DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.640#0106
ON THE HINDOO RELIGION. xciii
of enemies; and gives a list of offerings proper to be presented
to Bhugiivutee, that she may be induced to assist in the gratifi-
cation of revengeful passions : among the rest, the worshipper
is to make a paste image of a man, cut off its head, and offer
this head to the goddess, with a burnt-sacrifice, &c. Is it not
reasonable to suppose, that human sacrifices preceded the cutting
off the head of this man of paste; and that one man was sacri-
ficed and offered to the gods to induce them to destroy another ?
In the Institutes of Miinoo a man is. allowed to commit adul-
tery, if the female consent; to steal, for the sake of performing
a religious ceremony; and to perjure himself, from benevolent
motives: they also allow of lying, to preserve the life of a
bramhun, to appease an angry wife, or to please a mistress2.
What is still worse, in this code a bramhun, in case of want, is
permitted to steal, not from the rich merely, but—from his
slave! It is a common sentiment among this people, that in
secular transactions lying is absolutely necessary; and perjury is
so common, that it is impossible to rely upon the testimony of
Hindoo witnesses. The natives ridicule the idea of administer-
ing justice by oral testimony.
I have given in vol. ii. p. 172, a few examples of persons
raised to heaven by their own works, to shew that these works
have nothing to do with real morality. But how shall we de-
scribe the unutterable abominations connected with the popular
% ' If a man, by the impulse of lust, tell lies to a woman, or if his own
life would otherwise be lost, or all the goods of his house spoiled, or if
it is for the benefit of a bramhun, in such affairs falsehood is allowable.'
Halhed's Cede of Gintoo Laws.—How can we wonder that the Hindoos
should be so addicted to falsehood, when even in the rig-vedfi, ap-
proached with profound reverence by so many Christian infidels, we find
monstrous exaggerations like the following ?—' Bhttrutu distributed in
Mushnarii a hundred and seven thousand millions of black elephants
with white tusks, and decked with gold.' * A sacred fire was lighted for
Bhttrfttu, son of Dooshfintu, in Sachigoonu, at which a thousand bramhiins
shared a thousand millions of cows apiece,' See Mr.Cokbrooke's £ss«y.
of enemies; and gives a list of offerings proper to be presented
to Bhugiivutee, that she may be induced to assist in the gratifi-
cation of revengeful passions : among the rest, the worshipper
is to make a paste image of a man, cut off its head, and offer
this head to the goddess, with a burnt-sacrifice, &c. Is it not
reasonable to suppose, that human sacrifices preceded the cutting
off the head of this man of paste; and that one man was sacri-
ficed and offered to the gods to induce them to destroy another ?
In the Institutes of Miinoo a man is. allowed to commit adul-
tery, if the female consent; to steal, for the sake of performing
a religious ceremony; and to perjure himself, from benevolent
motives: they also allow of lying, to preserve the life of a
bramhun, to appease an angry wife, or to please a mistress2.
What is still worse, in this code a bramhun, in case of want, is
permitted to steal, not from the rich merely, but—from his
slave! It is a common sentiment among this people, that in
secular transactions lying is absolutely necessary; and perjury is
so common, that it is impossible to rely upon the testimony of
Hindoo witnesses. The natives ridicule the idea of administer-
ing justice by oral testimony.
I have given in vol. ii. p. 172, a few examples of persons
raised to heaven by their own works, to shew that these works
have nothing to do with real morality. But how shall we de-
scribe the unutterable abominations connected with the popular
% ' If a man, by the impulse of lust, tell lies to a woman, or if his own
life would otherwise be lost, or all the goods of his house spoiled, or if
it is for the benefit of a bramhun, in such affairs falsehood is allowable.'
Halhed's Cede of Gintoo Laws.—How can we wonder that the Hindoos
should be so addicted to falsehood, when even in the rig-vedfi, ap-
proached with profound reverence by so many Christian infidels, we find
monstrous exaggerations like the following ?—' Bhttrutu distributed in
Mushnarii a hundred and seven thousand millions of black elephants
with white tusks, and decked with gold.' * A sacred fire was lighted for
Bhttrfttu, son of Dooshfintu, in Sachigoonu, at which a thousand bramhiins
shared a thousand millions of cows apiece,' See Mr.Cokbrooke's £ss«y.