A History of the Mahrattas v1.c7.93

v1.c7.93

With regard to religion, the principal feature in that of all Hindoos is their belief in the transmigration of the soul; and without attempting to reconcile, much less to defend, the ridiculous inconsistencies of their wild mythology, or to account for the differences that exist, in what may be now stated, from that which prevails in other parts of India, a brief summary of the religious creed of the Mahrattas will here be useful, especially to the reader in England:—They believe that the great Divine Spirit pervades the universe; that the soul of every human being is a part of that great spirit, and when perfectly purified is re-united to it. This is the ultimate reward of the good, whilst the punishment of the wicked consists in being re-born in a state proportionately distant from that reunion. The soul which animates the body of a Bramin is nearest to this state of beatitude, provided he shall duly fulfil the ordinances of his faith; but if he do not, his soul shall be detained in nurruk,¹ or hell, until sufficient torture, in expiation of sins, has been inflicted, when it will be sent to re-animate some other living shape upon the earth. The souls of all mankind must, therefore, pass through the human form of a Bramin as their last probation, unless that perfect goodness can be attained, which they describe in the character of a Sadhoo; in which case immediate admittance is gained to eternal happiness.