পাতা:বঙ্কিম-প্রসঙ্গ.djvu/১৫

( по ) in the hands of the saintly authors of the Smritis especially in those of the modern, Raghunandana and others like him, it has shrunk into narrowness. But the Hindu religion was not the creation of the Smarta sages. The Hindu religion is traditional and existed before them. It is nothing unlikely therefore that there should be occasional conflict between the traditional religion and the Dharma Shastras. Where we find such a conflict, we ought to prefer to follow the traditional religion. I do not admit the existence of any conflict between religion and the Hindu religion. If such a conflict existed there would be nothing in the Hindu religion to be proud of. if such a conslict existed it would not be entitled to its name of the Eternal Religion. No such conflict exists. Sea-voyages are conformable to religion because they tend to the general good. Therefore, whatever the Dharma Shastras may say. sea-voyages are conformable to the Hindu religion. Without controverting any of these positions or meeting them with opposite statements of principle, we may raise the question, what is to be the standard, and who is to be our authority, for determining the means of social welfare 2 Must it be left to individual discretion ? If not, what is to be our resource : The practice in our country, probably in a!! civilised countries, has been to accept certain books as authoritative and certain interpreters as authoritative. Must private judgment take their place in Bankim Babu's system : If so, what guarantees are there of order and uniformity ? The answer would have come in time, but is now unfortunately shut out for ever. It is clear that Bankim Babu, ardent and thorough-paced admirer of Hinduism as he was, did not pis his faith to the Smritis, did not want to have society hide-bound, did not claim omniscience for the Rishis, did not care to make Hinduism dependent on eating, did not proscribe travel, and would not allow any restrictions injurious