highly probable that in future the Scriptures of the various churches
and sects will be honoured by being read, not less devotionally but
more critically. Not the Bibles as they stand at present are
revealed, but the immanent Divine Wisdom. Many things in the outward
form of the Scriptures are, for us, obsolete. It devolves upon us, in
the spirit of filial respect, to criticize them, and so help to clear
the ground for a new prophet.

A few more quotations from the fine Indian Scriptures shall be
given. Their number could be easily increased, and one cannot blame
those Western admirers of the Gita who display almost as fervent an
enthusiasm for the unknown author of the Gita as Dante had for his
_savio duca_ in his fearsome pilgrimage.


THE BHAGAVAD-GITA AND THE UPANISHADS

Such criticism was hardly possible in England, even ten or twenty
years ago, except for the Old Testament. Some scholars, indeed, had
had their eyes opened, but even highly cultured persons in the
lay-world read the Bhagavad-Gita with enthusiastic admiration but
quite uncritically. Much as I sympathize with Margaret Noble (Sister
Nivedita), Jane Hay (of St. Abb's, Berwickshire, N.B.), and Rose
R. Anthon, I cannot desire that their excessive love for the Gita
should find followers. I have it on the best authority that the
apparent superiority of the Indian Scriptures to those of the
Christian world influenced Margaret Noble to become 'Sister
Nivedita'--a great result from a comparatively small cause. And Miss
Anthon shows an excess of enthusiasm when she puts these words
(without note or comment) into the mouth of an Indian student:--