of the universe; and taught, that greatness," pride, matter, water, fire, wind, and space, were first created, and that from these arose the sixteen powers of animated nature; that there was no other God but mind, or rather life, but that God was sometimes abstracted from matter, and at other times united to it; that to destroy life for any other purpose than for sacrifice was wholly evil; and to do it for sacrifice, though commanded by the védŭ, was partly evil; that the reality of things was discovered by inference, by the senses, and by sounds; that he who possessed the true knowledge of God was in the way to final emancipation, and that separation from matter was in reality absorption, or led immediately to it.-To this sage is ascribed one of the smritees. Among his disciples was Oodeechů, the founder of a sect of philosophers. SECT. LIX.-Vyaghrů-kůrnů. Several of the pooranus mention this sage, who is described as a naked old man, in the dress of a yogee; his behaviour sometimes resembled that of an insane person; at one time he sung; at another danced, at another wept, and at other times he stood motionless. Vilwodukéshwŭrů is mentioned as the seat of his devotions. He taught, that God was eternal, but that the world was false, though God was united to it. His other opinions were similar to those of the védantů philosophers. ℗ Mühŭt, here translated greatness, means, in the Hindoo philosophical works, intellect. The word ühŭnkarů, here translated pride, means consciousness of distinct existence. * Or, perhaps, the archetypes of organized matter. CHAP. II. The Hindoo Writings. SECT. I. THE Hindoos arrange the whole of their learned works under eighteen heads, and speak of them as embracing eighteen kinds of knowledge. The four védŭs, viz. the rik, the yujoosh, the sami, and the ut'hŭrvů. The four oopŭ-védŭs, comprize the ayoo, on the science of medicine, drawn from the rig-védt; the gandhŭrvi, on music, from the samŭ-védů; the dhunoo, on military tactics, from the yujoosh, and the silpu, on mechanics, from the ŭt'hurvů. The six ungus, viz. shikshyu, on pronunciation; kůlpů, on ceremonies; vyakŭrůnŭ, on grammar; chundŭ, on prosody and verse; jyotishŭ, on astronomy; and nirooktă, an explanation of difficult words, &c. in the védů. The four oopangŭs, viz. the pooranus, or poetical histories; the nayŭ, or ethics; the mēēmangsa, on divine wisdom and on ceremonies, and the dhurmu shastru, or the civil and canon laws. The author has prefixed to the succeeding account of the Hindoo writings, arranged under their appropriate heads, lists of all the works in each department of literature, so far as collected by the College of Fort-William, by H. T. Colebrooke, Esq. and by the Society of Mission aries at Serampore. The author is aware, that there will be little in this assemblage of names either to amuse or inform the reader; but he thinks he can hardly give any thing, more likely to convince the reader of the extensive nature of the Hindoo literature; and he has added explanations, as far as he could obtain them, of the leading subjects embraced by each treatise, SECT. II.-List of Treatises now extant, under the head Védů. The whole védŭ is divided into three parts: the muntrus and ganus, or prayers, hymns, &c.—the theological part, called the bramhŭnů;—and the gnanŭ, or philosophical kandŭ; beside which, many selections have been made from the védŭ by different sages. The author, as far as he has been able, has arranged the following treatises in this order; though he fears that some errors may have crept into his arrangement, A Division of the Védů, containing (Ganŭ, Müntrů) Hymns, Prayers, &c. Rig-védeeyu-sŭnghita,' part of the rig-védů. Arůnyŭ-punchŭkü, first prayers, &c. from ditto, in five parts. Shutuput'hu, rules, prayers, &c. from ditto. A comment on the rig-védŭ-chundu. The complete collection of prayers in each védŭ is called its sunghita, From půdů, a measure of verse. Arůnyŭ-ganŭ-půddhŭtee, directions for chanting in forests, from the yŭjoor-védů. Shooklu-yujoosh-sŭnghita, part of the white yujoor-védů. Shooklu-yujoosh-půdung, ditto. Vajusŭnéyu-sunghita, ditto. Krishnй-yujoosh-sunghita, prayers, &c. from the black yujoor-védů. Krishnŭ-yujoosh-půdung, ditto. Oitǎréyu-sunghita, a collection of prayers, &c. from the yujoor-védů. Toittireeyu-sunghita, from ditto. Oudgatritwŭ, hymns from the samŭ-védů. Arunyu-ganu," ditto, to be chaunted in forests. Oohŭ-ganŭ, ditto, to be sung with abstraction of thought. Samu-védŭ-oottŭrarchikŭ, the last mintrus of this védă. Stotrǎ-yugnǎka, hymns sung while the clarified butter is poured on the fire. Ütiriktŭ-stotrů-yŭgnŭka, hymns from the samŭ-védů. Vrihŭn-mŭha-nandēēkŭ, prayers, &c. from ditto. the samŏ-védů. Út❜hurvă-védŭ-sunghita, prayers, &c. from the ut❜hurvă. The Bramhŭnů, or Theological Part of the Védů. Rig-védu-bramhŭnů, and its comment. Samu-védů bramhŭnů. Uthurvu-védŭ-bramhunu, and its comment, "Ganŭ, a hymn or song. Rig-védŭ-vidhanů-vrihŭt, an explanation of the rig-védŭ bramhůnů. Arshéyŭ-bramhŭnŭ, a part of the rig-védŭ. Ugnee-bramhunŭ, rules for burnt sacrifices, from the rig védů. Madhyŭndinŭ-bramhŭnă, a part of the rig-védă, with a comment. Budhoo-grihu-průvéshŭnů-vidhee,' rules towards a bride, Nimbadityŭ, part of the rig-védů, with a comment, Yugnu-prayŭshehittŭ-vivŭrănă2-shroută, part of ditto. Nēētee mŭnjurēē-rig-védă, duties prescribed in this védŭ. Nrisinghŭ-tapinee, from the rig-védů, with a comment. Prupat❜hukŭ-grühŭ-kandŭ, part of the rig-védů. Vishwŭjidŭtiratru, instructions respecting two sacrifices known by the names vishwujit, and ŭtiratrů, from the yujoor-védů. Gopalu-tapinee-mōōlă, a part of the yŭjoor-védă. Kénopitu-bramhŭnů, ditto. Oitŭréyu-bramhŭnu, ditto, with a comment. * Vidhanŭ, law. enter; vidhee, a law. y Budhoo, a wife; grilu, a house; průbéshunŭ, to z Prayushchittu, atonement; vivürünü, account. a Mr. Colebrooke has translated sungskarů, by the word sacrament. See a following paragraph on the divisions of the védŭ, |