A Hermit in Times beyond Dates (litho)

A Hermit in Times beyond Dates. Tapas, or penance by heat, ie, austerity of life, finds a place in the Rigveda, the earliest collection of Aryan hymns. In later days, of which, however, the history is still traditional, society and religion considerably developed, and the value placed on austerity greatly increased, bringing about the advent of the hermit. He was usually a man advanced in years, who led an idle, ascetic life of contemplation near a shrine on the outskirts of his native village, and was kept in rude comfort by the younger generation. Illustration for Hutchinson's History of the Nations (Hutchinson, c.1920). Note: Image has been digitally enhanced to facilitate repro.