2-16 ON THE CHRONOLOGY 



ma, and produced the Gods, the Daityas, good and 

 bad genii, animals, and plants of all forts. The Pu- 

 rdnics are not agreed as to the number of Brahma- 

 as. In the Bkdgavat it is declared that they were 

 ten : but in* other purdnas they reckon nine ; whilft in 

 the Se inula- pur ana it is declared that there were only 

 feven Brahmddicas^ whole names are Marichi, Atri, 

 Axgira'sa. Pulastya, Pula'ha, Crita, and Vo- 

 sisHTA ; nor are there wanting authorities to reduce 

 them to three, namely, the three Ions of Swayam- 

 eiiuya, who was Brahma himfelf in a human fhape. 



It is declared, that the feYen Menus, who have 

 made their appearance, fprang from the Brahmddicas: 

 their names are, SwayAmbhuva, Swa'rochisha, 

 Uttama, Ta'masa, Raivata, Ch ac shush a, and 

 Satyavrata or Noah. 



The feYen Rishis fprang immediately from Bra'h- 

 ma, and their names are, Casyapa, Atri, Vosish- 

 ta, Visvame'tra. Gautama, Jamadagni, and 

 Bha'kadwaja. Thcfe holy penitents, by their Sa- 

 lutary counfels, and the example of their aufterities, 

 difcover the path of rectitude and virtue to mankind. 

 It is remarked of Atri, that he was both a Brahmddica 

 and a Rijhi; and, perhaps, the feven- Menus, the fe- 

 ven Brahmddicas, with the (even Rijhis, are the fame, 

 and make onlv feven individual perfons. The feven 

 Brahmddicas were prajdpatis or lords of the prajas or 

 creatures. From them mankind were born, and they 

 are probably the fame with the feven Menus, who, 

 when far advanced in years, withdrew from the world, 

 and became Rijhis or holy penitents, as, according to 

 the PurdnaSj was the general practice of mankind in 

 former ages. Thefe feven grand ancefTors of the hu- 

 man race were firfl Brahmddicas or children of Brahma ', 

 and created for the purpofe of replenishing the earth 

 with inhabitants ; having fulfilled 'their million they 

 became fovereigns oi the univerfe, or Menus ; and 

 in their old they withdrew to folitary places 



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