444 ox THE VKDAS, 



soill, which should therefore be contemplated and 

 considered in all objects, since every thing is soul; 

 for all genei'^1 and particular notions are ultimately 

 resolvable into one, whence all proceed, and in 

 which all merge; and that is identified with the 

 supreme soul, through the knowledge of which be- 

 atitude may be attained. 



I shall select, as a specimen of the reasoning in 

 this dialogue, a passage*, which is material on a 

 different account; as it contains an enumeration of 

 the Vedas, and of the various sorts of passages, 

 which they comprise ; and tends to confirm some ob- 

 servations hazarded at the beginning of this essay. 



' As smoke, and various substances, separately 

 issue from fire lighted with moist wood ; so, from 

 this great being, were respired the RigvSda, the 

 Yajurveda, the Schnaveda, and the Afharvan and 

 Angiras ; the Itihasa and Parana; the sciences 

 a.nd Upanishads ; the verses and aphorisms; the 

 expositions and illustrations: all these were breathed 

 forth by him.' 



The commentators remark, that four sorts of 

 prayers (Mantra), and eight kinds of precepts 

 ( Brdfvnana) are here stated. The fourth descrip- 

 tion of prayers comprehends such, as were revealed 

 to, or discovered by, At'harvan and Axgiras: 

 meaning the A'i'hartana veda. The Itihasa de- 

 signates such passages in the second part of the 

 Vidas entitled Brdhman'a, as narrate a story : for 

 instance, that of the nymph Urvas'i' and the king 

 PuRURAVAs. The Purcina intends those, which 

 relate to the creation and similar topics. " Sci- 

 ences" are meant of religious worship. *' Verses" 

 are memorial lines. " Aphorisms" are short sen- 

 tences in a concise style. " Expositions" interpret 



