200 ON THE HINDU 



vention of these modern ones, and by which the 

 Hindus regulated their history in ancient times, I 

 shall notice them in their proper place. 



I have nothing to do with visionary dreams of 

 antiquity, nor M'irh the ideal systems of the EcUn- 

 burgli Reviewer, my object is truth. The Edinburgh 

 Reviewer says, there is the Devi Calpa, theSuRYA 

 Calpa^ and the Vishnu Culpa; yes, and a great 

 many more, which he will find in the Tantras and 

 other books of the Hindus; as the Gan'es'a Culpa, 

 the PiTRi Calpa, the Sa'nti Culpa, &c. But are 

 these astrononomical systems? And if they are, 

 upon w^hat authority does he give them as such? 

 For he does not vouchsafe to inform his readers 

 where he found them. I am afraid the Reviewer has 

 mistaken the sense of the word Culpa, which he will 

 find to have many meanings. The Hindu astronomers 

 w^iom I have consulted on the subject, and who 

 certainly are the best judges in matters of this na- 

 ture, positively deny that there are any such sys- 

 tems as mentioned by the Reviewer; that, on the 

 contrary, they imply nothing more nor less than 

 the particular form of worship directed for each 

 Deity, &c. * and are to be found, in that sense 

 only, in the Tuntras, Sec. Hence the reader may 

 easily see in what light the Devi Calpa, the Su'rya 

 Culpa, and tiie Vishnu Cr///?rtr, of the Reviewer, 

 are to be considered. 



No astronomical system can possibly have a 

 name before it is invented: and whether such sys- 

 tem is called by the name of its inventor, or whe- 

 ther fancy or caprice may call it by the name of 

 any Deity, flower, mountain, or any thing else, 

 still this can make no difference whatever with 



* Some writers of roniatice may have adopled these names a* 

 so many systems, but they Lavf Motliing to do with real history or 

 astroBumv. 



