I04                       ALBERUNPS INDIA.

killing this host; but it will be infinitely worse if thy
name will spread as that of a timid, cowardly m.an, that
thy reputation among the heroes and the experienced
warriors will be gone, that thou wilt be out of their
sight, and thy name no longer be remembered among
them. I do not know a worse punishment than such
a state. Death is better than to expose thyself to the
consequences of ignominy. If, therefore, God has
ordered thee to fight, if he has deigned to confer upon
thy caste the task of fighting and has created thee for
it, carry out his order and perform his will with a
determination which is free from any desire, so that
thy action be exclusively devoted to him,"
Moksha and      Hindus differ among themselves as to which of these

the various                  .             inc          ••            i-i           •          f                   t

castes.         castes IS Capable ot attaining to liberation ; tor, according

to some, only the Brahmana and Kshatriya are capable
of it, since the others cannot learn the Veda, whilst
according to the Hindu philosophers, liberation is
common to all castes and to the whole human race, if
their intention of obtaining it is perfect. This view
is based on the saying of Vyasa : " Learn to know
the twenty-five things thoroughly. Then you may
follow whatever religion you like; you will no doubt
be liberated." This view is also based on the fact
that Vasudeva was a descendant of a Siidra family,
and also on the following saying of his, which he
addressed to Arjuna: "God distributes recompense
without injustice and without partiality. He reckons
the good as bad if people in doing good forget him; he
reckons the bad as good if people in doing bad remem¬
ber him and do not forget him, whether those people be
Vaisya or Sudra or women.    How much more will this

Page 51.       be the case when they are Brahmana or Kshatriya."