The Positive Background of Hindu Sociology c14.s9.t7.38

c14.s9.t7.38

Since Ranade's interpretation or interpretations in 1900 the category *mahārāṣṭradharma* has been the subject of much controversy and historical, philosophical or sociological criticism. The diverse interpretations have been brought together in the treatise entitled *Mahārāṣṭradharma* by B. V. Bhat (1925), which has been already referred to several times. An interpretation of a very suggestive character is that offered by Rajwade, according to whom *mahārāṣṭradharma* is neither to be taken as a category similar to Christian *dharma*, Mohammedan *dharma*, Jewish *dharma* etc. nor as simple Hindu *dharma* (p. 36). He says that *mahārāṣṭradharmāchi vyākhyā hindudharmāchyā vyākhyehun jāst vistrita āhe* (the content of *mahārāṣṭradharma* is more extensive than that of Hindu *dharma*). He thus takes *dharma* in the sense of religion just as Ranade does. But while Ranade takes a reformist view of religion, Rajwade takes the traditional, *varṇāśrama* view. It appears that Bhat also, the author of the Marathi treatise, takes virtually the same orthodox view as Rajwade (pp. 411-457). This indeed is the *Leitmotif* of his thesis.