which underlie the religious beliefs of the learned. Still earlier in date than these are the Upanisads, which
contain philosophy in a somewhat crude form. All these works are in the Sanskrit language, which is the sacred tongue of
the Hindus, though Hindi translations of the Ramayana and others of their books have much influence upon the mass
of the people.
In order to show how much their religion has been corrupted during the last 2,000 years, we may mention that, when
the earliest parts of the Vedas were composed, the Hindus worshipped no idols, though they were polytheists. Nor used
they to burn widows alive on their dead husband's funeral pyres. Instead of worshipping the cow and the bull, as they do
now, they used to offer them in sacrifice to their gods, and themselves to eat their flesh. .
Regarding the manner in which the Universe came into existence their books contain many different accounts. Of these
we cannot mention more than a few examples.
(a) In the Chhandogya Upanisad 1 it is thus written: 'In the beginning there was that only which
is, one thing only without a second. Others say, in the beginning there was that only which is not, one thing only
without a second, and from that which is not that which is was born.2 . . .
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