Prabuddha Bharata or Awakened India

And whatever the meaning and relative importance of these three—the individual society and the State— there is no gainsaying the fact that the indivdual is the centre of focus of society and the1951 THE IDEAL OF LIBERTY 317 state nay of the whole world. [...] The strength and power of a society or State depends on the strength and power of the individuals who ultimately determine the nature of the social organization or the goverment of the State. [...] These are the Ishta and the Prirta.99 The Ishta consists of five kind's of daily sacrifice or service : (r) service to the seers and the sages (Rishis) in the form of scriptural study (2) service to the deities in the form of offering oblations (3) service to the forfathers (4) service to humanity and (5) service to other living creatures.9° It is worthy of note that the individual life is [...] 55."1951 THE VEDIC RELIGION : A TWOFOLD WAY 323 follower the seeker of Brahman to the supreme goal.' To sum up the various duties of all the different orders of the social and the individual life (Vamas and Ashramas) are efficacious for the attainment of Supreme Good. [...] Those who can take the standpoint of the spiritual self hold the realization of the true nature of the self and its unity with the divine Being to be the supreme ideal.