310 President's Address to the [Mat, 



both these subjects, was published. About two years ago, a portion of 

 the Rigverla, the most considerable which has yet been printed, was pub- 

 lished in Sanskrita, Mnrathi, and English, by one of our members. A 

 translation of the whole of this work, to which I believe Prof. H. H. 

 Wilson has turned his attention, and of the Bhagawata Purdna, which, 

 though it cannot claim an antiquity much exceeding that of six hundred 

 years, is certainly the greatest practical authority at present, at least in 

 the West of India, are greatly to be desired. On the different sects of 

 the Hindus, and on their provincial superstitions, much light has yet to 

 be cast. On the North of this Presidency, we have the Vaishnavas ; in 

 our immediate neighbourhood, the Smartas ; and in the South, the Shaivas 

 or Lingavants, in the practice of all their peculiarities. In the Dakshan, 

 we have a general worship of deified heroes, as yet unnoticed, except in 

 the most incidental manner. Many curious classes of mendicants, of 

 whom little or nothing is known*, are to be found within the sphere of 

 our peculiar observation. The religion of the Jainas, on which most 

 valuable manuscripts, procured by Mr. Wathen, are deposited in our 

 library, is still, in many respects, to be unfolded. Our Transactions have 

 only one paper, by Captain McMurdo, which refers to it. In the posses- 

 sion of the Jainas, there are many works calculated to throw much light 

 on the religious history of India in general, with the use of which some of 

 them would not be unwilling to favour a European student. I fondly 

 trust and believe, that there are among our members, those who will con- 

 tinue to contribute, as circumstances may call them, to the exposition of 

 the systems of faith, which have so long exercised their sway in this 

 country, and the various literary works, which, though, unlike those of 

 Greece and Rome, they are of little or no use in the cultivation of taste, are 

 valuable as they illustrate the tendency of these systems in their connex- 

 ion with social and public life, and as they explain a language the most 

 copious in its vocables, and powerful in its grammatical forms, in which 

 any records exist. Destitute of a knowledge of these systems, and the 

 works in which they are embodied, the native character, and the state of 

 native society, will never be sufficiently understood, a right key obtained 

 to open the native mind, and all desirable facilities enjoyed for the in- 

 troduction among the people of a body of rational and equitable law, and 

 the propagation of the Gospel and the promotion of general education. 

 There are some respectable patrons of the latter supremely important 

 work, who overlook its importance ; but their number is on the decrease. 



As the touch'd needle pointeth toward the pole ; 



Thus unto thee inclines the holy soul : 



It trembleth and is restless till it come 



Unto thy bosom where it is at home." 

 No person who is familiar with the Upanishads can fail to mark the coincidence 

 of the language of Baxter in the preceding passage, with that of the Transcend- 

 entalists of India. This coincidence of language, however, does not warrant the 

 inference that there is the least agreement of statement. In proof of this position, 

 we have merely to quote the lines which follow those now given. 



" Yet no such union dare the soul desire 



As parts have with the whole, and sparks to fire ; 



But as dependent, low, subordinate, 



Such as thy will of nothing did create. 



As tendeth to the sun the smallest eye 



Of silly vermin, or the poorest fly. 



My own salvation when I make my end, 



Full mutual love is all that I intend, 



And in this closure though I happy be, 



Its by intending, and admiring thee." 



* Of one of these, the M&nbhavas, whom I had particularly in view in making this 

 remark, I have just received an interesting account from Captain A. Mackintosh, 

 the autho r of the History of the Ramoshis. 



