1884.] R. L. Mitra — Tenets of the Vaislmavas. 73 



(Abstract.) 

 The object of the paper is twofold : 1st, to give a succinct account of 

 the various psychological tenets current among Indian philosophers ; 2nd, 

 to supply a brief analysis of a Sanskrit tract in which an attempt has been 

 made to reconcile the opinions of the several schools of Vaishnavas so as 

 to make them all subservient to the doctrine of emancipation by faith, and 

 faith only. The psychological tenets are grouped under three heads : 

 1st, Nihilistic, 2nd, Monistic, 3rd, Dualistic. The first is represented by 

 those who do not believe in the existence of a soul apart from the body. 

 They hold that life and consciousness are dependent on organization, and 

 cease on the complete ataxy of that organization. They are all atheists. 

 The second class is divisible into two orders. The first order includes 

 those who believe that every living being has a soul; that as the souls of 

 living beings are identically the same they constitute one genus, and 

 that apart from these individual souls there is no separate Supreme or 

 Divine soul. The second order is represented by those who hold that 

 there is only one soul and that the Divine, besides which there is no 

 other soul. The latter is divided into 4 groups according as the 

 individual soul is believed to be all-pervading (pantheistic) , a reflection, 

 a spark or a subordinate particle of the Divine one. The third head 

 represents the class which recognises the existence of both the Divine and 

 individual souls. The Yaishnavas follow either the tenet of the last class 

 or that of one of the last three subdivisions of the second class, and the 

 object of the work noticed is to reconcile the differences of these 

 tenets. The work likewise explains how the unconditioned Divine 

 Soul becomes conditioned and appears in incarnations. 



The paper will be published in Part I of the Journal for 1884. 

 The Rev. C. H. A. Dall said that, among the ancient Oriental 

 speculations presented by Dr. Mitra, one statement had an important 

 bearing on modern life. It was his elucidation of the use and meaning 

 of the Sanscrit phrase Ekamevaclvitiyam. These three words, eham eva 

 advitiyam, " one verily secondless," were now widely accepted as declaring 

 that " God is one, and without a second." Without denying the heno- 

 theism of the Veda or a suggested monotheism, Dr. Mitra has just shown 

 us the origin of the three words. In so doing, he shows that the rendering 

 ' God is One and without a second ' is not their fair equivalent. 



If this be so, his declaration touches the very axiom and ground- 

 truth of religious enterprise and social movement in this country, which 

 legislation has recognised, and which is attracting attention in Europe 

 and America. This movement of " The Brahmo Somaj " is traceable to 

 English education and Christian books ; or to the meeting of the intelli- 

 gent West with the worshipping East. It seems likely to live and grow in 



