higher castes of Hindus
claim to be descended. Virtually, we may say, the [=A]ryas claim by
their name to be the pure original Hindus.

[Sidenote: Infallibility of the Vedas the leading tenet at first.]

To the first influence we may assign one of the chief doctrines of the
[=A]ryas, namely, their monotheism. Others of their doctrines belong to
the theology and philosophy of Hinduism, _e.g._ the ancient doctrine of
the transmigration of souls, and the doctrine of the three eternal
entities, God, the Soul, and Matter, the doctrinal significance of which
we shall have occasion to consider hereafter. These three uncreated
existences constitute one of the doctrines of the Joga system of Hindu
philosophy. To the second, or patriotic, influence, we may assign
especially the fundamental tenet of the founder of the [=A]ryas, namely,
the infallibility of the original Scriptures, the four Vedas, given, as
he alleged, to Indian sages at the creation of the world. "Back to the
Vedas!" we may say, is the cry of the [=A]ryas. In effect, the cry is
tantamount to the plea that the errors of Hinduism are only later
accretions; and be it acknowledged that no sanction can be drawn from
the Vedas for the prohibition of widow marriages, for the general
prevalence of child marriages, for the tyranny of caste, for idolatry
and several other objectionable customs.[54] Among the [=A]ryas,
therefore, we have the championship of things Indian in its crudest
form. Ludicrous are the attempts to rationalise all the statements of
the Vedas, and to find in them all modern science and modern ideas,
pouring new wine into old wine-skins, in perfect innocence of "the
higher criticism." Thus while animal sacrifices are proscribed by the
[=A]ryas, they are everywhere assumed in the Vedas, and two of the hymns
in the Rigveda are for use at the sacrifice of a horse
(a[s']wamedha).[55] According to an [=A]rya commentator, however,
a[s']wamedha is to be translated not "sacrifice of a horse," but
destruction of ignorance,--sacrifice of an ass, as one may jestingly
say.[56] Offerings for deceased parents, prescribed in detail in the
Vedas, are similarly rationalised into kind treatment of parents in old
age. The ancient and modern condemnation of eating beef was rationalised
by the [=A]ryas as follows: To kill a cow is as bad as to kill many men.
For suppose a cow to have a lifetime of fourteen or fifteen years. Her
calves, let us say, would be six cow calves an