The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (998 page)

nam
rga (the way of knowledge or of philosophical truth), and bhaktim
rga (the way of devotion to God).
Bhagavad-g
t
makes an attempt to reconcile all three. All three are united also by being called
yoga
.
At Independence (1947), India was designated a secular state with recognition of all religions: the eclectic genius of Indian religion (which does not mean that there cannot be sharp conflicts and divisions) makes this a natural outcome. However, the remarkable ability of Indians to put this into practice (e.g. with the possibility of a Muslim president; contrast the status of Islam in Pakistan) has already come under strain with a growing sense that Hindus should affirm their identity over against the separatist tendencies of Sikhs and (in some areas) Muslims—hence the emergence of specifically Hindu political movements and parties (see
BHARATYA JANATA PARTY
). The contrast between these two attitudes (of inclusive toleration and Hindu self-affirmation) were already apparent in the many 19th-cent. attempts to revive and restate Hinduism: see
ROY, R
M MOHAN
;
BRAHMO SAM
J
;
SEN, KESHUB CHANDRA
;
DAY
NANDA SARASVAT
;
RYA SAM
J
.
For many, the purpose of Hinduism is summarized in the prayer of
B
h
d
r
nyaka Upani
ad