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22 LEACKO- ASSAULTS ON SSTYARTNA PSAKASH
"Just as we studied the ;lain and Buddhist Scriptural, the
Puranas, the Bible, and the Quran with an unbiased mind,
and have accepted what is good in them,
and rejected what is
false,
(i.e.,
what is not of eternal universal truth and value
for man's development and perfection), with a view to ensure
the betterment of mankind (as a whole), it behoves all good
men to do likewise ; it does not become of wise men to
mislead people (for whatever reason or advantage). The
Ignorant, (the misguided), are sure to misrepresent what we
say, (but)
because
(we are sure that)
the wise will realize
what our aim is
in writing this book we consider the labour
amply rewarded. We consider it lo be
the first
and
foremost
duty of man to express the (Divine) Truth only,
without
fear or favour. May the
Omniscient,
Omnipresent, Supreme
Soul,
Who
is
the Personification of (all)
existences, conscious-
ness
and bliss,
by his Grace, infuse this (Divine Truth into
all mankind) and give it permanency 1"t
It is necessary, and it is also proper, that we should cite
here a few more passages from Swami Dayananda's writings
in
the
Satyartha Prakash,
so as to enable the impartial
reader to understand aright the
author's intention
in writing
the book and the object he had in view in advancing these
criticisms. Besides the general introduction, from which we
have quoted above, he has written also special Introductions
to sonic of the chapters.
We
will now proceed to quote from
them. In his Introduction to Chapter XI, the author says :
"Whatever has been written in this book in advocacy
of the true Religion and in refutation
of
the false has been
clone with the sole object of the enlightenment of all. We
have thought it
to lay before the public what opinion
we have formed of these four religions,—(the Pauranie, the
Jain -(Buddhist), the Christian and the Mohammedan) ,
according to our understanding and knowledge
after a
thorough study of the hooks on which they are based, as
lost
knowledge cannot he easily recovered.
All. impartial
readers
of this
book will some to know which religion is true
and
which false The merits and demerits of the
Pauranic
Illadies ours.