Antiquity of Indian Astronomy. 333 



The temples which we know are therefore less ancient than the 

 Vedas. 



As to the vedas themselves, or sacred hooks written in San- 

 scrit, we know their age hy means of a calendar which is found 

 annexed to one of them, and which gives the position of the 

 vernal equinox. Now, by means of the known laws of the pre- 

 cession of the equinoxes, we have been able to see in what year 

 that calendar must have been closed. It ascends to 1-500 years 

 before Christ. 



The vedas contain an exposition of the religious philosophy 

 of the Indians. The oupavedas, which are of the same date, 

 are composed of various scientific treatises on music, medicine, 

 war, architecture, the mechanical arts, &c. These two works, 

 as well as some very long poems, are written in Sanscrit, a lan- 

 guage which is not at present spoken, — a language the most re- 

 gular that is known, and which is especially remarkable for the 

 circumstance that it contains the roots of the various languages 

 of Europe, of the Greek, Latin, German and Sclavonic ; so 

 that, to find even the first instrument of science, namely, lan- 

 guage, it would seem that we must go to the Indians in search 

 of it. The astronomical part of the vedas contains few rules. 

 Those which the Indians at present possess for calculating eclipses 

 belong to much later treatises, and which all bear their respec- 

 tive dates. These treatises are in verse, and are learned by 

 heart by the Brahmins of the astronomical caste. 



It is well known that, in the last century, Bailly maintained 

 that there had formerly existed in India a very advanced astro- 

 nomy, of which the present astronomy is but a feeble remnant. 

 His theory rested principally upon the circumstance, that the 

 Indians possessed methods of calculating much more perfect 

 than would seem compatible with the low state of the mathe- 

 matics among them. Admitting the fact, what are we in strict 

 logic to infer from it ? That the Indians in former times 

 were a little more advanced than they are at present. But this 

 past time, perhaps, is not very remote. It might even be ad- 

 mitted, with M. Delambre, that the Indians have not invented 

 the formula.' of calcidatioU; but that thoy received them ready 

 made from the Arabians. These formula? are far from being 

 so perfect as Bailly supposed ; but their very defects have served 



