CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN INDIA. 135

•words and are pointed and sold by thousands, were converts from
Islam. Others, snch as Kabir and Prananatha, succeeded in form-
ing important sects which absorbed many of the actual doctrines
of that belief. As in Buddhism, what we may term the laity was
not called upon to abandon caste or its old household worship."*
Tbe spirit of this mission work is expressed in Pratapa Siraha's
Bhdktakalpadruma^ which Mr. Grierson goes on to translate :
* Somewhere it is written in the scriptures that he who taketh
one that is averse and turneth him towards the Holy One, hath

earned the fruits of a thousand horse-sacrifices............The pity

of it is that so many who gain wealth spend not more of it upon
the spreading abroad of the Gospel of Grace (Bhagavata Z>7iarmat

..............Therefore let every man so far as in him lieth, help the

reading of the Scriptures, whether those of Ms own church or
those of another.1

This also is the spirit of the Bhagavad-Gita : " They also who
worship other Gods and make offerings to them with faith, O Son
of Kunti, do verily make offering to Me" : tfc Howsoever men
approach Me, even so do I welcome them, for the path men take
from every side is mine ;" " It" any worshipper whatsoever, seeks
with faith to do reverence to any form whatsoever, that same
faith in him I make stead fast."t

Per contra,, the missionary teaches : "I, the Lordf
ani a jealous God ; thou shalt have none other gods but
Me."

In India any man may preach any doctrine even
upon the temple doorstep. He may believe what
he will, if only his practice do not undermine the
structure of organized society.J There has never been
a conflict between science and religion, for science has
always been religious, ^f and religion philosphical. It is a

* Grierson, " The Modern Hindu Doctrine of Works/' J. R.
A. S., 1908, p. 340.

t See also Tulsi Das' Ramayana (Bk. VI, Doha 3) where Rama>
(avatar of Vishnu) avows that * there is none so dear to me as
Siva'.

J " Hinduism has never produced an exclusive, dominant,
orthodox sect, with a formula of faith to be professed or rejected
under pain of damnation." (Vincent Smith, * Asoka,' p, 39).

^J" Especially mathematics and astronomy. For example,
fractions with a zero denominator are considered by Bhaskara*
chary a, Such quantities can neither be in creased or decreased by
addition or subtraction of any finite quantity whatever ; hence he