Whither Pluralities and Differences?

The chapter explores the turn to the twentieth century as a watershed in the formation of modern Hinduism. It compares two core texts, Dayanand’s Satyarth Prakash (1875) and the catechism Sanatana Dharma: An Elementary Textbook of Hindu Religion and Ethics of Annie Besant and Bhagawan Das (1903). The significant point of difference lies in how the two texts deal with religious difference and pluralities. While in the earlier mode of reformulation of Hinduism, other Hinduistic belief systems and practices were dealt with by denying their validity, but engaging with them, the new mode was one of claiming overarching validity for a singular belief system by subsuming difference, without engaging with the other forms. The other, non-Hinduistic religions were now put strictly outside the Hindu fold. Differences between Hindu traditions were glossed over and the attempt was made to close ranks between even radically different Hindu formations. At the same time, varnashramadharma was confirmed.