2 Mn. CoLEBROOk'E on the Philosophy of the Hindus. 



authority, in which that doctrine is thence deduced ; and in this large ac- 

 ceptation, it is " the end and scope of the vedas." 



The followers of the veddnta have separated in several sects, as 'ancient' 

 and • modern ' veddntins, and bearing other designations. Tlie points on 

 which they disagree, and the difference of their opinions, will not be a 

 subject of the present essay, but may be noticed in a future one. 



Among numerous upanishads, those which are principally relied upon for 

 the veddnta, and which accordingly are most frequently cited, are the 

 CKhdndbgya, Caushitad, Vrihad-arcm'yaca, Aitareyaca, Taittiriyaca, Cdt'haca, 

 Cai'havalli, Mund'aca, Pras'tia, Sxi'etds'uatara ; to which may be added the 

 Tsd-vdsya, Cena, and one or two more. 



Certain religious exercises, consisting chiefly in profound meditation, 

 with particular sitting postures rigorously continued, are incidcated as pre- 

 paring the student for the attainment of divine knowledge, and promoting 

 his acquisition of it. Directions concerning such devout exercises are to 

 be found in several of the upanishads, especially in the S'wetds'watara ; and 

 likewise in other portions of tlie vedas, as a part of the general ritual. These 

 are accordingly cited by the commentators of the veddnta ; and must be 

 considered to be comprehended under that general term ;* and others from 

 different sdchas of the vedas, as further exemplified in a note below.t 



Besides the portion of the vedas understood to be intended by the desig- 

 nation of veddnta, the grand authority for its doctrine is tlie collection of 

 sutras, or aphorisms, entitled Brahme-siitra or S'driraca mimdnsd, and some- 

 times S'drira-sutra or Veddnta-sutra. S'drh-a, it should be observed, signifies 

 embodied or incarnate (soul). 



Other authorities are the ancient scholia of that text, which is the stan- 

 dard work of the science ; and didactic poems comprehended under the 

 designation of smriti, a name implying a certain degree of veneration due 

 to the authors. Such are the Bhagavad g'ltd and Yoga-vasisht'ha, reputed 

 to be inspired writings. 



* For instance, the Agni rahasya brahmana of the Canwjflj and of the Vajins (or Vdja^aneyins); 

 the Rahasya brahmana of the Tandins and of the Paingins. 



-)■ The Udgit'ha-bnihmana of the Vujas'aney'ins, the Panchag^u-vidyd-pracaran'a of the same, 

 the C'hila grant'ha of the Rdn'uyam'yas, the Priin'a sainvdda or Pn'm'a vidyd, Dahara vidyd, 

 Hdrda vidyd, Paramdlma-vidya, Satya vidyd, Vais'wdnara-vidyd, Sdn'dilya-vidya, Vumadevya 

 vidyd, Upacos'ala-vidyd, Paryanca-vidyd, Madhu-vidyd, Shod'as'acala-vidyd, Samvarga-vidyd, &c. 



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