SCO REMARKS ON ANCIENT HINDU 



In the preceding table, I have placed the begin- 

 ning of the aftronomic cera of the Call yug, of which 

 4 897 years were expired in April laft in the 906th. 

 year of the world ; at which time Q05 years were 

 elapfed of the Satya yug of the Poets, reckoning from 

 its commencement at the Creation : hence it is felf- 

 evident that the notion of the modern Hindus, who 

 have confounded the fabulous or fictitious ages of their 

 Poets with the aftronomic periods merely from a iimi- 

 larity of names, are not only erroneous, but even 

 quite oppoiitc to the true intent and meaning of 

 the ^ancient Hindu writers themfelves ; who, it may 

 be proved, have fometimes adopted the aftronomic 

 EDra of the Cali yug, during the periods of the Treta 

 and Divapar yugs of the Poets, and made life of either 

 sera, (aftronomic or poetic, and fometimes both), ac- 

 cording as it fuited their fancy, for recording not only 

 pail events in general, but even one and the fame event. 



The firft in fiance I (hall mention by way of proof 

 is that o{ Bl.'diia the ancient Mercury of the Hin- 

 dus. The late Sir William Jones, whole -name 

 can never be mentioned but with higheft efteem, place? 

 the ancient Budha, or Mercury who married Ila 

 a daughter of Noah about the beginning of the 

 Treta yug ; contemporary with Jisc'hwacu the Ion 

 of Noah. Now the Hindus in general, and the Bha~ 

 gawdtanirita in particular, fay that " Bun 11 a be- 

 4i came viable the 1002-1 year of the Call yug" (aftro- 

 nomic aera) : let us therefore examine this matter a lit- 

 tle, and fee whether this is not the fame Budha 

 who. is recorded as living near the beginning of 

 the Treta yug of the Poets ; contemporary with the 

 fon of Noah. Firft the 10( r of the Call 



yug was the 1907th from the Creation. Secondly, 

 iOAH by the Mofaick account, did not die before 

 the 2Q06th year from the Creation or about 

 d years after the appearance of Bldjia. Third- 

 , and laftly, there was but one Budha in the 



time 



