Prabuddha Bharata or Awakened India

If the Hindus are lighting a losing battle with the Mohammedans in the North the Madras Presidency and the States of Travancore and Cochin have to meet the serious challenge of Christianity. [...] For it is to the interest of not only the Hindus but the world at large and the other comunities that the Hindus should live as a vigorous and effective part of the Indian nation. [...] 6. THE MAGIC OF HINDUISM How to account for the magic in Hinduism ? We think that the root of the whole matter lies in the imperishable truths and unconquerable spirit cotained in the original documents the Vedas and the noble lives lived accoring to high moral and spiritual ideals by generations of sages and saints kings and commanders as well as the masses of the people. [...] Historically speaking it has its bases in (1) the Shruti consisting of the four Vedas including the Upanishads (2) the Smritis or Dharmashastras like those of Manu Yajnavalkya Sankhya Likhita and Parashara (3) the Puranas and the UppurAnas numbering thirty-six in all (4) the Itihasas like the Rdnthyana and the Mandbhdrata the latter including the Bhagavadgita 3 (5) the six Vedangas in [...] verse 3.1943 A DEFINITION OF HINDUISM 273 Reality and to be the embodiment of the spirit of the Vedas.' It is also described as the cream of the philosophy of the Upanishads as that was culled by Sri Krishna and delivered to Arjuna for the good of mankind.' Of all the Hindu scriptures the Bhagavadgita is most widely read among the Hindus and for many of them it is the solace of life and death a