CHRISTIAN RELIGION IN INDIA. 119 



years, and three months ; for he calculated even the 

 months ; but the difference is immaterial in the pre- 

 sent case. 



This period of the Hindus was adopted afterwards 

 by the Persians^ or was common to both : and the 

 latter reckoned, from the creation to the era of Me- 

 Lic-SHAM, in the year 1079 of Christ, 6,586 years ;* 

 that is, they placed the creation 5507 years before 

 Christ. It appears also from George of Trebizond, 

 that the Pei'sians reckoned, from the flood lo the 

 year of Christ 632, or era of Yezdejird, 3,735 

 years, ten months, and twenty-three days, conform- 

 ably to the ideas of Abu-mazar : and this is again 

 the period of the Cali-yuga of the Hindus. From 

 Alexander's entering India, to the same era of Me- 

 Lic-SHAH, there are 1408 years, which deducted from 

 G^S'^G, there remains 5178; and this J believe was 

 originally the "true reading in Megasthenes's ac- 

 count o^ India. Be this as it may, the difference, re- 

 latively speaking, is not very considerable, and is im- 

 material in the present case. 



Christ was the son of a carpenter, and himself a 

 carpenter, or Tacshaca in Sanscrit. The Persians 

 called him a Peishe-cara, handicraftman and trades- 

 man. In the Calpa-druma-Calicd^ a treatise of the 

 Jainas, and in my possession, 'Sa'la-va'hana, called 

 by the Hindus a Tacshaca, and said to be also the son 

 of a Tacshaca^ Tasktd, or Tzvasktd, is declared to 

 have been a 'Sr'ax:aca or "Sdvaca, a tradesman : and in 

 the western parts of India, as in Giujar'dt, all ban- 

 yans and tradesmen are called "Sdvacas. The words 

 of the Called are, " 'Sa'lava'hana Ndriid RdjdJaina; 

 Parama 'Srdvaca-pati. The King called 'Sa'lava'- 



Bailli's Astroiiom. I»d. p 25J. 

 I 4 



