6_Glorious_Epochs_of_Indian_History

5TH GLORIOUS EPOCH 257
kindness, love and truth and nothing else. Among the rest
of the Vedic population class distinctions and their develop­
ment into caste differences and the religious traditions about
food-exchange, touchables and untouchables; which cut to
pieces the composite life of the society, were growing stronger
and these very, really anti-social, traditions came to be con­
sidered as true religion. Later on flesh-eating was prohibited
even in the sacrificial rites. The fact that the extreme
forms and manifestations of truth most often prove to be
the harmful vices was lost sight of by the religious ideology
of the time, while the excessive, inopportune and suicidal
use of virtues which ruined the nation, was itself considered
the highest form of religious conduct. Generally speaking,
truthful conduct is a virtue. To satisfy a promised gift or
word is also a virtue ! But when in the heat of extolling
virtues to the skies the Puranas (mythological stories) told
the story of Harischandra who made good his promise given
to Vishwamitra in his dream by presenting him with , his
kingdom and such other childish stories, they definitely
changed the national war-policy into an imbecile, weak and
suicidal one. No words can adequately condemn this influence
of the Puranas. More respectable than this truthful conduct
was considered the practice of non-violence as the highest
form of virtue not only by the Jains and the Buddhists but
in some of the Vaishnav texts also, which later on hastened
our terrible downfall as determinedly and as enormously as
even our enemies, the Muslims, could not perhaps accomplish.
Manliness and valour came to be condemned as the vilest of
vices. The unmanly, the imbecile, the valour-lacking coward,
not only lacking the ability but even the desire to avenge
the national insult and injustice, came to be highly respected
in religious circles as the greatest and most magnanimous
saint, ripe for an honourable place in heaven.
646. This point has already been adequately discussed
with sufficient proofs and illustrations in Chapter VIII under
the caption "Perverted Sense of Virtues" and in other
chapters also; and it will be touched again while we shall be