360 TRIBUTES TO HIS MEMORY. শ্রীযুক্ত গুরুদাস বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের নাম যদি এইখানে আমি উচ্চারণ করি, তবে অনেক পল্লাবিত বর্ণনার অপেক্ষাও সহজে আপনারা বুঝিবেন কিরূপ সমাজকে আমি প্রার্থনীয় ও সম্ভবপর জ্ঞান করিতেছি। বুঝিতে পরিবেন, নিজের ব্যক্তিগত সংস্কার, মতামত, আচারবিচার লইয়া আমি লেশমাত্র আপত্তি তুলিতে চাহি না-আমি আমার সমস্ত দেশের অভাব দেশের প্রার্থনা অন্তরের মধ্যে একান্তভাবে উপলব্ধি করিয়া নম্রভাবে নমস্কারের সহিত সমাজের শূন্য রাজভবনে এই দ্বিজোত্তমকে “ মুক্ত কণ্ঠে আহবান করিতেছি।’ ( স্বদেশী সমাজ ১৩১১ ভাঙ্দ্রের বঙ্গদর্শন হইতে ) রবীন্দ্র বাবুর এই স্বদেশী সমাজ এক অভিনব পরিকল্পনা। বঙ্গভঙ্গের দেশব্যাপী আন্দোলনের দিনে যখন দেশের লোকের মন সন্দেহ LC BBDLL DDDD SLDDDD DBDuBDBuDBSBB EEEBDB DD LLK BBB am one of those who refuse to renounce my Hindooism, however fittle room there may be for me personally in the Hindoo social organism. It dawned upon my mind quite early in life that Hindooism was large enough and broad enough to retain within its fold those who believed in God and those who rejected Him-both those who believed in “One God and one alone' as well as those who worshipped the whole Pantheon of 33 crores, We do well to remember that for conduct in ordinary life which the law cannot reach, there must be the further rule of religion for the vast majority of us. Forms of religion vary from age to age and from country to country and no one of them can be absolutely free from error. The average man must bear in mind that although observances may seen offensive and stories told about the Gods may seem incredir ble, yet as a rule of action a system which has been the growth of ages is infinitely more precious than any theory which he could think out for himself. He will know that his own mind, that the mind of any single individual-is unequal to so vast a matter-that it is of such immeasurable consequence to him to have his conduct wisely directed, that, although the body of his religion be mortal like his own, he must not allow it to be rudely nedded with-'He may think as he likes about the legends of Zeus and hero but he must keep his thoughts to himself, a man who brings into contempt the creed of his country is the deepest of criminals, he deserves death, and mothing else.“ So said Plato-the wisest and gentlest of human lawgivers, and so lived and died Gooroo Dass Banerjee, a man of precisely the same type as the great Greek
