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RELIGIOUS PRACTICES AND OPINIONS
in acquiring whatever information the Upanishads may afford regarding the Monotheism and the Psychology of the Vedas.
The Vedánta is called also the Uttara-mímánsá — subsequent or supplementary investigation. I have named also a Púrva-inímánsá, or prior school of investigation; the object of this is to teach the art of reasoning, with the express purpose of aiding the interpretation of the Vedas not only in the speculative but the practical portion. As far as concerns the former, it of course adopts the same monotheistic principles. The Pátanjala school teaches also the being of a God; the Nyáyika and Vaišeshika teach the existence of one Supreme Soul —the seat of knowledge and the maker of all things; and the Pauráńik or Eclectic school maintains the same doctrine. The Sankhya denies the existence of a Supreme Being, although it recognises a twofold distribution of the universe, as matter and spirit.
The simple fact, then, of the existence of one supreme spiritual Cause of all things — supreme over and quite distinct from the mythological divinities - is, with one exception, the received doctrine of the Hindus. When they come to particulars, and attempt to define the Divine nature, their notions, as may be
lation: The Brihad Aranyaka, Chhándogya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Swetáśwatara, Kena, Išá, Katha, Prašua, Mundaka, and Márdúkya. The eight last- mentioned were also published by the Tattwabodhini Sabhá, four of these, the Katha, Mundaka, Išá and Swetáśwatara, accompanied with an English translation.]
