183*2.] Analysis of the Vishnu Purana. 437 



The remainder of the section is occupied with the detail of the 

 duties of the different tribes and orders, and terminates with an absurd 

 legend called the Yama Gitd, the scope of which is to shew, that the 

 spirits of those who have faith in Vishnu, are not to be approached by 

 the messengers of the infernal monarch ; it must be admitted, however, 

 that compared with the other Purdnas, the Vishnu Purana does not 

 very frequently offend with legendary insipidities of this description. 



The fourth section contains the genealogies of the royal fami- 

 lies, commencing with the lines of the sun and moon, and termi- 

 nating with the kings of the Kali age, until a modern period. 

 This section has furnished the greater part of the materials with 

 which Sir William Jones, Mr. Bentley, and Colonel Wilford, at- 

 tempted to adjust the historical chronology of the Hindus ; the latter 

 (A. R. Vol. ix.) gives the Vishnu Purana as one of his authorities ; 

 the first cites a list furnished by his Pundit^ but it is the same thing 

 with one or two inaccuracies ; as an example of these may be stated 

 what he asserts of the four Kanwa princes, that they reigned 345 

 years, whence Sir William Jones observes, that the generations of men 

 and reigns of kings are extended beyond the course of nature even 

 in the present age (A. R. ii. 143.) 



Adverting to the same circumstance, Mr. Bentley refers (vol. v. 

 page 324,) the extravagant elongation of the reigns of these princes, 

 to a deliberate attempt to fill up a chasm occasioned by placing the 

 descendants of Janamejaya at too early a period, and cites this as 

 one of the innumerable absurdities of the modern Hindus. 



Colonel Wilford again observes, these Kanwas are said to have 

 reigned 345 years, which is still more extravagant. (Vol. ix. page 110.) 



It would scarcely be supposed, that these assertions are all founded 

 on error. In the early stage of Sir William Jones's enquiries, his 

 trusting to his Pandifs authority, may be excused ; but it seems 

 very doubtful whether Mr. Bentley or Colonel Wilford took the 

 pains to verify that statement. At any rate, in four manuscripts of the 

 Vishnu Purana) two iu the Devanagari and two in the Bengalee cha- 

 racter, instead of 345 years, the term of the united reigns of the four 

 Kanzoa princes is stated to be 45 years, a period neither extravagant 

 nor absurd, nor beyond the course of nature. 



The ancient dynasties of kings anterior to the Kali age, within the 

 bounds of which they should no doubt be brought, can scarcely be 

 adjusted with much consistency or satisfaction ; at the same time this is 

 a consideration rather favourable to their authenticity, as had they 

 been the result of a systematic fabrication, they would easily have 



