Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part IV — Page 313
SuB-Footnote Number Three 313 the name of the Veda, but have never actually seen their so-called holy book, might harbour the delusion that these shurt i s that are found written in the Rigveda, have not been correctly inscribed therein, or that in this Veda there would be found perhaps better shurt i s than those given above, which would be such that the Veda would have eloquently expounded Divine Unity in them, or it would have given the teachings of creature-worship in an eloquent and well-grounded discourse which are the [two] necessary prerequisites of eloquence and fluency of speech. Let me say, in answer to such doubters, that I have selected these verses as a specimen from Rigveda Sanhita, First Ashtaka, sukt a 1–115. Anyone who claims that they have not been accurately quoted should present a translation which he deems authentic so that unbiased people may decide for themselves whether the verses quoted by me are accurate, or those quoted by him are. And if someone claims that though these verses may be absurd and meaningless, there are other verses in the same Veda that express God’s Oneness with greater coher- ence and lucidity, it is incumbent upon him to bring them forward in addition to these cited verses. If he can somehow or other prove the fluency of expression and eloquence of the Veda and its facility for dic- tion, so be it. I have no uncalled for enmity towards anyone. I do say, with all sincerity of my heart that, having deliberated upon the Vedas with the utmost attention, I have found them far away and devoid of refined language. And I find it pitiful that such muddled notions should have appealed to the A ryah Samajists and that they should feel so infatuated by such immature and lowly ideas. If the Vedas, despite their long-wind- edness, absurd assertions, and fatuous contents, can still be called elo- quent, then I wonder what word in the world should be called ‘not-el- oquent’! And if the A ryah Samajists do not know what is called an eloquent text, then it is incumbent on them to attentively look at just a few verses of the Holy Quran and compare them with the very lengthy composition of the Vedas given above to realize with what elegance and