OF THE HINDUS. 347 



brought from Bdndres, and which would fupport the 

 antiquity and excellence of the fourth Veda, is entirely 

 omitted in the belt copies, and particularly in a very 

 fine one written at Gayd, where it was accurately col- 

 lated by a learned Brahman ; fo that, as Menu himfelf, 

 in other places, names only three Veda's, we mult be- 

 lieve this line to be an interpolation by fome admirer of 

 OhzAfharvan : and fuch an artifice overthrows the very 

 do&rine which it was intended to fuitain. 



The next argument is yet (tronger, fince it arifes from 

 internal evidence ; and of this we are now enabled to 

 judge by the noble zeal of Colonel Poller in collecting 

 Indian curiofities; which has been fo judicioufly ap- 

 plied, and fo happily exerted, that he now poffeffes a 

 complete copy of the four Veda's in eleven large vo- 

 lumes. 



On a curfory infpe6tion of thofe books it appears, 

 that even a learner of Sanfcrit may read a confiderable 

 part of the Afharvaveda without a dictionary ; but that, 

 the ftyle of the other three is fo obfolete, as to feem al- 

 moft a different dialecl. When we are informed, there- 

 fore, but that a few Brdhmans at Bdndres can underftand 

 any part of the Veda's, we mult prefume, that none are 

 meant, but the Rich, Yajufh, and Sdman, with an excep- 

 tion of the Afharvan, the language of which is compa- 

 ratively modern; as the learned will perceive from the 

 following fpecimen : 



Yatra hrahmavidd ydhli dicjhayd tapafdfaha agnirmdk. 

 tatra nayatwagnirmedhah dedhdtume, agnaye fwdhd. 

 vdyurmdh tatra nayatu vdyuh prdndn dedhdtu me, vd- 

 yuzue fwdhd, fiiryo mdh tatra nayatu chacjhuh furyd 

 dedhdtu me, fury ay a fwdhd ; chahdro man tatra nayatu 

 manafchahd.ro dedhdtu me, chandrdya fwdhd, fomo 



B b 2 man 



