OF THE HINDUS. 345 



in the Gild to be the leaves of that holy tree, to which 

 the Almighty himfelf is compared : 



[yam 

 urdhwa mfdam adhah sac ham a'swaWham prdhuravya- 

 ctihanddnfi yafya perndni yajlam vedafa vedavit. 



cc The wife have called the Incorruptible One an As- 

 " watt' ha, with its roots above and its branches below; 

 c; the leaves of which are the facred meafures. He 

 " who knows this tree knows the Vedas" 



All the Pandits infift that A'swatfha means the Pip- 

 pala, or religious fig tree, with heart-fhaped, pointed, 

 and tremulous leaves; but the companion of heavenly 

 knowledge, defcending and taking root on earth, to the 

 Vata, ox great Indian jig-tree, which has moft confpi- 

 cuoufly its roots on high, or at leaft has radicating 

 branches, would have been far more exa&and ftriking. 



The Veda's conn ft of three Cah&as, or General Heads ; 

 namely, Carina, Jhydna, Updfand ; or Works, Faith, and 

 Worjliip : to the firit of which the author of the Vidyd- 

 derfa wifely gives the preference, as Menu himfelf pre- 

 fers univerfal benevolence to the ceremonies of religion : 



Japyenaiva hi fanfiddhyedbrdhmano natra fanfayah ; 

 Curyddanyatravd curydnmaitrd brdhmana ucliyaie. 



That is, " By filent adoration undoubtedly a Brdh- 



u man attains holinefs; but every benevolent man, whe- 



<s ther he perform or omit that ceremony, is juttly 



Vol. I, B b " ftyle'd 



