1834.] of the Allahabad Column. 269 



had in India at the period of the first Mahometan invasions. While 

 the distinction of works and of spiritual science, as taught in the Upa- 

 nishads, and pervading all the literature of the Hindus, is alluded to 

 more than once in the inscription ; — the Brahmans have that honor as 

 spiritual superiors which we find assigned to them in the Ramayana and 

 Mahabharata — not that excessive superiority and extravagant homage 

 which in subsequent ages they claimed from princes : the Brahman 

 here contributes to the honour of the king, not, as in some later inscrip- 

 tions, the king to the honour of the Brahmans. But I cannot forbear 

 from quoting at length the passage of the Mahabharata to which allu- 

 sion is made in line 28 — proving, that at the date of this inscription, the 

 sacred epic of Vya'sa was regarded and quoted in nearly the same 

 manner as in later ages. The passage is from the 118th canto of the 

 BHisiiMA-pcirva, describing that hero's death, surrounded by the chiefs 

 of both the rival branches of the house of Curu : and is as follows : 



tTpfi-gfirnT ^'^ *rgw* stwttstt h \\ it 

 cnr^i =gfw *T5j?r ^rmsrar: watt i 



*rrq *r,fi *i«rr »wr tor: %"^r w\*m-. n \3 n 

 ^^mTOfereTf? fagiM nfsra?&?T: II \V II 



<sr f% ^r ??%^r^ ^nprnir -qwtfafa n \<t II 

 ^aTT^F rnfar^r T^nr^^i ?tdhrr?r I 



