CHRISTIAN RELIGION IN INDIA. 55 



knowledges, that it was the opinion of many ; and 

 though he does not countenance it, shews plainly, 

 that in his time it was by no means a new idea.* 

 The compiler of the Vansavali seems willing to adopt 

 it, when he says that many learned men reject the 

 whole, as altogether fabulous, and unwarrantable. 

 Their reason, I am told is, that Saca is the Mle'ch'- 

 iia'vata'ra, who did not appear, or rather whose pe- 

 riod Avas not known in India, till about 1200 years 

 ago. In conformity to this idea, in the section at- 

 tributed to the Bhavishya-Purana, Saca is declared 

 to be the lord and master of Rome, which is to be 

 taken in a spiritual sense : and in the Agm-purm'a, 

 the introduction of his period into Ljdia is made to 

 correspond with the year 676 of Christ. 



This Mleclihdvatctra, or incarnation of the deity 

 among foreign tribes, is peculiarly noticed in the 

 Romaca-Siddhanta, an astronomical treatise, accord- 

 ing to the system of the Romacas, or Romans, called 

 Romaicol (pw/^a^o,) by the Greeks. This treatise is 

 said to be very voluminous, and is so scarce, that I 

 have not been able to procure it ; and I believe it is 

 not to be found at Beiiares, This deficiency I have 

 been able to supply from the Suryaruna-samvada, the 

 Siddlidnta-Rdja, and the Surya-Siddlianta, The sun, 

 having been appointed by Brahma, to be the eye wit- 

 ness of all transactions in this world, and to regulate 

 the hours and time, refused to obey, and withdrew 

 into the desert, to perform tapasya, in order to be re- 

 united to the Supreme Being. In consequence of 

 this refusal, he was cursed by Puru'hu ta, or Indra, 

 and Viranchi, or Brahma'. In the Surya-Siddhdn- 



* Saca'ri Vicram^ditya ili sabhramamtis'ritaili, anyair atr^riya- 

 tha lec'bivis'amv^di cadarlhitani. 



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