is stated above, would be that,
although the idea of God, as creator, cannot be logically arrived
at, for he says, Abhiman, or vanity, which pre-supposses crea
tion cannot be logically ascribable to a perfect God, he believes
that both matter and spirit are eternal ; and as the former is
always anxious for creation , an union with the latter is crea
tion. He, therefore, acknowledges Brahma, Hari and Hará of
the Vedas, and other spirits, such as Gandharbyá, Jakshá ,
Pishachá, & c. Man, in his opinion, is an embodied spirit,
which has a sukshma or subtle body exactly like the gosser
one , but very small in dimension. The grosser body is born
of woman , but the spirit is eternal , existing before creation.
2
 ( 10 )

The spirit suffers and enjoys so long as it is mixed up with

Prakriti or matter ; and grosser the matter is, the heavier
are the sufferings of the former. To free one's self from pains
in this world as well as in the world to come, one should
cultivate true knowledge, Jnanat mukti. Yet he says elsewhere,
and he was, indeed, the first man who said so clearly, and
learnedly that if there had been no such thing as pain or
Dukshá in this world , all. questions of science would never
have been asked by man— " Abam hi Shastrabishva ná
jigashyata Jadi Dukshamnama Jogotinashyat”. The pains lead
the way to knowledge, and knowledgc destroys pains ; for
in so far as a man understands his own self, i. e ., his own spirit,
he tries, and frees himself from the bondage of prakriti or
matter. It is then instead of being controlled by nature, he
controls nature, i. e ., he aquires the creative, preservative, and
destructive powers ; and in his opinion the spirit of one
creation can be the creative and controlling spirit of another.
I shall revert to this last statement of Maharshi Kapila in a
separate paper, as it supports a theory of mine which cannot
be discussed in an off-hand way.
From the age of Durshana, I now come to the age of
Purans --an age resembling the geological age of our earth ,
known by the name of Tertiery epoch - an age of somewhat
peaceful settlement after a period of contentions and up
heavals on all questions of theology, polity, and domestic
laws. It was an age from which the existing rules and orders
of the Hindoo society could be primarily traced. It was the
dawn of religious history and of polite literature of the
Hindus. All the glories and successes of this age are almost,
due to one mighty - one gigantic mind, the mind of Maharshi
Vyasá, the renowned author of the Mahabharatá, the Gitá
and Purans. The Purans are eighteen in number, and
they individually and collectively treat of five topics, namely,
( I ) the creation , (2) the destruction of worlds, ( 3 ) the renovation
of worlds, (4) the geneology of gods and heroes, ( 5 ) the
 ( 1 )

reigns of the Manus and their descendants, and all matters

ritual and spiritual.
Maharshi Vyasa appears to have found that (a) the vague
and indefinite idea of the Deity, propounded by the
school men, something like the "scientific frontier" of the
present day, though cognizable, as is presumed, by bright
intellect, was utterly unsuited to the mass of men and
women composing society ; -- that (6; man finite and erring,
yet a spiritual being, requires the aid of some spirt of high
heaven to lead him up to God ;-- that (c) the worship of such
a spirit in form (Akar) as one's protecting spirit was necessary
to deter him from vice and to dispose him to be good and
pious. He accordingly introduced spirit-worship for the mass.
The Devatas, or the high spirits of the Purans, are clssified
into three principal groups, namely, the Adi-devatas, the Kurma
devatas, and thePryajana- devatas, i. e ., Ist the three primary
emanations of the Deity (the Trinity of the Hindn religion )
representing the three powers, creative, preservative and des
tructive ; and the spirits of men who by their Karma or
work in this world have attained celestial powers, such
as Indrá, and 3rdly Pryajana -devatas, or those who have
been created to carry out some special purposes or rather to
meet certain urgent emergencies, such as Kali, Chandi, & c.
The term Devata must not be confounded with Pará Bramhá
or the Deity. A Devata of the Hindoos resembles an Arch
angel of the Christians of a Farista of the Mahomedans, and
literally means one who leads us to the abode of bliss. The
question now is, are the worshippers of Devatas losers by such
worship ? By no means. The narrow-minded religious bigots
would tell you that they are, but such is not the case. A Ram
Prosad could see his Kali, and talk to her in the same way as
one would talk to a friend. He drew all his inspirations from
her, and wrote as an inspired writer. He wrote songs—such
tender, sublime, and celestial songs that they would last as long
as the Bengali language and literature would last. I remem
 ( 12 )

ber once to have read in Fenelon that when a man of so-called

virtue derides a brother man for his errors, he does it not from
a sense of virtue, but from the imperfections of that virtue
which he tries to show so conspicuously. When similarly a 1

man of intelligence and faith sees another concentrating all

his heart's love and his illimitable faith on an idol whom
he earnestly believes to be the creator of our immense
solar system and of millions more, would he dare think that
his soul would go to purgatory or hell for his ignorant worship
or the worship he has been brought up to observe ? Certainly
not, for not an atom of our goodness, our so -called sorrows, our
faith, our love, is ever lost or goes unrequitted ; for our God
is illimitable love and is the God of our heart, and not of our
intellect. The ignorant worshipper even by his blind faith can
attain godly powers and attributes in this earth, which the
pampered priests and preachers cannot conceive. Irrespective
of the ineffable delight which permanently dwells in the heart
of a faithful worshipper, he sees things which many cannot see ;
he hears words which many cannot hear ; he alleviates human
pains which are deemed to be beyond all powers of alleviation ;
he sheds a bright, happy, and peaceful influence over all with
whom he comes in contact. If these attributes and powers
which he acquires, be all shadows, we cannot conceive what else
could there be godly for finite man in this world ! Imagine for
a moment what a battle a poor man has to fight on earth.
There are the inherent temptations of flesh , the temptations
of riches and power, the temptations of society and friends,
each of which is a formidable enemy in its own way, and the
greater is the power of each as each has a sophistry and a
mask by which to delude its victim ; and imagine at the same
time the difficulties on his part to fix his faith on a Being who
transcends all reason and imagination amidst anomalies of
earthly circumstances, occurring constantly to mislead him into
paths of tangled meshes. Is it not necessary, under the circum
stance, to yield one's self to the protection of some good and
 ( 13 )

and high spirit, to be upborne by his kindly help ? Suppose

a man has to mount a very high place by a ladder. Is it not
safe and more cheering for him to find one holding it at the
bottom, and another with a kindly face descending from above
with an outstretched arm to take him up ? Your ladder of faith
is held firmly by your Guru (teacher) on earth , encouraging you
to go up and on, and the angel from above with a sweet assur
ing face buoying up your spirit. True it is that the life -histo
ries of certain individuals furnish us with instances of men
who, without initiation or instruction of any kind, and simply
by the dint of their own strong heart and unbounded faith ,
rose unhampered and unchecked by the deterring voices of
friends and relations, like one in a solitary wilderness, who,
driven by inordinate thirst and appetite, climbs a lofty tree
for fruits which in ordinary circumstances of life he could never
have dreamt to do. But such instances are rarevery few and
far between, to serve as a guide for ordinary men . Maharshi
Vyasa must have had such reasons, and more cogent ones than
I can presume to conceive, in his mind, when he introduced
spirit-worship in India. He was also the first who definitely
gave the idea of heaven and hell. He classified the former
into seven , lokas or regions, and the latter into twenty-eight.
According to him , the lokas are as follows :
" The Bhur -loka, the earth ; Bhuvar- loka, the space between
the earth and the sun, the region of Munis, &c. ; Sara -loka,
the heaven of Indra, between the sun and the polar star ;
Mahar -loka, the abode of Saints ; the Jana - loka, the abode of
Bramha's sons ; Tapa -loka where the deities called Vairagis
reside ; lastly, the Satyaloka , the loka of truth, -the abode of
Bramhá.
The Purans furnish us also with the presiding deities of the
seven lokas which are as follow :
Bhur-loka Fire.
Bhurvar - loka Air.
Sara - loka Sun.
 ( 14 )

Mahar -loka Additya Basu, Ashinf, &c.

Jana -loka Prajapati.
Tapa-loka Manu, Sanat Kumar.
Satya - loka Bramhá

Besides the seven lokas mentioned above, it is asserted

that the fixed stars beyond the sun are also lokas, where dwell
the spirits of those who are qualified by their works to fill those
happy regions. The moral qualification necessary for the
sojourn in these spheres are
( a ) Truthfulness.
(6) Candour.
(c) Kindness.
(d) Largeness of heart.
( e) Forgiving spirit.
(f) Subjugation of anger.
(9) Patience in sufferings.
(h) Purity of character.
(i) Brightness from tapa or meditation worship, &c.
In the American edition of Surja Shidhantá - an astrono
mical work of great repute in India, I find a star named by
him as Bramhá Hridya (the heart of Bramhá ). Its position ,
as put down in the work, is
60 deg 29 min. 27 deg. 53 min. N
The american editor has indentified it with Capella .
The question which a Hindoo is tempted to ask is,-is it
the abode of Bramhá, the centre of the universe ?
I now come to the last head of my discourse, namely, the
age of Tantras. The age of the Vedas was the age of divine
revelations. The Vedas were supposed by some to be co -exist
ent with Bramhā. The age of Darshana was the age of Tatya
or the age of enquiry as to the " real nature of the human soul, ”
which was considered to be “ as one and the same with divine
spirit, animating the universe : " the philosophical etymology
of the word signifying as much, namely, tada, that divine Being,
and tang, thou , i. e., “ the very God art thou .” In the Poura
nik age the seeds of spirit worship were sown broadcast all
over the land , which bore fruits in the age of Tantras. The
 ( 15 )

last was the age of spiritualism-a word to be understood

almost in thesense in which it is known at present in the West';
for the elements comprising modern Spiritualism were not only
understood and investigated , but were carried to a degree of
success. We find in the Tantras directions for forming circles,
for invoking high and low spirits, for automatic writings, and
showing spirit -forms, &c. , in mirror, and also directions for
fascinating and hypnotising individuals. These all used to be
done in a manner peculiar to India. The great object of the
followers of Tantras was to simplify all kinds of knowledge
acquired in the preceding ages, whether it belonged to the
dominion of speculative philosophy, religion, science, polity,
domestic rules or occultism .
From the description of subjects given above, it will appear
that Spiritualism was only a part of the entire Tantras. The
authors of Tantras were of opinion that the customs, laws,
and even religious rites of a country should be modified to suit
the different states of society at different times , and they
accordingly, without rejecting all those of the preceding ages,
built a system of their own calling it Tantras from a Sanakrit
word which literally means to weave. No doubt, the warps
and wcofs woven by the Tantriks are even in decay, such as
would command admiration for originality, boldness, and inge
nuity, and had it not been for the idleness, ignorance, and un
scrupulousness of the generality of the followers, much that
is of use, for instance, in chemistry and medicine, would have
been preserved. In a land where early marriage burdens a man
with a family in youth, where the climate is so enervating that
mere tranquility is a labour, where religious knowledge and its
cultivation are confined to some classes of men , an easy road
is often sought to earn a livelihood. Accordingly we find men
who, under the cloak of Tantı ik rites, swindle people right and
left, and practise such abominable deeds as a man of honour
would shudder to think.
The number of original Tantras is sixty -four.
 ( 16 )

The principal object of Tantrik worship is the attainment

of superhuman power through the medium of the spirits, and
also the attainment of all wished - for objects through their help.
The higher aspect of the Tantras is identically the same as that
of the Vedas and Purans, namely, the union with a spirit by
meditation, with this difference, that the Yoga and Yagas of
preceeding ages were considered unsuited and alınost beyond
the capacity of the men of their times, and that the necesscey
objects could be attained by the easier process of japa and
meditation .
The main features of the Tantrik worship are the same as
the Pouranik worship, namely, to sit according to a prescribed
method, isolating one's self within a circle to be drawn by water
and thereby cut himself from all impurities and influences of
surrounding evil spirits, if any, and then to invoke and offer
fresh - blown flowers, incense &c. , to his Devta, or to do the
same in mind without the necessity of holy water, fire, flowers
incense, and to absorb one's self byjapa and meditation. The
second process is said to be superior to the first, which is for
the beginners, and the third the best of all.
The Tantriks place much value on Satachakrá, or six
circles in the human body. He is said to be the best
worshipper who has succeeded in cutting the six circles ;
for the real union, cannot, it is said, take place until
a man's soul rises gradually above the influences of the five
circles to reach the sixth. The six circles have been mentioned
in detail in the Mahanirvaná Tantra, but the dfficulty, as the
general opinion is, is to understand the hidden meaning of
them. My interpretation of them, after having carefully gone
through their descriptions, was called ingenious by a learned
Sanskrit scholar, but not the true interpretation. He promised
to give me the true interpretation some day, but as the promis
ed interpretation never came. I think, in the absence of any.
thing satisfactory, I may venture to put before you that which
has been said to be plausible. The six circles described are
 ( 17 )

said to situate in the parts of the body mentioned below, begin

ning from the lowest :
1. Hypogastric region.
2. Umbellical >

3. Sternal >

4. Inter Clavicular
5. Frontal
6. Interparietal >

A worshipper is required to conceive in each of the six

places a certain number of dominant good and evil propensities
together with a resident Devata to be worshipped. The number
of good propensities predominate over evil ones, as the higher
circle is reached. The worshipper is to worship with the
metaphorical flowers and incense of good propensities, and to
slay the evil ones at the altar of the Devata . The evil propen
sities or passions are symbolised, such as anger is represented
by a buffalo, covetousness by a sheep, another by a goat, &c. ,
but instead of slaying these passions, we now kill innocent live
goats, buffaloes and sheep for nothing. The real meaning of the
Shastras has been perverted, as I venture to think, in this way.
However, as the devotee goes progressing on, rising one circle
after another, his heart is filled with all that is good and holy ,
till he reaches the sixth, where Bramhá is said to reside-an
union with Him is the ultimate aim of human existence.
Let us now turn our attention to the method of spirit-invo
cation and spirit-worship generally. A spirit-invocation presup
poses a firm and orthodox belief in the existence of spirits,
which according to Hindoo Shastras, are of various orders,
namely, Devatas, Jaginis, Naikas, Jakshas, Gundhurbas,
Aphsaras, Rakhasas, & c. The spirits that were and are
generally invoked and worshipped, are the Devatas, Jaginis,
and Naikas, and Pishachas sometimes.
The system of invocation in all cases is pretty nearly the
same. When a person with the object of attaining a certain
object is led to invoke a spirit, he is to conceive a picture of
her in his mind from the description of her given in the
3
 ( 18 )

Tantras. He is also required to draw such a picture as best

as he can, and put it before, what De Quincey calls, his fleshy
eyes. Then on an auspicious day, at an auspicious hour, on
a river-bank, in a shady grove, underneath a tree or in a tem
ple, or at the confluence of two rivers, he should sit down
and meditate upon the form ideal , and then begin his japa
according to the orthodox method of worship laid down. Some
incense should be burning before him. He should go on re
peating his japa and meditation for a fortnight or a month,
according to prescribed term, and on the last day make a
suitable offering to the Devi, and wait in expectation of her
arrival. On the first night after the prescribed time, he may
see her light ; on the second, she may pass before his eyes
like a phantom as an object of hallucination. If the wor
shipper still persists to call her as usual, it is said that he is
gradually rewarded with her presence - not as a fleeting
phantom but a real tangible form meet his eyes. He
then states his object to her, and asks her blessings which
he gets. Each order of spirit has, and even each spirit has, a
separate offering of her own, such as sandal-water, white or
red flowers, curd of milk, rice, fish or flesh &c., and each has
a special mudrā, a method of intertwining fingers during
worship. These mudras, are inexplicable now, and are classed
under the head of mysticism. They require the labour and
researches of a Reichenbach to make them understood at
present. As the Tantras lay great stress on the use and value
of these mudras, I will attempt to describe some that are of a
special nature :
J. Akarshani or attractive
inudra. Close all the fingers of the left hand
excepting the little finger, and
pray. This will attract the spirit
quickly.
Fascinating mudra ... Stretch all the fingers of the left
hand, and then twine the little
 ( 19 )

finger with the thumb. This

inudra will fascinate the spirit.
Mudra to avoid dangers
at the times of worship. Close all the fingers of the left
hand , and keep the third finger
stretched.
Mudra to attract any... Close all the fingers of the left and
spirit wherever she right hands, and twine the two
may be. little fingers together.
The Mudras form a part of the worship ; and, as stated
before, are considered to be essentially necessary. The utility
of a circle with males and females, i.e., with the necessary
adjustment of positive and negative elements according to
the Bamacharis, was not understood till lately, and was called
a mystic rite like the Mudras as at present. An orthodox
follower of Tantras of the present day will tell you that a
circle is necessary for invocation ;-that the female element
in it is also necessary, but he will not be able to give any ex
planation concerning them whatever, any more than what
he is about, or in the case of automatic writing, when he
puts the palm of his hand on loose earth, and places a parti
cular flower, java- ( of the malvaceæ order) between his
fingers, and keeps looking at it and reciting Mantras from
the Tantras. After a time he feels his arm heavy, and his
body nervous and then his hand moves slowly over the loose
earth, and his forefinger writes, as the pencil of a planchette,
answers to questions asked by others.
The Homá forms a part of the worship in invocation and
purification. In performing Homa one should be careful to
choose the earth on which it is to be performed. The
whitish earth gives success, the reddish landed property,
the greenish riches and other blessings. The black earth
should be entirely avoided.
The following is a brief list of the principal orders of
spirits, mentioned in the Vedas, Purans, and Tantras:
 ( 20 )

1. The Gandharvas These are the fairest specimens of

and Apsaras. spirits known, and are in request
at the courts of devatas for dan
cing, singing and dramatic perfor
mances.

2. The Jakshas These are the masters of buried

treasures and are very black,
and of unsightly shape. They
have long necks, large bellies,
and are clad in white or red
dress.
3. The Danubs and These are of strong make and
Asuras. very powerful, and are useful to
man at the time of fighting, and
in such services as require great
bodily strength.
4. The Joginis and These are the celestial female spirits
Naikas most bright and beautiful, who
in power almost equal the princi
pal Devatas.
5. The Pishachas This class as well as the the third
class proves of great earthly
benefit to those who seek for
their help ; but their contact
debases man to the extreme.
These can tell what happens to
one a hundred miles off, and many
past incidents of a man's life, but
they have no power to forecast
future events.
Of hypnotism, and fascination, as practised by the ancients,
I have but an imperfect knowledge ; but one thing is clear,
that they rest, as all others hitherto described, on two cardinal
qualities of man, namely, concentration of mind and will-power.
These two powers in order to be abiding should have the help
 ( 21 )

of a good moral conduct. The spirit-help varies according to the

nature of objects aimed at as for instance, it would be impious
even to think, that any heavenly spirit would further the cause
of an unscrupulous man, who aims at the ruin of his neighbour,
or who wishes to sow discord in a happy family. Yet there are
spirits, as there are men in our society, who would do all these
and demand the price of their labour, namely, the surrender
of the souls of their employers to their vanity, unscrupulous
ness and debasing appetities while on earth—a price that shall
cost if not an eternity, yet in comparison with the short term
of human life on earth, a time equal to as much of fellowship
with them after death.
“ Yet man, fool man, here buries all his thoughts,
Inters celestial hopes without a sigh.”
On the subject of " spirt-mirror," I have only to say that
it is to me the most interesting of all spiritual phenomena. It
reflects many incidents, past and future, in a man's life, and
requires great psychic power to bring it to success. I refrain
from saying any thing on the subject, as it is under my spe
cial investigation .
The substance of the lecture, gentlemen, will , no doubt,
now convince you that 'Spiritualism' is no new thing in India.
Yet it had, as I have said before, a type of its own. There is
not a subject now known in Europe and America in connection
with Spiritualism which was not known before in India. She
gave to Egypt, Greece, Arabia, and China all the spiritual
wealth they wanted. She had men of gigantic intellect, who
drew their impressions and inspirations direct from Nature,
from courses of events which probably have now ceased to
operate like many a phase of diseases, which have at present
completely died out , and new ones have sprung up in their
places ; and it would be very weak logic to hold that they all
wallowed in darkness, and at the same time built a system of
intelligent worship to cheat themselves-- a system that out
lived many a social and political revolution. There is a com
 ( 22 )

mon saying amongst us “ If you want my help, I would assist

you. If not, I would let you alone.” Well gentlemen, such
!
may be the state of things at present. There might have been
a time in the age of this old world, when men talked to spirits,
and asked their help, as we do now talk to our friends, and
request them to assist us. Yet India of to-day now wants men
of commerce, science, and arts to elevate her materially, as
the West men of spirituality now, that they have attained a
pre-eminence in material prosperity.
Gentlemen, I now beg leave to conclude the subject with
which I have endeavoured to engage your attention this even
ing ; but before I do so, a few words by way of explanation of
my views on it, appears to me to be necessary. Most of you,
gentlemen , have no doubt read and heard much of modern
Spiritualism, and of the phenomena constituting it. It is a
growth of the 19th century-a century of enlightenment and
civilisation, yet is the most derided of all subjects, being
another name for villainy. But amidst public denouncings
and private upbraidings, amidst the general contempt of the
press and the scientists, the magic car moves on. Men in the
first rank of literature. science and philosophy mightly stood
against it, yet men of equal position and calibre found
glimpses of truth to push their epquiries on. The Churchmen
denounced it as " humbug " and "satanism ," and yet the
Churchmen admired the new -born infant, and engaged them
selves in right earnest to foster its growth. The medical men,
who more than all others, hurled their dire anathemas over its
devoted head, were the foremost to elucidate many points of
interest unknown to the public. Thus amidst severe opposition
and some approbation, amidst contumely and regard, amidst
fury and forgiveness, the magic car moves on. The Spiritualists
see the merciful hand of Providence in the movement, which
has gained followers not by hundreds or thousands, but by mil
lions, and the day is not distant when a spiritual Columbus will
explore the hitherto unexplored land, and amidst tears and Tede
 ( 23 )

ums of joy, land his trusty, weak and weather-beaten comrades

to proclaim the glories of the far-off region , now dimly seen by
few , and hoped for and trusted by many.

LECTURE-IT .
AN EXAMINATION OF PATONJAL YOGA PHILOSOPHY.

[ DELIVERED ON THE 6 APRIL 1890. ]

( Inscribed to the Sacred memory of my Father. )

I PURPOSE to examine this evening one of the most inter

esting subjects for study, namely, the Yoga philosophy of
Maharshi Patonjali. There are indeed many treatises on Yoga
philosophy in the Sanskrit language, which are more or less
alike, but the one ascribed to the noble Rishi whose name I
have just mentioned, is universally considered to be the best,
both for a clear exposition of the subject, and for the soundness
of the views based on practical experience of facts, and judicious
study of phenomena, as they presented themselves to a mind
refined by previous study, reflection and religious devotion.
A comparison of the two high minds, the mind of Mahar
shi Kapila and that of Maharshi Patonjali, the founders of
the two most ancient schools of philosophy, will not be unin
teresting at the outset. Kapilá, the founder of the Sankhya
school, was one of the boldest and most original geniuses
ever born. His mind was not merely the mind of a great
philosopher or of a poet, but of a seer, grasping the questions
of life, death and eternity, of human passions, pains and
happiness, with the ease of one who, as if he came down to
the earth with the express purpose of teaching mankind, in
language more terse and epigrammatic than that of Bacon or
Emerson ; yet strange as it would seem, but it neverthless
appears to be a fact, that he was wanting in the idea of God.
Distressed with the divers forms and dimensions of human
pains as the unavoidable condition of life in this world and
 ( 24 )

hereafter, he proposed not to discuss but to teach mankind,

how they could be entirely and absolutely overcome. True
it is, he says, that the pains open the door to all questions of
the science or in other words, knowledge, yet knowledge is
the only weapon to be employed to destroy them. Secular
knowledge, he maintains, can partially remove pains as a
dose of an adequate medicine can relieve a patient ;-a know
ledge of the weather can forewarn an individual from an impen
ding storin ; a strong wall can ward off a thief or a burglar
for sometime ; yet it is only a partial relief, and is no adequate
provision for a hereafter. True knowledge, the knowledge
which gives a man the idea of what he is, i. e . though born
to suffer for a time from Abidya or ignorance, yet as a spiri
tual being, he has a capacity for infinite knowledge and infinite
improvement. Budha, who followed his footprints without
deviation, suddenly lost sight of his master in the very place,
where he soars majestically high and loses himself in a spiri
tual envelope. Kapila, in spite of his shortness of vision in
one respect, i. e., the incompatibility of a perfect God with
idea of creation, is, neverthless, eminently spiritual, while
the ultimatum of Budha's enquiry is Nirvana. The one wren
ches the supreme authority from God and gives it to the spirits,
who are said to be the actual rulers, and who can attain abso
lute happiness called mukti or freedom from the bondage of
Prakriti' ; the other dooms man to an eternal cessatior of
existence.
The mind of Maharshi Patonjali was of another stamp.
It was, as appears from his works, the mind of a great scholar,
a profound thinker and a benign and pious man-calm and
deep as the Pacific “ on whose bosom the image of bright nature
sleeps.” Having usefully and successfully spent his youth in the
study of grammar, literature and science, as appears from his
learned dissertations on Panini and Charaka, he seemed to have
commenced at a somewhat mature age, the study of the Yoga
philosophy, briefly enunciated by his venerable predecessors,
 ( 25 )

Kapila and others, and of nature directly to complete a self

inposed task for himself and posterity-a task as noble as
could be conceived by a high mind , comprising within its
clements the solutions of the great questions of Yoga, which
had been attempted by his predecessors with more or less suc
cess, and are as follow :
(a) Whether life could be prolonged for the attainment of
higher knowledge and devotion to God .
(6) Whether, if life could be prolonged , would it be possible
to keep it free from the attacks of diseases and vices which
retard progress in spiritual work.
(c) Whether mind, which by its attributes, and with the
help of physical powers, distributes, combines, resolves and
transforms matter so as to serve the ordinary purposes and
enjoyments of life could be so developed, as to enable it ( a ) to
exercise those faculties at will in waking moments, which
seem so wondrous at times in a sleeping state, such as fore.
seeing future events and visiting distant places, & c., and
( 6) to exercise in an embodied state the powers exercised by
a discmbodied soul.
It was the endeavour of his high mind and genius from
such analogies as are mentioned above, to discover the laws
by which apparent impossibilities could be made possible,
with the view of extending the dominion of human know
ledge ; and, at the same time, to make the new knowledge sub
servient to the attainment of the principal object of human
life, namely , of approaching God daily more and more with
the humility and reverence of a dutiful son and servant. What
are these laws, how had they becn discovered, and what uses
had they been applied to, are the questions which form the
subject of this lecture. It is not my purpose to give you a
translation of the sutras, but to put prominently before you
those only which answer my purpose. Having thus defined
to you at the threshold the scope of this paper, I feel myself
to a certain extent easy; but considering my own incompe
4
 ( 26 )

tcncy I car only say, that my attempt is to be taken in the

light of a venture and not a promise to do that justice which
the subject deserves.
To understand the Yoga philosophy --to see the grandeur
of the wealth buried therein , it will be necessary (a) to define
clearly what the term Yoga signifies, and (b) to take the fol
lowing propositions as truths for a tiine:
( a ) That here exists a Creator and Supreme Ruler of the
universe who is perfect in all attributes.
( 6) That there exist also spirits who have divine powers as
rulers and controllers of worlds under them.
( C) That there exists such a spirit as stated above in a nas
cent state in man, capable of infinite expansion in knowledge
and powers .
(d ) That matter is under the control of psychic force and
intelligence.
(e) That there exists an intelligent, moral , and psychic
bond between the perfect God and all intelligent orders of
creation , binding all in a uniform sense or law of love and
justice, which becomes more and more perfect, according as
souls are nearer to God, and more and more imperfect, accord
ing to their distance from Him.
( f) That for the existence of this intelligent moral and psy
chic bond, it becomes possible under peculiar circumstance of
distress and devotion , to establish an intelligent communication
between man and God , and man and spirits, however remote
they may appear to be in the light of our present knowledge.
(9) That having established such a bond of communication
and sympathy between one's self and a spirit whom one takes
as his model or standard of individual excellence, it becomes
possible for him , according to his sincerity and diligence
to acquire all the Bibhuties or wealths* of his model.
Let me now, according to my proposal, attempt to define
clearly what Yoga is, which is variously understood by various
I have used this word in the plural number throughout.
 í 27 )

individuals. The term literally means to join or figuratively

" as with God". The Sanskrit lexicon of Professor H. H.
Wilson gives twenty - eight significations of Yoga , yet it is
divisible into two primary classes, Yoga secular and Yoga
spiritual , and comprises divers questions of logic, literature,
science, arts, religion and psychology. The Yoga secular gives
us an insight into the laws of the combination of matter, en
abling us thereby to trace the true relations and causes of phy
sical phenomena, to enquire logically into questions of divers
sciences and arts, to expose tricks and fallacies, so as to arrive
at right conclusions, to pry into the laws of luck, &c. Yoga
spiritual gives us an insight into the mysterious powers of
the human mind, its tendency in a healthy state to release
itself from the bondage of matter, and to join with the Great
Mind of which it is said to be a part, and the means by which
this can be effected . TheRishis, who were the early teachers
of Yoga secular, were Ushuna, Bhrihaspati, Indra, Punarbasu,
Agnibaish. Those, who first taught Yoga spiritual were Brah
mā, Mahashwari, Shivani, Kapila, Janaka, Bashishta, Jagya
balka and Patonjali.
The subject of this paper is to deal with Yoga spiritual and
the subjects connected therewith ; to do which, it will be neces
sary, at first to enumerate the eight principal Bibhuties or
wealths (powers), which it is one of the chief ends of Yoga to
attain. They are as follow :
I. Anima-- Extreme minuteness or invisibility.
2. Laghima-Extreme lightness or incorporeality ..
3. Mohima.— Illimitable bulk.
4. Prapti - Attaining or reaching a thing.
5. Prokamya - Fulfilment of every wish.
6. Bashitya - The power of enchanting, or changing the
course of nature.
7. Ishitya - Dominion over inanimate or animate nature.
8. Kama-bashaytya - The accomplishment of every pro
mise or engagement.
 ( 28 )

Budha cnumerates five Bibhuties or supernatural facul

ties, i.e., excepting the first three of the eight mentioned above
( vide Review of L' Histoire du Budhism Indien . Journal
Asiatic Society, 1845).
To a mind trained exclusively to physical enquiry– to a
mind given up to the acquisition of wealth or to the enjoyments
proceeding therefrom --to a mind, to which the wealth of ima
gination which makes the pocts the interpretors of moral laws,
truth, beauty and harmony are denied, these Bibhuties, are
prima facie absurd and unfit subjects even for enquiry. It
would be indeed as much hard for a person in these days when
the systematic study of Yoga has been stopped for hundreds of
years, to try to convince another of the posibility of the
attainment of the Bibhuties, as it would be for one versed in
Geology to establish from isolated data the existence of an
ocean* in the Himalayas iu primitive days. We have in onr
attempts, as if to grope our way through miles of a subter
raneous passage to get at the vaults and our feeble lights are
laughed at and taunted by the stupendous darkness reigning
therein. Yet we must proceed. To proceed , it will be neces
sary to bring forward certain facts before you which, it is
supposed , suggested to the Rishis the idea and principles of
Yoga. They, as far as could be gleaned from various ways, ..

have been put together and are given below :

(a ) Solar rays when concentrated and brought to a suffi
ciently powerful focus, can melt rocks and minerals. f
(6) Hybernation of certain animals.
(c ) The will-power of a species of snake, known in india
as Raj-sap.
( d ) The very extraordinary Chaturi or cleverness a

Vide Captain Hutton's Geological Report. Journal Asiatic Society, 1841 .

+ Jatha arka rashmi sunjogat arkanto hootashansm,
Abikaroti Nykasun Drishtanta sa tu Jogina.
Nashanti (larıurtta shitay fanina pabanashana,
Kursmascha shaguptaro dristtanta jogino mota.
 ( 29 )

woman acquires when she covertly tastes forbidden plea

sures .

(e) The power of contraction and expansion of bodies by

the snakes.
( f ) The steady, long and ardent watchings of a fowler or
hunter.
To adopt the language of the lawyers, the facts stated in
(a) and ( d) should be read together. The very cxtraordinary
cleverness which a woman acquires when her whole soul is
brought to a focus for the attainment of one ruling object, such
as has been mentioned above-when all obstacics put in her
way arc surmounted as if with a superhuman power -- when
privations of food, drink and sleep are never cared for or even
thought of - when time and distance are no objects of consi
deration --when she can at will transform a fact into a fable
and a fable into a fact, had suggested to the Rishis how much
more a mind can do in another way, when it could be brought
to a focus for the attainment of the highest spiritual object and
aspiration of human life, namely, the wished -for union with
God the source of all Bibhuties. But how small is the active
portion of human life in comparison with the greatness of the
end aimed at ! To prolong existence, experience has taught
them that hybernation or slow respiration is necessary,-a les
son learnt from the fact mentioned in (6). I am indebted to
Pundit Kalibur Vedantabagish's vernacular edition of Patan
jal Durshan for the subjoined table :
Name of Number of respirations Average length
animal. per minute. of life.
Years.

Hare . 38-39 8
Pigeon 36-37 8-9
Monkey 31-32 20-21

Dog 28-29 13-14

Goat 23-24 12-13
Cat 24-25 12-13
 ( 30 )

Nine of Number of respirations Average length

anival. per minute. of life .
Years.

Horse 18-19 48
Man * 12-13 IOO

Elephant II - 12 100

Snake ... 7-8 I 20

Tortoisc 4-5 150

Assuming the table to be tolerably correct, it will show

that thosc animals which respire slowly are the longest lived,
This fact, as well as the one mentioned above, are the ground
work of our ancient Yoga system. The first leading principle
of a subject having been once dicovered and logically and
broadly laid down, the improvements and details are only a
question of time, labour and experience. Thus assuming from
the datum laid down above of the possibility of great expansion
of power, it is not difficult to learn another lesson and then
another, namely, the lesson taught by a fowler or hunter. His
keen and fixed gaze on one object, his solitariness, his
ardent devotion to work, his fixed statue-like posture and his
wonderful patience. Indeed, the injunction for a Yogi, as
laid down in the Shastras teaches us as much. i.e. he is to
select a solitary yet a lovely place, a grotto, where he is to
perform his Yoga ; a place where no unsightly object, no
disturbing sound would break the serenity of his mind, and
then he is to fix his eye upon a particular part of his body or
object to concentrate his thoughts &c.
Turning now to the question of Bibhuti, the raj-snake
teaches us one of the grandeşt lessons ever taught, namely, the
power of will, the will that brings to it its living food without
any other exertion save its own exercise. It will be here inter
esting to describe the method adopted by this species of snake
to get its food when hungry. It, in this state, lies dormant
and motionless and then gives out a long whistling sound,
* 14 to 16 is the present average number,
 ( 31 )

which , as far as it travels, brings with a psychic force sınall

reptiles to its mouth which its swallows. There was a shashan
( injunction) at one time amongst us, and not without some
wisdom that youthful damsels should abstain from food at night,
if they happen to hear the sound of a flute from a distance in
the stillness of night. It inust be bornc in mind that in those
remote days the chances of hearing such a sound at night were
rare, as the people took to their beds within about two hours
after candle-light, and not as now , in these days of theatres and
concerts ; and those who dared to play on a flute at night were
hunted out and reprimanded by the headman of the locality.
I would beg leave here to mention to you an instance of will
power. The story of (Maharshi) George Müller of Bristol , as
personally communicated by him on the 19th January 89
is to me a singular instantce of will -power and efficacy of prayer.
One day, when George Müller was a young man,he saw some
orphans who were almost perishing in fog and snow . He took
pity on them and brought them home to his wife at a time
when he had not sufficient provisions for his own children. He
prayed to God for the orphans, and singularly enongh, got
sufficient provisions as a present that day. Since then he has
been maintaining orphans. His orphanages now, as I have been
given to understand are known all over the world and main
tained at an annual cost of about 4 or 5 lacs of Rupecs, (and to
the glory of God ) all this money comes to him from all sides
unasked.
The next lesson which the fact mentioned in (ei suggested
to carly enquirers, was the idea of the first and the third Bibhu
ties, namely, Anima and Mohima, i. e., the power of contraction
and expansion of one's body at will. Thus, gentlemen, I have
endeavoured to shew to you to a certain extent that our ancient
Yoga system was no fairy structure that rose out of a magi
cian's word in the course of a single night. It was a super
structure wisely and cautiously planned , that took centuries to
be built, in which all the renowned architects of ancient India
 ( 32 )

took a zcalous part , and to which cach contributed his own

quota of skill and experience, and the result is now the vener
able sombrc-looking edifice that repels both the Indian and the
foreigner alike to approach, but within it arc scenes of sylvan
repose, of love, beauty, harmony. and health, of brightness
supreme, and treasures such as look down upon gold and dia
mond as dross. To such scenes then let us repair taking
Maharshi Patonjali us our guide to-night.
The lovely celestial scenes to which we are to be ushcred
by and by, are not the scenes ofthe physical world tangible to
our physical senses, but of the inner world -- a world no less
actual than the physical, cognizable by the intuitive perception
of the all beauteous inind, and giving rise to, under a variety
of circumstances, variety of phenomena that are governed by
their own laws - laws that shew the same superiority over
those of the physical world , as intelligence over matter, sym 1

pathy over attraction, and love over cohesion. To ignore these

phenomena bccause they cannot often be read in the light of
the hitherto discovered physical laws, is to overlook a part of
our own existence, to shut the very door of our improvement,
to divide as it were one's own dearest relation on carth , the
mother, for instance, on the plea that she belongs to the father.
Such indeed appear to be the attempts of the physicists who
deride the most instructive and glorious records of the visions
of the saints, who ridicule the idea of a spirit appearing in its
former habits as an illusion, who laugh at the “ highest grade
of Divine Beatitude" as temporary madness.
It is a known fact that an American Indian can, by the
acuteness of his sense of smell, trace an enemy a long way off,
and “ an Arab by his strong power of observation can tell the
number of approaching horsemen, where a modern Englishman
barely sees a speck on the horizon ”. It is also a well-establish
ed fact that a written or a printed paper put on the epigastric
region ( the seat of Kula Kundalini shakti ) of a mesmerised
person in the clairvoyant stage, can be read out by him correctly,
 ( 33 )

and that under certain circumstances, a man can consciously

or unconsciously project his double which has in a large
number of cases been seen and tested by eminent personages ,
for instance, M. Adolphe D'. Assier, a member of the Bordeaux
Academy of Sciences. These are all facts, and as such they
cannot be gain-said by any amount of adverse criticisms. Were
these facts not investigated in our own time, any positive allu
sions to them in our Yoga shastra would simply have been
laughed at, as some of the processes of Yoga are deemed and
pronounced as meaningless, such , for instance, the process of
fixing the gaze by a Yogi on the spot between the two eye
brows and pressing the crown of his head at the time of per
forming Japa, or putting a sweet-scented Aower thereon. A
glance at the phrenological bust before me, shows that one is
the seat of individuality and the other the seat of veneration.
Thus what are clamoured to be perfectly meaningless, stand
to sufficient reason when read in the light of modern discoveries.
The entire range of edifices is divided according to Maharshi
Patonjali into four sections ; -the first two of which ( the
Samadhi and Sadhan sections ) are called the training grounds
of the young devotees, which are artistically laid with lovely
parterres of the most delicious flowers of all hues. These are
the celestial flowers of Ahingsha, Satya, Astya, Dya, Arjoba,
Kshema, Dhriti, Parimitahar, Showcha and Bramhacharjya .*
The walks between the parterres are formed of precious stones
of all colours and value, known by the general name of worldly
wisdom, and at intervals separate from each other, lovely
groves planted with evergreen trees, where a thousand birds
* Abnegation of all desires to hurt or injure any one .
Truth defined to be that which tends to do universal good .
Abnegation of all wishes to pessess another's property .
Kindness defined to be the performance of duty to all creatures .
It is that state of mind in which it has neither inclination, nor disinclination for
worldly things.
Forgiveness defined to be the act of seeing all created beings with equal eye,
Steadiness in misfortune .
Temperance .
5
 ( 34 )

warble their melodious notes. The groves are ten in number

and are called Topirsya, Suntosh, Astikya, Dan, Ishwarpuja,
Sidhanta, Sravan, Laj-ja, Moti, Japa, and Jajna. f In the centre
stands a lofty dome of elegant form , called the dome of sama
dhi, supported by a hundred columns of marble as white as
alabaster and illuminated by night and day by the silvery rays
of beings of higher orders who are attracted there by sym
pathy for the devotees. Within the dome are to be found
arranged on a single piece of cloth of gold the solid likenesses
of many of these beings formed of crystals, gold, silver, porph
yry , agate, &c. Encircling the dome flows a stream , the waters
of which run nectar and are fed by fount in the fourth section.
This stream is called the stream of Bhukti or the conjoint
stream of faith and love. As you pass these lovely grounds,
you see the devotees, some in parterres, some in walks, some
in groves, and some within the dome. Those on the walks are
conversing sweetly and with brotherly love for one another ;
some are singing deliciously, but they almost all betray in
their walks a certain degree of stiffness, shewing either want of
courage or some unwilingness to tread the precious stones of
worldly wisdom . In course of time they would accustom them
selves, to these walks like those yonder, and tread the ground
with more manly steps and with their heads more divinely erect
than at present. Those in the parterres and in the groves
wear such benign and sweetly resigned looks that can only be

External and internal cleanliness.

Asceticism and purity of character .
Devotion .
Contentment ,
Faith ,
Charity.
This is a complex term . It means that the heart should be kept free from all worldlinessing
the tongue unpolluted by a lie and the body unsullied by any dezire for burt or injury.
read ing or listen ing to readings from religious books ,
Sense of shame .
Sincere desire for performing duties ,
Japa ( taking the name of God . )
Performance of Vedic rites .
 ( 35 )

compared with those of a young wiſe who having sacrificed

all for her husband, looks with bewitching tenderness into the
eyes of her lord, her husband, her all. Their faces are bright
with the consciousness of having sacrificed their all of this
world for the next, ambition, riches, fame, family and pleasures.
Yet how much more happy are those in the dome of Somadhi !
HAPPINESS like wisdom has its countless folds and grades.
To quote a sentiment expressed by one of Bengal's best poets,
men enjoy here the happiness of the sweetest dreams in their
waking hours ; for here they get glimpses of those dear souls
lost to them on earth, of forms of loveliness and grace compared
to which the best likenesses of the loveliest beauties on earth
are but rough sketches ; of hearts more tender in love and
sympathy acute' than the most loving sister, wife or mother.
Let us here pause a while to hear the words of Maharshi
Patonjali in respect to Samadhi and Sadhan. He says :
Jogaschitabriti Niradhá.
Jogá is said to be that state of the mind which is known
by the term Niradha. The questions here are, ist. what is
Niradha, and 2nd. what are the other stages ? To be brief
Niradha is the 5th, or the last stage in which the mind has
no external or internal wants, and is supremely happy. The
other stages are
(a) Khipta.
( ) Murha.
(C) Bi-khipta.
( d ) Akagra..
The first stage is called by the Yogis the insane stage,
wherein the mind is never calm and is continually tossed in
the sea of worldliness. The second is that stage in which the
mind is always clouded by one or more dominant passions, such
as anger, lust, convetousness, vanity, &c. The third stage , is
like the second with occasional lucid intervals. The one can
be fitly compared to continued type of fever, the other to
the remittent type. The fourth is that stage in which the
 ( 36 )

mind is steadily centred on one worthy objcct and does not

lose itself in the whirlpool of business. It is the object of yoga
to calm in the mind in the first stage, and to clear it of world
liness in the second, with the view to attain the fourth and
fifth stages. Yoga does not necessarily mean asceticism - King
Janaka, who was one of the best of yogis, had a
family and a kingdom to look after. With regard to the
second and third stages, it is necessary to state that a
wide generalization of human nature and foibles has shown,
that almost all men have in themselves at least one weak
ness, which opens a door for sins to enter in. The man ,
who is covetous, rarely misses an opportunity or scruples to
take another's property, large or small, if he can coveniently
lay his hand upon it. To him the largeness of his own property
is no consideration whatever, to dissuade him from grasping at
the most trifling thing belonging to another ; but to him probab
ly a lovely woman is no temptation whatever. The same
theory holds good with respect to other passions, anger, lust,
vanity, &c. I remember once to have heard of an eastern
zemindar, who from wounded vanity, i.e., for not having been
offered the first garland in a Sradha Sova to which honour he
thought himself to be entitled, vowed then and there the ruin
of his adversary by a law-suit, and in attempting to do it, he
ruined him as well as himself. Indeed the history of humanity
from the earliest age down to our own time, does not furnish
us with a single instance of a perfect man on one side, and the
most depraved individual without one redeeming quality on
the other, Maharshi Dypayaná Vysá or Fenelon may be
held up as the best types of humanity, but our expectations
regarding them are not all satisfied : while on the other hand,
the wretch* (a Frenchman ) who having commmenced his career
by gambling, gradually sold his principles, his conscience, his
66
Philosophers and Actresses" is the title of a book translated from the Freneb into
English in which the career of this man is depicted. The book was read by me some years ago and
is now lost .
 ( 37 )

religion ; who murdered his wife and sullied his father's good
naine. The father cursed and disinherited him, but what of
that ?) this man had , however, one thing still to sell , i.e.
his country. He entered into a conspiracy, was detected and
thrown into prison, where by his good looks he scduced the dau
ghter of his jailor to whom I think he was ultimately married.
This most depraved of depraved men had yet one redeeming
quality. He loved his daughter sincerely, who, for her match
less beauty, became, if I remember rightly, the queen of her
country. It is the endeavour of Yoga to control these failings.
The means by which, however, the last stage is to be attained
is laid down in the following Sloká.
Sradha Birja smriti somadhipragya purbaka itarasham .
The yogi must have in the beginning a faith or sradha in
the shastras, in his own work, and in himself. This triple faith
at the outset is necessary for self - discipline as well as for
success. The faith infuses birja or strength into the mind of
the devotee, and fills him with ardour to pursue his course.
His recollection or smriti helps him at this stage to compare
notes of what he was and what he is now, and bids him devote
himself more zealously to his subject-- a course which in its
progress cannot fail to prodnce akagrá or abstraction. As the
sámadhi deepens, and as one by one the landmarks of wordli
ness become more and more faint, and its jarring sounds
gradually die away, a new creation with new scenes, new langu
age, new thoughts and aspirations and new delights, dawns
upon the internal eye of the devotee-a new light, soft and
serene, without heat and incomparably brilliant -- the faintest
resemblance of which on earth is the St. Elmos' or the Holy
Light,' that fills the heart of the mariners with joy, safety and
hope after the storm, breaks upon him. But in order to attain
the fifth stage, a yogi must have an assurancc that God exists,
and also that it is possible for him to acquire powers by prayer.
The sacred words of Maharshi Patonjali indeed give us that
assurance in both respects when he says :
 ( 38 )

(a) Tatra Niratishoya sarbagatya bijam .

(Jatpad padma Sharanat aumnimadi Bhibhutya.
Bhabanti bhabanamastu Bhutnath sa Bhutaya.]
The word tatra significs in Him , i. e. , in God, " Niratis
hya; & c.," mean perfection of all knowledge as exists
in the seed. The words are indeed few, but the meaning
is great. Man in this world is said to be great, because he can
command threefold knowledge, i. e. , he can from past experi
ence and records, will the present, and from the past and
present formulate the future. He can do this individually as
well as collectively. No other animal to our knowledge has
power to do it. Instinct may be complete in its own way, and
capable, so to speak, of accreted improvements, but there is a
line which it has not yet crossed , and therefore we say, it cannot
cross. Man knows of no such line. Further, his memory and
reason are not the only exhaustive sources of knowledge. His
moral sense, his innate idea of right and wrong, of love, har
mony and health , is another and a better and holier source of
knowledge. And knowledge is power, and power wealth. If,
for instance, we say, the British nation is at present the most
wealthy nation , we cannot but simultaneously think, that it is
the most powerful and at the same time most intelligent.
Wealth is not the result of power, but is another name of power.
God in whom this three - fold knowledge exists in Niratishya
or perfection (a subject to be discussed afterwards) is logically
the most powerful and most wealthy. His wealth is not simply
natural, but intellectual, moral and physic ; and hence the the
commentator very aptly says, that from sharanum or contempla
tion of His lotus foot, Anima and other wealths flow . It is a
truth of every day experience that an inferior individual par
takes of the virtues of a superior personage when constantly
placed together. A man even if he be wicked enough (abso
lute wickedness is unknown as pointed out above to the
goodness of God), can , by his subsequent faith in God and con
templation of His goodness, partake according to his merits, of
 ( 39 )

His wealths and necessarily His knowledge. The conclusion

thus arrived at, has all the force of facts and philosophy. It
now remains to be proved that God exists ; and that God is the
best knowledge, the best power and the best wealth . The ways
adopted by the ancients to prove a proposition, are according
to Maharshi Patonjoli
“ Protokshya anumana-gama promanoni.”
(a.) Protokshya, i. e., the perception of true knowledge by
the senses.
(6.) Anuman, .i. e., a truth arrived at by the combined
processes of imagination and reason.
(c ) Agam , i. e. , the testimony of truthful persons.
Our physical senses shew to us an infinite number of worlds
more or less alike, governed by suitable laws, displaying to our
mind a wonderful discipline, wonderful power, wonderful intel
ligence, wonderful beauty and wonderful softness and hardness
of heart. This law, power, intelligence, beauty and heart are
conjointly seen and felt by us every moment, and designated by
the term “ God ” or by a happier term “ Ishwara ” as amongst
us. It is a mathematical truth that a straight line is the short
est distance between two given points. In proving God , we
take the aid of this truth, to prove the Truth, namely, that
between our own existenceand attributes collectively, and those
of His, the distance is the shortest ; for it takes no time, no
aid of learning or genius to say that there is a Creator and
Ruler. We care not to ask a Butler or a Huxley to prove or
disprove this fact. The mankind that preceeded, the mankind
that exist, all say at once when asked, that there is a God , and
as all the grand truths in nature are simple, this truth which is
the grandest, is the simplest. Those who disbelieve and those
who proclaim their disbelief to others, are either perverted in
nature or pervertors of truth. We thus know God ( a ) by our
senses (6) by our mind and (c) on the testimony of almost all
mankind past and present.
With regard to the God's attribute that He is the BestKnow
 ( 40 )

ledge, it is the same pcrversion , that led Kapilá, the first of

historic men , to ascribe vanity to creation, or evil to the nature
ofGod has led also others to do the same in other ways. It has
already been said in the opening part of this lecture, that Kapilá
misconstrued His attributes, for it was not vanity, but love, not
matcrialization but cthcrealization of matter that led Him to
create ; and as the ethercalization cannot be effected, except gra
dually from lower to higher evolution , the evils of destruction
and pain are evils apparent to our short sight and short history.
The child that is born of my flesh and blood, of my intelligence
and character, becomes a somewhat different being from what
I am , say somewhat perverted in nature. I who see him in his
present character, and anticipate a worse future, advise, threat
en and chastise to mend him . The rod that I apply occasion
ally with the best of intentions and the best of love is a positive
evil to his short sight and short history of existence ; but I who
havethe duty to mould his future conduct,see therod as a neces.
sary evil that is to bring about happy change hereafter. The
heart that makes the earth yield the sugar, the lily and the rose,
that sends the soft southwind to give us " joy, youth and warm
desire,” cannot,we ask, be the same heart that lets us fall victims
to cholera, lightning and tempest. Yet it is so, and in all such
mighty contradictions, He is the same loving God ; for geology
would shew you at once that the world as it advances in age,
wears a serener and a brighter aspect. The existence of
God and His loving attributes thus discussed, it remains for us
to prove the other propositions which we took for granted at
the outset. Amongst the first of these, stands the existence of
spirit and spirit-control. We have both seen and proved that
there is something in us which is more than matter. Call this by
any name you please ; we use the commonly accepted term
'spirit,' with this comment only, that the Hindus consider that
all spirits except God , are to a certain extent material. Of this
more than gross matter something, has been seen and tested in
various ways, and is a phenomenon as old as man. To ac
 ( 41 )

knowledge it, is simple ; to deny it, is trouble. This something

survives the physical change, called death. All religions tell
you that it exists after death in Hades, Hell or Heaven accord
ing to its deserts ; that gradual progress is its law. The
Hindu philosophy which is a part of the Hindu religion,
adds something more definitely ( I do not know whether any
one else has read our skastras as I have). It says that this
something exists neither for torture in Hell, nor for enjoy
ments in Heaven, but passes through these stages as an appren
tice to qualify itself for higher powers and higher appoint
ments, namely, for creating worlds and controlling them.
The venerable Kapila told this pretty clearly, the Tantras speak
of this covertly, the Surja Shidhanta (a Hindu Astrono
mical work) gives to some stars the names of Rishis, such as
Agusta, the Saptorshi mandle, & Space is infinite - matter
is infinite — the laws of nature are fixed, the principles are
uniform , and it therofore deducts no glory from the Almighty
to say, that the venerable Agusta has created a Loka of his
own and peopled it, any more than when we build cottages,
ships and palaces, control our own family, devise plans for our
own comfort, &c. To say that we shall exist after expiation
as pensioners for enjoyments only, and for no action whatever,
is a theory repugnant, alike to reason and experience.
Suppose a real ghost appears before you, dressed in a suit
of clothes he used to wear when in life on this earth, and
with spectacles and stick also. You ask where could he have
got these things outside our limited area ? Yet you see them,
others also see them . There can , therefore, be no mistake
about them . The answer is that the ghost has created them
for a time from matters less gross, by his then higher powers
of combination and transformation of matter.
With regard to the possibility of establishing a bond of
sympathy and communication between man and spirit, and
man and God , under peculiar circumstances of intensity ofgrief
and devotion , history as well as our individual life furnish us
6
 ( 42 )

with many notable instances. Consolation* comes in exact

words, whether ir dreams or waking hours. Call these
words by any name you please. Call them Adesh, call them
, ' Inspiration', the fact remains a fact. The consolation comes,
the future is laid bare, and new ways are shewn. For any one
to say that he does not believe, because he has no such expe

rience, is not to speak either rationally or logically. There are

happinesses alloted to the poor which the rich cannot possibly
expect to enjoy. There are happinesses allotted to the devotion
al which the undevotional cannot, by any right, hope to attain,
any more than a grammarian to enjoy the delights of a poet's
imagination. To believe, ' the alternative course left for the
individual is either to turn himself devotional or to hear with
respect the statements of the devotional -- the same respect
which the undevotional expect the world to show to him, i.e., to
his words, his theories or his discoveries. Nor is it rational
either for a person, however deeply versed he may be in his
own department of science, to leap out of his stage at times to
ridicule or comment on the statements of others who have
given a considerable portion of their lives and labours to estab
lish for themselves an authority for speaking definitively.
Let us now pass to the description of powers attainable by
yoga - leaving out the process by which they are attainable,
as a mere narration of them is sufficient to form the subject of
another paper. Besides the eight principal Bibhuties men
tioned before, we find other powers attainable by yoga some of
which are given below :
( 1 ) By regulation of breath and concentration of mind on
the epigastric region, a yogi can get a knowledge of the inter
nal organs of the body.
* He who, wearied with the fight with the powers of darkness, asks himself in a solitary place
“ Is it all for nothing ? Shall we indeed be overthrown ? He does find something which justifies
such thoughts. In such a moment of utter sincerity, when a man has bowed his own soul before
the immensities and eternities, a presence in which his own poor personality is shrivelled into
nothingness, arises within him and says as plainly as words can say “ I am with thee and I am
greater than thou ." - Ethics on Religion, by W. K. Clifford , F, R.S.
 ( 43 )

(2) By a similar process and concentration of mind on the

interparietal region, he can see spiritual beings and hold com
munications with them.
(3 ) By a similar process and concentration of mind on
the sternal regions, he can know the thoughts of other men.
(4) By intense and long concentration of mind on the
sun he can get a universal knowledge of things.
(5 ) By a similar concentration on the frontal region he
can perceive a light within him-a light similar to the first
light of day, by the aid of which, nature and her laws are
revealed to him .
“ Tell me Kshetra," once asked my official superior, holding
certain papers in hand, “ whether I am to consider these as
rules or waste papers ?" We ask a similar question here. Tell
us, gentlemen, whether we are to consider these writings as a
systematic attempt to delude mankind with narration of nothing
but myths, or do they contain things substantial, worthy of
our confidence, hope and respect ? So far as we have seen
and discussed, both the principles of yoga and the possibility
of the attainment of certain powers are within the bounds of
facts and philosophy. There are certain still higher powers
which are not merely uncommon , but transcendental , and
are by common consent ascribed and ascribable to God.
We stop here, and are either averse or dare not to add
the words " to the godly also ” after the word God. The
reason is obvious ; we do not see such men often enough to
produce a belief. But the limited experience of one time
should not be the basis for forming and passing a sweeping
judgment over another period. How little does modern Europe
know even of the Human history ? We have recorded evi
dence of scientific value to show that doses of medicines of a
Vedik man were four times as much as those for one of our own
time ; that 4 seers of broth was the light food prescribed for
the weak stomach of a patient ; that 8 totals of ghee ( clarified
butter) was also prescribed as Anupan or adjunct to a medicine ;
 ( 44 )

that men lived in the Sały yoga i.e., before the first grcat
cataclysm , up to 400 years ; and that as every century rolls by,
a diminution of one year takes place in the average longevity
of mankind. Calculating from this hypothesis formed on con
siderable observations by ancient medical men , man's appear
ance on the globe, would be as old as 30,000 years. These are
all astounding statements to be found in the pages of ancient
India " rich with the spoils of time ". Again Kapila, the bold
est of pilosophers and a man hardest to believe a fact, acknow
ledges without a comment the existence of spirits and the pos
sibility of communication with them , because such communi
cations in his time were too common to admit of any precise
mention . Of the second great Bibhuty namely , Laghima or
extreme lightness , we know as a fact in our days that a man ,
while in a sitting posture can by kumbhak or the pactice of
holding breath , rise to the extent of a foot from the ground .
Of the first and the third Bibhuties, i. l., of extreme minute
ness and illimitable bulk , we are inclined to think that they
are possible with those who can project their doubles at will,
instances of which are now not unknown in Europe and Ame
rica. Of the 4th and 5th Bibhuties i. e ., attaining or reaching
a thing and fulfilment of every wish , we believe they depend
chiefly on the will power of an individual . Of the 6th and
7th, namely , the powers of changing the course of nature
and of dominating over animate and inanimate creation ,
human history furnishes us with many remarkable instances.
They are born of extraordinary development of Tej (psychic
force) in man produced by the government of passions and
devotion , which can make or unmake things at will, which
according to Kapila marks out a spiritual from a natural
man, giving him power to control nature instead of being
It isis this
controlled by her. It this Tej which by a word of
mouth heals a sick man, changes a British coin to an
American dollar, transforms small gravels to fine pearls,
turns water to milk , milk to champagne at will. These
 ( 45 )

exhibitions of power or enchantments are lasting or tempo

rary according to the psychic development of the Yogi. I here
beg leave to cite two very remarkable instances of the two des
criptions of power mentioned above-instances that can be
proved at any time by appealing to facts, and to the testimony
of respectable witnesses, Babus J. N. Banerjee and R. N. Bose,
who communicated them to me. The first was the case of a
lady now living, who is the sister-in law of my friend, Babu
J. N. Banerjee. This lady had several issues, every one of
which died a few months after birth. Once at Kalighat there
came a renowned yogi to whom her case was narrated by one
of her relations. He took pity on her and agreed to perform
a Homa for her benefit. After the promised performance of
the ceremony at the temple, he declared that the next issue
would be a male child who alone would live to an old age,
and that her subsequent issues would be short-lived like her
previous offsprings. After the predicted birth of the son,
he came to bless the mother and the child in the confinement
room . He was offered a sum of money which he indignantly
spurned. This son, Babu Rangolal, is now living, and the
fact can be verified at any time, and the other fact also that
the subsequent issues of the lady were short-lived. The next
instance was narrated by Babu R. N. Bose, who went to
Kota at the invitation of the Maharaja of the place. While
at Kota as a guest of the Maharaja, he expressed a wish
to see two yogis near Adhurshila, a place well-known to all
as a holy spot. The Maharaja sent a detachment of a dozen
infantry soldiers, two elephants and a number of sowars, as
the place was infested with man-eaters. Thus equipped, the
gentleman went on the bank of a stream which divided him
from the yogis. He saw one in Samadhi, i.e., dead to
external nature, the other in Dhyan, who could only be roused
by the simultaneous firing of several guns, a course necessary
for getting his permission, as he had two big tigers about
him . The guns were fired, he opened his eyes, looked at the
 ( 46 )

gentleman and by the waving of his hand bade him to retire.

His wish was obeyed. Of the 8th Bibhutee I beg to say that
I do not clearly understand it. I therefore leave it without
a comment. On the subject of other powers mentioned
before, it may be observed that they were all along considered
as totally ridiculous, until lately the mesmeric experiments
made by competent persons in Paris have shewn, that
concentration of mind on the epigastric region or on the
Kulakundalini chakra of the ancients as stated before, can
impart knowledge of many hidden things such as obscure
diseases and their remedies, &c. By parity of reason it would
be simply unphilosophical to denounce the other sources of
knowledge, for instance, by concentration of mind to the in
terparietal region, a person can have perception of unseen
heings. To test, it would be necessatry for one to go on
with the alphabet ofyoga.
The question next is, granting that the attainment of some
of the powers mentioned above, is possible even for family
men who are sincere enough, what possible public benefit is
likely to be effected by their cultivation ? We have now tele
graphic lines to give us information of distant relations with
incredible speed, railways to carry us to distant places, blood
hounds and detectives to find out secret murders and missing
things, scientific instruments and scientific medicines to detect
obscure diseases and to cure them , and have hopes of a still
glorious future. As for communications with unseen beings,
were they to be real , they are not universally considered as
necessary in the present state of our existence. The question
It is as if an attempt is to be
is thus difficult of solution .
made to encounter an adversary with his own weapon and on
his own ground. But we have other ways of proving their
utility than those explained above, except of course in respect
to the command of futurity of which no human science will
ever have any cognizance whatever. It has been said by an
ancient Greek writer with great truth that " it is by means of
 ( 47 )

wealth that virtue becomes a public good,” i.e., wealth is to be

allied to virtue to be of public good. Treasures hidden in
earth or treasures kept in a stingy hand come to no public
benefit. The wealths acquired by yoga are no secret treasures.
The greatest yogis were all philanthropic and public-spirited
sui men . They made no attempt to shut out their treasures froin
public view. Even a Sudra in their days could learn yoga.
They did something more. They allied yoga to religion to
confer many inestimable boons on the public. These boons
are :
ist. Health and longevity.
2nd. Stability of society.
3rd. A tangible knowledge of the unseen to diminish
crimes, and to encourage every individual member of society
to do good to his neighbours.
4th. Development and expansion of psychic powers.
The regulation of diet and the government of passions and
breath required by yoga, are things too universally known to
contribute to health and long life, to demand any fuller expla
nation from me. There are at present in our society no more
miserable intelligent beings than those known by the term
“ Brahman Pundits." These men live in huts that admit sun ,
rain, fog and cold throughout the year. They live on food
which they cannot previously wish for, or anticipate. They
have no fixed income and know not what to-day's sun may
bring them ; then added to these misfortunes they are continu
ally subject to the buffetings of Mill and Huxley-reading men.
Yet these men are, according to the proverb, like crows, never
known to die and keep up good health, and why ? because they
do not in the first place touch unpermitted and undigestible
food, such as mutton , beef and whiskey ; and , in the second
place, they govern their passions and are required to govern
their breath at least during the times of their three prayers in
the course of a day. The stability of a society depends very
much on religion. Individual experience as well as historical
 ! 48 )

facts corroborate the assertion. We have never seen an indivi

dual man, and individual family or an individual nation going
down hopelessly having religion for a support. As a man
cannot live in society without daily being of some use to it,
as a flower cannot bloom without purifying the surrounding
atmosphere, so a pious man cannot perform his acts of piety
without benefitting his family and his neighbours, and purify
ing the atmosphere of his society. Predominance in numbers
of such men, gives strength and stability to society, which
neither science, literature nor philosophy or all combined can
give, as has been repeatedly exemplified in the history of the
French nation. We here beg leave to insert a page from
English history. Such pages can be found in the histories of
other nations, but our space would not allow us more.
“ The Saxon race had become degenerate-- the race which
could boast of Alfred and Athelstan which had produced
heroic kings and sent forth saintly men to bear the Christian
faith into other lands. The best part of the old Saxon
character was wasted away in widespread licentiousness and
debauchery. The people had grown to be sensual and self
indulgent, and riotous revelling was their habit with no better
excuse, than the Danes had taught them to drink deep.
Danish vice became also the Saxon vice, and, worse hundred
fold, a horrid slave trade shows into what deep and cruel
profligacy England at the time was sunk
* * There

was such depravity in England , that though the sensual deaf

in their debauchery and wickedness heard it not, the cry went
up to Heaven for vengeance . The national corruption seemed
to provoke national retribution , and when it came , it was in
fierce and bloody chastisement. * * Yet
they would not rouse themselves ; the wine cup was too sweet,
the couch too soft, " the joys of the ball” the story, the song,
the 'gleebeams' of the harp- these gladdened their days, and
to these, in spite of Danes and St. Dunstan they clung faster
 ( 49 )

and faster. The dream went on, the lethargy became heavier.
At last the stroke came, more terrible in its reality than the
most anxious had imagined. It was not merely a change of
kings or families ; not even an invasion or ordinary conquest ;
it waa a rooting and tearing up, a wild overthrow of all that
»
was established and familiar in England.
The yoga gives to the devotees a tangible knowledge of
the future and unseen as nothing else, not even religion can
give ; and inasmuch as all men have a natural curiosity for
such knowledge, a judicious cultivation of it, is by no means
either unpermitted or improper. On the contrary as such
knowledge becomes a part of our education and more and
general, it acts upon public morality, health and longevity
more and more beneficially.
To return to the main subject, as the yogi advances in
power, his heart is filled with joys. Yet what are these joys
in comparison with those of Kybalya . The world he has ieft
behind. Its landmarks have faded from his sight. The ordi
nary heavens which delight ordinary spirits he has passed.
Better heavens with serener joys and higher spirits, and still
better, dawn upon him. He enjoys the scenes for a while..
He moves on. He moves up ; and as he moves, he loses self.
His own light is merged in infinite light ; his own love in in
finite love. He sees all suns--all space-all laws -all glories
in God, and in ecstasy exclaims “ I and Bramhá are one. ”

LECTURE-III.
ON THE EARLY TANTRAS OF THE HINDUS.

(Read ut the general meeting of the Calcutta Psycho -Religious Society,

on the 30th May, 1890.)
[ Dedicated Babu Narendra Nath Sen as a talen of respect and
gratitude.)
In my address on the spirit-worship of Ancient India I
had occasion to take a superficial and a hasty glance of the
7
 ( 50 )

last cfforts of Hindu genius, namely, the Tantras, Indeed ,

the subject of my discourse then did not require more, and
while my paper on Patanjal Yoga Philosophy was read at a
public meeting, I was requested by the Chairman to dive
decper into the Tantras, and to give to another meeting the
result of my researches in a definite and agreeable shape,
what has hitherto been considered a disjoined mass of matters.
The task thus set on me was not only exceedingly arduous,
but at the same time hazardous ; as there are so many con
flicting opinions in regard to the most important texts and
their ages, and so many interpolations have taken place in
the originals, that one is confounded to know where is the
gold , and where the dross.
In the first place, it is certainly hazardous in the midst of
a general belief to doubt that the Tantras were actually the
words of Shiva, whose humble worshipper I am, or that
the writers of them were all inspired men. A few of them
might have been,-and these were the earlier writers, who
gave their whole soul to their subjects. I have, therefore,
advisedly put the words “ the early Tantras of the Hindus,"
as the subject of this paper : for the writers of the Mahomedan
period and of sometimes later were low, half-educated men,
who imitated the brilliant writers of the earlier time, namely,
between the third and eighth centuries after the Birth of
Christ, and introduced subjects under cloak of religion, which
pampered the appetites of the lowest description of men.
To understand the Tantras it would be necessary to
understand the state of the Hindu society of the time when
they were publicly made known and introduced, without which
the labour and researches of the original authors cannot be
duly appreciated. To attempt to give a short sketch of the
time would certainly be interesting for its own sake ; but in
order to make it interesting, it would be necessary for one
to shut his eyes altogether to the opinions expressed by other
writers on the subject, and to draw his sketch from the im
 ( 51 )
pressions left after a perusal of the Tantras themselves, and
of works written about the same time.
That the age of the Tantras was the age of reformation,
there is hardly a semblance of doubt. But the reforms in
troduced by the Tantriks, must not be judged by the light
and standard of modern civilization. They should be judged
according to the depths and descriptions of abuses they
sought to remove on one side, and the idea of public good ,
that actuated them to set themselves to the task on thc other,
bearing in mind, at the same time, the extensive nature of
work they had to grapple with, ( 1st) in collecting and arrang
ing systematically the wisdoms of by-gone ages ; (2nd) in
purging whatever was considered unattainable and false,
whether in religion , science or politics ; and (3rd) in imparting
into these subjects fresh ideas and experience that appeared
suitable to them. They did all these at a time when they
were most needed, namely, when the Hindu society was
completely unhinged ; when though the purity and complete
ness of the Brahmanical religion triumphed over the imper
fections and one-sidedness of the religion of Buddha, yet the
corrupted rites, the false ideas, and the dogmatic tenets,
which human selfishness begat in course of ages in connec
tion with the former religion , which led men to practise
social abuses and crimes, were evils so common and so
rampant that the victory achieved would not have been worth
the name, and would not have been able to hold on for a
long time, had not the mysterious band of Tantriks which
had a representative in the Court of Magadhá in the person
of Siddhá Nagarjuna, stepped in from their secret abodes in
mountain fastnesscs, and took up the task of reformation in
the ways mentioned above.
To put clearly the whole matter before the public, it would
be necessary for me to take a retrospective view of the ages,
known as the middle ages of India, very probably commenc
ing from the roth to 6th century before the Christian era,
 ( 52 )

and of the period in which the religion of Buddhá triumphed

over the Brahmanical religion, and held sway over the minds
and hearts of the people for more than ten centuries. It is a
fact, known perhaps to all educated Hindus that what was
the task of the entire band of Tantriks at one time, was
exactly the task of Maharshi Vyasa, the myriad-minded
author of Mahabharatá, the Gita and the Purans. The very
rude shock, which Kapilá, the author of Sankhyá Philo
sophy, and Brihaspati, the author of the Charvak or the
Atheistical school, gave to the authority of the Vedas, would
have been quite sufficient to shatter the bonds of Hindu
society at a time, when it was only tending to advance to
wards higher civilization, had not the great author, thinker
and reformer came in opportunely, and acted as a mediator
by explaining to the satisfaction of all parties the apparent
incongruities in beliefs in matters of religion, by inventing
homely, and at the same time, thrilling stories to remind the
kings, the ministers and the warriors of their respective duties ;
to show to the judges the ways to justice ; to teach every
citizen his domestic and social duties, and to point out to the
Jogés the right path to heaven and beatitude. To him almost
entirely is due the stability of the Hindu society, its sacred
laws and rites, and the glories of Hindu civilization. Had he
been less than what he was, the Hindu name would likely
have oeen extinct. The authority of the Vedas, the code of
Manu, the transcendental philosophy of the Vedants of
Gotams and Conad would not all have been able to keep the
tottering mansion from falling, had he not worked systemati
cally, arduously and cordially to maintain the sacredness of
the social and domestic ties which bind a citizen to his relations
at home, and to his neighbours in brotherly love and charity.
To be compelled to state that such ties were breaking at the
time when the Maharshi took up the task of reformation,
would only be acknowledging a fact. The canker of dis
belief had then already entered the flowerstalk of the Hindu
 ( 53 )

society, and commenced its work of destruction. The very

unrestricted liberties with which the females loved and moved ,
the several descriptions of marriage, acknowledged and held
good by society, the habit of drinking sõm rasha for Jags, and
the very delicate notion of gallantry with which the great and
the brave always ministered to every whim of the fair, pro
duced results which can better be imagined than described .
Gently and cautiously by the threats of hell to the wicked ,
by the reward of peace and heaven to the good and the
pious, by the magical influence of his stories, and by whole
some lessons on love, justice, temperance and chastity, the
Maharshi tried to bring order to society ; and in this he
greatly succeeded ; but the adder of selfishness lay only
half-stunned. It gathered strength as time passed, till it rose
to high vigour and mad fury. The innocent Pashakrira
led to furious gamblings. The amours of heroes furnished
precedents for licentiousness. The poets and minstrels fanned
flames of universal love, and sang the deeds of gallantry -- of
fair princes and brave kings—of dimpled maids and hand
some heroes-of brilliant Soyambhorast and gay tournaments.
The worship of Shaktif or power gave license to the slaugh
ter of animals for food. The accumulation of gold gave a
taste for refined luxuries. The judges winced on their benches
at crimes. The priests were degraded. Added to these,
the slaughter of animals increased so fearfully, that the
preachings of Gotamà Buddha's doctrine of universal kind
ness, rang as a celestial music, the message of peace, good
will and love. The kings gradually favoured the new reli
gion. The people saw in it the hand of Providence. By its
† The public choice of a husband by a princess or a girl from a number of suitors asssmbled
for the purpose .
The female deities, such as Kali, & c .
§ Nisha -sasanka Kshata Nila Rajya
Kachit bichitram Jala- jantra mandiram
Moni prako Sarasam sa chandanam .
Again
Priya mukha clasa bikampita mudbu .
 ( 54 )

influence, so runs the story, the robbers turned themselves to

good citizens. Thus the religion of Buddha held a sway of
more than ten centuries in many parts of India, and the tide
of Brahmanical religion ebbed considerably away. Then
slowly came a reaction. The rage of kindness was carried to
such extremes that no business could be done at night, lest
the burning of lamps would attract flies, and that men would
not move in day -light without a duster attached to their
wearing cloth, dusting the road as they passed. Moreover,
after the novelty and fascination of the new reiigion had pass
ed , the people saw in it the much- thrashed wisdoms of
Kapila, white -washed , coloured and passed for new. It had
not the every -day charm, the sublimity and wholesomeness
of the Mahavaratá, not to speak of the Vedantá Philosophy
or of the Gita. At this juncture, there came to public esti
mation and public admiration a human prodigy in the person
of a boy of 17 or 18 years of age, who, before that age, had
not only finished his high education , in grammar, rhetoric,
philosophy, the Vedas and Upanishads, but was himself
known as an author of some writings of profound scholar
ship, such as had staggered the most learned men of the time.
This boy, Shankaracharjya left home for Digbijoyll or victo
rious campaigns with the venerable Pundits and Buddhistic
priests at the Courts ef several kings. He went from Court
to Court, and travelled over a large part of India amidst
considerable dangers to life, to point to the kings the incom
pleteness and imperfections of Buddha's religion. He argued
with the best Buddhistic missionaries, and routed them. The
tide of royal favour turned. Shankaracharjya was almost
deified, but he had still enough to do. He wrote commentaries
on Vedantà ; and before the age of thirty- two, this distinguished
author, this charming poet, this voluminous commentator and
the victorious hero of the niost renowned intellectual battles,
finished his earthly career. Brahmanism triumphed again all
| Udyanacharja and another were also in the field .
 ( 55 )

over India. The Buddhists were expelled with the exception of

a few sectsT which still hold a modified form of Buddha's reli
gion. With the Brahmanism the old habits gradually returned.
The wine-cup was considered too sweet, the fair face too
strong, the meat, the Pasakriras and moonlight songs too de
licious to be given up. The people fell once more. They were
falling from the time when the novelty and fascination of
the new religion had passed. The Brahmanical religion
served as a mask for the self to assert its powers. The ethics
of bye-gone ages were sold at a considerable discount, and
souls were bartered cheaply and freely. So indeed were the
people addicted to self, that the Tantriks had to give them
at first what they wanted . They gave them the wine- cup.
They gave them the woman. They gave them the indulgence
of meat and moonlight songs, and they gave them at the same
time wisdom and religion. How these apparent incongruities
were reconciled would, indeed, be a curious page to read .
There is an English proverb, which says, "despise no
condition of life lest it happens to be your own.” What is
truth in individual life, is truth also in the life of a nation ,
which has its ups and downs, its health and diseases, its
growth and decay. The metaphorical battle between the
Deity and the devil in the sublime epic of Milton is an every
day fact in the history of an individual life as well as in the
history of a nation, and as sure as the sun shall light the
heavens to- morrow, so sure is the ultimate victory of religion
over selfishness. Man may ever fight hard to substitute self
or science for God , but the shadow will never pass for subs
tance. He is only a creature of yesterday with an impene
trable mystery hanging before, and an impenetrable mystery
haying behind. His vaunted theories in relation to nature
based on small and imperfect gleanings from her untold pages,
the nine- tenths of which relate to the earth, which is but a
drop in the universai sea of worlds, can hardly warrant him to
Jayna Sects.
 ( 56 )

be the dictator of the universe, where he has been in due

season brought in to live, Icarn and enjoy, with no better
prospects here for the future species than to be ruled by the
superior beings of the next geological epoch, now " hidden
in thc Majesty of nature," as the opossums, the hogs and
horses, the once lords of the Oolitic era, and of the Miocene
period of the Tertiary age are ruled by him. His cavillings
about the conception of the glorious Majesty of the Author
of the Universe, remind us of the story of some blind men's
dispute about the size and conception of an elephant in which
each individual tried, by the force of blows, to convince
another, that he was no larger and no broader than the part
which each one had singly and separately felt by the touch of
his hand. His imagination that faculty for which he is so
proud , is so limited, that he can never conceive anything
beyond the existing orders of things. Instead of, therefore,
falling in humble adoration for the truths vouchsafed to him,
his uncontrolable vanity raises him superior to his Maker, or
induces him to banish Him from the Universe. Well have
the Rishis of old said that there is no greater enemy of man
than his own vanity. The pre-Tantrik age of India may well
serve a lesson to the India of the day.
Unlike the scientists of the day who separate religion from
science, these Tantriks sought nature to understand religion.
Instead of, therefore, being elated with an undue notion of
self-worth by any happy discovery of truth in the arena of
nature, they sought to glorify God for such discovery. Indeed,
so self-surrendering were they, that they ascribed to their
and my God, Shiva, all their discoveries in the departments of
medicine, animal magnetism, psychology and general know
ledge of things. Nor were their discoveries inconsiderable,
considering the age in which they lived. They were the first
who taught us the use of several minerals and metals in
medicine, and the means and methods by which they are to
be sublimated. They discovered the medicinal properties of
 ( 57 )

a large number of non -officinal plants, and taught us the

combination of various drugs for the purpose of medicine.
They taught us the existence of a subtle force in man, known
at present by the term ' animal-magnetism ', with which he
can charge another, and be charged. They taught us that
by this force, he can attract or repel another , and be attracted
or repelled himself. They taught us that by this mysterious
force, one can work an immense amount of good or an
immense amount of evil* on another. They taught us also
the uses of this force for the various purposes of life. They
taught us in a way that satisfied them of the existence of the
soul, which cannot be destroyed by any known earthly agents
of destruction. They taught us also of the existence of
several orders of etherial beings, mentioned in the Vedas and
Puranas, and the means by which they can be communicated
with. They did more. They contributed to the existing
stock of knowledge many interesting informations on things
to add to the curiosity and comforts of life.
Who were these Tantriks ? What were the general
features of their religious belief ? What reforms did they in
troduce , and what useful discoveries they make , are the
subjects of my present address . It is my endeavour to touch
on all these points to the best of my ability, from inform
ations available to me. As things stand at present, many
important Tantras are missing. Many are in a mutilated
state , and many are disgraced by the interpolations of later
writers, who, as occasion required , passed off their own
writings as texts to carry out their selfish views and purposes .
In the Sunkerdigbijoy we find, distinct allusion to these
Tantrikst whe were partially represented as Kapaliks. Who
are the Kapaliks ? The Kapaliks, as defined by the late
Professor H. H. Wilson, are the worshippers of Shiva of the
left -hand order, characterized by carrying a half of the skull
* Maran , Uchatan , Stambhun , & c.
† Athatrina Kurigrani prosthai Kapalika Bijatany ,

8
 ( 58 )

as a cup for drinking spirituous liquors. Properly speaking,

the Tantriks are the worshippers of Sakti or Power. They
are also called Kouliks for their devotion to Nature. To
represent their idea of creation, let us conceive a geometrical
figure, such as an Epicycloid. Now an Epicycloid is a curve,
generated by a point in the circumference, which rolls about
the circumference of another. Let DB be the generating
circle, rolling round the circle AD. Divide half of DB into
any number of equal parts, and the quadrant DC of the large
circle AD into the same number of equal parts. Through
these points as K, M, N , O, and C , draw radial lines from the
centre A. From A with AB describe a semi-circle BC.
From the points where the radial lines cut this, describe a
series of circles equal to the generating one. Well, then, the
point A in the great circle of creation AD, is the Om of the
Vedas, the creative will of the Almighty, which supposes the
Hindu Trinity, the spirits of creation, preservation and
destruction, the three in one, and the one in three, as the
'
morning, the noon and the night following one another in
successive order, and no one can be said to be either the
cause or the effect of the others. Apropos to the divine
command, the Tantriks say let DB be the generating circle,
rolling round the circle of creation AD. What is the
generating circle here ? It is the Mohamya, the dual cause
of the universe, the spiritſ and the matter , the man and
woman, the subjective and objective causes. T How sublimely
and beautifully this subject is described in the Chandi of
Markandyá, when Samadhi, a Vyasa, who, when he was
robbed by his wife and sons, and driven from his house, asked
Maidha why, after all that had happened, his heart still
fondly yearned to see their faces ? The sage replied it was
Mohamya ? Who was Mohamya ? asked Samadhi. How
* Ja-devi Surbabhutasu Chaitanytabhi dhiatnai.
§ Bisritam Sritirapatam sthitirupachapalanay.
|| Tayiba dharjatai Surbum Tayitat Srijatay jagat.
[ Pakritastancha Surbashya Gunatray Bhibhabini.
 ( 59 )

came she to exist, and for what purposes ? The sage replied
when in the beginning, the Great God, Vishnu, was absorbed
in Yaga -nidra, or in his creative will and Bramha, the creative
principle as also the matter had already sprung ; there sprang
from the matter two mighty Ushuras, Madhu and Kytaba,
evidently water and fire, who waged war for 5,000 years** - a
period geologically not extravagant. The Bramha prayed
to the almighty Will, and from the Will sprang the divine
effulgence - the Mohamya. Well did the sage put into the
mouth of the Brahma the following exquisitett lines, which
express Her to a certain extent, for how could she be
properly described by any human language ? It will be seen
that the generating circle is composed of two-halves, re
presenting, we may say here, the spiritual and material sides.
The material side is divided inro two parts, showing the
divers phenomena of life and nature. To make the subject
still plainer, let me here quote some lines.of a western writer,
William Halcombe, M. D. He says : - " Binary causes lie
at the bottom of all things. The sun and moon cast their
light upon us, the rain falls, and the waves roll, the spheres
preserve their rotundity, and persevere in their motions, all
are the result of underlying dual forces. Every human being
man or woman, is like the Lord Himself, in a certain sense
bi-sexual , having both masculine and feminine qualities,
which are to be blended or equilibriated in a spiritual marriage,
which is regeneration. This spiritual duality of each individual
is represented in the physical duality of the human body.
It is composed of two similar halves, united at the meridian
line, which are positive and negative, or male and female in
relation to each other. The entire brain, the nervous system
with their wonderful appendages of muscles and bones, are
Again.
Tang Baishtabi Saktirapanta birjya Bishashya Bijam Paramashi maya .
** Panchabarsha Shahasrani Bahu Pasharana Bibhu.
# Tang Shaha tang Sodha Tang he Bashatkara Sarantika .
Sudhatya Muksharaynita tridhamatra trialatinka, & c.
 ( 60 )

peculiarly alike on both sides of the body. We have two

eyes, two hands two fect, two breasts, and when there is
apparently one organ as the nose or mouth, it is composed
of two halves, peculiarly alike and accurately adjusted or
married to each other. There are other marriages also in
the body, between organ and organ, between function and
function, between nervous fluid and the blood, &c. The
crowning act of divine glory was the production of two
bodies, that is, the natural body and the spiritual body ."
Again
" Divine love is feniinine, the Divine wisdom, the masculine
principle in the Divine nature. They are inseparable, co
existent, co -animating, co-operating. They are the positive
and negative poles of the infinite magnet. They exist, and
are perpetuated by the action and re-action upon each other.
The activity of love is goodness ; the form of wisdom is truth.
Divine goodness and Divine truth are the sexes of God,
yearning for each other with infinite attraction , united
together in divine marriage. Their reciprocal action is the
cause of all life and love and light ” in one word “Mahamaya ."
I have endeavoured to explain the term as fully as I can,
because it is the key to the Tantras, and yet it is not generally
understood by all.
Tø return to the main subject, the early Trantriks, as
said before, were a mysterious band of human beings, who
lived mostly in mountain fastnesses. They were much in
advance of their time, both in learning and thought, and
carried their worship, experiments and researches, unobserved
and undisturbed by vulgar curiosity and vulgar interference.
They would rarely come to society, Their secluded habits,
their mysterious forms of worship led men to distrust them
and to look on them with awe. But the time, however,
came when they took upon themselves the task of reforma
tion. What the reforms were, will be the subject of other
papers. In the present address, it will be necessary at the
 ( 61 )

threshold to try to explain a mystery, which has hitherto been

considered as such, and which is nevertheless the principal
feature and element of Tantrik worship, namely, the mystic
power of certain letters of the alphabet, and of their com
binations, called Bijes. The power of certain letters pro
ceeds, as I understand, from the supposition that God as
well as the etherial beings are Burnorupá, i.e., they are to be
understood by means of certain letters, or a combination of
letters, which would produce a certain idea of the attributes
of the being worshipped or invoked, to establish a bond
between the worshipper and the worshipped. The argument,
as it is, should be based on the supposition that there exist
such beings as are mentioned above, and any manifestations
proceeding therefrom , if such manifestations be of a nature
sufficiently strong for the presumption of higher agency than
the self of the worshipper, they should not be classed as
simpie phenomena of the mind. Let us illustrate this point
by an actual phenomenon of a dream. An intelligent, educated
person once saw the form of a woman in a dream , who, he
knew resembled no body he was acquainted with. Under
the circumstance, naturally enough he asked in sleep who
she might be. She simply smiled as if to evade an answer,
and took her seat quietly by his side, and opened an almanac
to show by the signs of the Zodiac that from such to such
a time he (the sleeper) would be in many troubles, and then
from such a time, he would be engaged in certain pursuits,
which would bring him certain distinctions. The sleeper
awoke, and, in course of time, finds that the prophesy of
the phantom was literally too true. Under the circumstances,
it will be very hard for the individual to ignore the indivi
duality of an unknown being, distinct from his own self in
the very strange phenomenon of his dream .
In his article on " the Analysis of language” published
in the 'Open Court' on January 2nd, 1890. Professor Max
Muller writes : - " now let me tell you, first of all , that this
 ( 62 )

chemical analysis of words is by no means a new invention .

It was perfomed for the first time more than 2,000 years ago
by the grammarians of India. They reduced the whole of
their abounding language to about 1,705 roots. Given these
roots, they professed to be able to account for every word
in Sanskrit, and to a certain extent, they achieved it. Con
sidering the time when that experiment was carried out, it
strikes us as perfectly marvellous. Still, we have made
advance over Pannini, and Mr. Edgren has reduced the
number of necessary roots to 816 afterwards to 630, and at
last to 587. With these roots he thinks that the great bulk
of the Sanskrit vocabulary can be accounted for.” In the
Hindu Shastras, or more particularly in the Tantras,
although there are descriptions of many and various orders
of beings for worship and invocation, they are represented
by a few combinations of letters, called Bijes or seeds. They
are so called, because it is possible to derive from them
the four aims * of life, namely, virtue, wealth, fulfilment of
wishes and salvation. The Bijes represent the names and
orders of invisible beings, which convey the idea of certain
mysterious charms or powers inherent in them . That ordi
narily scme names have charms no body will deny. What
feeling of the tenderest and holiest nature are not awakened
in us by the term mother. What a number of agreeable
associations do not delight us when we use the term 'vernal.
But the mysterious charms or powers of Tantric Bijes are not
to be understood in the sense indicated above. They are
supposed to exert an influence over the life and character of
an individual, when he is solicitous to awaken that influence,
and hence is the popular belief that when a person is attended
with misfortunes after misfortunes, he is advised by his friends
to get himself dikhita or initiated by a proper Guru or instruc
tor. Granting here, for he sake of argument, that the Bijes
have the powers mentioned above, the question naturally
* Dharma, Artha, Kam , and Maksha.
 ( 63 )

arises, whence are the powers ? The answer is mind.

notorious frct that scepticism begets nothing but sterility,
while faith , which , though at times, gives birth to many a rank
vegetation, called superstitions, is far better than absolute
sterility. Age, study, experience and good associations may
clear the superstitions away, and make the land cheerful to
its possessor and passers-by, while scepticism presents nothing
but a dreary aspect of an arid waste, unapprochable owing
to the hot glare of ceaseless egotism. The faith has its action
on the mind, and mind is the power in man. Under the vivi
fying influence of faith, the powers of the mind are not only
nourished and strengthened each day ; and according to the
nature of the man of faith , the circumstance of his life and
the department of his enquiry, they give birth at times to
extraordinary mental images and ideas-extraordinary we
call them, and extraordinary they shall always be considered ,
in the absence of a written history of such phenomenal
images and ideas of imaginative thinkers from the birth of
civilization, arranged, classified and indexed, such as we have
of the remarkable incidents in the life - histories of kings,
ministers, statesmen, &c. These images and ideas open new
relations, and establish new connections between the visible
man of faith and the invisible orders of being in the same
way as nature speaks intelligibly to those devoted to her, and
opens new relations, and establishes new connections between
them and the organic and inorganic worlds.
The saying “ think of the devil, and he will appear" is no
less true than think of an angel, and he is near you, which
means, think of the angel's attributes deeply, sincerely and
lovingly, and you cannot but have a perception of the being.
His attributes will converge themselves to an image - an
image the glory and brightness of which will startle even
yourself— an image that shall leadyou step by step to better
and happier states. The images themselves may be illusions,
though we are assured in the Tantras that they are not, and
 ( 64 )

in time capable of being developed into tangible shapes ; but

the term 'illusion' supposes the existence of something, whose
form and character it temporarily assumes, though in itself it
may be unreal. Let us take a physical phenomenon, perhe
lion or mock sun, for example, of which there are some very
beautiful plates in No. 1 , Journal, Asiatic Society for 1854.
This astronomical phenomenon is caused by great cold, and
depends upon miuute crystals of aerially-suspended ice for
their prismatic colours, in other words, it is the reflection of
the sun in the aerially-suspended icy particles. The mental
images, so far as their mentality is concerned, appear to be
of the character of the physical phenomenon adduced before.
I think, I can go so far with the scientists, but there are
collateral attendant circumstances which prevent me from
endorsing their opinion that they are wholly baseless. There
is a ceremony amongst us, called the ceremony of home,
which, if rightly performed , the worshipper can, to a certain
extent converse intelligently with the invisible, and interpret
from visible signs the approaching incidents of life and the
fulfilment of the object aimed at. There are physical cir
cumstances attendant on this ceremony over which the mind
of the worshipper can have no control whatever, and which ,
in adverse cases, he would certainly avoid or hold in abeyance
if he could, but being uncontrollable, they are ascribed to
the invisible. Yet the worship, the ceremony itself is built
on faith . Remove this faith , and the worshipper like the
pseudo-prophet in the Persian tale, who, when his magic box
was burnt down , was no longer able to make aerial flights at
will, and was subject to the same law of gravitation as any
ordinary individual . Love a woman fondly and devotedly ,
and you will see new charms in her every day. Lose faith in
your own love, and she is nothing to you. The physician ,
who after years of practice, says that in matters of cure, the
medicines are nothing-- that human constitution is every
thing, has lost his faith in his practice and in himself, and
 ( 65 )

should be the last person to be sent for in cases of serious

complaints. Thus, faith is the basis of success not in religion
only, but in all departments of knowledge. It is said in the
Bhagbat, and very aptly, that faith steps in where knowledge
fails to go, and thus the sublimest passages in the scriptures
of the Hindus, Mahomedans or Christians are due to those
unaccountable moments of inspiration , which have their
basis' on faith . Knowledge has been represented in that
precious work as a male, and faith as a female. Knowledge
is often hesitating, distrustful, sombre and heavy. Faith is
ever -confident and confiding, light and cheerful. To leave
religion alone with knowiedge, is to leave her to distraction.
I have mentioned to you the probable age of the early
Tantras which can be better judged from the style of writings
and use of expressions than from any thing else in the
absence of any certain data. Some of the Tantras, however,
appear to be of so later date that their thoughts and language
are more Bengali than Sanskrit -a circumstance which in
clines me to think that they were composed much later than
the poems of Bidyapati and Jnanadas. I have mentioned
to you also who the early Tantriks were, how they lived,
and managed to carry on their study and researches. I have
mentioned to you at the same time that they existed before
the Buddhistic era, but their opinions and tenets were not
generally accepted by the society till after the great religious
revolution . Their religious views were rever antagonistic
to those expressed in the Vedas and Puranas, but they intro
duced a freshness and simplicity of their own , which com
mended themselves to the minds of the people at once.
Unfortunately, however, their intentions have been so grossly
misrepresented in our days that the very name of Tantra
sometimes shocks our nerves ; yet the two-thirds of our reli
gious rites are Tantrik, and almost one half of our medicines
is Tantrik. Are we then justified to decry the Tantras,
simply because some bad men do at timee distort their mean
 ( 66 )

ings or translate into actions various practices of objectionable

nature mentioned therein , to serve their own base purposes ?
Science is bound to deal with every kind of fact. There
cannot be any thing indelicate, objectionable or harmful in
science. Mentions have no doubt been often made of such
performances as Maran, Stambhun, Uchaton , * &c. Are we,
therefore, to conclude that the Tantriks are to perform them
to the injury of their neighbours ? Mention is now -a -days
made of painless death by electricity, and it has been said to
be scientifically possible ; it, therefore, does not follow that one
should kill another for that, any more than a chemist to
poison a man or even an animal because poisons are always
There are many indelicate passages in the
within his reach .
Tantras, but their indelicacies cease altogether when we look
on them in the light of science. Tantra is science, Tantra is
religion. The two have been blended together for reasons
mentioned before. The Tantras are not unique in this
respect. The Hindu Astronomy, Geometry, Algebra, Medi
cine, Laws, have all been connected in some way with
religion .
I have now one more point to touch in the preliminary
portion of this address, namely, the origin or the Tantras.
It would be hazarding a conjecture, were I to tell you that
they originated in Kamrup. I have looked into one or two
Kamrup Tantras, and from the similarity of subjects and
from bolder and ampler deliniations of matters, I am inclined
to hold that opinion . Who has not amongst the Hindus
here present, heard of the powers of facination , often practised
by young Kamrup witches in years gone by, on unwary
travellers, and made them forget their homes, wives and
children for them ? Who has not heard of wonderful tales of
black arts, practised by Kamrup men ? And as the shrine at
Kamrup is the oldest on record , it is not improbable that

* The processes by which one from a distance can kill or turn another mad, & c.
 -
( 67 )

they originated there, and gradually spread over the castern

portion of India .
The preliminary questions in regard to the Tantras;
having been discussed, I shall, in my next paper, endeavour
to examine the religious and medical aspects of the books.
An examination of the medical aspect is attended with diffi
culties ; as it would be, in the first instance necessary to pre
pare a comparative statement of plants , metals and minerals
which were used in the Vedic and Tantric ages. Such a
statement when prepared will no doubt be useful as well as
interesting
The Religious aspects of the Tantras.
I will first of all describe wherein consists the newness of
Tantrik worship .
It has been already shewn in my paper on the “ Spirit
Worship of Ancient India ”, that in the Pouranik age the
seeds of spirit worship were sown broadcast all over the
country, which bore fruits in the age of the Tantras. In the
Pouranik age, images of spirits prepared , coloured , dressed
and adorned, were lovingly worshipped. In course of time
such worships did not satisfy altogether the cravings of the
hearts of the worshippers . A love so materially directed ,
hoped for a material response. Accordingly the worshipper
hoped that the image should speak to him, and console him
in his distress. Such a wish, or such an expectation , was no
doubt a step in advance towards spirituality. But the image
was image, however fondly made, coloured, dressed and
adorned. Was it possible that dead matter would feel and
speak ? The worshipper hoped so. Did he not impart to
the image a spiritual body and mind before worship ? Yes,
he did according to his faith . Mayhaps, he magnetised it
with his own magnetism, and thus what appears to be an
impossibility to another, was not so to him. Then he would
* The Ceremony of Pranprothista.
 ( 68 )

sit alone for hours looking fondly and ardently at the bright
face of the image, his soul concentrated in it. At such moments
of religious frenzy, of utter sincerity, of love and faith, quite
Asiatic in their intensity, it was no wonder that he would
see another image more glorious - celestial in its composi
tion, stand between him and the clay, and speak to him as
a soul would speak to a soul. Such experiences of the
Pouraniks were not lost on the Tantriks who understood
the principle of their success, and applied it not to clay,
but to living, brcathing woman, who was to them the emblem
of divine love, grace and harmony on earth ; and who, by
her very nature and constitution , was adapted to receive
inspirations and communications the spirit-world.
from
Thus her power, and her fitness in respect to mediumship,
was first recognized in India, which led to speedy develop
ment. The idea of 'circle' in a land where the perservation
of spiritual aura in individuals was studiously maintained,
was then only at an arm's length of discovery. The gifted
only walked with the gifted. The pure-in-spirit flocked
with the pure -in-spirit, and the result was the almost uncon
scious formation of circles for Sadhana. A joint song-a
hallelujah 'streaming sweetly upwards to the skies' was
certainly more cheering, more ennobling than the average
of silent worship : And the ecstatic condition attainable on
such occasions led men frcquently to the formation of circles.
The existence of woman in such circles taking part in worship,
and shedding divine love in them , resembled the soft silvery
moon in the blue depths of the summer sky, that shews
the way to Mercy's Seat to the silent worshippers at night.
When Brahmanism triumphed over the religion of Budha,
public morality was certainly not very high. A good
Guru ( preceptor ) was as rare as a good disciple ; and the
Tantriks had to make hard and fast rules for the guidance
of those who wished to be initiated into their mode of
worship. But the people were generally addicted to wine
 ( 69 )

and woman, and they had to give them both. Here it is

necessary for me to break off the subject for a while, to
enter fully into the views of the Tantriks, without which
they are likely to be misunderstood altogether in our time.
Composed, as every community always is, of a vast mass
of people who differ from one another in taste, propensity
and mental powers, it can hardly be expected that even in
matter of religion, wherein faith enters so largely, they would
all hold the same opinion unanimously. It follows, there
fore, that only a few adhere strongly to religion , while the
rest, a vast mass, remain indifferent for a time, and then allow
themselves to be drifted every now and again from one current
of thought to another. It was in India and in India only,
that provisions of divers nature were advisedly made to
suit different intellects and different dispositions. The
ancients accordingly constructed numberless bypaths to lead
to one and the only road to salvation, namely, the undivided
attention to, and love for, God. They understood well
enough their task ; they knew that so long as а man

has a lurking asakti (inclination) in his heart for earthly

pleasures or powers or fame, he would be only serving
two masters-the God to whom his heart ought to go as
a whole and not in part, and the ideal of his imagination
for which he entertains a cherished desire in the heart of
his heart. They knew also that the highest and the most
glorious prize of salvation could only be in the lot of one in
a million, but the ninety-nine hundreds of thousands, nine
hundred and ninety-nine should not go about in despondence ;
and accordingly arranged a system in which there were, so
to speak, prizes for all grades and no blank to push them to
a by- path of seeming happiness, and leave them in course
of time to find out each for himself the True Road. Thus,
if a man in whom ruling propensity is strong, wants power
to satisfy the cravings of his heart, let him worship Sukti in
any form according to his taste. If his inclinations be
 ( 70 )

for worldly pleasures, let him worship Naikas or Joginis.

A desire for worship in any form thus engendered betimes
by the help of his own inclination, cannot but be accept
able to him. Then in course of time—by the satisfaction
of his desire—by the inherent law of nature that leads one
to seek for better sources of happiness, he unconsciously
comes to the very point, where he gets a glimpse of the
Glorious.
Thus when the Tantriks saw the people addicted to
worldly pleasures, they sanctioned the pleasures ; but, at
the same time, inculcated a taste for worship in them . They
gave them wine, it is true, but at the same time they pointed
out to them that it should only be used at the time of worship
to concentrate their minds. They gave them woman , but
they enjoined at the same time that she was the emblem of
Sukti, and told them in the plainest possible language--"look
on her in any light you please --that of a mother, sister or
wife — she was to be worshipped." They sanctioned midnight
songs, but advised them to sing only those which were calcu
lated to elevate them and to glorify the spirits invoked.
While the Divine worship of most nations of the earth
consists in the adoration of, and thanksgiving to, the Deity,
that of the Hindus is pre -eminently a systematic, and I may
add , a sort of scientific attempt on their part to establish a
temporary spiritual connexion with the Deity, undisturbed
by self and surroundings. What then is the form of worship
for which the Hindus claim the pre-eminence ? It consists
(i) in the isolation on the part of the worshipper by Ashan and
Pranayam ; (ii) in the purification of the self and surroundings ;
(iii ) in the shutting out of evil influences ; (iv) in the burning
of the sinful and the creation of a spiritual body to make
it worthy of the occasion ; and (v) in self -mesmerism to lose
himself in meditation, thanksgiving and adoration . We shall
now take up each of these recognised processes to shew
that the form of Tantrik worship is not only both unique
 ( 71 )

and happy, but logically the best possible that will appear
to any impartial mind unbiassed by sectarian views. Picture
to yourself a man sitting in a mock and devout spirit on a
silk cloth spread over a tiger or a deer skin . Picture also
spread before him on a bright copper plate some full-blown
and sweet-scented flowers of different hues with water drawn
fresh from streams, and incense burning hard by. The first
thing the worshipper does is to isolate himself by the virtue
of his silk-dress and silk- laid seat. His next step is to
isolate his inner-self from the influences of worldly thoughts
by Pranayam , but his sinful soul is yet unworthy as an
offering to the Holy Spirit, much less of any attempt of his
part to approach Him . He, therefore, thinks of his past sins,
and in a spirit of penance and in utter sincerity, destroys the
sinful body both on the right and left sides by the fire of
penance and breath . His next step is to create a spiritual
body composed of the silvery bcams of the crescent moon
which he conceives in the frontal region, and then, afte
kicking out evil spirits by the heel of his left foot, he sits
composedly to mesmerise himself by passes to be drawn by
his own hands from head to foot, either 5 , 7 or 12 tiines
according to individual necessity. He next conceives another
light that far outshines the light of the crescent moon on his
frontal region—the light of several suns on the seat of
veneration where he has laid a flower for the light to rest
and illumine the newly-created body and all its chambers.
He now meditates in ecstasy, veneration and love. Ex
perience has shown to the Rishis that it is only by means
of Pranayam or Kum-bhak that a man can isolate himself
from worldly connections ; yet beneficial as the process is
in spiritual worship, and conduces as it does to prolongation
of life as a fact, it should be learnt separately and gradually.
Our personal experience has shewn to us that this should
be done ; otherwise, the attention of the worshipper would
only be directed to his breath instead of to the object of his
 ( 72 )

worship. It is only when some control has been gained over

breath, that the worshipper should adopt Kum - bhak for the
purpose of spiritual communion -- a communion that distin
guishes itself at once from ordinary worship. The process of
stretching out one's own magretic power with a will to elimi
nate evil influence, requires also some remarks. The Hindus
have a belief in his own spirit, as well as in the existence of
spirit-spheres. They believe that evil spirits can frustrate the
efforts of a pious individual , and hence by prayer and by the
help of stretching one's magnetism that he drives out evil in
fluences, and in supreme contempt kicks the evil spirits by the
heel of his left foot three times. The devotee then conceives
the gradual resolution of his body to the five elements -- air,
earth, light, water and Akash, each element taking its own
share and leaving the soul alone uncontaminated. The soul,
however, requires a body—a body that shall be worthy of the
occasion of divinc worship. He, therefore, composes a celestial
body such as has been mentioned above. The self m- esmerism
is another feature that commends itself to our thinking. Cen
turies before Mesmer was born , the Tantriks knew the uses
of passes. They used them for meditation ; and, while the
other processes contributed to self -purification, the passes
tended to produce abstraction and to develope the clairvoyant
power of the soul.
I have described above simply the principles of Tantrik
worship of the Hindus, and I doubt not it will strike every
one what interest was taken by our ancestors for establishing
a philosophic form of spiritual worship , and what thoughts
were bestowed by them on the subject.
For detailed description, our readers are requested to refer
to Maha Nirvana Tantra.
In examining the Tantras, one cannot help being impress.
ed with the intelligence and comprehensiveness with which
the early Tantriks, as kowilks or students of nature , trace
the universe to one abstract force and expand the same to
 ( 73 )
countless phases of life, intelligence and matter. Without
rejecting the nomenclature of the Vedas and the Puranas,
they represent
Soul as Vishnu.
Intelligence (Wisdom ) as Shiva.
Téj or animation ( Life), including matter, as Bramha.
Singly or separately the three are held to be simple
factors, as a , b and c. They are to be combined and multi
plied together, as (a + b) 2 or (b + c)2 or (a + c)? or ( a + b + c)2
to have the phenomena of nature. The combining principle
is Sakti or Force, which is one in abstract, and is called
Vaishnabi Sakti or Adya Sakti * (primeval Force.) It is con

. In the Tran Sankalini Tantra it has been stated “ Brahmåndai Jai Guna Sarbai sarrireshu
babasthita " , i.e., “Whatever qualities (actions) we find in the universe, we see them in the
human body ". In the universe (we assume this from a knowledge of our own solar system)
we see two forces at work : the one is attraction, the other repulsion , the term force being one
in abstract. We also see a play of these two forces in the human system : the air that we take
in and the air that we repel or exhale . When we take in air, we make a peculiar 'Hang'-like
sound . When we let it out, we make a 'Sa '-like sound . If we again , from any sudden cause ,
such as admiration, love, fear, &c., hold our breath for a moment to think on the subject that
has given birth to the emotion , or if we with an effort of our will contemplate on a object that we like
to carry into effect, we also hold the breath for a while, and while we do so, we involuntarily
make a peculiar 'Om ' - like nasal sound . This last named sound is the Pranava of the Hindus
the once Jougik state of the Deity — the first starting point ( Bindu ) of creation, i.e., the Creative
will. In the Deity, " Hang ” and “ Sa ” are both inapplicable . He being not subject to life,
preservation and destruction . He is so far - as all created beings know him -- only " Om . ” The
Jogis who hold their breath to contemplate Him and Him only, enjoy for the time being an
immunity from destruction - an existence of life only - an immortality simple and pure. It is
said that in such a state they ( Jogis) can create what they wish.
When we are led by any emotion or pill as stated before to hold our breath for a while, our
feelings play upon our countenances like the artist colors on the canvas . The face of the
Deity is the universe . As soon as the creative will came, the universe was an accomplished
fact - his elimitable love, beauty, harmony, glory and wisdom shone resplendent. The creative
will - the 'Om ' - is therefore the ' Vaisnavi Sakti .'
Sarddatilaka says.- 'Hang' is masculine, 'Sa ' is feminine. The 'Hangsa ' combined, is life,
all living beings worship it always. When the two are blended together in one eternal ,
union then 'Hangsa' is turned into 'Sohang. ' The bodily 'Hákara' and the bodily ' Sakárá'
vanish in the union , and the result is Pranava or Om.
in the Sivagama it is stated
“ Sakti Shiva, Shiva Sakti, Saktir Brahma Janárdana,
“ Saktirindra, Rabi Sakti, Shaktischandra and grahadhruva ,
i.e., Shiva 's Sakti, Sakti is Shiva, Sakti is Brahma, Sakti is Vishnu, Sakli is Indra, Sakli is the Sun ,
Sakti is the Moon, and Sakti is the Pole Star.
Again ! Saktiirupa Tayat Sarbang," i.e., THE UNIVERSE IS MADE OF SAKTI.
IO
1
( 74 )

crete in combination and diversity. Sakti appears to be

Divine Love, Shiva Divine Wisdom, Vishnu the soul, as also
soul of souls and Bramha, the animation or life of the
universe. Sakti was the mother of the creation. She was
the mother of the factors themselves, but after creation she
has been figuratively said to be the consort of the Shiva, and
hence the statement " Janani Ramani, Ramani Janani” (the
mother the wife, the wife the mother ). A little reflection
will show the object of the statement. Divine Love is held
to have prompted the creation. Divine Wisdom made it
an accomplished fact : after which Wisdom and Love are
helping each other in preserving and controlling the creation.
According to the Tántriks every man is a representation of
Divine Wisdom, and every woman a representation of Divine
Love. Any offence against either is an offence against Divine
Wisdom or Divine Love. The two, they think, should go
for ever and ever together to make a harmonious whole ; and
hence no worship, no prayer, no form of Sádhana, would he
complete unless it is donet together. The woman is neces
sary in Tántrik Şádhana, whether done privately or publicly
as in a circle. The word Sádhana is not simply a prayer or
worship. It signifies a series of acts by which a devotee
strives to render himself acceptable to God or a spirit as the
case may be. The word is by no means a Tántrik word. It is
a word as old as the Sanskrit language itself, and is being
used from the very earliest times. The mode and character,
however, of the Sadhana of the Tántriks are often singular,
and sometimes different from those of the preceding ages.
They have seen force as the ruling principle of nature, to the
attainment of which they generally, if not invariably, direct
themselves . The force of mind, the force of character, and

† In the Kali Tantra, while speaking on women in general, it is said that all wishes to talk
ill of a woman, to be artful to her, to do aught which is not pleasant to her, should be avoided ,
forin doing all these, the success in worship would be frustrated . Woman is to be considered
ornament
as Devata, as life, as .
 ( 75 )

the force of the inner self are the principal aims of their
attainment. With the attainment of force they hope to rule,
according to capacity, both the matter and the mind to the
extent mentioned in the Tantras, irrespective of any distance
of time and space. For public opinion they care not. Fear
they have not. Uncleanliness and abomination, as understood
by the Hindus, are not to be found in their dictionaries,
Fastings and penance they laugh at. Wine they require in
moderate quantity to control the images of their mind , and
woman to draw out their best nature at the time of Sádhana.
>
At times their Sadhana flies of at a tangent, and partakes
the character of Bir (heroic) † worship. Alone then in the
blackest part of a moonless night, in places of cremation, and
over dead bodies of persons who have died from unnatural
causes, they would sit for hours undaunted, taking wine at
intervals and performing those rites which, according to their
beliefs, are calculated to give them supernatural powers by
supernatural means ; or they would surround themselves with
all the temptations of flesh — the temptations of wine, of
woman, well-dressed meat, sweet-scented flowers and fragrant
perfumes, and in spite of them fix their mind on the objects,
of their worship, which in all such cases are the spirits. The
worship of Pará Bramhafor Deity is separately enjoined.
The Tantriks consider that man can bring within his control
various orders of elemental and astral spirits, if he only
† According to the principles of Hindu religion a man is to observe certain rules in performing
his worship , i.e., he must bathe, he must fast, he must perform his puja in the morning, &c .,
but the Biracharjees say, according to Bir Tantra that a worshipper is to bathe in mind, is to clean
himself in mind, is to perform his Japa, puja and Turpana in mind. With them there is no
auspicious or inauspicious time — there is no fixed time, such as day, night, evening or dead of
night. He is not to be debarred from worship , because he has eaten something &c.
Bhutdamara .
“Dábyáscha sėbaká sarbai parancbatra dhikáriná
Tárakó Brahmanó bhritáng binashya tradhi káriná. "
The above two lines from Bhutdamara clearly state that all that has been said above in regard
to Devi worship , does not apply in the least to those who worship God (Brahma). The reasons
are that those who worship Devis ( female astral spirits ) do so from temporal motives, such as
enjoyments of various sorts. Those who, on the other hand, worship God, should do so from
no selfish motives,
 ( 76 )

knows how to invoke and attract them. To invoke and

attract them successfully certain conditions are to be satisfied.
These conditions are mysteriously blended with a variety
of rites partaking the name of Sadhana, in which harmony
of time and place, the concentration of mind, the supposed
attractive power of the Mudras and of diagrams, and the
power of will appear to be essentially necessary on the part
of the worshipper ; and as it has been pointed out above
that in Tantrik worship the woman is the most important
factor, she is often made the subject or medium through
whom the spirit is supposed to speak. The method of
hypnotising individuals as is done in our days, was known
to the Tantriks of the ancient days ; but they had their
own method , which answered them admirably. This method
is a part of the Sadhana, which consists in offering some
wine to the medium, who is worshipped vicariously for
the spirit, in whispering the Bijes into her ear, and the per
formance of Japa on the three joints of her arm , the wrist,
the elbow and the shoulder joints, and then on the crown of
her head. As the Bijes are whispered into her ear, the incense
sends up sweet perfumes into her nostril, and the Japa
performed on the joints of her arm, she becomes magnetised .
Her looks become vacant and wild, her gentle smile is con
verted into loud laugh. She then begins to swing backward
and forward on her seat or stands up suddenly, her hair
somewhat dishevelled. A little more wine is then put into
her mouth and a sabre into her hand, and the worshipper
continues his worship as before, i.e., offers her garlands of
flowers, perfume and sweets. Then she becomes somewhat
collected, and addresses the worshipper in a tone of command,
and direets him to do what are necessary in regard to the
particular object for which the spirit has been invoked. If
any one at this time puts any test questions, he may expect
to get satisfactory answers ; for she is supposed at this stage
to be en rapport with the spirit invoked. Care should always
 ( 77 )

be taken at this time that utmost respect is shewn to her,

or mischief is likely to happen. Any unsuccessful séance
is at once acknowledged, for the Indians have not the appli
ances of the civilized countries either to hide, or impose, and
thus bring discredit even on truthful séances performed by
honest men and women . The Indian séances are always
held on the bare ground of a room devoid of furniture, having
nothing but an orthodox light of butter illuminating the
place.
When a circlex is to be formed according to Tantrik prin
ciple, each man accompanied by a woman is required to sit
on the ground on Asans or seats prepared of Kusha grass, and
take a cup for himself or herself. In the circle the woman
should place herself on the left side of man , one of whom, ac
cording to some physical characteristics, is elected as the
Bhoyrabi or the superioress of the circle, whose orders every
one is bound to obey. The glass of this lady is filled first of
all with some wine ; she, before touching it with her lips, deli
vers a set speech in which she says she takes unto herself all
misfortunes or all causes of unhappiness of the company.
She then drinks a little of the wine and puts the cup down
on the ground, which is taken up by turn by every members
of the company, and its contents are partially mixed with the
contents of each one's own cup. When all the members have
once finished their drink, they meditate and sing together.
The superioress at the head of the circle may fall into ecstacy
or not, according to the devotional character of the company.
In the case of Sundari Sadhana, or the worship of the
beautiful, i. e. , of celestial spirits, either an unmarried girl of 8
1
to 10 years of age, or a married woman of 16 years, of fair

* Bhitravi Chukránastáng says that men with Sakti or women should sit as couples either in
the form of a circle or in a line .
Within the circle all are to contemplate on Sivasakti, then flowers, &c ., are to be offered to
Gurupatra.
Within the circle all men and women of whatever caste or colour should be considered pure as
Brahmans. Outside the circle all colours (castes) are separate as before .
 ( 78 )

colour and prepossessing appearance, after she has ben clad

in best of cloths and decked with best of ornaments, is wor
shipped in the morning, In such cases the medium is address
ed as mother, whereas in other cases as mother, sister or wife,
according to the option of the worshipper. The nature of the
worship, which resembles the worship of images, dazes the
girl considerably and imparts to her a power of prevision
which enables her to forecast future events for a time.
Of solitary worship I have spoken as much as is necessary
in my paper on “ Spirit Worship of ancient India. I therefore
need not repeat what I have said. Let me now analyze
and see
(1) Wherein the Tantrik Sadhana differs from the mo
dern spirit invocation of the West.
( 2 ) Wherein consists the newness of Tantrik Sadhana as
compared with the Sadhana of the preceding ages.
The modern spiritualism of the West differs from the
spiritualism of the East in the following respects :
(a ) As regards the subjects.
(6) As regards the methods.
(e) As regards the objects.
First, as regards the subjects, the ancients of India, as a
rule, never directly invoked the souls of departed persons. They,
however, entertained considerable respect for them, as will
appear from the Hindu ceremony of Sradha . The reason is
obvious. The ancients wanted the attainments of certain un
common powers, which they evidently considered as unattain
able from undeveloped spirits of men . The spirits often
looked to and worshipped, are the astral spirits and some
times the spirits of elements.
Secondly as regards the methods, the ancients as a rule
looked more to their own psychic developments than to physi
cal manifestation, assuming the existence of spirits and spirit
worlds as well -established facts. They thought that man
being incomplete, he should to a certain extent take the help
 ( 79 )

of a woman—the cosine of the arc of life - to make up the

ideal of human existence. They therefore used to impart
their own magnetism to her to see the full play of the Spirit
so far as is possible. Unfortunately, however, their motives
have for a very long time been misunderstood and misrepre .
sented .
Thirdly, as regards the objects, we see that they were either
temporal or spiritual, but in no case the mere satisfaction of
curiosity or experiments to convince themselves or others of
the existence of an after life. The objects temporal are
many, while the object spiritual is one, namely, the union
with the Deity. Among the objects temporal , the Tántriks
enumerate the acquisition of certain extraordinary powers,
which would be best ascertained by a reference of the text
on the subject of Sidhhi.

The Medical Aspects of the Tantras.

[Dedicated to Sir George Birdwood K. C. S. I. &c.]
We now come to enquire into the Medical portions of the
Tantras. The researches of the early Tantriks in the field of
medicine were, in some respects, so valuable that they laid the
whole of India under a debt immense of endless gratitude ;
yet they did not, as a fact, attempt to build a system of medi
cine of their own, very probably on the ground, that the then
existing principles of Ayarvedic treatment, of we shall have
occasion to speak hereafter, appeared to them to be perfect
and sound. They have, however, left to us records of their
individual observations and opinions in respect to medicinal
virtues of plants, metals and minerals used by them in medi
cines, and also in respect to symptoms and treatment of di
seases and preparation of drugs according to methods of their
own. The result has been that the system of indigenous
treatment now in vogue amongst the Hindus, is a mixed sys
tem, partaking in some instances the character of Vedik, and
in some instances the character of Tantrik system. If the
 ( 80 )

opinion of the best Hindu physicians be respected, the Tan

trik medicines are generally more powerful and more effica
cious in comparatively smaller doses than the Vedik medi
cines. The reason is, the Tantrik medicines partake more of
metals and minerals and plants of poisonous orders, which
were little known or known but little used in the Vedik or
Puranik ages. If we go back to ancient times when men lived
much according to nature, we find that the medicines were
composed chiefly of vegetable ingredients, which could be se
parately taken as food or adjuncts to food. We find certain
preparations called Rashyaná or Brahmi Rashyanaw which
served as panacea for all ailments presumably then prevalent.
An analysis of the oldest Brahmi Rashyaná would show that it
consisted of vegetable ingredients which contributed to keep
up the healthy tone of the stomach, to encourage due secre
tions, to produce healthy stools, to nourish the system ; and,
as its name implies, to help the Rishis in the performance of
Yoga by way of governing their passions. Then as wants
multiplied, as articles of food and their preparations varied,
Brahmi Rashayaná.
Chata Alaych Cardamum . Satabarimul
Kanak Butea frundosa . Jibanti
Bach Zinziber zedoaria . Maidh ..

Haridra Turmeric . Rishairak

Jastimadhu Liquorice. Jibak Pentaptera tomentosa .
Aguru Lignum aloes. Bharanda Castor - oil plant.
Raktachandan Red sandal. Barala Cordifolia .
Biranga Usedas vermifuge. Mashparni
Mutha Cyperus rotundi . Mugduparin
Kybarta mustak Punarnava
Sankhyapiispi Parul Bignonia suave oleus.
Pipul Long pepper. Gambhari .. Gmelina arborea.
Thulkeri Asiatica . Sonarchal
Haritaki Terminalia chebula . Ganiari Spinosa Roax .
Amlaki Phyllanthus emblica . Billa Bel .
Salimul The roots of a variety Gokshuri
:

of rice. Kantikari Solanum jacquini.

:

Kashmul The roots of Saccharum Prishapani

: :

Spontaneum . Brihati
Ikshumul .. The roots of Sugarcane . shalparui Hedysarum collinum ,
:

Saramul
 ( 81 )

as passions predominated over reason , and men were

estranged daily more and more from nature, new diseases as
well as new phases of diseases of complex types sprang up
aided by climatic changes. Such a preparation as Brahmi
Rashayaná which was good enough for slight disorders, and
for one state of the society, was unsuited for any special
diseases of virulent type ; and hence investigations followed.
The question that naturally suggests itself here is, how did
the early investigators proceed in their field of investigation ?
What light was thrown on their path of enquiry in thcse
early times, considering the very large number of medicinal
plants which had been tested by them before they were intro
duced in Hindu Pharmacopoeia ? It would certainly have
been a very difficult problem for me to solve all at once ,
specially in the absence of any written data on the subject,
if I had not been an enquirers myself in the same field in
my younger days, when systematic Botany was one of my
pleasantest studies. The early investigators, it appears to
me, were guided by Rashes or tastes of barks, roots, fruits
and leaves of plants, and by the smell of their leaves also at
times .
The Rashes are primarily of six descriptions_namely ,
( 1 ) acid ; (2) pungent ; (3) bitter ; ( 4) salt ; (5). sweet ; (6)
astringent. But it is not unoften that Rashes are found in
a mixed state as sweet and acid. The medicinal virtues were
determined at first by Rashes, and then tested by internal
application from small doses upwards, and their physio
logical actions in the animal system observed and noted.
Thus sweet things have been determined to have the virtues
generally favourable to the growth of the system, contribu
ting to the development of flesh, fat and muscles. They heal
up wounds, allay thirst and burning, but they produce worms
and increases phlegm. The acid things promote digestion and
dissolve hard food . They are agreeable to taste and produce
costiveness. The salt things promote digestion , are altera
II
 ( 82 )

tives, make body weak and soft, and to a certain extent,

lessen the verile power. The pungent things sharpen ap
petite, are heating, encourage biliary secretions, and are good
for worms, leprosy, itchings and irruptions. They counteract
poison ; and, in large doses, produce giddiness, imaciation,
thirst, trembling and burning sensation.
The bitter things are appetising, good for secretion of
milk, itching irruptions, leprosy, thirst and fever ; and are
alteratives and generally encourage secretions. Lastly, the
astringent things produce heat. They are alteratives, costive
and produce cutaneous irruptions, and in large doses palpita
tion and loss of sense. The medicinal properties of the
plants were also ascertained to a great extent from the smell
of the leaves when crushed by the fingers. Like Rashes the
smell is of different descriptions, but they can be conceived ,
and learnt by experience ; for instance there is a peculiar
smell in the leaves of plants having Anodynic and Carmina
tive virtues. From such general classification of medicinal
virtues, followed special classification of plants tested by
actual observation of their physiological effects ; and plants
were grouped in the following way
As Laxatives,
» Expectorants,
" Diaphoritics,
Emetics,
Depressants ,
Stimulants,
» Tonics , &c.
One thing strikes me particularly , that the medical men
in those remote days were specially happy in the combination
of plants for medicines . Let us here analize the ingredients
of a mixed medicine of ancient days in case of bilious fever
as an illustration :
Rt.
Kantikari Solanum Jacquissi.
Gulanchá Menispermum Glabrum .
 ( 83 )

Bahmanhati Siphonanthus Indica.

Suntà Dried Ginger .
Durallova Hedysarum Alhagi .
Chirata Gentiana Cheratya.
Kutki Wrightea Antedysenterica.
Palta Perca bifurca .
Rakta Chandan Pleocarpus Santalinus .
Now it will be observed that the first ingredient in the
above mixture is diarutic. The second one is a good febrefuge,
the third is a diaphoritic . The fourth and sixth are well
known to all. The fifth is very efficacious in bile, cold , fever
and pains in body. The seventh is pungent and bitter and is
efficacious in counteracting the burning sensations in bilious
fever and is a febrefuge. The eighth is appetising and good
article of food and the ninth is efficacious in counteracting
cold, cough, thirst and vomiting.
The ancient medical men rarely used strong vegetable
poisons in medicines. Such poisons as Aconite, Nanglabisha ',
&c., though known to the ancients, were rarely used internally.
Their application was chiefly external. Of the metals we
see iron was first introduced in medicine. Next to it was
gold. Silver was seldom used. Sulphate of iron and sul
phate of copper were both known and used occassionally.
Five kinds of salt, red- hill earth, Bangsalochun or manna of
bamboos were known and used. Yellow Arsenic, though
known, was not much used. Besides, we see some kinds of
grasses, cabbages and ashes of shells burnt in slow fire, used
in medicine. Extracts of the flesh of birds, quadrupeds as
well as the fat of goats, and wine in medicinal doses, were
sanctioned in atonic cases.
The principles of treatment of the ancients appear to be
sound. They were no doubt based on large observation of
facts. The ancients described Health as the Equilibrium of
the animal system — the due performance of all the functions
and the due distribution of vital energy to all parts of the
body. The disruption of such an eqilibrium as explained
 ( 84 )

above has been designated as disease. Excess of fat in a

system is as much a disease, as the want of proper quantity of
fat ; and hence a physician is especially enjoined to investi
gate carefully into the causes of disruption — to see what is
to be supplied or what is to be taken away with a view to bring
back equilibrium or health.
No doubt, therefore, when the Tantriks undertook the
examination of the medical works of the Vedic and Pouranik
ages, they esteemed very highly the ancient method of treat
ment, and did not, for this simple reason, build a system of
their own ; but they have left records of their own observa
tions. The result has been as said before, a mixed system
of treatment as at present in vogue amongst us. The ques
tion now is what services did the Tantriks do to medicine
that they claim the gratitude of all India ? The question can
hardly be answered in one word. If the Tantriks had done
nothing more than discovered and introduced the various
preparations of mercury, sulphur, arsenic and mica, they had
done enough to claim the gratitude of all India. How many
thousands of patients suffering from chronic diseases and
given up by the western faculty of medicine, have been
brought back to life and health by the Hindu preparation of
mercury and arsenic ? The preparations of red and yellow
arsenic were variously used by the Tantriks in leprosy , in
atonic cases as well as in collapsed stages. The preparations
of mica were introduced by them with considerable benefit
in chest complaints. Sulphate of copper in cases of fever
attended with gonorrhea, Nisadal in chest complaints, copper
in spleen attended with or without fever, lead in urinary
diseases, diamond and pokhraj in chest complaints attended
with fever, Sarnomakshi or copper pyrites in cases in which
the system is to be nourished when prostration is due to
urinary diseases. Sulphate of iron in checking hemorrhage.
They also introduced vegetable poisons such as aconite, nux
vomica, croton tiglium , thorn-apple, nanguli, durmaj (a sort
 ( 85 )

of poisonous wood) and surbatikshi. These are some of the

principal poisonous plants discovered by them. There are
many such plants equally useful, such as a plant known by
the name of Akore, the oil of the seeds of which is said by
the Tantriks to possess wonderful virtues. Indeed, they speak
so highly of the plant, that an analysis of it and its trial may
bring to light its life -giving virtues. What arsenic is among
minerals, Akore is said to be among vegetables in respect to
medicial properties. It is the endeavour of our Society to
procure the plant and its seeds, and to analize them.
That the Tantriks had a sufficient knowledge of chemistry,
there is not a shadow of doubt. The divers processes of
dissoving of minerals, their sublimation and mixing together,
amply shew that they possessed a fair knowledge of
chemistry. Indeed when one after leaving medicine comes to
examine thc Indrajal or the magical portion of the Tantras,
there lingers not a doubt in his mind, that the Tantriks pos
sessed a tolerable knowledge of chemistry.
The portion of the Tantras on the treatment of poisons,
requires in our estimation a careful examination , and, if
possible, a translation in English. In one place it has been
mentioned that in cases of snakebite, the person bitten
should, if possible, be made to sit immersed in the waters
of a stream, and the water of the stream, should be poured
on his head until he is free from poison. The mode of
treatment, although very wise, did not convince me altogether
of the perfect efficacy of the treatment. Our doubts however
were removed not long after, when we read in the Statesman
the report of an exactly similar mode of treatment adopted
by a European, which saved the life of an Indian in North
India. The chapters on Prognostications of Death are useful.
Indeed some of them are very wise, as for instance, when a
patient does not see while pressing the eyeball with a finger
the usual halo of light, he is not expected to live for more
than ten days. This is a practical lesson learnt by observation,
 ( 86 )

which shows that the loss of the vital energy of the man
has been full.
We give below a catalogue of the most important medi
cinal plants used in the Vedik and Tantrik ages. It was our
endeavour to separate the medicinal plants of two different
ages, but we regret to say we could not - not that we were
wanting in either patience or industry, but that we find
mention of the names of many Tantrik plants and minerals
in the principal Ayurvedik treatises which shew that the dis
coveries made by the Tantriks were gradually incorporated
in Ayurvedik treatises. It was by preparing two separate
catalogues that we found out the difficulty. We have there
fore marked out with a star those plants which are unquestion
ably Tantrik. We have given this time the catalogue merely.
The virtues of the plants are reserved for a future paper.
I Aguru, Aloe's wood. 2 Aswagandha, Physalis flexuosa.
3 Aknad, Cissampelos hexendra. 4 Atush. 5 Aswathá, Re
ligiosa. 6 Amlaki, Emblica. 7 Arjun, Arjuna (combretaceæ ).
8 Asan also called Piasal, Pentaptera tomentosa. 9 Amruli,
Jambosa (alba Roxb ). 10 Amrataka , Bark of mangifera.
II Ajasringi also called Jeol, Odina Woodier. 12 Atasi also
called Mosiría, Linum Usitatissimum. 13 Atibala and Bala,
Andropogon Schenanthus. 14 Anantamulá, Periploca indica. t

15 Aparajita, Albiflora. 16 Apamargá, Achyranthes aspera.

17 Arká , 18 Arjak also called Babuitulshi, Ochymum gratis
simum. 19 Asoká, Asoca Roxb. 20 Alabu, White Pumpkin.
21 Astisanghar also called Harjora. 22 Akasbulli Filiformis
L. 23 Akrote also called Akhotá, Triloba, Forst. 24 Aditya'
bhakta also called Hurhuria, Calotropis gigantea. 25 Adraká,
Zingiber. 26 Alkusi, Carpopogon preurieus Roxb. 27
Ahiphain,* Opium. 28 Akore * . 29 Akhsaj-ja.* 30 Agasta
kusum*, Sesbana grandiflora, 31 Ingudi also called Jeaputa
or Lataphatki.* 32 Indrajava,* Wrightea antidyscutirica.
33 Ikshu , Sugarcane. 34 Irbaru also called Kankura,* Cucumis
Utilatissimus. 35 Urumbar also called Dumur*, Ficus glome
 ( 87 )

rata. 36 Usir also called Bainarmul,* Andropogon Murica

tum. 37 Aila, Alpina cardamomum. 38 Airanda, Riscinus
speciosus. 39 Ailaych, Cardamomum. 40 Katki, Wrightea
antidysenterica also Calotropis gigantea. 41 Katuswi also
called Tita Lawoo, a bitter gourd. 42 Katfal, Gmelina arborea.
43 Kantakari, Virginianum. 44 Kadamvá, Cadamba Roxb.
45 Kadali, Plantain. 46 Kotbail, Woodapple. 47 Kamalaguri.
48 Karabi, * Nerium odorum. 49 Kurkatsringi, Rheedii. 50
Kankrole, Momordica Charantia. 51 Kurpur, Camphor. 52
Kamranga, Carambola. 53 Kanakdhutura, Datura fastuasa.
54 Kaisur, Eclipta. 55 Kakjangha, Robusta Roxb. 56
Kakmachi.. 57 Kishmish, Grapes. 58 Kakdumur, Opposi
tifolia. 59 Kanuk also called Joypal, Vide Joypal. 60 Kalka
sunda, Seuna purpurea Roxb. 61 Kurchi , Kurchi. 62 Kusun
der also called Kuksim , Celsia L. 63 Karpasi, Herbaceum.
64 Kulanjan, Galanga Major. 65 Kuşa, Cynosuroodes. 66
Kur, Castus speciosus. 67 Kushanda, Benincosa. 68 Krish
najera, Sativa L. 69 Krishnaguru, Aquillaria Agallocha. 70
Kaitaki. 71 Kaisraj, Calendulacea, Less. 72 Kakoli.* 73
Kumud,* Nymphæa esculenta. 74 Kundá,* Jasminum pubes
ceus. 75 Kuch ( root of white kuch). * 76 Kasurtai. * 77
Karanja, (seed). * 78 Kuliakara (seed),* Capparis spinosa. 79
Kachla.. 8o Khodir,* Mimosa Catechu. 81 Khajur*, Phoenix
Sylvestris. 82 Gandha maduli. 83 Gakshur. 84 Ganiary. 85
Gambhary, Gmelina arborea. 86 Goruck chakulai. 87 Goo
gool, Lignum Aloes. 88 Gulancha', Menispermum glabrum.
89 Gujapipuli, Pothas officinatis. 90 Gandha Trina', Andropo
gon Schoenawtus. 91 Gandhali, Pederia foetida. 92 Gunga',
Abrus precatorius. 93 Guratwak. 94 Grishna sunder or
Gimasak, Chironia centauroides. 95 Gojiarmul or root of
Gojia,* Premna esculenta. 96 Ghrita kumari, Aloe perfoli
ata. 97 Ghulghasia also called Dranapushpa. 98 Ghoshtola
(yellow).* 99 Chakoolai, Hemionitis cardifolia . 100 Choye,
Piper Chuvya. 101 Chita, Plumbago rosea. 102 Chirata',
Gentiana Cherayta. 103 Chitrak, Plumbago rosea. 104
 ( 88 )

Chookapalonga', Rumex vesicarius. 105 Chandan, Santa

lum album. 106 Chorak also called Piringshak, Trigo
nella corniculata. 107 Champak (root of the Champak),*
Michelia Champaca. 108 Chalta (root of Chalta),* Dellenia
indica. 109 Chatim , Alstonia Scholaris. II0 Chota ailach,
Cardamums . III Cholanga Nabu, Species of citron. I 12
Chik-kani also called, Hanchuti, Artimisia sternutatoria.
113 Jibak, Pentaptira tomentosa. · 114 Jibanti. 115 Jaya
116 Jibak. 117 Jatamanshi ,
fal, Nutmeg. 116 Valcriana
Jatamansi. 118 Jisal, Odina Woodier. 119 Jam , Eugenia
Jambolana. 120 Jayatri (white) Aeschynomene Sesban .
121 Jayapal , Coroton Tiglium . 122 Jatifal, Nutmeg.
123 Jaba.* 124 Jeebputrica (seed).* 125 Joitri, Albumen
Nutmeg . 126 Jhinti. 127 Jhanti, Barleria cristala . 128 Da
barkanja. 129 Dangarifal. 130 Daloo. 131 Taiuri, Con
volvolus Turpethum . 132 Tintiree, Tamarindus indica.
133 Taijpata, Laurno Cassia. 134 Taila- kucha, Momor
dica Monodelpha. 135 Tita -laoo, A bitter gourd. 136
Tulsi, Ocymum Sanctum . 137 Til, Sesamum Orientale .
138 Tamal. 139 Tambul , Piper Betle. 140 Tit-tiri, Perdix
Francolinus . 141 Tagarpadik , Tabernaemontana coronaria .
142 Tagar (root of tagar).* 143 Taleesh (leaf),* Flacourtia
cataphracta. 144 Thulkuree , Hydrocotyle asiatica . 145
Draksha, Vitis vinifera ( grape ). 146 Darchini , Cinnamon .
147 Dürolata . 148 Daibdaru , Pinus longifolius. 149 Durb-ba,
Panicum Dactylon . 150 Dasamool , A medicament composed
of ten-roots. 151 Dantee , Croton Polyandrum . 152 Daru
haridra , Xanthaxylon alatom. 153 Darim , Punica granate.
154 Daib-Danee. 155 Dantotpal . 156 Dhieeful, Grislea tomen
tosa. 157 Dhan-nah , Coriandrum sativum . 158 Dhuna, Species
of Shorea . 159 Dhustar, Datura Metel. 160 Neelotepal ,
Nymphæa cyanea. 161 Nagcaishar. 162 Nimda, Melia Azad
derachta Roxb. 163 Neelbumha . 164 Nakhee , Bivalve shell
used as a medicine . 165 Nagbala , Alba L. 166 Nisinda , Vitex
Negunda , 167 Nisadal . 168 Nalitashak , Species of a maranthus .
 ( 89 )

169 Nagdantee. 170 Nagdona. 171 Narangee Naibu, a kind of

orange. 172 Narikail (root of Narikail ), Cocos nucifera . 173
Natà, Caesalpinia bonducella. 174 Preeshmiparnee also called
Chakulia, Hemionitis cordifolia. 175 Parul, Bignonia suave
alens. 176. Punarnaba, Boerhaavia diffusa. 177 Pipul, Piper
longum. 178 Palash, Butea frondosa. 179 Padma, Nelum
bium speciosum . 180 Piongu. 181 Palta, Leaves of
Trichosanthes dioica. 182 Paniful, Trapa bicornis. 183
Pasan-vaidee, Plectranthus aromaticus. 184 Pu-i-sak, Basella
alba and Rubra . 185 Pilufal, Careya arboria . 186 Palita
Madar, Erythrina fulgeus. 187 Pitvringaraj. 188 Pun
rahu, Rottlera tinctoria. 189 Palandu,* Allium Cepa. 190 Pus
kar (root of Puskar) ,* Nelumbiam speciosum. 191 Paruli
(root of Paruli),* Suaveolens Roxb. 192 Pakurá, Ficus
infectoria. 193 Paitari (leaf of Paitari),* Sida asiatica.
194 Piashal ( fruit of Piashal ),* Pentoptera tomentosa.
195 Putin. 196 Phowkadi Joan. 197 Baraha
kranta. 198 Bat, Ficus indica. 199 Brihati , Solanum
hirsutum . 200 Bibla, Aegle Marmelos . 201 Bairala , Rhom
báidea Roxb. 202 Bivitak , Terminalia Bellerica . 203 Bir
anga. 204 Bach , Acorus calamus . 205 Bashak ,
Justicia adhatoda. 206 Brahmee shak . 207 Bahara ,
Terminalia Bellerica . 208 Bungshalochan , Manna of
Bamboos . 209. Bala, Andropogon schoenanthus. 210
Bainair Mool . 211. Bwakur, Solanum indicum , 212 Babu
i-tulshi, Basilicum Indicum. 213 Bahman Hatee, Siphonan
thus indica. 214 Bis-langalee. 215 Bait, Calamus rotang.
216 Bata Sunga. 217 Brischik-Patree (Bat), Ficus indica.
218 Bak * Sesbana grandiflora. 219 Badari ( Baj),* Zizyphus
Jujubas. 220 Brahma-dandee (root). * 221 Bejoya (leaf)*.
222 Banubaraká, Cordia myxa. 223 Bhairanda, Ricinus.
224 Bhoom walakee. 225 Bhomi-Kuswando, Cucurbit pepo.
226 Bhallatak. 227 Bhringo - raj, Verbesinia calendulacea.
228 Bhadra -Mustak. 229 Bhookaisse. 230 Marich, Black
pepper, pepper. 231. Mundook - párnce. 232 Mugdaparnee.
12
 ( SO )

233 Masparnee. 234 Mutha, Rotundus L. 235 Maida 236

Madhooph-puspa. 237 Malatee, Jasminum grandiflorum . 238
Máuàfal. 239 Madanſal, Vangueria Spinosa. 240 Mayanafal.
241 Mana-Sila, Red-arsenica. 242 Mcoh-rasa, Bombax -hepta
plyllum. 243 Mashina, Linum Usitatiosum. 244 Mathuya,
Callicarpaincana. 245 Manasa. 246 Manjista. 247 Madhurica
(Joyésty). Anethum Panmorium . 248 Maithee-sak, Trigonella
Foenum greeum . 249 Mahakal . * 250 Muramangshy.*
251 Mahendra (seed ) * 252 Markat Bal-ly. * 253 Maithy,*
Trigoneella Foenum grcum . 254 Murmuria,* Scirpus schoe
noides. 255 Jasti-Madhu. 256 Joothica, Jasminum auricula
tum , 257 Janga-Dumur, Ficus glomerata. 258 Jabankur.
259 Jamanee. 260 Jabakshar. 261 Rakta-Kanchan, Bauhinia
variegata. 162 Rakta-Chandan, Pterocarpus santalinus.
263 Rakhal-sasa, Ornitroplic serrata. 264 Rasma, Ophioxy
lum serpintara. 265 Rasum, Allium sativum. 266 Randhu
nee, Apium involucratum. 267 Rudraksha.* Elaescarpus
ganitrus. 268 Rochana (seed ) * 269 Rudra-Danti ( root.) *
270 Losra. 271 Langoolee (root),* The name of various
plants. Gloriosa supertca, leommelina salacifolia, Nama re
peus, and Jussiena repeus. 272 Latafatkir (oil). 273 Laj
jabuti-lata. * 274 Shal-parnce, Hedysarum gangeticum.
275 Shatabary: 276 Sharmul , Saccharum Sara. 277 Sankha
puspy. 278 Shatamulee, Asparagus recemosus. 279 Shuya
Shimbee. 280 Shatee, the name of the zerumbet of the
shops (Curcuma eerumbet) . The name is also applied to the
Mango-scented ginger or rather turmeric (Curcuma Amhuldi).
281 Shinshapa. 282 Shunta , Dried Ginger. 283 Shonaloo.
284 Shalufa, Anthum Sowa. 285 Shwaitsara, Brassi Caeru
coides. 286 Shasa. 287 Shirees, Acacia Sirisa. 288 Shra
bany. 289 Shovarjan, Hyperanthera Morunga. 290 Shwait
Kanchan . 291 Shwait Akanda,* The white variety of Calo
tropis gigantea. 292 Shwait Chandan. * 293 Shiba -jata .*
294 Sharpunkha (root).* 295 Shusnisak. * 296 Shalmaly
puspa,* Bombax heptaphylla. 297 Shafalica, Nyctanthus
 ( 91 )

arbortritis. 298 Suchimukhy, Sausivielar zeylanica. 299 Sij

(ash). 300 Som -raj, Serratula anthelmintica. 301 Supary,
Areca catechu. 302 Smuhi. 303 Sami. 304 Sidhy (seed. )
305 Sarja, Shorea robusta. 306 Haritaky, Terminalia chebula.
307 Hing, Assafoetida.' 308 Harjora, Cissus quadrongularis.
309 Habusa. 310 Hur- Huria, Achyranthes aspera. 311 Hij
jal , Barringtonia acutangulia. 312 Huridra, Curcuma longa.
313 Hingu,* Assafoetida. 313 Hastikarna.*

LECTURE- IV.
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE GITA.
[The following lecture delivered at the annual meeting of the Cal
cutta Psycho-Religious Society on the 8th May . 1891, by the Secretary
of the institution, has been dedicated by him to Sir George Bird wood,
K C.I.E.,C.S.I.,M.D .,L.L.D., Vice- Chairman of the London Congress of Ori
entalists, as a token of esteem and gratitude for the kind interest he has
taken in his writings.]
There is, peahaps, no place in all India where a traveller
is feasted with such diversity of natural sceneries as in the
Narmada Tracts of Central India. Travellers after traveller's
have sung their notes of praise concerning them from the
dim dawn of history down to our own bright times, and
travellers after travellers may do the same in countless years
to come, and still something new, something interesting will
remain to be told about them ; indeed so lovely, so soft, so
rich, so wild, so ever-changing, and so delightful are the
scenes. Whether we look at the dark basaltic cliffs standing
in solitary grandeur and contrast them with the soft undulat
ing meadows, or whether we look at the sparkling waters
of the falls, or at the dense lines of forests where no human
foot has yet disturbed their primeval grandeur, or whether
we look at the bright expanse of the Narmada, or at the
wild confusion of “ rocks and foliage" and foliage and rocks,
or at the soft sylvan scenes of the “ woody islets " with
immense varieties of birds, beasts and insects, we cannot
 ( 92 )

help exclaiming in rapture " Nature thou art truly lovely

and grand ! Thou hast taught, delighted and inspired
humanity and shall do so ever more.” Alike are the feelings
of admiration , love and delight awakened in the heart of
every Hindu when he finishes his perusal of the Gita. He
too cannot help himself without apostrophysing the work
and inwardly exclaiming at the same time, “ Thou art, O Gita,
the brightest spiritual treasure of the Hindus, the uncreated
light of the Aryavarta ! Thou hast taught some nations thy
sublime doctrines of meekness, forgiveness and holy resigna
tion. Thou hast taught some thy doctrines of Nirvana and
Re- incarnation though now not well understood by them.
Thou hast also taught some others thy sacred precepts of
the necessity of waging holy war, not the extermination of
human beings - not the desolation of their homes and
countries, but the extermination of the unrighteous self with
its formidable army of passions and desires ; but thou hast
reserved for thy own sacred land , Hindustan , the spiritual
wealth of Yoga, now dimly seen and earnestly enquired by
the West.
The poets of all civilized countries have rendered thee
into their respective languages. The thoughtful and the
pious have done thee homage. The sectarians and blind
critics have tried hard to find fault with thee, but thou art,
what thou art -the ray divine on earth -the tree celestial
that bears the heavenly manna -- the mirror of the spiritual
grandeur of heaven—the beaconlight in the tempestuous sea
of worldliness. The other great Books of the earth have
their likenesses in thee, but thou art only like thyself. For
me to sing thy glory is a presumption, to strive to explain
thy holy texts is beyond my abilities. All that I here
propose myself to do, is to attempt to transfer into pen and
ink sketches those visions of glory that came at times flitting
into my mind after a perusal of thy texts, and cast their
reflections in the sensitive plates of my heart. But poor as
 ( 93 )

the attempt promises to be, and poorer still the sketches,

they require a back ground for light and shade. Sprung
from the same royal line, yet born of two brothers of different
characters were Judhistir, and his four righteous brothers on
the side of the Pandava family, and the unrighteous Durja
dhaná on the side of the Kuru . Judhistir and his brothers
lost their father at a tender age and were brought up by their
blind uncle Dhritorastrá-the father of Durjadhana'. When
Judhistir came to age, he by right of premogeniture, was
entitled to mount the throne of his father, which he did ; but
his cousin Durjadhana led by the machinations of his evil
minded blind father, challenged him to a game of dice. As a
prince and a warrior by caste, he, according to the rules of the
society, could not but accept the challenge. In this iniquitous
game he lost all -his wealth and kingdom - for a certain
period, twelve years, during which he and his brothers, with
their joint spouse Drapadi, were to remain far away from the
capital in some unknown parts of India. They fulfilled their
vows, and when after twelve years they came back to claim
the throne, they were told to go back. With a view, however,
to avoid a civil war, they asked for five villages adjacent to
the capital to hide themselves ; but the blind man in the
name of his son the king, sent word to say that they would
not have so much of earth as could be contained on the head
of a needle. The result was a declaration of war. Lord
Krishna' sided with none ; but as he saw Arjuna', the brother
of Judhistir first, he told him that he would be his charioteer
and conduct his chariot to the field of battle. When the
armies of Kuru and Pandava met in the field of Kurukshetra ',
Arjuna' saw the warriors with whom he was to fight. He saw
many of his nearest relations. He saw his venerable Guru,
Dranacharjea, from whom he received his first military lessons.
He saw also the sage and mighty warrior Vishna', and con
scious of his superior abilities, he sighed at the prospect of
carnage that was to follow immediately. His heroism forsook
 ( 94 )

him for a timc. He put back his weapons, hung down his
head , and told Srikrishna' that he would not fight. The Lord,
who knew all hearts, who knew all causes and consequences ,
the past, present and future, read the thoughts of Arjuna',
smiled and said what forms the subject of the immortal Gita.
Some years ago, while I was passing one evening by the
Lower Chitpore Road, my attention was drawn by a friend
to a picture in the shop of a vendor of scents. It was a
curious picture, the like of which I have not seen one since.
It was a water-colour drawing, which, when viewed from one
side, presented the picture of a tiger lying in ambush, but
when seen from the other side, it shewed a ship sailing in a
sea, such indeed is the picture presented to me by the Gita.
It reads as an advocacy of a fearful civil war that once
destroyed the best warriors of India -- that cast a gloom and
desolation over the sacred Aryavarta' -- that led brothers to
fight with brothers, desciples with their Gurus, grandsons with
their grandsires. Seen from the other side, it may be sublime
allegory --- an allegory representing the best powers of a holy
and mighty mind enrapport with the Highest Mind as being
called into play to save man from the vassalge of self and
sin ; for who was blind Dhritarastra ', but the blind self ;
and his son Durjadhana' with his formidable army, but the
primary Lust born of self and all the evil desires and cravings
of the heart, so varied and numerous under varied circum
stances of life and its objects. Then again who was Judhistir,
but the personification of truth and justice, and who were his
four brothers, but the personifications of health and bodily
vigor, of moral courage and prowess, of piety and innocence,
known by the names of Bhima, Arjuná, Nakul and Sahadeb.
The story of Judhistir and his brothers having lost their
father at a tender age and were brought up by their blind
uncle, means that in infancy the Great Protector watches
over all , and that as soon as a child learns to help itself it
throws itself gradually into the powers of the blind self. It
 ( 95 )

now kicks and fights and throws its limbs on all sides with
the consciousness and pride of a little man. It cries and
laughs under the control of the blind self ; and we call these
acts of the child as its whims. Justice or injustice it knoweth
not and recketh not, it is then such a little self. Then with
the first advent of youth, when the petals of the mind open
themselves one by one, he sees all men alike. He is often
generous, brave and self-denying, and loves his species with
all the ardour of a romantic youth. It is at this time that he
bravely comes forward to file his claim for the Kingdom of
Heaven ; but the Evil Prakriti to frustrate the intentions of a
generous heart, tempts him to a game of dice, and leads him
to scenes where he forgets all , truth, sincerity, health and
family -heritage, and remains unknown to his celestial rela
tions for a period of about twelve years. Then in the prime
of manhood when reason detects the sophistries of sin , and
experience reveals their bitterness, that he comes back to the
capital to claim his father's kingdom. Now comes the self
conflict --the open breach --the bloody conflict : -- The unre
lenting self refusing to yield an inch of its supremacy. At
this moment of danger, this crisis of being, he, in the sincerity
of his distress and in the agony of his conscience, calls on the
Lord to help him and he asks not in vain. All -merciful as He
is, He says distinctly to the penitent son, “ I am with thee. ”
“ Fear not my son, I will lead the car of your spiritual aspira
tion to the field of battle.” When the hopeful man thus
assured by Heaven , and armed with resolution comes to fight
the actual battle, he sees his former relations, his once dear
associates aud friends, his heroism forsakes him for a while,
he pauses to ponder - fight or give up the battle ? But the
kind Lord who knows his good resolution, who found him
penitent and sincere, who knows that the slightest vacillation
at this supreme critical moment — this hour of destiny (a des
tiny either towards Heaven or towards Hell), would decide
his fate perhaps for ever and make him a lost man , urges him
 ( 96 )

to fight. He argues with him with all the love and patience
of a best Teacher, and then when He sees that faith has
gained considerable ground in him , and ardour has once again
fired his bosom , he shews to him for a moment- a brief
moment-His Bishaya rupa, or the Universal Form -in which
are centred all laws and relations, all causes and conse
quences, the best affections of the best men, the ceaseless
cycle of existence, the lily peace and solar splendour of the
spiritual heavens, the wealth and splendour of the material
universe together with the destruction of the entire army of
Durjadhana or Primary Lust. The penitent són looks dazed
for a while. His eyes are dazzled , his ears enchanted, his
senses paralized as was in the instance of Arjuna. He prays
to the Lord to shut the scene which he can no longer hold
within himself, and begs that he may talk to him as friend,
embrace him as father, instructor and guide. The Lord smiles
an affectionate smile and becomes again his charioteer. The
scene vanishes as a dream-an enchantment of a master
magician in which all that was ideal, all that was terrestrial,
all that was terrific, all that was serene, all that was celestial
and sweet, and all that was glorious and great, blinded in
the wisest and happiest harmony. His vision was gone, but it
left its remembrances behind - He falls on his knees and
prays. The Lord kindly assures him that all that he saw was
real, but it was the Prakriti (the material) that drew the veil.
Having vouchsafed to the believer and sincere glimpses of
Immortal Life, he describes to him the Yogas by which he is
to attain it. Such is to me the sum and substance of the im .
mortal Gita. We shall now see what these Yogas are and
what spiritual wealth is contained in them.
The saying “ read Homer and read no more," applies so
aptly to the Holy Gita ; for it does not only contain in a con
cise form the best thoughts of the best thinkers from Manu
and Kapila downwards, but it has in its own individual lines,
" a museum of thoughts”, as has been said by Professor Sir
 ( 97 )

Monler Williams, beginning from the social and moral duties

of man and stretching high onwards as far as God. The
entire book is divided into eighteen sections, which, with the
exception of the first and the eleventh, deal exclusively with
different kinds of Yogas, a detailed list of which is given be
low in a concise form :
Section 2 deals with Sankhya Yogá - according to
which the spirit remains untouched and unaffected
through all physical ard outward changes in life.
Section 3 deals with Karma Yogá, i.e., according to the
nature of the work a man does in his life- time, he
lays ths foundation of his spiritual life .
Section 4 deals with jnan Yogá, i. e. according to indivi
dual cultivation of jnan or spiritual knowledge, a
man is to see the excellence of his spiritual life to
come.

Section 5 deals with Sonyasá Yogá under which a man

should surrender himself in good and evil , in pleasure
and plain, in every action of his life from walking and
smiling, to the most solemn and sacred discharge of
his duties, to the Lord.
Section 6 deals with Dhayaná Yogá, or meditation-a
Yoga by which the mind is to be directed undistur
bedly to the Lord. The man who does this never
loses sight of the Lord, and the Lord never loses sight
of him as has been pointedly mentioned in the
Gita.
Section 7 deals with Bijnan Yogá by which Pará and
Aprrá, i. e., God and matter are known.
Section 8 deals with Tarak Bramha Yoga on the Yoga
by which a dying man is enabled to think of God as
his only Saviour.
Sections 9 and to deal with the questions in regard to the attainment
of psychic powers.
Section 12 deals with Bhulcti Yoga or the love of God .
13
 :

ř 98 ·

Section 13 deals with Purusa Prakriti Bibnug loga whereby the dis
tinction between matter and spirit and the powers of the
latter over the former are to be known .
Section 14 deals with jnnutroya Bibhag Yogá, by which the three
states, Sutwr, Ruju and Tama, or Progress, Balance and Des
truction, work physically as well as spiritually for the good of all.
Section 15 deals with Purusatom Yoga by which God is to be known
as the Best and the Highest Being.
Section 16 deals with Dyvasura Sampati Bibhag Yogú by which
the qualifications of the Devatas and Ashuras are distin
guished .
Section 17 deals with Srudhatraya Bibhag Yogá by which the three
kinds of love, Swatik, Rajashik and Tamashik are distin
guished .
Section 18 deals with Muksha Yogá or the yoga of salvation.
What we call pleasure and what we call plain , what we call
wealth and what we call poverty, what we call health and
what we call disease, what we call relation and what we call
friend, what we call beauty and what we call ugliness, are
but relations of life ( purport of sloka 14, section II). They
come with life, and cease when life ceases. The spirit alone
is eternal, and constant amidst earthly changes (purport of
slokas 18 and 25 ) ; for it had existed before life and shall
exist after it. A man of sense should not pine or lose heart
for what is temporary and transitory (purport of sloka 27) ,
He should not mourn for what seems to be a temporary loss
or sacrifice. That which is a temporary loss may be often
a gain on the side of the eternal. If the external senses are
shut up for a while, the internal ones would be exalted. If
the temptations of flesh are sacrificed from a sense of duty
at the altar of Justice, a bright godly feeling - the feeling of
love for all creatures alike, would instantly arise out of the
sacrifice to make the man eternally happy. The Astronomers
tell us that " at the time of the lunar eclipse the shadow which
the earth casts on the moon is always circular, and nothing
but a sphere can give such shadow on all sides. ” We say
here likewise, that if a cause be not dual , to what are we to

1
 ( 99 )
ascribe the duality of consequence ? If the flesh and the
spirit had been one and the same thing in man , what would
have pleased the senses, would have invariably pleased the
spirit also ; but as a fact it does not .
The most thoughtless reprobate and the hardened thief
cannot do without a compunction those acts against morality
which contribute to them temporary and seeming happiness.
Patent, therefore, as the fact is, that the Atma (soul) is
separate from the body, some men , says the Gita,view it with
wonder, some hear of it with wonder, some speak of it with
wonder, and there are yet some who cannot understand what
they hear (sloka 29). Such is the purport of the Sunkhya
Yoga. Then as the dawn opens into day, the bud opens into
flower, the Sunkhya Yoga opens into the grand Hindu
doctrine of Karmá now seriously enquired by the thinkers
of the West. If, as we have said before, the outward or
accidental circumstances of life do not affect the spirit, the
work a man does in his life -tiine does it. Ugliness or beauty,
wealth or poverty, &c. , does not alter the inner man ; for
could it act otherwise, the poor and the ugly would never
have risen to greatness, and in some instances commanded
the admiration of the world ; but an unjust action by whom
soever done, if done consciously taints the soul and makes
it unhappy until the fire of penance removes the taint.
Instances after instances we have both read and heard of
person's, who having done some serious injury to their neigh
bours in the hey-day of their lives, and in the height of their
power were so uneasy, so unhappy, as to give up everything
they had on their death-bed to hear one word -- the word
'forgiveness' from the lips of the injured. So far, therefore,
as the statement is concerned that an unjust or an immoral
action taints the soul, all nations agree without division. But
the author of the Gita and the Bhagbat thought more on the
subject of Karma and seems to have realised more. He says
that actions good and bad done in life, go to build up the
 ( 100 )

spiritual form of a man . The form is either celestial, etherial

or earthy, resplendant, bright or dark according to the nature
of the work done. As a Jalawka (leech) does not leave one
support until it gets another, the soul does not leave the
earthly body till the spiritual one is ready to receive it. It
has been said by the Rev. L. J. A. Alexander Stern that “ we
have laid it down above as a fundamental truth that the
human soul is immaterial, because we do not see it when it
leaves the body ; but we are not to conclude that being im
material , the disembodied soul can under no circumstance
make itself visible. It will be acknowledged that the soul
is not merely a power, but a substance, and that it therefore
requires an organization suited to the spiritual world. If the
soul on leaving body, had no organization, no shape, no cover,
it would be difficult to conceive how it could escape being
dissolved and swallowed up by the ocean of universal life.”
Yes, the soul has an organization suited to the spiritual world ,
and, that, so to speak, every muscle and every tissue of that
organization is, according to the Hindu doctrine of Karma,
to be made of a man's work , good or bad. In these days
of science when every thought, every sound, is said to have a
material entity, it is not difficult to conceive that every en
nobling or every debasing impulse or feeling that actuates
a man to do a generous or a selfish act, would have an entity
of its own . And then by the law of homogeneousness,
that universal law which rules alike the material and the
spiritual universe, such entities form for the spirit an envelope
called peresprit to distinguish it from another. Of virtue, or
of every act of self- sacrifice it has been said in the Gita that
it is so powerful a factor even in this life, that it saves a man
from the greatest of terrors (last line of sloka 40 ). Yet
Karma which gives to every man his wishes — to the business
man his material prosperity, to the yogi his powers, to the
spiritual his transcendal virtues, is too poor and too trifting
a thing for him who only seeks the Lord and lives in Him
 ( 101 )

(purport of sloka 49). In poverty or in wealth, in sadness

or in happiness, in good and in evil, he who does his work in
a spirit of absolute resignation to the will of the Lord and looks
not forward for reward, 01 punishment, neither good nor evil
touches him . He is not for the land of saints or gods,
he is a Saved Spirit (purport of slokas 51, 55 , and 56 of
section II ). How difficult then it is for one to be saved !
One must be a god on earth to be with God after death.
Thus absolute resignation is another phase of a man's
boundless love for God. That resignation which is born of
terror or of extreme sorrow at one time is not an absolute - a.
life -long resignation , which may pass away at the first advent
of material prosperity or when the cause of terror ceases to
exist. In order, therefore, to be absolute, the resignation
must be full, and must be based on love that is endless. That
such love does not or cannot possibly exist on earth, we are
not prepared to say. We sometimes see it in man and often
in woman, who having once given the wealth of her affection
to her lord, resigns herself without a murmur or a groan to all
the sufferings which in adverse circumstance such a love
entails on her. Conjugal love has been sung as the highest
form of love in the Bhagbat by the author of the Gita. It is
not merely a union of lips with lips, of eyes with eyes, of
ears with ears, of mind with mind, but of spirit with spirit. It
is like the geometric union of straight lines which cannot
coincide in part without coinciding altogether. If nothing in
external nature is abrupt, it is not so in human nature. The
early love of childhood for mother ; the boyhood's love for
associates, brothers and sisters ; the romantic love of youth
for a partner, the serene love of manhood for abstract things
truth, justice, wisdom, virtue &c., serve to form an asceding
scale as it were from the concrete to the abstract, till it reaches
the highest ideal of human aspiration -- the love of God, which
is the last resting place in age. As the highest development of
Karma is therefore the abstract love of God , the highest deve
 ( 102 ).

lopment of that love is so to speak, the love for the sake of love
- the eternity of love ; but Bashana or wish which both pre
cedes and follows a Karmá or action of a man , gravitates him
to the earth. Wealth, honour, fame, wisdom though very laud
able as objects of aspiration , have their gravitating force to
bring a spirit down to the earth. It is only when such things
come in the usual way, in the simple discharge of duties, and
leave no mark on the soul behind, that they are not spiritu
ally baneful. It is then that they instead of doing any harm
to the spirit, serve to augment the wealth of its love, like
vanquished enemies turned to sycophants. - Well has the Gita
sung the true wisdom in the following four immortal lines of
sloka 69, section II , famous alike for loftiness of thoughts and
tenderness of verse.
" Ja nisa sarba Bhutanam
Tashyam Jagarti somjami.
Jasyam Jagarti Bhutani
Sa nisa posyato munai.”
Here is the distinction made between the worldly and the
spiritual. Herein is marked the bi -coloured line which sepa
rates the material from the spiritual , the Karmá of man being
that line. The worldly man in this life sleeps as in midnight
over his spiritual interests, while he is wide awake as in mid
day to the interests of his flesh . The Munis do otherwise..
Neither " the gaze of a hundred drawing-rooms, nor the ap
plause of the applauded men, nor the love of the loveliest wo
men ," estranges him from his duties and his God. He sleeps
here over the temptations of his flesh to wake to healthier
life and action after death. But as the most valuable jewels
are worthless in darkness, the light of the spiritual lamp
within is necessary to shew the true worth of a man , and as
all lights are borrowed from the Sun, the Jnan and Bijnan
yoga are to be studied together to know Pará (God) and
Apara' (the material universe) in relation to one's own Jnan
or knowledge of himself.
 ( 103 )

Thus in order to know himself, a man is to know the rela

tion he bears to the inanimate and animate worlds, and then
to trace himself, his Karmà, the inanimate and the animate
to one source, God. Our process of reasoning here leads us
th the solution of a problem in spiritual geometry similar to
Proposition XII in the first book of Euclid. The Proposi
tion is as follows :
“ Draw a straight line perpendicular to a given straight
line of an unlimited length from a given point without it.

ki
S, d s'
a

Let ss' be the given straight line which miay be produced

to any length both ways, and let p be the point without it, it
is required to draw from the point p a straight line perpendi
cular to ss',
Now for the solution of the problem , it is necessary to
take a point a (apará) on the other side of ss' (the soul) un
limited on both ways, and from the centre pa ( Pará, i.e., God)
at the distance p. a . ( Para' and Apara') describe the circle of
Maya-meeting ss', at 1 and d , the two points life and
death, which make ss' finite for a time, and then bisect ss',
at k (Karma ), and lastly join pl, pd and pk, i.e., Parà
with life, Parà with death, and Parà with Karmà, making pk
the common line to the two triangles, which means our duties
in respect to ourselves and all created beings and those in
respect to our spiritual life, in equal degrees on both sides ;
otherwise, the line kp cannot be a perpendicular line. It
follows that the man who does his duties both as a natural
and a spiritual being without attaching any undue importance
either side, and keeping his view straight up to God , is,
O.E.F. a Saved Spirit ; and hence neither the ascetic nor the
sensual , nor the one who hopes for a reward for his work can
 ( 104 )

go to God -- the Lord Himself says in the Gita (sloka 16

Sanyasa yoga) " those who place their faith firmly on Me,
those who see Me in their soul, those who bind Me with strong
attachment, those who consider Me as their support are sin .
less and they only attain Me.
I now pass on to Bhakti yoga which, I think, will be better
appreciated, as experience* has shewn me, than other yogas.
The subject of yoga is spiritual love.
In the year 1832 there took place a great revival of reli
gion in America. The author of the “ spiritual wives “ thus
speaks of it.” “ The Pauline Church- professing to have been
founded on a series of visions, intimations, and internal move
ments of the spirit, taught the doctrine that man may attain
to the perfect state, in which he shall be cleansed from sin
and made incapable of sin . "
“ The doctrine openly avowed was that with the old world
which was then passing away, would go all legal bonds and
right : that old ties were about to become loosened, and old
associations to end : including those of prince and leage, of
cleric and layman, of parent and child, of husband and wife :
these old rights were to be replaced by new ones. A king
dom of heaven was at hand ; and in that kingdom of heaven
every man was to be happy in his choice. And it was not
only right, but prudent, to prepare betimes for that higher
state of conjugal bliss. The doctrine taught in the privacy of
the love feast and the prayer meeting was, that all the
arrangements for a life in heaven may be made on earth ;
that spiritual friendships may be formed , and spiritual bonds
contracted, valid for eternity, in the chapel and the camp.
*
The people began to debate whether the old
marriage vows would or would not be valid in the new heaven
and the new earth. “ When a man becomes conscious that his

* The publication of any leaflet on Hata Yoga on the 30th September 1890.
 ( 105 )

16 soul is saved ," says Noyes, " the first thing that he sets about
Le, is to find his Paradise and his Eve."
g As a consequence, " a mob of lasses began to dream
. dreams, to interpret visions, directed against love and marriage".
In our days, about three years ago, the question of natural
er mates was raised, if I remember rightly, by a married lady in
England, repudiating at the same time the existing system of
marriage. The subject was much discussed in Calcutta and
Mofussil papers .
5 The subject is, however, not a new one. It exists still as
an old tradition among the Gothic nations. Swedenburg
called it “ celestial affinity," and the great poet Goethe gave it
the name of Natural Affinity.
In India in ancient days a great work (Bhagbat) was de
voted chiefly to the solution of the question of spiritual marri.
age. We will now discuss the subject both in the light of ancient
and modern views, and leave the issue to our readers to judge.
The Pauline spiritualists of New York advocated free
love ' and seraphic kisses ' among all men and women.
Swedenburg held that “ without perfect marriage, there could
1

be no perfect rest for either men or women even in heaven.”

Goethe on the other hand illustrated his theory of Natural
Affinity by a story in which he made the hero Werther find
his natural affinity in Charlotte, who became shortly after the
wife of another. As he had therefore no hope of her on earth,
he hoped that according to the law of organisation " she
would be his after death .
It now remains for me to explain the views of the author
of the Gita and the Bhagbat on the subject, which he com
presses in the two lines quoted below :--
मद्गुणश्वति मावेन मयि सबगुहाश्य ।
मनोगति रविच्छिना यथा गाङ्गाम्भ सोहम्बुधौ ।।
· Modgund Sruti Matrainà Mai Surba Guhosayai,
Managatirabichinna Jutha Gangambha-sa -ambudhowi
14
 1
( 100 )

ie, at the instant My attributes are heard , I who am in the

heart of heart of all , the current of the mind flows to Me un
ceasingly as a river goes to the ocean .
We have given above the literal translation of the two re
markable lines. We will now try to analyse them to the best
of our ability. It is a fact when we say, that we know all
things by their attributes, we classify them by their attributes,
we distinguish them from one another by their attributes, and
we sometimes love some of them for their attributes. Our
power of appreciation preceeds our love of a thing or things.
This power of appreciation is often an algebraic quantity in
us. We cannot often readily say why we appreciate certain
objects and why we do not , until we calmly sit down to analyze
our own nature ; and even then we sometimes do not get
satisfactory answer. We appreciate a rose, a sunset from a
particular locality, a brook and at times even a hurricane, and
when we calmly question ourselves why we do so , we say that
they are probably in harmony with our own nature. Then ,
again , when one loves a woman , one cannot often get a satis
factory answer when he asks himself why he loves her ; but
that he loves her is nevertheless a fact, and that he is so
mightily attracted to her that he cannot live without her, is
also a fact. It might be the grace of her movement, the turn
of her nose, the beauty of her eyes or of her nature, and then
when he questions himself why he loves her particularly in
preference to thousand other woinen having the saine beauty
he cannot give a satisfactory answer. The attraction remains.
a mystery to him, and continues to bind him for a time, and
sometimes for a very great length of time until the cause of
attraction ceases to exist, or he is satiated with the object of
his attraction, or the cause of attraction is replaced by another
superior cause ; and then he moves towards another, and then
another and another. The reason is that human nature is
susceptible of changes. The changes are worked by reading,
observations and associations - sometimes a trifling event, a
 ( 107 )

word , a gesture, a song, a dream , works unaccountably a total

change in a man and in his pursuits. Who has not , amongst
us present, heard of the story of the once rich Lala Babu of
pious memory, who one evening on hearing his grand child
say to him “ Grand-papa the day is past," left home for a her
mit life after setting aside a vast fortune for charitable insti :
tutions, and subsisted himself to the day of his death on one
meal a day as a medicant in the sacred city of Brindaban.
Victor Hugo, the great French poet and one of the best
observers of human nature, ' expressed almost an every day
truth, but nevertheless known to so few , when he said that
the partition between Heaven and Hell is so thin , that one
can pass from the one to the other without much delay. In :
deed such is often thc case. The worst criminal may, by a
sudden or unexpected turn of event be often an exemplary
man, and in point of devotion to God excel the best indivi
duals of his species, as did the two robbers Jagai and Madhai
in the days of Mahapravu Chaitanya. The author of the two
Sanskrit lines quoted above, gave expression to the same
great truth that we have been endeavouring to explain when
he said “ at the instant my attributes are heard. I who am
in the heart of heart of all the current of the mind flow's
unceasingly to Me." However trifling, however accidental;
however obscure, may be the cause, when Divine love is once
awakened in the heart of a man, he rises as if from a deep
protracted sleep to express almost exactly the same thoughts
if not the same words which' the great poet of England put
into the mouth of Adam :
These are thy glorious works, Parent of Good
Almighty, thine this universal frame
This wondrous fare. Thyself how wondrous , then ;
Unspeakeable ; He who sittest above these heavens,
To us invisible or dimly seen in these thy lowest works,
Yet thesedeclare thy goodness beyond thought
. And power Divine
: From such an over -powering feeling of admiration pro
 ( 108 )

ceeds a man's love of the Diety ; and then when once the
love is awakened , its stream fails not. Love often fails in
respect to an earthly object when the lover's admiration for
the object fails. Such an apprehension is not possible in
regard to one's admiration for God ; for inasmuch as an end
less existence, so to speak, is not even possible for the study
of His Glorious Creation, the study of Him who is the Source
is out of all reckoning. Then comes logically enough another
great truth which is more intimately connected with the
present subject. It is contained in the remaining portion of
the Sloka quoted above, namely, 'as a stream flows to the
ocean ' ( the word Gunga or Ganges in the text is meant for
any mighty river ). When a mighty river such as the Ganges
flows from its source, it is not unfrequently the case that it
has to contend with numberless obstacles on the way. Some
times it has to struggle upwards, sometimes it has to lose
itself among crevices of stones, sometimes it has to strike an
upland valley, &c. The stream of love similarly when once
awakened , has to contend with numberless obstacles on its
way ; but, at the same time, its waters are replenished as it
proceeds by countless springs and tributary streams to swell
it into a mighty river. The sneer of the common people,
the stern opposition of the sectarians, the subtle logic of the
refined atheists, the anomalous justice of the world, and above
all, the frequent adversities of life are the strong obstacles in
the course of faith . But, at the same time, the tender love
of an affectionate wife, the felial obedience of a dutiful son,
the holy affection of a kind parent, the sweet sympathies : of
true friends and associates, tend to swell the love of the soul for
God on its onward progress to Him. These sympathies of
life here so ' tender, so sweet, so "refreshing and holy, and
at the same time so ennobling that they give to one the
glimpses of higher and higher love of which the affections of
this life serve as initiative stages. The work ofearthly love is
to nourish the soul and to train it for the spiritual landswhere
 ( 109 )

abstract love predominates over concrete, as the concrete

predominates over abstract here. The pains of separation and
disappointments in love which Moore so touchingly describes
in the following lines
Ah ! even thus, from childhood's hour,
I've seen my fondest hopes decay ;
I never loved a tree or flower,
But 'twas first to fade away .
I never nursed a dear Gazelle,
To glad me with its soft black eye ,
But when it came to know me well
And love me, it was sure to die.
are ingrained in us like the thunders in clouds. They are
ordained to chasten and purify the soul, and teach man
at the same time that the objects of the earth however
adoreable they may appear for a time, are not the true
objects to blind the soul ; for had they been true, they
would have been constant, and had they been the best, they
would have satisfied all the cravings of the mind and heart.
They are however by no means worthless, they have their
missions -their sacred missions—to shew how sweet and how
divine is love, and when this mission is fulfilled, they pass
away. in infinite space and time, leaving the godly feeling
behind to hanker after something better and still better -- to
look up from earthy. to etherial, from etherial to celestial and
from celestial to divine, and thus until the Purná Purasa (the
whole Being ,) is reached , the soul is not supremely happy.
We shall presently see this in our discussions about the next
Yoga.
I now come to Maksha yaga, or the yoga of salvation .
The word salvation according to Christian theology is " the
redemption of man from the bondage of sin and liability to
eternal death and the conferring on him everlasting happiness"
-a view not much in consonance with the view . taken by the
ancient philosophic Hindus. The Hindu idea of salvation
 TTO )

is again diametrically opposed to the view of the same taken

by Budha, which is synonymous with total extinction of all
pains -- a mere passive state without any active self-hood in
it. According to the text quoted below
Muktirhiwanatha rupam Surupainá bavasthiti..
Mukti or Salvation means, to exist in the true state.
To explain the text it will be necessary for me at first to
define clearly the five Koshas or receptacles of the soul
spoken of in the Vedanta. They are
1. Annomoyá koshá or the receptacle of bread.
2. Pranmoyá koshá or the receptacle of life.
3. Monomoyá koshá or the receptacle of mind.
4.
Jnanamoyá koshá or the receptacle of knowledge .
Bijnanmoyá koshá or the receptacle of divine knowledge ,
5. Annodámoyá koshá or the receptacle of joy.
The Koshas are generally the principal stages through
which the soul has to pass before attaining the “ True State . "
but each Koshá has again various substages for the gradual
developments of the soul. The first stage* is the existence
in heavy body which subsists on bread. The stage immediate
ly after death is ordinarily an earthy existence on air within
about 5 miles from the surface of the earth. It is an exis ,
tence merely , the soul hovering over earth and hankering
after higher life - a life it has then no more idea of than what
we generally have of the one after death. Then commences
the Etherial existence - an existence in which the powers of
the mind expand rapidly to enable each individual soul to be
conversant with the objects of nature and the laws by which
they are governed till it reaches the Sun from which com
mences the existence* of wisdom or of higher knowledge.
1. Bhur -loká The Earth
2. Bhuwar-loká The space between the Earth
and the Sun.

We quote here the seven lokås or regions of the Hindus which are intimately con
Dected with the five stages spoken above. .
 ( 11 )
3. Swar -loká The heaven of Indra , the space be
tween the Sun and the Pole- star.
4. Mahar-loká
The abode of saints and the
5. Juna-loká Devatas .
6. Tapa-loa
7. Saty- loká The abode of Brahma.
It is here in the sun) that intelligences of higher orders.
" enrobbed in etherial bodies such as we cannot understand
revel in the developement of the lower forces at will - electri
city, light, magnetism , dynamic force," & c. The soul remains
in the sun and the space between the sun and the polc star for
ages, and then passes to the existence of divine knowledge in
the Mahá, Janá, and Tapa Lok'as, the abodes of very high
spirits, where in deep meditation they acquire the quintessence
ofall knowledge, the knowledge of the Supreme. The soul up
to these regions can re-incarnate for the good of the worlds
beneath , such as, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, &c. The re
incarnations are called Avatars. Avatars take place accord- ;
ding to the necessities of the worlds, and are not confined to
the development of one department of knowledge only. A
Newton, a Shakespeare, a Kalidas, a Lebeig and a Laplace
are as much Avatars as all great religious Teachers. Their
short sojourns to the worlds beneath are not only attended
with revelations of the laws of nature, but of the ways of
God. They go back to their realms when their missions of
love and duty are accomplished .
Last comes the existence of love in the realms of truth
(Satya Lok'a) where knowledge true and love divine dwell in
eternal marriage. This existence is the True State or the
salvation of the soul .
It will be seen from the above, that the true state of the
soul is by the eternal laws of Heaven to be preceded by the
full development of all its faculties, whether for the acqusia
tion of knowledge or power, or capacity for enjoyments. We
see in this world that our appreciation of beauty in a concrete
object speaks of the inborn capacity in us for love ; and our
 ( 112 )

desire for enjoyment of the object of our love, speaks at the

same time of the existence of an inate capacity in us for en
joyment of a state of happiness in connection with the object
of our love. And although the two capacities are awakened
at the first sight of the object of our love, the real love does
not commence, till our knowledge in respect to the object is
not sufficiently in our possession. We love best when we
know best. Indeed, our love of an object pre-supposes our
intimacy with it ; and hence the more we know it, the better
we love it. Our love of the Infinite Being must accordingly
be preceded by the gradual expansion of our knowledge, and
inasmuch as a finite existence or a series of spiritual ex- :
istences even are not possible to know Him, the attainment
of the true state, must according to fixed laws be the work of
tiine. Such a work must have a beginning, and that begin
ning should be from here ; for we have seen before that the
excellence of our future life depends on the excellence of our
work in this world and of the heart that dictates the work .
The Heaven has in His Mercy spread the glad tidings
through the best teachers that even the poorest, the mean
est and wickedest spirits shall one day be happy in the
splendours of His kingdom and in the sweetness of His
1
infinite love ; and though infinite and apparently unknow
ablé; He is often infinite and apparently unknowable,
to those who love Him best and live in Him . The chord
of love if it could be once laid between the foot of the
throne of the Almighty and the faithful heart of the worship
per, all distance of time and space would be annihilated.
That which is ordinarily a york of countless ages is neverthe
less the work of short time as was in the instance of Dhrub'a.
The true state of the soul of His loving and faithful worship
per begins on earth ere this life is past. To him ( as sung in
the Vedic Mantra with a slight modification of tense. )
“ Madhubata ritayatai, Madhu kshranti
Sindhubá - Madhirna Santoshadi,
 ( 113 )

" Madhu nakto mutoshas'a, Madhumath

Parthibang raj'a, Madhudow rastanapit'a
Madhuman'a banaspati.
“ Madhuman astu Surj'a, Madhirghava
" Bhavantuna - Madhu - Madhu Madhu .
sweet blow the winds, the oceans drop nectar. Sweet are the
herbs of the earth and sweet the nights and days. Sweet is
every particle of earth and sweet is heaven and sweet the
Pitriloka ' Sweet is Soma' (a plant). Sweet is the Sun and
sweet the milk - Sweet --Sweet Sweet.

LECTURE-V.
THE RAJ OR SPIRITUAL YOGA OF THE HINDUS.*

A lecture, delivered at the First Annual Meeting of the Sri Chaitanya

Yoga Sadhan Samaj, on the 28th March, 1892.
[ IN September, 1890 , I published a leaflet on Hata Yoga, showing
some of the exercises of body and breath, which a young Yogi has to
perforın before aspiring to Raj or the highest spiritual yoga with a view
to gain a control over his body ; and at the same time to secure an
immunity from diseases. The paper was variously commented on by the
Press in England under the impression that the yoga system of the Hindus
consisted principally of certain exercises only. On the 13th December
· last, while speaking on the subject of yoga at the initial meeting of this
Somaj, I said that the entire yoga system of the Hindus was the science
of the whole man - man physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual, and
promised to take an early opportunity to show that such was the fact.
In this discourse, I have attempted to fulfil that promise. How far I
have succeeded, it is for the public to judge. ]
(
Patanjal Yoga philosophy," delivered
In my lecture on
at a meeting of the Calcutta Psycho- Religious Society in
1889, I endeavoured to explain as fully as I could what was
• The paper has been dedicated, by permission, to the Hon'ble Sir Alexander Miller, Kt., Q.
C., for the very kind interest he has taken in the Somaj .

15
 ( 114 )

meant by yoga spiritual and defined its various stages from

Sangjam of Chitta to Kaybalya, i. e ., from the elementary
concentration of mind to the highest form of beatific abstrac
tion . I also at the same time dwelt, as much as I could , from
personal knowledge, on the possibility of the attainment
of divers powers attainable by yoga. In the present dis
course, it is my intention to show to you the ways by which
they are to be attained. The text of my former discourse
was Patanjal Darsan. The text of my present lecture is
Siva Samhita.
It is necessary for me to state here, without the risk of either
presumption or egotism, that although there had been,
previous to the publication of my lecture on “ Patanjal Yoga
Philosophy ,” many excellent translations of the original
work, both in Bengali and English, by eminent men, yet
neither the text nor its translations could give any clear idea
of the subject. The reason was that so practical and
scientific a subject as yoga could hardly be expected to be
made clear by simple explanations of the constructions of
sentences of the text, and that the experiences of a Yogi
could be conceived and described by an inexperienced
translator or an annotator, specially at a time as the present,
when all vestiges of yoga spiritual have almost vanished, even
from the land of it birth. One may as well fancy, himself
able to read and understand some propositions of geometry
without the definitions, postulates and axioms. The texts,
as they are, furnish one with the literature of yoga. As for
practical knowledge, it depends on the education that one
receives from his teacher, or the way in which one, having ·
an intense desire, manages to learn from hints, given here
and there, in the absence of a practical teacher.
The physical man subjugates the beasts of the forests,
clothes himself in silk and satin, rides in ships and steamers
over water, reads and understands some pages of the great
Book of Nature, and exclaims in pride that he is the Lord
 ( 115 )

of the earth. But he forgets in a moment of weakness that

he has as yet no dominion over water, fire and air. He
forgets that a tornado or an earthquake can destroy the Eiffel
Tower of his glory or his strongest battlements ; that a fit
of apoplexy can wither his powerful frame, and leave him a
shaking ruin. He forgets, while he sits over the banquet
of his folly, that there under the table is spread the hideous
vulture claw of misfortune waiting for its time to seize upon
him, and lead him to a prison or an early grave.
The spiritual man knows the weakness of his physical
namesake, and in true brotherly love teaches him not only
to look with an equal eye of indifference on the fortunes
and misfortunes of this life, the fame and calumnies of the
world , the favour and disfavour of kings and potentates ;
but to know how to train himself to withstand the rigours
of climate ; and, in advanced stages, to bring even the elements
under his control. He teaches him also to conquer himself
and sin , and thereby enable him to conquer diseases and
other ills of life. And while he does all these for his physi
cal counterpart, he exerts to conquer for himself illusions.
Then, when this noble work is done, he passes on from
sphere to sphere -- from sun to sun, his hand grasping the torch
of Truth, his heart bearing the cup of love. And as he progress
es, the torch glows brighter and brighter, the cup overflows
more rapidly till he reaches the fountain , and then his
language fails, his eyes overflow as he lisps out " Father,
Father how could I have lived so long - without Thce ?"
" Come my son ,” says the Heavenly Father " come unto Me
and be one with Me. ” In human language, this is called
Salvation . In the language of yoga it is called Reconc:
liation .
Forget the above, O my soul ! Forget the scene which no
language can describe. Forget and come back to earth -- to
duty come, and open a scene -- to be borrowed from Alef
Lyla , the Thousand and One Nights -- the scene of the En
 ( 116 )

chanted Castle. It is a castle with a hundred doors ; each

door opening into a treasury, and containing more riches than
the riches of the kingdoms of earth. Such is, indeed, the
enchanted castle of yoga with a hundred doors, each opening
into a treasury. Whatever the intellectual, moral and spiri
tual man hopes, whatever he loves wishes or wills, are to be
found in thus enchanted castle.
I have said before that the enchanted castle of yoga has
a hundred doors. Each door is furnished with a lock and
key of its own ; but there is nevertheless a master-key which
opens all the doors. The spiritists may have got a key or
two, the jugglers two or three the mesmerists one or two,
but the master-key- the key which opens all the doors is
still in India
It is not strange that a castle so ancient and rich should
have a legend. Yes, it has one, and an interesting one too.
It is said that in mercy to the human race, the Lord once
took the human form -- the form of Yogeswara Mahadeva
to teach spiritual yoga to mankind. He constructed this
enchanted castle, and placed it in India—that unique land,
the land of lands on earth, the epitome of the whole world.
With a view to divide the two worlds, the material and the
spiritual, the Lord of Yoga willed that Rishi Kasyapa would
have two sons by his two wives, Aditi and Diti, the progeni
tors of the Aryan race. From the son of Aditi sprang the
Indians. The other Aryan races sprang from the son of Diti.
The Indians, as willed by the Lord, looked principally to
their spiritual requirements, disregarding all material pros
perity, and in course of time became subjects to the sons of
Diti. While all that makes life agreeable—all that feeds the
the ambition and pride of man, came into the grasp of the
descendants of the son of Diti, the descendants of the son of
Aditi chiefly held the enchanted castle. History shows, so far
as it could show of the ancient days, that Rishi Jajnabulkya
first took possession of the castle, and showed all its mys
 ( 117 )

teries, wealth and glory to his followers. After his death , it

came successively into the possession of Janaka, Bashishta,
Kapila, Patanjali, &c . Our researches show that the last ruler
of the castle was Sri Chaitanya, who died about 400 years
ago. In the meantime, the descendants of the son of Diti,
moved by constant reports of its fabulous wealth, sent from
time to time, men whom they thought competent to find its
whereabouts. One man after another came, each read its
accounts, took notes, made inquiries, and submitted reports.
Some believed, some disbelieved its existence. The majority
shared the disbelief, drank their customary ale, lighted their
pipes to give rest to their laboured brains, and sang in derision
the well-known German fox -song :
“ What comes there from the hill ?
What comes there from the hill ?
What comes there from the leathery hill ?
Sa ! Sa !
Leathery hill !
What comes there from the hill ?
It is a postillion !
It is a postillion !
It is a leathery postillion !
What brings the postillion ?
He bringeth us a fox !
He bringeth us a fox !
He bringeth us a leathery fox !
Sa ! Sa !
Leathery fox !
He bringeth us a fox !
As much as to say that the castle is a canard ! Yet the
popular belief is that the enchanted castle exists. Whenever
anything strange or mysterious , happens in the West, for
which no sufficient explanation is forthcoming, it is referred
to the East. But the East of the present day is ten times
worse in matters of spiritual inquiry than the Modern West.
 1

( 118 )

There is a spirit of inquiry, a sufficient amount of candour,

a real love of knowledge in the West, which are rarely to be
found in the East. If the East at present shows any desire
for knowledge, it is in eight cases out of ten, influenced by
monetary consideration. To speak generally, the East is
now a copy of the West—a copy spoiled and disfigured by
touches of selfishness and vanity. Moreover, go where you
will, one monotonous, painful sight shall meet your eye.
The Shastra is read and explained everywhere with the help
of Panini (grammar) only. The spirit of independent
inquiry, which once ennobled India, is gone. Yet there had
been once, in the days of Sri Chaitanya, an intellectual
awakening in the Eastern Districts of India. It was like
short snmmer in the Himalayas, bursting forth in splendour
and plenty after a long winter of frost and snow ; and then
the East showed for a time the wealth of her intellect. That
wealth, of which I may have occasion to speak hereafter, is
now confined to the Goswamis, and is a scaled treasure alike
to the East and West.
But the castle--the enchanted castle, where is it to be
found ? An echo seems to say 'in man.' Is it in the leathery
man, asks the West ? No, says the East. It is the Hallelujah
of the ancient Rishis, singing the truths through their works.
Ages before Professor J. R. Buchanan, M. D. of Boston,
founded what he calls the science of sarcognomy, which has
justly gained for him the reputation of a sage, and ages
before Carus Sterne of Germany spoke of man as a micro
cosm, the Siva Samhita had spoken distirctly as human
language could speak, in the first five verses of Section II,
(Patala ii,) that man was the epitome of the universe ; and
in the fifth Patala (Section) had described six circles in the .

human body alluded to in my paper on " The Spirit Worship

of Ancient India ” -a diagram of diverse passions and their
currents, as the Meteorological chart of the world shows the
north and south-east trade winds, the polar calms and calms
 ( 119 )

of Cancer, and Capricorn , the region of the equitorial

doldrums. These regions of passions are earthy, liquid ,
fiery, airy and etherial. High above the beit of superficial
ether, and so to speak from the plateau of mind, as defined by
the Ancients, rises the grand edifices of the enchanted castle,
where human heart and human will in the light of superior
knowledge, and under the guidance of purer love, can make
a hell a heaven, an imposssibility possible. Let us here pause
awhile to put before our readers the plan and groundwork
of the castle. First in order, comes the belt of earth with its
attributes of smell, taste, form , touch and sound. Then
comes the belt of water with its artibutes of taste, form ,
touch and sound. Next to it is the belt of fire, [ Tej) with
its attributes of form , touch , and sound. Above it, is the
belt of air with its attributes of touch and sound, and, lastly,
the belt of superficial ether (Akash) with one attribute, sound
only. As a traveller rises from one belt to the other, he
loses one by one all the gravitating influences of the earth,
till nothing but sound remains. Then, if he has strength
and courage to rise, he comes to the region of mind in which
are left all the impressions of the regions he has left below.
Here commences the admirable colossal structure of the
enchanted castle of yoga. Here the sun of wisdom never
sets, nor the moon of love waxes and wanes. Hope blossoms
here under the immediate supervision of steady will. All
doubts and mysteries in regard to the castle are now over.
Its beauty, wealth and glory shine resplendant before the
eyes of the enchanted traveller. He sees his reflection in
one infinite mirror of eternal ether stretching out purer
and purer in endless gradations. He sees himself a new being
and breathes a new breath of existence. He sees the best
wisdom of the earth, the most subtle diplomacy, the dazzling
splendours of courts, the brightest victory in the field or cabi
net, the greatest discoveries with a smile. He looks below to
see the impression of all he thought, said and did, with a sigh.
 ( 120 )

But where are the hundred treasuries ? Yes, they are

here. A step above and these treasuries even are too trifling
to awaken any interest or curiosity. But the traveller has
not risen so far, and is new to the place. He wants to see
where the wealth of yoga, called the power to see distant
scenes and persons is placed. Where is again placed the
power, which reads the thoughts of other men and the power
to transform things at will, &c. ? We will try to answer these
questions or rather open some of thc treasuries as we pro
ceed .
The first and the most important thing for consideration
in the field of research is the Molecular theory of the Ancient
Rishi-Yogis, which advocates the Molecular perfection of
an individual man. There is not a subject grandeur for con.
templation than this theory of the ancient Hindus. For the
want of a proper advocate, for the want of a true understand
ing of the subject, it has all along been misunderstood and
misinterpreted. It was through misrepresentation that the
West was led to believe that the Rishis did actually consider
the earth, water, fire, air and akash as elements. Read the
Vedanta Darsan, the Darsan of Kapila and Patanjali with
intelligence, and say whether you find any sober allusions to
earth, water &c., as elementary bodies ? No, you cannot find
them, for this simple reason, then the entire harmony ofyoga
philosophy from beginning to end will be hopelessly and
utterly destroyed. They are called elements in the same
way as some days of the week are called Sunday, Monday,
&c. The true, and I may be permitted to say, the hidden
meaning of yoga is the Molecular perfection of an individual
miin . If the term yoga be once clearly understood, then its
theories would shine as eternal truths
" Looking radiantly bright over the tears of the world.”
The Molecular perfection of man, as advocated by Yoga,
cannot be attained all at once. Indeed, the term perfection
presupposes both time and exertion.
 ( 121 )

Ask a physician how long it would take to rebuild a

system reduced and ravaged by a long protracted malady,
and he would probably tell you, while prescribing some medi.
cine, that a change of scene, habits and diet for six months
or a year would be necessary. The Yoga Shastra enjoins
the same thing. It advocates too , change of scene, of habits,
of company, of the system and subjects of study and conver
sation, while it prescribes sincerity, abnegation and love of
mankind for a number of years as medicines, to cure one of
his earthliness with a view to bring back the sarup or the true
state of the soul ; and until this is done, no tangible improve
ment or expansion of its powers is possible.
Constituted as man is of matters both ponderable and im
ponderable (a classification though little observed at present,
yet we adoptit for the better elucidation of the subject), it is to
the imponderable that he owes all his finer forces. Accord
ing to the ancients he owes his bones, flesh , muscles, &c., to
the hypothetical earth, his form and colour to the hypotheti
cal fire, his sense of touch and taste to the hypothetical air
and water ; but he loves and hates, he wills and resolves by
the dynamic force of electricity, light, heat and magnetism
assisted by the intelligent principle in him called the soul.
Then again, as there are fixed locations of energies of matters
in the various parts of the body, such as the energy of earth
in the arms, of fire in the eyes, of water in the tongue, of air
in the fingers, there are fixed locations of moral forces in the
six regions of the body called the six circles. We give below
a comparative pictorial view of the locations of moral forces
as discovered by the ancients, or to speak more definitely as
mentioned in the Mahanirvan Tantra, and as discovered by
Professor Buchanon of Boston and Dr. Gall, the father of the
Science of Phrenology.
* * * *

The above comparative pictorial view of the moral forces

in man is of rare interest and value to every student of psy
16
 ( 122 )

chology, and shows without dispute that in studying man the

same results may be arrived anywhere, whether in India, in
America or any other country. Thus we account for the simi
larity of ideas in the writings of Goethe, Shakespeare and
Kalidas, and thus we venture to establish harmony between
Oriental and, Occidental psychology. In analysing the two
illustrations, ancient and modern , one cannot help being
struck with their general resemblance to one another, though
in examining the details we observe certain discrepancies.
Thus in the umbellical region where somnolence is the charac
teristic feature, we observe in the modern illustration “ Sensi
bility and disease." The Hindus here have, it appears,
descended to details, and have placed 'fear', ' sorrow', 'shame',
thirst, 'malice' and ' duplicity '. The location of thirst, how
ever, according to Dr. Gall, is immediately in front of“ des
tructiveness" on each side of the head. Rising higher to the
breast circle or the sternal region, we see a group of very
bright stars of the first magnitude, such as " hope', ' kind
ness', 'benevolence', ' philanthropy', ' love', ' energy', ' virtue'
&c. , encercling ' intellect' in the mordern illustration. In the
ancient we almost see the same with this difference that in
place of Harmony' on both sides of the Intellect' in the
modern illustration , we find . Argumentativeness'and 'Reason
ing' ; and , at the same time, we notice a serious omission in
the modern illustration, we mean the omission of a very
bright star by whose beneficent influenee we almost daily
cleanse ourselves of moral evils, we mean ' repentance', and
of somestars of malignant nature, such as ' vanity ', ' hypocricy'
and ' vacillation '. We notice also that'virtue' and ' religion',
the two essential helps in life have been placed by the anci
ents near the soft palate, where is also placed the living hap
piness of ' Self-abnegation'. In the throat or ' kantha' are
placed the seven notes by the ancients which are termed
either poison' or ' nectre' according as they are used in the
service of God and humanity or in their dis -service. Taking
 ( 123 )

leave here of Professor Buchanon and rising higher up to the

supra-ciliary ridge, the upper part of the frontal bone and the
interparietal space, we see ' sound', ' colour', ' form ', mirth ',
agreeableness', ' ideality ', 'meditation ', ' spirituality ', ' venera
tion', ' firmness ', ' kindness', affection ' &c. , in fact such of the
moral forces are requisite for a Yogi. No doubt, the symboli
cal head of the phrenologists contain more divisions than
those enumerated by the ancients, but then it must be admit
ted that they alluded to those only which were necessary for
yoga spiritual.
These locations of energies, whether intellectual, moral or
psychic in the different parts of a inan's body, show at a glance
the wonderful adaptation of his self to various influences,
external and internal ; and act as lateral and vertical forces in
keeping him well balanced in the world of beings and
in the struggles of his existence as well as in the stuggles
t

of his passions. To the Yogis they are the secret treasuries

of the enchanted castle. To show how they are, it will be
necessary for me here to speak a word about the five belts
mentioned before. They are, so to speak, the resolving stages
of the gross man from soild to liquid, from liquid to fiery,
from fiery to gaseous, and from gaseous to etherial and
upwards. The stages would appear imaginary to a modern
thinker, and so they are, but they are nevertheless of great
practical value to a Yogi in effecting marvellous changes in
his habits, mode of thinking &c. Moreover , the stages appear
to me to do the same as Nature does in almost all men either
daily or at intervals at the sight of a coffin , or of a scene of
harrowing distress or of moral degradation. The difference
between the two is, that while the Yogi goes through these
resolving stages voluntarily and at will, the worldly goes
through them only when prompted by nature. The thought
of the failings of humanity-the failings of his own self- the
unstability of fortune - the uncertainty of life and yet the hard
struggles for pomp and power, is always before a Yogi to melt
 ( 124 )

his heart. He prays for energy ( fire) to buoy him up and then
his heart becomes light and easy as air and his aspirations turn
1
Heavenward . By thus directing his mind frequently to
what is true and eternal, he acquires the power of abstraction
to reach the stage of mind, where commences the admirable
structure cf yoga.
‘Onward' says Nature -'Onward '-- says the Yogi. He
has now come to a new region altogether, the region of
Mind where the gravity of the earth and the dimensions
of earthly things no longer exist or exist only in impressions
previously acquired. A new ruler rules this region, whose
laws are his own. A Yogi arrived at this stage can see
a distant scene without the necessity of his going there.
He can also read the thoughts of other men ; and though
clogged, he soars from bounds to boundlessness. With
nature he is in perfect intimacy. He plans and distributes,
arranges and transforms things at will. He is a person whom
you cannot call 'a stranger at home ;' for he studies himself
thoroughly and well. If you ask how could he possibly see
a distant place, he will perhaps smile and say, " you sit, you
rise, you walk and jump, how do you do all these ? " " You
will probably say ", says he, that you resist the force of gravity
in doing the actions. "Well", says he " the Yogis do exactly
the same thing." " You ought to reason and find out, seeing
the rudiments of powers already in you and hoping legiti
mately for their expansion and development what prevents
you from doing so ? " The answer is, your own self - love
gravitates your soul to the body. Resist the gravity of this
love, and you are as free to send your soul to a distant scene
as you are to walk or run. We Yogis, he would add, have
been practising by Thought, Will and Action to ignore this
fatal love. You, on the contrary, love your body which you
blindly think to be yourself. We consider it as a temporary
dwelling for the soul on earth to fulfil a certain destiny.
Such a thought ruling in us by day and night gradually
 ( 125 )

frees the infinitc from the finite, and enables the soul to
visit distant scenes. To attain the power a person should
practise yoga for some time in order to know practically the
changes that his yoga may bring about. There will be
molecular changes in him in the course of about six months,
which will work corresponding changes in his habits. There
will be also a certain degree of expansion of the powers
of his mind. He will occasionally see his second self in
front of him at first to startle or terrify him ; but he will
soon know that the phantom is the index of his great future
success .

The Bibhuti or the power which reads the thought of

other men is still more difficult of attainment. " The earthly
body”, says Revd. Sterne, “ is more or less a mask, by
means of which we conceal from each other those thoughts,
which, if constantly exposed, would unfit us for living in com
munity. But when we die, this mask falls away, and the
truth shows nakedly." Well now, this mask or screen which
hides this thought, should be gradually removed. The ques.
tion now is, how is it to be done ? It is a fact known to
almost all, that the language of the soul is understood by the
soul. The husband understands the thoughts of his wife
as the wife does of her husband . The mother understands
the language of her infánt. The poor reads the face of the
benevolent as the benevolent does of the poor. But the
godly alone understands the thoughts of all. For him who
always sees the love of God in himself, and who sees himself
in all created beings, there is no difficulty for him to under
stand another not even a lower animal. Nearest to this
love are light, peace, and harmony. Away from it are
darkness, unrest and discord. The person who actually sees
himself in others, and feels for others, as he feels for himself,
is alone able to read the thoughts of others. Judging from
this standpoint, which is the true and philosophical stand
point, the professed thought-readers are more or less impos
 ( 126 )

ters, unless a very few of them are born with capacity to

read other's thoughts, and in such cases they are above
ordinary rules. I will give you an historical account from
the saintly life of Cure d'Ars as narrated by Dr. George
Wyld M. D.
“ He was born at Dardilly, a village near Lyons, 1876, and
died 1859 , aged 73 years.
“ He was simple, pure, loving and pious soul, and he set
himself literally to live the life of Christ, like a child.
" Poverty, continual self-denials, the absence of all self
indulgence, total self-abnigation , humility, untiring forgive
ness and charity , with continual prayer was his rule of life.
“ He became and was for twenty years a centre, attract
ing pilgrims from all quarters ; and it is asserted that from
fifty to eighty thousand were attracted to his remote village
annually, that they might see him, or confess their sins or
be healed of their diseases of body and mind.
“ He read the secrets of those who came for confession
and often told all before one word was confessed ; and at
other times pointed out the day and hour such sins were
committed.
“ At other times he could pick out of the waiting crowd
those who stood most in need of his assistance, and many
men of the world and sceptics were converted by a glance
of the eye, a look or a word.”
If the instance quoted above fail to convince any individual,
let him sit in a circle with a few of his own friends for about
an hour for a few successive nights, pledging to think during
the time of nothing else than Divine love. After sitting in
such a circle for three or four nights, there will come a time,
a very precious and interesting time, when all the sitters
will know each other more than they ever did in all their
lives, and will be able to detect, if there arise a discordant
thought in another, as if the rest have received a sudden
shock to make them stare at the offender.
 ( 127 )
1 I must now hurry on to open some other treasuries of
yoga.
On the subjects referred to above, I have dwelt chiefly
on the training of the Heart, I now wish to speak a word
also about the training of the Will. The treasuries of the
will are as varied and splendid as those of the heart. So
far as we know, there is ordinarily nothing which a man
cannot do, when he has a strong and steady will ; but the
Yogis say they can do more, for instance, change or transform
a thing We do transform things by the aid of our
knowledge, such as we turn rags into paper: but it is not the
chemical transformation that we are alluding to. It is the

material transformation for a while, for example milk into

tea. You ask is this possible ? The Yogis say, know the
process, and you will do it. A savage does not know how
to transform rags into paper, and he will not believe even
if he sees the transformation . But how does a civilised man
do it ? You will say that he knows the process. The Yogi
says, similarly, if you know the process, you will change or
rather make the milk appear as tea, which will smell and
taste as tea. The question, however, still remains how would
a Yogi do it, granting that he has the power to do it. The
Yogi says, increase your will power at first, steadily, gradu
ally every day, and then locate your will to the various seats
of energies according to requirements. If any one thinks
that singly he has not the power to do it, let him combine
with others and try. If you think of producing light in a
dark room , you will not succeed in a day or two, but if you
persevere you will succeed. Thus, instead of ascribing the
phenomena of 'light' 'strokes’ ‘soft. ringings' to spirit mani
festations and being on the wrong track, you should direct
your energies to experiments which are calculated to be of
very valuable practical benefit to you by developing your
latent power. You have a whole universe in yourself to
study. There is conservation of light in your eyes-of heat,
 ( 128 )

electricity and dynamic force in your entire system. There

is the power to focus distant sounds by your ears and to
focus scents by your nose, and then the power to produce
form to alter weight, to change or produce colour is located
within your brows. You have also a large number of moral
and intellectual powers to develope, drill and train for active
service. You have the faculty of marvellousness to open for
you the secret doors of hidden treasures of occult pheno
mena, the faculties of ideality, sublimnity and spirituality to
enable you to soar from the bounds of earth to immensities
of heavens. You take the Yogis for a set of idlers who do
nothing of any value whatever to benefit either themselves
or humanity. Such a notion is wrong. They have a whole
uriverse in themselves to study, an universe to meditate
upon. In early life they go through a regular training of
bodily exercises and exereises of breath, so that when
somewhat advanced in age, they gain sufficient control over
their body and mind. Then commences their intellectual
and moral training in which they are required to study Yoga
and religious books and also to practise self-abnegation, and
to develope and control the forces alluded to before under
the guidance of practical gurus or teachers. When this is
done, the Yogis are left to contemplate, to get as much truth
as they independently can. They serve humanity more than
the statesmen, &c. , do. The saints in all lands hold the
balance against the sin of society. Their unselfish prayer
uttered in child-like faith and simplicity for the forgiveness
of sins of brother men , reach the Throne of Mercy. There
is not in India a more ancient and historic city than Benares.
There is not a city in India, which is so full of filth and vices
as Benares. It is the den of idlers, of thieves and budmashes
of all descriptions. It is the Gretna-green of the Hindu
Society It is the refuge of the old, the infirm and the out
castes. Its daily vice is enormous. Its filth and want of
sanitation is indescribable . Judging by the rules of sanitation,
 ( 129 )

it should have been blotted out of the map of India. Such

a city as Benares cannot possibly exist. Yet it exists and
exists in the splendour of its ancient glory. The physical
atmosphere of the city is purified daily by incense and Homa
performed by numerous Sadhus, and its moral atmosphere
is purified by the prayers of thousands of devotees from
dawn to night. It is to this day the same historic city. It
is to the day the same cheapest city in India to live in. It is
truly called the City of Unnopurna or the goddes of Plenty.
The Yoga Sashtra enjoins a student to fix his gaze on
the spot between the two brows, and in higher stages to
turn the eyeballs upwards, so that they remain half disclosed
during meditation, Two objects are gained by the first
process, namely, the steady increase of will power and the
location of mind to the place, which is considered to be the
focus of all moral forces, called the seat of individuality.
Now the Yogis know that by such a location of will, they
gradually attain the power to create, modify, and transform
things. Mr. Crookes, the famous physicist, did alter weights
of things, and ascribed the alteration to the influence of
spirits. The Yogis say that they can do the same without :
the aid of any other spirit, save that of their own. As a
spiritist myself, I do not disbelieve what Mr. Crookes asserts.
Indeed, the partition between one's own advanced soul and
the soul of a dead man is very slight. Some time ago, I
heard from a very creditable source that a Yogi produced the
Mirage of a small lake with a goddess standing on a lotus.
In this case he materialized the image he had in his mind.
Materialization is too common a thing which even a few
uninitiated person having a strong will can do together. We
ourselves produced a sort of semi-luminous ball in a perfect
ly dark room ; and on my part I felt it. It was vapoury and
clammy as a dead man's body, which produced in me for a
time a very sickening sensation. We did so far and could
do no more .
17
 ( 130 )

It is said , that the Yogis in their very lonely retreats can

hear sweet sounds, or can smell sweet perfumes if they wish
very much for either or both. They do it by the process of
focussing. In our every day natural state we open our
selves simultaneously to all sorts of perceptions. The eyes
see sights, the ears here sounds. The air touches the body,
while the mind can think lightly at the same time. If
however, we can withdraw the mind from all external percep
tions and concentrate it on one particular organ , the cars for
instance, then the sounds occurring miles off can be focussed by
the ear, as the widespread sail of a ship when rendered concave
by a gentle breeze conducts sound from a very great distance.
of the most noted and most interesting of the powers
attainable by the exercise of Will is the power to make one's
own 'shadow' speak. The Yoga Shastra first enunciated the
process, which in course of time was perfected by the Tantriks
by experiments. The Psychical Society in Fngland is at
present seriously investigating this particular phenomenon ,
some noted instances of which I see are published by Mr.
Stead in the Xmas issue of his “ Review of Reviews. " The
phenomenon is called 'shadow ' in India. It is called the
'double' or 'thought-man' in the West. Call it by any name
you please, its objectivity remains undisputed. The process
by which the thought man' is to be separated, seen and
heard is as follows :
Stand with your back towards the early sun, facing your
own shadow and fix your gaze steadily on it, praying inwardly
at the time till the tears arise in your eyes, and then desist
from the trial for the day. Do it again the next day at
about the same time and so on day after day regularly, till
you see the shadow grow very bright and hear it speak. The
longest time fixed for success is six months. The experi
ments may be made in a lonely but at the same time a cheer
ful locality. They can be made at night in a solitary room
with a lamp kept burning behind.
 ' ( 131 )
It will be seen from the directions given that the injunc
tion to look at one's own shadow steadily, say for a minute
or two on the first day, and gradually increasing the power
up to 30 minutes, docs three - fold good to a Yogi. In the
first place, it strengths the eye-sight by looking at the
shadow . In the second place, it increases the will- power
steadily and imperceptively, and in the third place, it
increases the psychic powers by exposure to carly sun which
does not hurt a man. It at the same time stimulates a man
with hope to carry on the exeriments without a break. Nor
is the hope in any way delusive ; for as a student sees day by
day the successive stages of progress indicated in the Yoga
Shastra, his heart is impelled to see that his efforts are
crowned with success.
The services which the 'thought man' does are indeed
great. In prosperity or misfortune, in dangers or emer
gencies, in disease or in health, he is the best counsellor and
friend. Socrates had the services of his 'thought man'
almost all the days of his life. In India, among others,
Maharshi Vyasa by his pure life, by meditation and prayer,
so far perfected it, that he could visit a scene at will, and
çould make it assume any form he liked.
I now pass on to a still higher plane of yoga in which
the exhibition of powers as mentioned before are to a Yogi
as trifling, as the dear objects of a child are to a thoughtful
man. To attain the higher stage, the traveller is required to
rise above the region of mind to the region of Budhi. The
term Budhi is a very complex term with the schoolmen.
Without, however, presuming to launch myself forth into a
philosophical discussion about the term I may best try to
explain it by an illustration.
Suppose an educated man of an imaginative turn of
mind, after having made the best possible arrangements for
his family, starts from home without any anxiety to study
Nature ; and suppose the person with a view to enjoy the
 ( 132 )

sight of a glorious sun set, mounts to the top of such a

romantic hill as Chandra Sikhar in Chittagong from which
he commands the sight of the bay spreading itself in endless
expanse before him
him.. He stands there for å time wrapt in .
contemplation of the glorious, great and infinite. The vanities
of riches-the pomp of power—the pride of knowledge-the
superiority of caste or blood — the gewgaw world — all pass
away from his mind unconscious to himself. His poor
individuality is shrivelled into nothingness. It is merged for
a while into immensities and eternities. He is dimly conscious
of himself that he exists - and that there exists before him a
grand and glorious creation with its Cause, unutterably
great. For a brief moment he is in touch, as it were, with
Divinity. This stage of double consciousness is the stage of
Budhi. It is here where all illusions pass away, where all
that tempt the soul for power, glory, wealth . &c., cease to
trouble him. If any one wishes to understand the nature of
his own soul and its true aspirations, he can do so at the stage
of Budhi.
I have said above that at the stage of Budhi all illusions
cease to exist. I have said also that the powers of the soul
- the secret treasuries — which appeared so splendid and
marvellous, are its inherent virtues, and are no more objects
of wonder than our capacity to lift our arm or stretch our
leg or in spoken words to explain our thoughts to others. I
have yet, however, to explain the term 'illusion' or 'Mayá' as
understood by the Hindus. Let me do this by a simile.
The science of Algebra is defined to be the science "in
which we reason about numbers, with the aid of letters to
denote the numbers, and of certain signs to denote the
operations performed on the numbers and the relation of the
numbers to each other." In the higher planes of yoga we
reason about all earthly things and all our desires and aspira
tions with the aid of certain truths to denote them, and of
certain primary signs which we call positive and negative,
 ( 133 )

performed on all things, aspirations and desires &c., and to de

note the operations and establish their relations to each other.
The truths are three ; and are called the sthul, the sukshma
and the karan, i. e., the gross, the subtle, and the cause. All
that we see and hear, all that we feel and perceive, all that
we hope and aspire to, arę denoted by the three great truths.
Then there are the signs to denote the operations performed,
which will be explained below :
In my paper on " Some Thoughts on the Gita " I described
the accidental relations of life to show that which we call
pleasure, and that which we call pain, that which we call
wealth, and that which we call poverty, that which we call
health, and that which we call disease, that which we call
beauty, and that which we call ugliness, &c., are temporary
relations. I also endeavoured to show the uses of sym
pathies in this life in nourishing the soul , and training it
for the spiritual land, where abstract love predominates
over concrete, as the concrete predominates over abstract
in this world. I showed also that the objects of earth, how
ever adoreable they may appear for a time, are not the
true objects to bind the soul ; for had they been
true, they would have been constant, and had they been
<
the best they would have satisfied all the cravings of
the mind and heart. They are by no means worthless.
They have their missions, their sacred missions to show how
sweet and how divine is love, and when this mission is fulfilled,
they pass away into infinite space and time, leaving the godly
feeling behind to hanker after something better and still
better to look up from earthy to etherial, from etherial to
celestial, and from celestial to divine, and thus until the
Purna Purusa (Whole Being) is reached, the soul is not
supremely happy. We can now understand what the illusions
are. They are the accidental relations of life and are sepa
rated from the true relations of the soul. The true and acci
dental relations are the positive and negative quantities which
 ( 134 )

occupy the intermediate stages in plus, minus order in various

degrees in various lives, and perform the various sums in our
every day life, called the surds, the equations, the binomial
theorems-the expension of hope to the Nth term &c. View
ing in this light materialism is one entire stupendous error.
It is the fearful state of unrest in which all minus quantities
commingle to produce that awful condition which the Great
Poet of England described in one line when he said.
“ Hope comes not to him that comes to all”?
The stage of Budhi is thus the highest stage, the Ultima
Thule of Yoga Shastra. It is here where freed from constant
incursions of illusions, a Yogi is safely lodged amidst the
glory and harmony of eternal truths. Here his thoughts, his
preceptions, his deductions are all true. His powers and
happiness at the same time are immense. He has conquered
passions by a long course of abnegation and his heart is full
of peace. He has conquered Abidya or ignorance and his
mind is full of divine light. He has conquered sins, and is
not subject to the ills of life. He has conquered hunger and
thirst, at first by slow and gradual denial, and now by the
help of Kachari mudra which by one of its processes shuts
out oxygen , he can remain a very long time without food or
water, and by the help of another send his thought-body to
distant places. He can also communicate with brother Yogis
by telepathy, the Nad and Bindu of the Yogis, or the whistle
and the cresent with a star in the centre. The uses of Nad
and Bindu are not clearly known to me, yet I may venture to
speak a word. The Bindu represents the region in the head
commencing bow-like from the perfecting "group of faculties"
on the right side of the head, and touching the "intellectual
ones " stretches to "ideality and sublimity " on the left. The
central star may be the faculty which has been defined by the
phrenologists to be " the power of seeing and noting objects.”.
Now to turn the eyes drean - like upwards to the region
indicated above brings about that fludic state, to quote the
 ( 135 )
language of Miss Anna Blackwell to which we return during
sleep, when through the elasticity of perispirit weare enabled to
visit our friends in that other life whence we bring back not only
the fragmentary and incohirent reminiscences which make up
ordinary dreams, but also the deeper insights and wiser resolves
that have prompted the saying common to all nations, that
night brings counsel.” In this condition a Yogi can see where
his friends are with a view to establish a current of electricity
and to prepare them by the sound of the whistle for communi
cation. I have not yet seen an actual case of communication
in this way. I only infer (an inference which may be wrong )
from the circumstances under which I tried on a few occasions
to see certain persons after the usual hours for prayer.
Let me now sum up what I have said above. We have
seen that the term spiritual yoga signifies the molecular
perfection of a man through various stages of advancement
from the earthy to the watery, from the watery to the
fiery, from the fiery to the airy, from the airy to the etherial,
&c.; that these stages were suggested to the ancients by what
Nature is unceasingly doing in her great laboratory resolving
solids to liquid, and converting liquid to gaseous and up
wards ; that in carrying this work of advancement by
faith and will, a student is assisted in each stage by various
moral forces which are within him ; that these moral forces
are corrective in the begining, chastising a Yogi every now
and again for his transgressions, and then ennobling him daily
as he moves onward to the region of mind or abstraction,
where he begins to know himself and his powers, and the
relations of his soul with one Eternal Cause wherein oiswariya
and madhuri or wealth and sweetness, the wealth of wisdom
and power, and the sweetness of love dwell in eternal union ;
that he sees here as sung in the well- known sloka. ~ Purna
matha purna mitham, &c., that as a drop of water of an
ocean is complete in itself, as a lamp ignited by another is
complete in itself, as a crystal detached from a picce of
 ( 136 )

mineral is complete in itself, the soul is complete in itself ;

that at the stage of mind , the moral forces blossom and
expand themselves ;-that the powers of a Yogi consist in
his sincerity and his self abnegation ; -- that the master key,
which opens all the treasuries, is the process by which the
thought-man can be separated, seen and heard ;-that the
stage of Bhudi is the stage of perception of truths, of self
and divine knowledge. I hope I have said something
about self knowledge ; as regards divine knowledge I will
satisfy myself by quoting a sloka which Sri Chaitanya put
in the mouth of Jiva Goswamy, and thereby fulfil the pro
mise made in the early part of this discourse when I alluded
to the intellectual treasures of the Goswamis. The sloaka is
as follows :

Jasya Brahmati sangam kachidapi nigamai jati chinmatra satta.

Pangsho jasyam sakoi shaibirbhabati basayannaba mayam puman
scha.
Akabi jasybi rupam bilasati paramar byamni narayanakhayam .
Sa Srikrishna bidhattam shayamiha Bhagawan premtat pada bhajam .
I will, here, endeavour to give the substance of the
above in the fewest possible words.
He who is described in some parts of the Vedas as
Brahma or is known by His attribute of Wisdom. He who
is particularly known in the works of the schoolmen as
Purusa in Paramatma or the Spirutual Cause, who having
kept the Maya or material forces under his control, manifests
the phenomena of creation, destruction and preservation. He
who is partially described in the Purans as Narayana resting
himself high in Parabam or the subtlest Ether -- that Being
Srikrishna -- the Central Force that attracts all-the only
Bhagwan or Lord in whom wisdom, power and love dwell in
eternal union. May He bless all His worshippers. May He
bless you, freiends and gentlemen, to- night. Amen.
 ( 137 )

LECTURE - VI.
BEAUTIES OF CHANDI - A SACRED BOOK OF THE HINDUS.
[Read at the anniversary of the Yoga Somaj on the 18th June, 1893-]
( Dedicated to Maharajkumar Benoykrishna Bahadur, the
Patron of the Yoga Somaj )
There is not in the entire range of Sanskrit literature
a work so remarkable for the sublime conception of its
subject, the artistic execution of its parts, the grandeur
of its verses, and the wealth of its instruction as the Chandi
of Rishi Markandya, excepting of course, the great Bhagbat
of Maharshi Vyasa. A few amongst us enter into the spirit
of the work, and fewer still would be willing to accept it
as an allegory-an allegory so sublime and sweet, that
we doubt if there are many equal to it in other ancient
languages of the world. It is sung in every : Hindu house
in prosperity and adversity. It is looked upon with venera
tion, but it is not well understood. I mean , the spirit of the
work is not well understood ; and this is my apology for
selecting the subject, which being a sacred theme, is not
generally kňown to the scholars of the West. The difficulty
is to render it in a foreign language ; for there are many
passages in the work, where even a word has a score of allu
sions, and carries with it many a sacred association, which
a foreigner is not expected to understand. I will, there
fore, confine myself to noticing the subject matter rather
than translate the work into a foreign tongue.
The subject of the poem is, briefly stated , thc war between
Divine Love and human passions as described by the
ancients, namely, Lust, Anger, Coveteousness, Somnolence,
Envy and Vanity. These passions, like the weird sisters
in Macbeth , meet in the solitary heath of the angel-forsaken
heart of man, in the storm of his evil inclinations, and thus
speak of their victim among themselves :
“We will drain him dry as hay :
Sleep shall, neither night nor day,
18
 ( 138 )

Hang upon his pent-house lid ;

He shall live a man forbid ;
Though his bark cannot be lost,
Yet it shall be tempest toss'd .".
And then promising him aloud every joy and pleasure
which this world can give, meet again in the dark cave of
his sinful heart, boiling there their fearful cauldron.
Vanity speaking first says :
There shall be no one equal to me
In power, wealth or glory.
All shall my command obey,
And none shall dare to cross my way.

Anger says :
And sparing reither youth nor age
I'will bring my foes, like birds in cage.
Lust says :
I'll not scruple for sacred laws nor ties
Where'er beauty gives pleasure to my eyes.
Coveteousness says :
I'll send the wakeful conscience into sleep,
And long as cauldron boils in sleep shall keep.
Envy says :
My greatest pleasure shall e'er be,
To see my neighbours deep in misery.
Such are the fiendish passions, born of the flesh , and it is
the aim of Divine Love to conquer them to help man to
rise to the plane of spirituality.
Our , poem opens in a peaceful hermitage-the Asram
of Mahamuni Madha , which has been described by the
author by two qualifying phrases
" Prosanto Shapadakirnam Muni-sishyapa Sovitam .”
The first of these phrases, though it purports to describe
the hermitage as a peaceful retreat of the Mahamuni, yet it
reflects considerably on the moral and spiritual influence
of its owner . It is said that although the Asram was sur
rounded by ferocious beasts , these did not hurt the inmates.
 ( 139. )

The second phrase describes the place, as adorned by wise

men and their disciples, and thus shows that the hermitage
was a seat of both learning and wisdom, It was, at the
same time, a place for Tapa or holy meditation. At such
a place, there came wandering two star-crossed personages,
seeking for peace and contentment--one was a monarch
by the name of Suratha, who by the treachery of his
ministers, fed and honoured by his royal father and himself,
was deprived of his throne ;-the other, a rich merchant,
once a happy family man, but driven from his own house
by his ungrateful wife and children - baser form of ingrati
tude could hardly be conceived than in the two instances
here cited. Yet the trader asks the monarch, why after all
that had happened, his heart still yearned to see their faces ?
The monarch hears him with sympathy. He too thought in
the same strain , and both go to the Mahamuni for wisdom.
The introduction of these two personages, in the first
scene of the work, reflects the author's wisdom and his know
ledge of human nature. Humanity rarely pauses to think
seriously of the unreality of the vanities of life, of God or
the after -life, except under the hard lashes of adversity.
There are very few in this world to speak to a Lorenzo
in the days of his prosperity
-Beware Lorenzo

Prosperity is aš much a trial as adversity."

It is only when misfortunes come thick upon him, when
base treachery and black ingratitude have rent his heart that
he perceives how hollow are the world and its joys ! It is
then that through tears he recalls to mind the unselfish good
he showed to those, unaccustomed to kindness. They are,
so to speak, the only oasis in the desert of his past life.
He sees too that the friends he entertained, the beauties he
admired and adorned, the ruin and desolation he worked
in innoceut and happy families from feelings of wounded
vanity , anger or lust, stand up as ghouls every now and
 ( 140 )

again in his desolate heart, where almost every moral feeling

and every sweet sympathy was numbed and poisoned
during the somnolent period of his prosperity. He now
beholds the vanities of life in their naked ugliness. He now :
remembers with a shudder the bestial mastery of passions. He
repents and wishes to know of a life on earth in which love
is repaid hundred -fold by love, in which passions like van
quished enemies obey the mastery of the soul , and wisdom
shines undimmed by prosperity or adversity.
To a man to whom this world is everything , - to whom
its praises are immortality, its ill -favour is death -- to whom
adversity is pure evil, to whom the thought of eternal life comes
at times, like lightning flashes that die away in the very
clouds that produce them , the true wisdoni, embodying the
higher aspects of religion, is to be imparted cautiously and
judiciously, if any permanent effect is at all to be aimed at:
His mind is to be gradually helped to understand the abstract
from a representation at first of many concrete subjects, which
are to be removed , one by one, as the intellect is trained to
distinguish the grossest from the grosser -- the grosser from
gross -- from this the subtle, and so on. When , therefore, the
inonarch and his companion , who thought themselves wise
enough, and yet found it difficult to understand, why after
having been driven from their respective places, their hearts
still yearned to see the faces of those who had done them
wrong , went to the Mahamuni, and desired to know the cause,
the sage, like an able teacher, who, knowing the acquirements
of his pupils, suits his precepts in language intelligible to
them, replied as follows:
O Mahabhag ! the knowledge, which is derived from per
ceptions of natural objects by means of che senses, differ
widely in different animals. Such knowledge is by no means
the birth -right of man only. It is shared by all animals, as is
also the attachment born of such knowledge . The birds,
when they themselves, may be much distressed by hunger,
 ( 141 )

carry in their bills food for their young Man, the noblest of
animals, does the same for his offsprings, and often without a
hope of benefit from them . The whole animated kingdom is
thus thrown into the vortex of the illusion of love - a love
which is but the semblance of the Great Love, Mahamaya ,
which upholds the creation. She* (Mahamaya ) was primarily
the Yogik state of the Diety, which created the universe. She
bewitches the creation, and attracts by her shadow the minds
of the wisest of men to cast them into delusion. Yet she is
the only means of salvation, the best knowledge of the Diety ,
and the origin of family tie, of birth and death .
To a mind, enlarged and elevated by education and medi
tation , sweetened by purity of love, and strengthened by faith,
the words of the Mahamuni quoted above, disclose at once
the highest spiritual truths -- the philosophy of creation, life,
death and immortality. It will be observed that the sage
stated that Mahamaya or the Great Love, which upholds and
bewitches the creation, was primarily the Yogik state of the
Deity, ie., a state in which he was originally prompted to
create, and is the same Love which upholds and maintains
creation. Of this love, deep and infinite as the creation, we
see here only a fraction of a fraction, a mere semblance, in
the love of the wife, parent and brethren, in friendship and
hospitality. Men, learned and wise, forgetting often the source
of all Love, allow themselves to be bewitched by this little of
the infinite, which streams downward to the earth, and mis
taking the fraction for the whole, the senıblance for the sub
stance, they fall into delusion. Yet to know the Infinite, and
be happy, there is no other means than through love.
When Mahamaya was thus described, and the question,
asked by the monarch and merchant, was answered without
their feelings being hurt, while, atthe same time, disclosing
to their spiritual eye an endless vista of glory and love love
* The word Mahamaya in Sanskrit is feminine.
 ( 142 )

which is not born of the senses, nor has descended to man

as a hereditary instinct, they desired to know more2.9of this
love. The Mahamuni then described what forms the subject
of the poem. He said, though the ways of Mahamaya
surpass human intellect, yet they are often intelligible to
thinking minds. Her mission is Salvation. Whenever the
immortals are distressed at the sad prospect of degenerating
humanity, brought on by irreligion and their ministration to
the senses, she appears to save. This is true in all ages of
the world. She appears to kill the Asuras or demons. The
King of Demons is Shumbha (the desire to shine or vanity)
whom she kills last after killing his generals. The Mahamuni
then describes :
The Mahamaya.
When in the beginning , the Great God (Vishnu) was
absorbed in Yoga -Nidra or in His Creative Will, and Brahma,
the creative principle as well as matter, had already sprung,
there sprung from the matter two mighty Asuras, ( forces)
Madhu and Kaitava (evidently water and fire ), who waged
war for 5,000 years, a period geologically not extravagant.
The Brahma prayed to the Almighty Will, and from the
Will sprang the Divine effulgence Mahamaya to whom
Brahma thus prayed * :
“ Thou art O Devi ! the best of mothers. Thy existence
is the creation. Thou wert the spiritual universe before
creation of the material. Thou art the preserving spirit
after creation, and Thou shalt be the Destroying Principle
when the universe goes back to Vishnu. Thou art the Great
Knowledge, the Great Intelligence, the Great Love, and
the Great Memory of the past, present and future. Thou
representest in Thee the three great principles-the Satya,
Raja and Tama or Preservation , Progress and Destruction.
And further on, “ Thou art the most lovely of all lovely.
* I have rendered the best portion of the prayer into English .- K . C.
 ( 143 )
Thou art the Best of the best. Thou art the Soul of the
creation. Thou art the Want and Supply of the creation.
Thou hast enchanted the Great Vishnu ; and language fails
to describe Thee, O Devi !"
Incarnation of Mahamaya to Destroy Asuras.
It has already been said that whenever the spiritual world
which is in sympathy with the material , feels distressed for
humanity, and prays to the Great or Infinite Love, Mahamaya
incarnates herself to save it from destruction. To suit the
intellect of the questioners, and more with the object of im
pressing them, that the Mahamuni describes in allegory the
Incarnation of Mahamaya, her war with the demons, and the
salvation of humanity.
It is said that in ancient time, there was a mighty King
by the name of Shumbha, who considered himself superior to
sun , moon, stars, fire, wind, water and the other elements.
His reign was a reign of terror. He spread a terror even to
the immortals, and they prayed in unison to the Infinite Love,
The prayer, which can hardly be rendered into English, is by
far the best part of the poem. The Devi heard their prayer,
and incarnated herself, and sat in the Himachal (Himalaya),
the loveliest woman on earth . When Chanda, and Manda *
the generals of King Shumbha (desire to shine or vanity) saw
her, they went at once to Lord . Vanity, and descrided to him
what a lovely woman they had seen, and urged him to gain
possession of her, little dreaming who she was. The King
proceeded to act on the suggestion. On her refusing to hear
his persuasion, he sent his powerful General, Dhumralochana,
or Anger to bring her dead or alive.
The Devi refusing again, and this time, to be taken cap
tive, the monarch Shumbha declared
War,
The beauty of the poem in this part consists in the grand
* Chanda and Mundd or Coveteousness and Somnolence,
 ( 144 :)

cur of the verses and the transformations which the Devi suc
cessively under-went to kill each general ; for instance, she
rode on a liun to kill Dhumralochana or Anger. She took the
form of Kali or the Destroying Principle,* to slay . covetous
ness, somnolence and lust or the demons, Chanda, Manda and
Raktabija ; of Chandika to kill Envy, and of Ambika to kill
Vanity. These different forms of the Devi are in harmony
with the demons of desires she killed , and enhance the beauty
of the poem by imparting strength to the verses ; while, at the
same time, they show the possession of the power on the part
of the author of delineating moral beauties in an uncommon
degree
The Sequel.
When the Generals of the monarch , self or vanity, fell one
after another in battle , he (the monarch ) came last to fight.
Him the Devi slew in the form of Ambika or Mother. What
Vanity can stand the sight of an all-loving mother ? If, how
ever, intense perverseness intervenes to tempt the self to fight,
she says to it with a smile the oft-quoted words which she
spoke to Mahisasura :
“ Gurja gurja khanam marha mudha jabat pibamaham ."
<<
Howl, howl, you fool, awhile, till I drink of the cup of
wine. "
1
What is this wine ? It is wine of love. But She, Infinite
Love herself, what did she mean by the words, “ till I drink of
the cup of wine ?” Is this not some thing like painting a lily ?
Yes, it is necessary sometimes to paint a lily to please those
who have no eyes for “beautyunadorned ”, as a cup of pure
milk is sweetened to suit the whims of a child.
When , however, the king himself fell in battle, there was
joy in heaven, and the immortals sang once again their holy
orison to the Deity as Narayani or the Maternal Part of God
* To subdue Lust or Covetousness one ought to kcep the thought always in mind that he is to
die . Gratification of such desires only tend to fan their flames.
 ( 145 )

Vishnu. The poem in this part is particularly beautiful and

pathetic, and rich in Pouranik or classical allusions.
Thus in Chandi, Muni Markandya described the demons
of desires that dwell in us, and tempt us to minister to the
senses Thus he showed how by ministration to the senses,
man gradually is deprived of the help of the spiritual light
within to fall into delusion--to mistake the love of the world
as the true love. Thus he showed how, when, humanity is
on the road to destruction , the immortals feel themselves
supremely unhappy, and pray to Infinite Love to save it ; how
the Grace of God then comes to cast the delusion away , and
shows the Mercy's Scat above ;-how to attain that grace,
self -surrender and Samadhi are necessary, as was exempli
fied in the subsequent course of life of the monarch and the
merchant ; -how in the state of Samadhi, a man not only
rises to the plane of spirituality, but to quote my own words,
he gets here “glimpses of those dear souls, lost to him on
earth ;-of forms of loveliness and grace, compared to which
the best likenesses of the loveliest beauties on earth are but
rough sketches ; -of hearts more tender in love and sympathy
than the most loving sister, wife or mother."
The last Word .

The only poem of the West, which can be compared

with the Chandi of Rishi Markandya, is the Paradise Lost.
They both are allegorical. They both represent how weak
is man to the voice of temptation. In the war between the
Almighty and Satan in the Paradise Lost, the victory of the
Almighty is a conclusion as much previously anticipated by
the reader, as the war between Divine Grace and the passions
inthe Chandi. It is said that the power of Milton " acts like
an incantation, and that its merit lies more in its obvious
meaning than in its occult power." The same may be said
of the power of the author of Chandi. In the description of
Paradise , of the temptation of the Devil, of battles, & c.,
19
 ( 146 )

Milton is said to be exceedingly happy in the choice of words

in denoting motion, sounds, and emotions of the mind ; so is
Rishi Markandya in his description of the crcation of the
world, of the incarnation of Mahamaya, Her war with the
demons - the weapons which the immortals presented Her
with for killing the demons, &c. I cannot say anything
about the moral influence of Paradise Lost on the Fnglish
nation, but I can say this in regard to Chandi that its moral
influence on the Hindus is very great. The reverence with
which a Hindu reads the poem , and worships it, the observan
ces in regard to daily life which are attended to by him, for in
stance, fasting to a certain extent--abstinence froin fish , flesh or
wine, purity of character, external cleanliness, regard for truth,
cannot but tend to make him morally and spiritually good ."

LECTURE - VII.
TATWAS : WHAT THEY MAY BE ?
“ The Psychical World, like the world of Astronomiy opens
infinite avenues before us. Study, study without ceasing !
Let no system stand in the way, Let us seek truth freely
M Camille Flammarion .
I was lately studying Pavanbijoya Saradya, and parti
cularly that interesting portion of it, which relates to the
alternate appearance and disappearance of Tatwas - mild,
delicate lights of different colours - in man, perceivable only
by the gifted and the trained. These lights or flames are
said to be of five different hues, viz, yellow, white, red,
pale blue and of mixed colours. 1
Their duration is varied :
The yellow lasting for 20, the white for 16 , the red for 12,
the blue for 8 and the mixed for 4 minutes, giving a sum
total of 60 minutes. It follows, therefore, that each light or
flame appears and disappears in man 24 times in the course
of a day or 8760 times in the course of a year. They again
are said to have each a distinct shape, the yellow has the
 >

( 147 )

shape of a square, the white of a crescent,the red of a triangle,

the blue of a circle and the mixed of dotted aspect, resembling
the milky way. And if it be not too much of a strange thing
at one time, I may add, that each colour has a separate
taste : thus serially, the yellow has a sweet taste, the white
sweet and astringent, the red bitter, the blue sour and the
mixed an acrid taste.
Looking into the wonderous fabric of the human body
with the spirit of God enshrined in it, the Psalmists exclaimed,
"we are fearfully and wonderfully made ." If we, however,
can peer within us as the seers of ancient times, and in modern
times, men gifted like Count de Treston, Dr. Gregory, the
late distinguished Professor of Chemistry in the University
of Edinburgh, etc., did, and see for ourselves the alternate
appearance and disappearance of these coloured flames in us
ás described by the ancients-the mysterious symbols of
creation with an envelope of delicately attenuated atmosphere
extending two to three inches from and around the human
body - how much more would we not wonder ! Yet these
lights are not of same intensity nor is the envelope of at
mosphere of same length and quality with all, the pre
ponderance of good and evil in us modifying them.
We have said above that these coloured lights were
designated by the ancients as Tatwas or the primary principles
of creation, which may be arranged in the following order,
showing the evolution of the gaseous, liquid and solid matters
from the primary Akash and the gradual resolution of the
etherial :
(Evolution) (Resolution)
Akash Earth
1 1
Air Water
1
Tej (fire) Tej
1 1
Water Air
1 1
Earth. Akash .
 ( 148 )

The processes of evolution and resolution are going on

incessantly, and, what to us, eternally in Nature for purposes
best known to the Incomprehensible. The suns, the planets,
the telescopic nebulæ, the man and all terrestrial objects
have each an atmosphere emitting some light. In man it
seems that these lights partake of divers colours, showing
that he is the microcosm or the little universe in himself.
But then who have seen these lights and who are res
ponsible for the very starange statements made above 2 Might
not the lights have been, to say the least, fancies of the
overwrought imagination of the ancient Rishis ? Are there
proofs convincing ? If not where is the necessity of pursuing
a subject which, as they say, are open to a selected few ? We
will answer these questions as we go on .
“ Men of a certain make of mind hate new ideas, and set
their face against them with a determined opposition. Strange
to say, this is often the case with men of learning ; and the
more so, indeed, if the truth belongs to the domain of thought.
This self-sufficiency is a complete barrier to the inlet of new
ideas. Whatever does not square with the preconceived
opinions, or already -packed up notions, is quackery, charlatan
ism, sheer nonsense or something worse. In fact, these men
assume a thorough knowledge of the Arcana of the Uni
verse. In their hand is held the key to the temple of all
knowledge. The laws of matter whether of atom or of world
--the laws of mind, of cerebromentation or of spirit whether
through an ordinary medium, or through media -extraordinary
are alike familiar to them. They are the God -men of this
earth, and cannot be fashed (as the Scotch say ) with the im 1

pertinence of even a fresh suggestion in the domain of

Science unless from themselves. They are the great ' I am ' of
every age ; those who alone can peer into the future as well
as tell of the doings of the past. There they stand like a
mighty Teneriffe, as if the vast sea of rolling events and ever
developed phenomena serging at its base in ever ceaseless
 ( 149 )

foam was always in a state of perfect calm. Nothing seem

to affect them ; neither the experience of past ages nor the
changes of public opinion, nor the rise of unheard forms of
knowledge, nor the evolution of new relationships as startling
in their results as they are grand in intellectual conception.
There they remain solid as granite and impenetrable as ada,
mant. Sure such incarnation of self-esteem cannot always
remain unaffected by the clash of circumstances and the rush
of new thoughts which flood them on every side, At the
present time mines of fresh strata of thought are continually
being opened up, sparkling with diamonds of matchless beau.
ty. Change is now the characteristic of every thing."
Thirty years before we could hardly have had the courage
to broach a subject like this ; and even now to repeat again
when mines of fresh strata of thought are continually being
opened up in every department of science, we would have
thrice paused to think of how much we would be ridiculed by
the great . I am' of our time, had we not been to certain extent
protected by the armour of truths discovered by Baron
von Richenbach and tested over and over by other scientific
men, Dr. S. Eadon, M, D. to whose able synopsis of facts I
am much indebted in regard to what he termed a new force,
called " Od " discovered by the Viennese philosopher, says that
it is different from caloric, light, heat, electricity, magnetism
or any other dynamic influence at present known. Startling
as the discovery seemed in our days, it appears to be a part of
the truth discovered by the sages in the pre-Buddhistic era of
ancient India. The Viennese philosopher, says Dr. Edon ,
selected the word Od', seeing that Od' was found every ,
where but concentrated nowhere, and that no special or sepa .
rate sense for its perception had been bestowed, as light for
the eye or sound for the ear. The Etymology of the term is
thus accounted for :
“ Va in Sanskrit means to go (to flash).
“ Vadoe in Latin signifies ' I go.' Vasa in old Norse I go
 ( 150 )

quickly' and is found in Wodan in old German, and means all

pervading. Every substance in Nature, whether atom or
world, is impregnated with : Od.' It streams from the milky
way - the lengthened path -way of our own universe -- and is
probably the connecting link of suns, planets, of visible
universe ."
THERE is a pretty tale among us, which bears some
analogy to the opening part of our present discourse. Once
upon a time a carpenter, a painter and a weaver set out of
their respective homes to seek for employment in some
distant place. On their way they met, conversed and became
friends. Towards evening they came upon a wood , where
they found another companion, a Brahman. As night
approached , they became anxious as to how they should pass
the night in a wood . They discussed the matter and
árranged among themselves , that one of them should , by
turns , remain awake during the four parts of the night , and
watch over his companions, while they slept. According to
this arrangement, the carpenter was to remain awake during
the first watch . He agreed to watch ; and in order to keep
himself awake, he gathered together sufficient wood , and set
himself to construct the figure of a woman . When the
second part of the night approached , he finished his work ,
and woke the painter, and went to sleep . When the painter
woke he saw before him the work done by the carpenter, and
instead of idly passing his time , he began to paint the figure
as best he could . When the third part of the night approached ,
he woke the weaver, and without saying any thing to him,
went to sleep. The weaver seeing what his companions had
done set himself , in right earnest to prepare a fine cloth to
cover the nakedness of the figure. When he finished his task ,
he woke the Brahman , who, by the by, was a Yogi in disguise.
He saw what his companions had done , smiled and engaged
himself in invoking spirit-help to give life for a time to the
inanimate figure. The result was that when the morning
 ( 151 )

dawned, the carpenter, the weaver, the painter all saw before
them a living breathing ' woman. Then came a dispute
among the four as to who should claim hér.
However glorious might have been the study of man in
ancient times, the scientific study of him began only in the
18th century. The anatomists studied with great diligence
and accuracy the framework of man, and gave to the world
the human skeleton, the head, trunk and extremities, consist
ing of 254 bones. It was next the turn of the physiologists
to show that the muscles were the instruments of motion, and
explained the functions of the brain, the lungs, the blood
vessels, the stomach, the bowels, the liver and other organs,
as also the senses of hearing and seeing &c. The real study
of the human mind also dates from about this time - the
time when the structure and functions of the nervous system
were better known. .

The properties of the mind , were

then summed up in feeling, volition or will, intellect or
thought. Towards the end of the 18th century, and in the
beginning of the 19th, Dr. Frances Joseph Gall and Dr.
Sparzheim gave to the world the science of Phrenology, and
described the seats of divers propensities, sentiments. and
faculties in the human head, arranged in groups just the same
as the stars in heaven are arranged in groups.
The enquiry into the existence and nature of soul : began
in the middle of the present century from observances of some
spontaneous spiritual manifestations in America and Europe.
The enquiries are day by day deeping in interest, as several
scientific men have lent considerable help in the elucidation
of spiritual phenomena. In the meantime. Baron Reichen
bach made a startling discovery -- the existence of a hitherto
unknown force which we have partially described above. The
question now is who found the real man ?
It is necessary to mention a few facts relating to this new
discovery. The sources whence Od émanates, writes Dr.
Eadon, may be shown in many ways. Open a champagne
 ( 152 )

bottle in the presence of a sensitive in the dark, the bottle

will appear all of a glow, as if illuminated with snow, with a
light wavering cloud hovering over it. This is 'Od'from effer.
vescience. Throw a spoonful of table-salt into a glass of water
in the dark, shake it, and the sensitive sees the water full of
bright light, and if the glass is taken into the left hand, it will
feel cold. This is 'Od' from Simple Solution . Put a wire of
copper or zinc 'in'a glass of diluted sulphuric acid, the whole
wire to a sensitive will be on fire. This is 'Od' from dissolving
metals in acids. Dissolve a soda -powder in half a tumbler of
water, in another a powder of tartaric acid, pour the contents
into that of the other, instantly the mixture glows with a
bright light, and a large white flame rises from the surface.
This is the development of 'Od' from chemical decomposi
tion.
When the bell glass of an air pump was struck , a light was
at once visible with the sound, and the louder the sound, the
brighter the light. From this it is inferred, there is 'Od' in
sound .
Can 'Od be developed , writes the same authority by the
friction of solids, or by the friction of liquids against solids ?
In order to test the developement of 'Od by the friction of
solids, a copper wire was fastioned into a little board, the
other end being held by a sensitive, Miss Maria Maix. This
board was now rubbed with another like it, and a sensation of
warmth was at once felt by the sensitive. The end of the
wire was next rubbed in a grindstone, the whole length of
wire glowed with 'Od. From this experiment the friction of
solids evidently produced 'Od . Next it was tried whether the
friction of fluids against solids would educe it. Closed bottles,
containing alcohol, ether, acetic acid, croesote, turpentine, and
water were each shaken in the dark, and to the sensitive each
glowed with light.
From the experiments of Baron Von Reichenbach with
162 sensitives, of all classes, of all ages and of both sexes
 ( 153 )

professors, physicians, bankers, mechanics, Government offi

cers, servants, noblemen and even members of the Imperial
family - it seems that the human body is enveloped in a deli
cately attenuated atmosphere ; the right half of the body at
mosphere being of a bluish colour, the left half of a sort of
orange red. For the purposes of reciprocal influence, the
odylic atmosphere of two persons need only touch at their cir
cumferential edges without even interpenetrating each other
in the slightest degree, but if one or both parties be inordinate
ly impressionable, an effect can be produced at the distance
of inches, feet and even yards. Of course, body to body, as
theright hand placed on the left shoulder will give rise at
once or shortly, to a coolish agreeable sensation. This 'Od'
force streams from the finger ends.
From the above quotations it will appear that all terrestrial
objects are more or less impregnated with 'Od'; -- that it can
be developed ;-that the human body is erveloped in a deli
cately attenuated atmosphere, the right half being of bluish
colour and the left half of orange red ; that when the inten
sity of one colour or force is counteracted by the other colour
emanating from a separate individual having affinity, an
agreeable cooling sensation is produced, which acts as a heal
ing agent in a large number of cases of nervous disorders.
The west has, it appears, investigated the subject so far. The
ancient East went a step further. Beyond the external ether
ium glowing in bluish and orange red light, the East says,
there is an etherium also for the soul , which glo in five
alternate colours as described before. Is this true ?
In the first place, it is necessary to say that the two sides,
of the human body, right and left, differ widely from each
other. This was illustrated by me by two printed diagrams
(ancient and modern) in my paper on Raj Yoga, wherein the
views of Professor Buchanon, M D. of Boston, and those of
the author of Maha Nirvana Tantra were compared, showing
at the same time that the left side contains virtues which are
20
 ( 154 )
of gentler nature, while the right contains those which are:
sterner.
Then comes the strange question how many personalities
there are in a man ? We have the right-side man, the left
side man and the soul man , or philosophically speaking the
conscious personality, the sub- conscious personality and un
conscious personality. I quote here one or two well- authen
ticated instances of conscious, subconscious and unconscious
personalities from the last December issue of the Review of
Reviews.

LOUIS V-AND HIS TWO PERSONALITIES.

“ There is at present a patient in France , whose case is so
extraordinary that I cannot do better than transcribe the
report of it here, especially because it tends to show not only
that we have two personalities, but that each may use by pre
!
ference a separate lobe of brain . The conscious personality
occupies the left, and controls the right hand, the unconscious
the right side of the head, and controls the left hand. It also
brings to light a very curious not to say appalling fact, namely,
the immense moral difference there may be between the
conscious and unconscious personalities.” )

From the story of Madame B and her three personalities

I give the following extract :
“ Madame B , who is still under Professor Richet's observa
tion, is one of the favourite subjects of the French hypnotiser.
She can be put to sleep at almost any distance, and when
hypnotised completely changes her character. There are two
well -defined personalities in her , and a third of a more mys
terious nature than either of the two first. The normal wak
ing state of the woman is called Leonie I, the hypnotic state
Leonie II . The third occult personality of the lowest depth
is called Leonie III."
“ This poor peasant," says Professor Janet, " is in her nor :
mal state a serious and a somewhat melancholy woman , calm
 ( 155 )

and slow, very gentle and extremely timid. No one would

suspect the existence of the person whom she includes with
her. Hardly is she entranced, when she is metamorphosed ;
her face is no longer the same ; her eyes indeed remain closed,
but the acuteness of the other senses compensates for the loss
of sight. She becomes gay , noisy and restless to an unsup
portable degree ; she continues good -natured, but she has
acquired a singular tendency to irony and bitter jests. In
this state she does not recognize her identity with her waking
self. That good woman is not' she says ; she is too stupid.'
“ Madame B in the normal state,' says Professor Janet, ‘has
a husband and two children, Leonie II, speaking in the
somnambulistic trance, attributes the husband to the other'
(Madame B), but attributes the children to herself. At last I
learnt that her former mesmerisers, as bold in their practice as .

certain hypnotisers of to-day, had induced somnambulism at 3

the time of her accouchments. Leonie II , therefore, was quite

right in attributing the children to herself ; the rule of partition
was unbroken, and the sonambulism was characterized by a
duplication of the subject's existence.'
“ The spontaneous acts of the unconsicous self,” says also
M. Janet, here meaning by inconscient, the entity to which
he has given the name of Leonie III " may also assume a very
reasonable form . A form which were it better understood,
might, perhaps serve to explain certain cases of insanity.
Madame B, during her sonambulism i. e ., Leonie II, had had
a sort of hysterical crises, she was restless and noisy ; and I
could not quiet her. Suddenly she stopped and said to me
with terror, “ Oh, who is talking to one like that ? It frightens
me." " No one is talking to you." " Yes! there on the left" !
And she got up and tried to open a wardrobe on her left hand
to see if some one was hidden there. What is that you
hear ?' I asked. “ I hear on the left a voice which repeats
(6
enough, enough, be quiet, you are a nuisance." Assuredly
the voice which thus spoke was a reasonable one, for Leonie
 ( 156 )

II was unsupportable but I had suggested nothing of the

kind and had no idea of inspiring a hallucination of hearing.
Another day Leonie II was quite calm and obstinately refused
to answer a question which I asked. Again she heard the
same voice to the left saying ' Come, be sensible, you must
answer.' ' Thus the unconscious sometimes gave her excellent
advice.
And in effect as soon as Leonie III was summoned into
communication, she accepted the responsibility of this commu
nication. What was it that happened' asked M. Janet,
6
when Leonie II was so frightened ?' . “ Oh ! nothing. It was
I who told her keep quiet ; I saw she was annoying you ; I
don't know why she was so frightened ."
“ Note the significance of this incident. Here we have got
at the root of a hallucination. We have not merely inferen
tial but direct evidence that the imaginary voice, which terri
fied Leonie II proceeded from a profound stratum of consci
ousness in the same individual. In what way, by the aid of
what nervous mechanism was the startling monition con
veyed ?"
Thus, we see by the light of modern investigations, the
truth of the statements made by the Rishis about cen
turies before, namely, that the conscious-man differs from the
sub-conscious and that the unconscious differs widely from the
two, and that the physical or body -man has an envelope of
atmosphere. It remains for us to see what the Tatwas may
be. We have said before that the envelope of physical atmos
phere can be seen by an uninitiated, provided he be a sensi
tive, but the Tatwik lights can be seen only by the trained,
similarly as the spectrum analysis of stellar light can be done
by those who are educated in that line. In 1864 the observer
who wished to determine whether a special substance existed
in the vapourous atmosphere of a star, had to compare the
spectrum of the star with such precision that the image of the
star should fall on the fine slit of the spectroscope, and the
 ( 157 )

light of the star being then shifted out by the action of the
prism in the spectroscope, so as to form a rainbow -tinted
spectrum, and now though an easier method, a photographic
record of the spectrum is taken, still this can be done only by
Jeun
the trained. The processes by which the Tatwik lights can
be seen are to be diligently studied ; and I would be only too
happy to describe them here, but a mere mention of them will
be worse than useless without initiation.
We know, the astronomers have marshalled stars into
orders, different in colour, which spectroscopic analysis shows
to be due to difference in their present physical constitution.
The spectrum, so far as is known, has been taken of the blue,
violet, red, ultra violet, but it is not known to us whether the
parts invisible beyond the red and violet, have been photo
graphed Anyhow, the stellar colours bear a close ana
logy to the colours of the Tatwik flames or lights, and the
outward etherium, indicate that man is a cosmic being.
We can venture to say so much and no more in this
paper, and under the present state of our knowledge.
There is one more point for us to touch. To us the ex
istence of Tatwik or soul-lights is not a mere niatter of
faith, but a logical certainty, the soul being strictly speaking,
not the spirit, and in order to be a spirit, it must progress and
divest itself, so to speak, of its elemental robes. Before the
discovery of the planetoids there was a " striking break in the
progression of Mars and Jupiter," which first suggested the
idea of a missing planet. Similarly, if the soul-lights be
ignored there will appear a striking break , and the missing
lights of the unconscious personality will be either wanted , or
the phenomena investigated by the scientific men of the pre
sent century as described above, ignored in their entirety.
It may be noted here that my own investigations into
the subject, dates from the time, when I was put in sole
charge of the Temple of Yoga Somaj, and called upon to
worship the images there with the fresh leaves and flowers
 ( 158 )
that blooin at the place. I then enquired what every Hindu
should enquire , why a certain image representing cer
tain attribute cf the Great God should be worshipped with
certain flowers
the ancient Tantricks had gone
and leaves. In my investigatio
through ns I found
the subject that
of lice
!
with as much assiduity and precision as the modern philo
sophers have. The results of my investigations made with the
help of a sensitive, a girl of about 10 years, I keep back for
another paper, and specially for those who have faith in
Hindu Religion and Hindu mode of worship . LII
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THE END
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01901 17
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‫ואני?! סיטאי‬
0547

Printed by Umbica Churn Shome, at the New Britannia Pross , 78 , Amherst Street,
Calcutta ,
 ERRATA

LINE , READ .
26 Or for of.
8 Qualifications for qualification.
8 As for us.
27 Psychic for physic .
3 Taught us of
2 Fact for frct.
...

...
9 Came of for came to .
18 It appears to be for it may be.
21 Blended for blinded .
34 Nectar for nectre.
6 Hear for here.
:

Or Paramatma for in Paramatma .

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25
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 ‫הספריה הלאומית‬
SC 46 C 820
Lectures on Hindu religion , phil
Chakravarti, K.

C.1

2872250-10