OR SACRED WRITINGS OF THE HINDUS. 483 



In all, the passages taken from the Vedas agree with 

 the text of the general compilation. 



The Indian legislators, with their commentators, 

 jind the copious digests and compilations from 

 their works, frequently refer to the V6das; espe- 

 cially on those points of the law which concern 

 jeligion. Here also the references are consistent 

 with the present text of the Indian scripture. 



Writers on etliics sometimes draw from the Vt- 

 das illustrations of moral maxims ; and quote froin 

 their holy writ, passages at full length, in support 

 of ethical precepts *. These quotations are found 

 to ajOTce with the received text of the sacred books. 



'to' 



Citations from the Indian scripture occur in 

 every branch of literature, studied by orthodox 

 Hindus. Astronomy, so far as it relates to the ca^ 

 lendar, has frequent occasion for reference to the 

 Vedas. Medical writers sometimes cite them; 

 and even annotators on profane poets occasionally 

 refer to this authority, in explaining passages 

 which contain allusions to the sacred text. 



Even the writings of the heritical sects exhibit 

 quotations from the Vhlas. I have met with such 

 in the books of the Jainas, unattended by any in- 

 dication of their doubting the genuineness of the 

 original, though they do not receive its doctrines, 

 nor acknowledge its cogency j. 



* A work entilled Niti manjari is an instance of this mode of 

 treating moral subjects. 



t The Satapat'ha Brdkmana, especially the 14th book, or 

 Vrihaddran'yaca, is repeatedly cited, with exact references to the 

 numbers of the cliapters and sections, in a fragment of a treatise 

 bv a Jaina author, tiie communication of which I owe to Mr. 



