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poetic fiction, the golden Meru, inhabited by divinities, we shall find the enclosed land of Ilávritta, in that part of western Tartary, bounded on the south by Tibet, on the east by the sandy desert of Cobi, on the north by the Altaï, and on the west by the elongation of Imaus, stretching to the north from the confines of India. From the four extremities of this elevated plain, or the base of Meru, four of the largest rivers of the old continent commence their devious course; and after washing many various regions, fall into opposite seas.

The countries north and south of Meru, are each divided by three parallel ranges of mountains, which extend from east to west. 1. Mount Nila, or the blue mountain, bounds the land of Ilávritta on the north, and separates it from a region named Ramanaca. This range of mountains seems a southern branch of the Altaï, which, under. various names, extends itself from the Caspian. The land of Ramanaca seems to include the Dauria of Professor Pallas. 2. Sweta, or the white mountain, bounds Ramanaca on the north, and divides it from a country called Hiranmaya, or abounding in gold. We find the inhabitants described in the Márcandeya Purána, as Yaxa, or workers in mines. The passage deserves attention. North of Ramanaca lies the land of Hiranmaya, watered by the river Hiranvati; the inhabitants are yaxa, tall, robust, and rich in gold.' The antient inhabitants of the Altaï mountains, whose metallurgic labours are still traced by the few travellers who journey through that desert region, do not seem to have been unknown to the Pauránicas. Even their southern neighbours, the Massagetæ, are represented by Strabo, as abounding in gold. Cingula iis aurea et diademata in pugnis; æris et auri abundant,' &c. 3. Sringaván. This mountain skirts Hiranmaya on the north, and separates it from the land of Curu, called Uttara Curu, or the northern Curu, to distinguish it from a kingdom of the same name in Hindûstan. This country extends to the northern ocean. We must remark, that the land of Uttara Curu was known at least by name to antient geographers. Ptolemy mentions it, and calls its capital Ottorocora. Under this denomination, the Pauránicas manifestly understand Siberia, the interior of which is too imperfectly explored, to enable us to trace the mountains of Sringaván, or many-peaked. The ocean, which washes its northern skirts, excludes all doubt of the country meant to be described. Here the river Bhadrá, after traversing all those regions from Ilávritta, enters the frozen ocean, at the northern extremity of Jamhudwipa. This river is probably the Irtish, which flows through the lake Zaizan, in its course.

Returning to the central region of Ilávritta, we find its south

ern

ern limits defined by the Nishadha mountains, corresponding with the northern range of Tibet hills. This last country is named by the Pauránicas, Herivarsha. It is separated by the mountain Hemacuta from the land of Kinnara, which consequently comprises the countries of Srinagar, Nepal, and Butan. These are bounded by the well-known chain of Himálaya, or Imaus, which divides them from the land of Bharata, or India. Gangá flowing from Ilavritta, traverses the lake Manasa, which is visited by multitudes of pilgrims at this day. She is called Alacanandá, till she enter the land of Bharata, to unite with the southern ocean. Thus, we find Jambu dwipa bounded by the ocean at its northern and southern extremities, and consequently, comprising every diversity of climate.

On the east, Ilávritta is bounded by a chain of mountains extending from north to south, called Mályaván, which divides it from the land of Bhadráswa. This country extends to the eastern ocean, which we find termed in the Matsya Purána, the Golden Sea, for the same reason probably, that it is named the Yellow Sea by our geographers. A river called the eastern Sitá flows from Ilávritta, through a region described as a sterile sand, at length enters the lake Arunoda (the Orin Nor of our geographers), and traversing Bhadráswa, empties itself in the Eastern Ocean. The eastern Sitá, is manifestly the Hara Moren, Whangho, or yellow river; the sandy desert through which she flows, the desert of Cobi; and the land of Bhadráswa, the empire of China.

Mount Vipula encircles the enclosed land of Ilávritta on the west. It corresponds with that extension of Imaus, stretching northwards from the woody confines of India. The country which descends from its western declivity, is named Ketumálá, and stretches to the Western Sea, obviously the Caspian. A river washing the base of Vipula, pursues its course from Ilávritta to the Western Sea, after flowing through the lake Sitoda. In some Puránas it is named Suvanxu, in others Cháxu. It is generally considered as the Oxus; but the description is equally applicable to the Jaxartes. Ketumála, of course, comprises the countries denominated by the antients Sogdiana, Bactria, and Margiana, with a portion of the territories of the warlike Sacæ.

The limits of Jambu dwipa, therefore, are distinctly marked by the Caspian on the west, the Yellow Sea on the east, whilst its northern and southern extremities are washed by the Frozen and the Indian Ocean. This account comprises the outlines of its geography as sketched in several Puránas: We shall not stop to indicate all the particulars in which it differs from that exhibited by Captain Wilford; nor will our limits admit of discussing the position of the other dwipas. If our view of the Jambu be correct,

it will materially contribute to fix our ideas concerning the others, when we shall find occasion to resume the discussion.

On the Vedas, or Sacred Writings of the Hindus. By H. T. Colebrooke, Esq.

THE treatise of which we have now to speak, is, from its subject, the most curious; and from the ability, candour, and research displayed by its author, the most entitled to approbation, of any that have hitherto appeared in the Asiatic Researches. The Vedas, of which some doubted the existence, many the authenticity, and still more the intelligibility, have been in great part colJected and perused by Mr Colebrooke, who supports their authenticity by arguments which to us appear irrefragable. The literati of the Continent, who have long considered the neglect of this inquiry as a subject for national reproach, will do justice to the luminous though concise view of their contents here exhibited; and the ideas of all will be fixed in respect to their importance to literature. We believe we shall be found to have anticipated the public judgment in this particular, in our review of M. Anquetil du Perron's version of an Upanishad from a Persic translation, in the second Number of this publication, to which we beg leave to refer our readers.

The true reafon,' fays Mr Colebrooke, why the three first Vedas are often mentioned without any notice of the fourth, muft be fought, not in their different origin and antiquity, but in the difference of their ufe and purport. Prayers, employed at folemn rites, called yajnyas, have been placed in the three principal Vedas: thofe which are in profe, are named Yajufh; fuch as are in metre are denominated Rich; and fome, which are intended to be chanted, are called Sáman; and thefe names, as diftinguishing different portions of the Vedas, are anterior to their feparation in Vyáfa's compilation. But the átharvana, not being ufed at the religious ceremonies abovementioned, and containing prayers employed at luftrations, at rites conciliating the deities, and as imprecations on enemies, is effentially different from the other Vedas.'

To such of our readers as have not curiosity to consult Mr Colebrooke's luminous and concise exposition, the following summary of the contents and subdivisions of the Vedas may appear sufficient.

Each Veda confifts of two parts, denominated the Mantras and the Brahmanas; or prayers and precepts. The complete collection of the hymns, prayers, and invocations, belonging to one Veda, is entitled its Sanhitá. Every other portion of Indian feripture is included under the general head of divinity (Brahmana). This comprifes precepts, which inculcate religious duties; maxims, which explain those precepts; and arguments, which relate to theology. But, in the prefent arrangement of the Vedas, the portion which contains paffages called Brahmanas, in

cludes

cludes many which are ftrictly prayers, or mantras. The theology of the Indian feripture, comprehending the argumentative portion entitled Vedanta, is contained in tracts denominated Upanishads, fome of which are portions of the Brahmana properly fo called; others are found only in a detached form, and one is a part of the Sanhita itself.'

In speaking, therefore, of the age of the Vedas, we must always understand the period of their compilation by Vyása. The different parts of those works are ascribed to different persons, who are supposed to have lived at periods widely distant. We think Mr Colebrooke expresses himself somewhat indistinctly on this subject. I incline,' says he, to think, that the ceremonies called yajnya, and the prayers to be recited at those ceremonies, are as old as the calendar, which purports to have been framed for such religious rites. To us, it appears incontestable that they must be older, and probable that the calendar was framed by Vyása himself.

To each Veda, a treatise, under the title of Iyotish is annexed; which explains the adjustment of the calendar, for the purpose of fixing the proper periods for the performance of religious duties. It is adapted to the comparison of solar and lunar time, with the vulgar or civil year; and was evidently formed in the infancy of astronomical knowledge.' By a passage cited from one of these treatises, it appears that when this Hindu calendar was regulated, the solstitial points were reckoned to be at the beginning of the constellation Dhanishtha, and in the middle. of áslesha. And such,' says Mr Colebrooke, was the situation of those cardinal points, in the fourteenth century before the Christian era.' We infer, then, that Mr Colebrooke means to assign this period for the age of Vyása; and we adopt it the more readily, because it does not differ very widely from that assigned by the learned Hindus themselves, who, after all, must be allowed to be the best commentators on their own antiquities. Sridhara, the annotator of the Bhagavat purána, who appears to have been a man of much information, in a copy of that work in the Imperial Library at Paris, states 1598 years as the period elapsed between the birth of Parixit, king of the Curus, and the accession of Chandra Gupta, (who reigned in Pátáliputra, when Megasthenes visited India). Now, Vyasa was contemporary with Parixit, though we think the Vedas were compiled during the preceding reign. We believe that a nearer approximation to the truth is not likely to be attained, respecting events so remote, and so imperfectly recorded.

For the arguments by which Mr Colebrooke supports the authenticity of the Vedas, we must refer to the work itself. But we insert the following passage, because it has induced us to sup

press

press some observations we had prepared on Mr Bentley's stric We fully subscribe to all the positions here advanced; and they will appear with superior advantage from the person confessedly best qualified to form correct opinions on that subject.

With the exceptions now indicated, the various portions of the Vedas, which have been examined, are as yet free from fufpicion; and, until they are impeached by more than vague affertion, have every title to be admitted as genuine copies of books, which (however little deferving of it) have been long held in reverence by the Hindus.

I am apprifed that this opinion will find opponents, who are inclined to difpute the whole of Indian literature, and to confider it all as confifting of forgeries fabricated within a few years, or at beft in the laft few ages. This appears to be grounded on affertions and conjectures, which were inconfiderately hazarded, and which have been eagerly received and extravagantly strained.

In the first place, it fhould be observed, that a work must not be haftily condemned as a forgery, because, on examination, it appears not to have been really written by the perfon, whose name is ufually coupled with quotations from it: for, if the very work itself show, that it does not purport to be written by that perfon, the fafe conclufion is, that it was never meant to be afcribed to him. Thus, the two principal codes of Hindu law are ufually cited as Menu's and Yajynyawalkya's: but, in the codes themfelves, thofe are dialogifts, not authors: and the beft commentators exprefsly declare, that these inftitutes were written by other perfons. The Surya Siddhánta is not pretended to have been written by Meya; but he is introduced as receiving inftruction from a partial incarnation of the fun; and their converfation conftitutes a dialogue, which is recited by another perfon in a different company. text of the Sankhya philofophy, from which the feet of Buddha feems to have borrowed its doctrines, is not the work of Capila himself, though vulgarly afcribed to him; but it purports to be compofed by Ifwara Crishna.

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Among works, the authors of which are unknown, and which, therefore, as ufual, are vulgarly afcribed to fome celebrated name, many contain undisguised evidence of a more modern date. Such are thofe parts of Puránas, in which the prophetic ftyle is affumed, because they relate to events pofterior to the age of the perfous who are fpeakers in the dialogues."

To this we may add the list of Puránas contained in each Purána, in which the whole eighteen are enumerated, with a sketch of their contents, though they could only be composed successively.

Í do not mean to fay, that forgeries are not fometimes committed, or that books are not counterfeited in whole or in part. Sir William Jones, Mr Blaquiere and my flf, have detected interpolations. I am myfelf inclined to adopt an opinion fupported by many learned Hindus, VOL. XII. NO 23.

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