s, and were as
much handicapped in the race of thought as were they that had to
conform to the teachings of Rome. For though India had no church, it
had an inquisitorial priestly caste, and the unbeliever was an
outcast. What is said of custom is true of faith: "Let one walk in the
path of good men, the path in which his father walked, in which his
grandfathers walked; walking in that path one does no wrong" (Manu iv.
178). Real philosophy, unhampered by tradition, is found only among
the heretics and in the sects of a later time.

The gods of old are accepted by the orthodox as a matter of course,
although theoretically they are born of the All-god, who is without
the need of ceremonial rites. To the other castes the active and most
terrible deity is represented as being the priest himself. He not only
symbolizes the fire-god, to whom is offered the sacrifice, but he
actually is the divinity in person. Hence there is no greater merit
than in giving gifts to priests. As to eschatology, opinions are not
contrasted any more. They are put side by side. In morality truth,
purity, and harmlessness are chiefly inculcated. But the last
(ascribed by some scholars to Buddhistic influence) is not permitted
to interfere with animal sacrifices.

Some of the rules for the life of a householder will show in brief the
moral excellence and theoretical uncertainty of Manu's law-code. The
following extracts are from the fourth, the Ten Commandments from the
sixth, and the description of the hells (twenty-two in all)[31] from
the fourth and twelfth books of Manu's code. These rules may be
accepted as a true reflexion of what was taught to the people by
stringent Brahmanism as yet holding aloof from Hinduism.

A householder must live without giving any pain (to living creatures).
He must perform daily the ceremonies ordained in the Veda. In this way
he obtains heaven. Let him never neglect the offerings to seers, gods,
spirits (sprites), men, and Manes. Some offer sacrifice only in their
organs of sense (not in external offerings); some by knowledge alone.
Let him not explain law and rites to the C[=u]dra (slave) caste; if he
does so, he sinks into the hell Boundless. Let him not take presents
from an avaricious king who disobeys the law-codes; if he does so, he
goes to twenty-one hells (called Darkness, Dense-darkness, Frightful,
Hell, Thread of Death, Great Hell, Burning, Place of Spikes,
Frying-pan, River of Hell, etc., etc., etc.).