large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb_15
large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb
English
12430
The latter could say the prayers if he could not pray. All this worked powerfully for the elevation of the Brahmans, the "men of prayer;" they steadily grew into a class, a caste; and into this no one could enter who was not of priestly descent. THE LATTER COULD SAY THE PRAYERS IF HE COULD NOT PRAY ALL THIS WORK POWERFULLY FOR THE ELEVATION OF THE BRAHMANAS THE MEN OF PRAYER THEY STEADILY GREW INTO A CLASS A CAST AND INTO THIS NO ONE COULD ENTER WHO WAS NOT OF PRIESTLY DESCENT
 were probably composed when the Hindus had crossed the Indus, and were advancing along the Gangetic valley. The oldest may be about the date of 800 or 700 B.C. [Sidenote: Growth of priestly power. Schools for the study of sacred books, rites, and traditions.] The Brahmanas are very poor, both in thought and expression. They have hardly their match in any literature for "pedantry and downright absurdity."[10] Poetical feeling and even religious feeling seem gone; all is dead and dry as dust. By this time the Sanskrit language had ceased to be generally understood. The original texts could hardly receive accessions; the most learned man could do little more than interpret, or perhaps misinterpret, them. The worshiper looked on; he worshiped now by proxy. Thus the priest had risen greatly in importance. He alone knew the sacred verses and the sacred rites. An error in the pronunciation of the mystic text might bring destruction on the worshiper; what could he do but lean upon the priest?  GENERALLY IMPROSS THE EXISTING BRAHMANAS ARE SEVERAL CENTURIES LATER THAN THE GREAT BODY OF THE HINS AND WERE PROBABLY COMPOSED WHEN THE HINGUS HAD CROSSED THE INDUS AND WERE ADVANCING ALONG THE CANGETIC VALLEY THE OLDEST MAY BE ABOUT THE DATE OF EIGHT HUNDRED OR SEVEN HUNDRED B C THE BRAMINAS ARE VERY POOR BOTH IN THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION THEY HAVE HARDLY THEIR MATCH IN ANY LITERATURE FOR PEDANTRY AND DOWNRIGHT ABSURDITY POETICAL FEELING AND EVEN RELIGIOUS FEELING SEEM GONE ALL AS DEAD AND DRY AS DUST BY THIS TIME THE SANSCRIT LANGUAGE HAD CEASED TO BE GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD THE ORIGINAL TEXT COULD HARDLY RECEIVE ASSISTANCE THE MOST LEARNED MAN COULD DO LITTLE MORE THAN INTERPRET OR PERHAPS MISINTERPRET THEM THE WORSHIPPER LOOKED ON HE WORSHIPPED NOW BY PROXY THUS THE PRIEST HADRIZON GREATLY IN IMPORTANCE HE ALONE KNEW THE SACRED VERSES AND THE SACRED RITES AND EVER IN THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE MYSTIC TEXT MIGHT BRING DESTRUCTION ON THE WORSHIPPER WHAT COULD HE DO BUT LEAN UPON THE PRIEST
large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb.flac