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CERTAIN VITAL FACTS EXAMINED
21
defend the evil doctrines and practices of the religions which
came into existence in this country, but, on the other hand,
we expose them properly,
in like manner we
deal with the
other religious denominations.
We treat the people of other
Countries in the same way (as we do) our own countrymen as far
as the elevation of the human race is concerned.
It behoves all
men to do likewise Had we taken up the advocacy of any
one of the "religions" (which now pass for
the Religion
in
India), we would have been doing the same thing (for it)
as
the sectarians do (for theirs), viz., glorify and defend every-
thing theirs', and (thus) become a hinderance to (the peace
and) progress (of mankind).
But such things are beneath
the dignity of
man".
Dayananda by way of further elucidation of the purpose
underlying the work observes
"We have given a brief summary of the Vedic Religion.
Whoever will read this book with a biased mind will natural-
ly fail to understand what the author has aimed at. There
are four essential conditions which every reader, (be the
reader "Aryan" or non-Aryan"), has to satisfy in order that
he (or she) may know the sense of a passage completely and
truly. (And they are) :
(1) Aakaarnksha ; (2) Yogyata,
(3) Aasakti, and (4)
Taatparya.
Aakaennksha is
to enter into the spirit of the author or
doer ;
Yogyata
is fitness to comprehend (the truth), and the
capacity for harmony of expression ;
Aasakti
is maiatenance of order and
i.e.,
to
preserve the continuity and harmony of • the underlying
principle and the language employed in its exposition so as
to bring it home to the common reader; and
Taatparya is
to give precisely the same shade of meaning
to the words of a writer or speaker as he intend them to
convey".
And then the author concludes the general Introduction
with the following memorable words :—