The Sacred City of the Hindus: An Account of Benares in Ancient and Modern Times |
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Page 5
... now known as Sárnáth . This may have been in the sixth century B.c. Here he
announced the change which had come upon him , and the transcendental and
superhuman , not to say divine , state in which he imagined he found himself .
... now known as Sárnáth . This may have been in the sixth century B.c. Here he
announced the change which had come upon him , and the transcendental and
superhuman , not to say divine , state in which he imagined he found himself .
Page 14
With the idea constantly before his inner self , that he is himself a god , and
deserves divine honours , —which is not a mere freak of a deluded imagination
on his part , but is acknowledged by all Hindus , some of whom , as he pursues
his way ...
With the idea constantly before his inner self , that he is himself a god , and
deserves divine honours , —which is not a mere freak of a deluded imagination
on his part , but is acknowledged by all Hindus , some of whom , as he pursues
his way ...
Page 15
Let any man be so infatuated as to cherish a real conviction within him that he is
in some sense divine , and he will of necessity assume a bearing and
demeanour different from those of ordinary mortals . In Benares there are not
fewer than ...
Let any man be so infatuated as to cherish a real conviction within him that he is
in some sense divine , and he will of necessity assume a bearing and
demeanour different from those of ordinary mortals . In Benares there are not
fewer than ...
Page 41
We must expect the opposition to Christianity to be , in many places , organized
and systematic , determined and dogged . But , if Christians in India be faithful to
themselves and to their Divine Master , the triumph of their cause is certain .
We must expect the opposition to Christianity to be , in many places , organized
and systematic , determined and dogged . But , if Christians in India be faithful to
themselves and to their Divine Master , the triumph of their cause is certain .
Page 43
... that it is a common thing for both men and women to amuse themselves , with a
pious intent , with manufacturing little gods from mud or clay , and , after paying
divine honours to them , and that , too , with the same profound reverence which
...
... that it is a common thing for both men and women to amuse themselves , with a
pious intent , with manufacturing little gods from mud or clay , and , after paying
divine honours to them , and that , too , with the same profound reverence which
...
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Common terms and phrases
already ancient antiquity appearance bank base become believe Benares Brahmans Buddha Buddhist building built called capitals carved centre century Christian considerable contains deities described direction discovered distance divine edifice enclosure entire erected existence extent face feet figure five formerly foundations four Ganges Ghát give goddess gods Government ground half hands head height held Hindu honour hundred idols images inches India interest king leading less miles Mohammedan monastery mosque native northern object observed offerings once original pass perhaps period persons pilgrims pillars portion position present probably Raja reason received referred regarded religion religious remains remarkable representing residence respecting river road ruins sacred Sárnáth seen shrine side situated Siva square stands statue stone structure supposed tank temple terrace thousand tower various wall worship
Popular passages
Page 6 - The traveller could scarcely make his way through the press of holy mendicants, and not less holy bulls. The broad and stately flights of steps which descended from these swarming haunts to the bathingplaces along the Ganges, were worn every day by the footsteps of an innumerable multitude of worshippers.
Page 6 - Commerce had as many pilgrims as religion. All along the shores of the venerable stream lay great fleets of vessels laden with rich merchandise. From the looms of Benares went forth the most delicate silks that adorned the balls of St. James's and of Versailles, and in the bazaars the muslins of Bengal and the sabres of Oude were mingled with the jewels of Golconda and the shawls of Cashmere.
Page 6 - The schools and temples drew crowds of pious Hindoos from every province where the Brahminical faith was known. Hundreds of devotees came thither every month to die : for it was believed that a peculiarly happy fate awaited the man who should pass from the sacred city « into the sacred river.YNor was superstition the only motive which allured strangers to that great metropolis.
Page 3 - When Babylon was struggling with Nineveh for supremacy, when Tyre was planting her colonies, when Athens was growing in strength, before Borne had become known, or Greece had contended with Persia, or Cyrus had added lustre to the Persian monarchy, or Nebuchadnezzar had captured Jerusalem, and the inhabitants of Judaea had been carried into captivity, she had already risen to greatness, if not to glory.
Page 41 - Moreover, it is of great importance to bear in mind, that, as a man can hardly be better than his religion, the nature of the Hindu partakes of the supposed nature of the gods whom he worships. And what is that nature? According to the traditions handed about amongst the natives, and constantly dwelt upon in their conversation, and referred to in their popular songs, which, perhaps, would be sufficient proof...
Page xxx - History of Bengal, p. 36. Elsewhere we read, that, " having broken the idols in above a thousand temples, he purified and consecrated the latter to the worship of the true God.
Page 188 - ... and an expression of sympathy with these holy mourners, would sufficiently comfort them, and give them an ostensible reason for returning to their usual employment. Accordingly, all the British functionaries went to the principal ghat, expressed their sorrow for the distress in which they saw them, but reasoned with them on the absurdity of punishing themselves for an act in which they had no share, and which they had done their utmost to prevent or to avenge.
Page 128 - But finding that brass instruments did not come up to the ideas which he had formed of accuracy, because of the smallness of their size, the want of divisions into minutes, the shaking and wearing of their axes, the displacement of the centres of the circles, and the shifting of the planes of the instruments, he concluded that the reason why the determinations of the ancients such as Hipparchus and Ptolemy proved inaccurate...
Page 5 - Benares, a city which in wealth, population, dignity, and sanctity was among the foremost of Asia. It was commonly believed that half a million of human beings was crowded into that labyrinth of lofty alleys, rich with shrines and minarets and balconies and carved oriels, to which the sacred apes clung by hundreds. The traveller could scarcely make his way through the press of holy mendicants and not less holy bulls.
Page xxxvi - For the sanctity of its inhabitants, of its temples and tanks, of its wells and streams, of the very soil that is trodden, of the very air that is breathed, and of everything in it and around it, Benares has been famed for thousands of years.
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Sacred City of the Hindus: An Account of Benares in Ancient and Modern Times |
| Author | Matthew Atmore Sherring |
| Contributor | Fitzedward Hall |
| Publisher | Trübner & Company, 1868 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 26 Oct 2006 |
| Length | 388 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |