quote · Legacy record
We must also remember that in every little village-god and every little superstitious custom is that which we are accustomed to call our religious faith. But local customs are infinite and contradictory. Which are we to obey, and which not to obey? The Brāhmin of Southern India, for instance, would shrink in horror at the sight of another Brahmin eating meat; a Brahmin in the North thinks it a most glorious and holy thing to do—he kills goats by the hundred in sacrifice. If you put forward your custom, they are equally ready with theirs. Various are the customs all over India, but they are local. The greatest mistake made is that ignorant people always think that this local custom is the essence of our religion.
We must also remember that in every little village-god and every little superstitious custom is that which we are accustomed to call our religious faith. But local customs are infinite and contradictory. Which are we to obey, and which not to obey? The Brāhmin of Southern India, for instance, would shrink in horror at the sight of another Brahmin eating meat; a Brahmin in the North thinks it a most glorious and holy thing to do—he kills goats by the hundred in sacrifice. If you put forward your custom, they are equally ready with theirs. Various are the customs all over India, but they are local. The greatest mistake made is that ignorant people always think that this local custom is the essence of our religion.
Approximate author period: c. 1882 AD · industrial
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- Author or tradition
- Swami Vivekananda
Attribution: attributed - Country attributed
- Not established
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- Approximate author period: c. 1882 AD · industrial
Approximate author-period anchor from life dates 1863 to 1902; Wikidata Q47478, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47478 (accessed 2026-10-08). Not a quotation composition date.
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Supplied reference C; CSV row 379996; supplied attribution, independently unverified
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