The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c24.134

v1.c24.134

In another letter he explains more particularly the different articles of faith which formed the subjects of his conversations with his visitors: "To those who come to me," says he, "I teach that there is only one God in three persons, whose attributes are infinite; who created the world, man and all beings; who in order to save men assumed a human nature, body and soul, in the womb of an ever-chaste virgin; that this incarnate God, true God and true man, is called Jesus Christ—a name that means Saviour, full of grace and heavenly gifts; that free from all stains, He atoned for all the sins of men and saved them. The holy spiritual law which contains these truths is the Law I preach. It requires of none that he should give up his caste, or that he should join another caste, or do anything that is contrary to the honour of his caste. God is witness to me that the holy spiritual law is for all castes. As the great Nayak is the lord of these lands, so that all the inhabitants, Brahmans or Rajas, are obliged to obey him in all temporal concerns; so the true God is the legitimate Lord of all men, so that all conditions and castes should live according to His spiritual law. This is the law I preach, and which other saints and *sannyasis* have preached in this land before. If anyone were to say that this law is proper to *pariahs* and *Pranguis*, he should commit a great sin; for since God is the lord of all the castes, his law must be obeyed by them all; and no caste is so high that it is not further raised by obedience to that law. As the sun spreads its very pure light on all castes and all objects in this world, without losing thereby anything of its admirable purity; and as its light, instead of soiling the Brahmans, honours them; so the true God, the spiritual Sun, spreads over all men the gift of his holy law, the true spiritual light" 1.