OR SACRED WRITINGS OF THE HINDUS. 491 



the ecliptic, with several passages of the V^das, is 

 evidently the foundation of that which, after suc- 

 cessive corrections, is* now received by the Hindus 

 throughout India. The progress of those correc- 

 tions may be traced, from the cycle of five *, to 

 one of sixty lunar years (which is noticed in many 

 popular treatises on the calendar, and in the com- 

 mentary of the Ji/6tLshJ; and thence, to one of 

 sixty years of Jupiter; and, nnally, to the 

 greater astronomical periods of tv/elve thousand 

 years of the gods, and a hundred years of Brah- 

 ma'. But tlie history of Indian astronomy is not 

 the subject of this essay. I shall only cite, from 

 the treatises here referred to, a passage in which 

 the then place of the colures is stated. 



* Szva?^ dcramitt somarcaii yadi sdcam saxdsaxou ; 

 sydt tadddiyugam, mdghas, tapas, s'liclo, 'yanan hy 

 udac. 



* Frapadyett s ravish fhadau siiryachdndramasdv 

 udac; sdrp^ard'he ddcshin areas tu: mdg'ha-s'rdva- 

 n'aydh sadd. 



* Gharma-vr'idd'/iir, apdm prasfkah, cshapd- 



* The treatises in question contain allusions to the ages of tlie 

 world : but without espiaining, uiielher any, and what, specific 

 period of time was assigned to each age. This cjcle of tive yeurs 

 is mentioned by tiie n-ame of Yuga, in Para'sara's institutes of 

 law edited by Suvrata, and entitled Vrihat Parfisara. It is 

 ^i;ere (Ch. 12. v. S3.) stated, as the basis of calcuiiUion for 

 larger cycles: and that of 3D00 years, deduced from one of sixty 

 {containing twelve simple yugas), is denominated the Yvixa of 

 Va'cpati ; whence the ipug:a of Praja'na't'ha, containing 

 2i6,C00 years, is deri\ed; and twice that constitutes tiie Cali- 

 i/iiga. Tlie siiil greater periods are afterwards described under 

 the usual names. 



