Life of Ahmad — Page 161
as ADDRESSES THE A RYA SAM A J 161 might judge them for what they were worth. They might be the oldest books, but, merely because of this, they could not be regarded as superior scriptures. The conception of God in the Vedas was most primitive and imperfect. Ahmad as gave definite quotations, which showed that the Vedas inculcated the worship of fire, air, water etc. He also referred to the laws of Manu in which it is laid down that a low caste Hindu is to be put to death if he commits adultery with a high caste girl, but a Brahman can do so with impunity or by paying a fine. 35 If a Sudra is found listening to the Vedas, his ears are to be stopped with molten lead and wax: and if he should happen to read or memorize the Vedas, his tongue is to be cut off and his heart to be torn out of his body ( Gautam Smirt i , Ashta D a sh Smirt i , Shr i Vengteshar Press, Bombay, 1981 Samat, Chap. 12, p. 484). Ahmad as also dealt with the few points raised by Pt. Lekhr a m in his book Takz i b Br a h i n-e-Ahmadiyya 36 35 'A man of the servile class, who commits actual adultery with the wife of a priest, ought to suffer death. ' ( The Ordinances of Manu , translated by Sir William Jones, London; 1796, p. 235, para 359). 'A Brahmin, who carnally knows a guarded woman without her free will must be fined a thousand panas, but only 500 if he knew her with her free consent. ' (Ibid, p. 237, para 378). 'A Sudra though emancipated by his master, is not released from a state of servitude; for of a state which is natural to him, by whom can he be divested' (Ibid, p. 242. para 414). 36 About this book of Pt. Lekhr a m the Christian periodical N u r Afsh a Ĕ was after all, compelled to write as follows in its issue of March 29th, 1888: 'Whatever truth there might be in it the author has certainly excelled even the worst of fanatics in abuse, trash, lies and fabrication. He has written such absurd and nonsensical things that no educated and civilised person would ever utter them, much less