SYSTEMS OF ASTRONOMY. 199 



cumstances abovementioned, refer him to A. D. 

 499, which shew how Httle they know of the real 

 time he Hved in, which was between seven and 

 eight hundred years ago. 



With respect to the different systems of astrono- 

 my which have been framed from time to time, 

 there are but three now generally known, all of them 

 modern. The first is the Brahma Calpa, invented 

 by Bra'hma Gupta, near 1300 years ago; the se- 

 cond, the Padma Calpa, said to have been in- 

 vented by a person of the name of SrI Dhara 

 Padma, or Sri Dhara Padma Na'bha, between 

 eight and nine hundred years ago ; and the third 

 and last, the Vara'ha Calpa, invented by Vara'- 

 HA MiHiRA, between seven and eight hundred 

 years ago. Hence it may be seen, that the diffe- 

 rent systems bear the names of their inventors, and 

 not of the Deities ; for there is no such Deity as 

 Padma, though there is a system of that name ; 

 therefore it must be sufficiently obvious to every 

 candid mind, that these real systems of the astro- 

 nomers, were the basis on which the writers of 

 Hindu romance, or modern Puranas, erected their 

 ideal ones of the Bra'hma Calpa, the Padma Cal- 

 pa, and the Vara'ha Calpa; the two first of 

 which they fancifully represent as past, and assert 

 that we are now in the third or last. But the truth 

 is, that none of these artificial systems are yet ex- 

 pired (except in the idea of visionaries), nor will 

 be for many millions of years to come. 

 The number of years now elapsed of*- 



the first, =1972948905 



And there are yet to expire, . . 2347051095 

 The years elapsed of the Calpa of 



Vara'ha, . =1955884905 



And there remain yet to expire, . 2364115095 

 As to the systems which were in use before the in- 



04 



