A Passage to India Religion Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

By sacrificing good taste, this worship achieved what Christian has shirked: the inclusion of merriment. All spirit as well as all matter must participate in salvation, and if practical jokes are banned, the circle is incomplete. (3.33.8)

Here, the novel expresses appreciation for Hinduism's embrace of the "muddle" that Christianity shirks. Here, Hinduism is lauded for including all aspects of human life in its rituals, including humor and fun.

Quote #8

It was [Godbole's] duty, as it was his desire, to place himself in the position of the God and to love her, and to place himself in her position and to say to the God, "Come, come, come, come." (3.33.8)

Godbole basically personifies Hinduism in the novel. His embrace of all people, things, even gods exemplifies the Hindu attitude described in Quote #7.

Quote #9

The fissures in the Indian soil are infinite: Hinduism, so solid from a distance, is riven into sects and clans, which radiate and join, and change their names according to the aspect from which they are approached. (3.34.4)

As this quote shows, even Hinduism isn't a satisfactory religion. In addition to its rigid caste system (where you're born into one of four castes, with Brahmins at the top and the Untouchables so low they're not even included in the caste system), Hinduism has its own sects and divisions. This is why it can't provide the basis, the common ground, for an Indian nation: it too excludes people on the basis of caste and religion.