lx Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [July, 1846. 



lived the mutations of Society, and seems even till now to have grown stronger 

 under oppressions from without ; when it is considered that down to this hour the 

 maxims of law first adopted, or devised, by the ancient sages of the Hindus, still 

 regulate, more or less, the civil jurisprudence of more than 100 millions of peo- 

 ple ; it appears not only natural that we should wish to become fully acquainted 

 with the ancient sources, whence such a mighty river has sprung, but it is surpris- 

 ing th it so little is known as yet, respecting these writings. 



Yajna Valkya, himself one of the number, counts twenty ancient lawgivers, whose 

 treatises are still extant ; in the Padma Puiana and later writings, 36 are men- 

 tioned ; but the entire number exceeds forty. 



Now of all these works, as ancient most of them as the Vedas, and so import- 

 ant in various ways, two only have found their way into the hands of the literati. 

 Manu and Yajna Valkya, (the latter, however, only in the Mitakshara, a comment on 

 the original text) have been printed in the original Sanscrit ; all the rest are scat- 

 tered about in manuscripts. 



The object of this short notice is to draw the particular attention of the Asiatic 

 Society to the ancient Smritis ; and to propose, if it shall meet the approbation 

 of the Society, to print the entire body of the " Dharma Shastra" or Smritis, with 

 the exception of Manu, sufficiently well known, and two or three other treatises, 

 which latter, indeed, bear the name of Smritis, but the external evidence of which 

 clearly shows them to be of a much later date than the others, and to incorporate 

 too many pauranic elements, for their claim to antiquity and originality to be 

 admitted. 



It is supposed that all the works it is meant to publish in the original, about 30 

 in number, could be compressed into two Svo. volumes. 



In the arrangement which I propose to follow, the order observed by Yajna 

 Valkya, as far as it goes, would be adhered to. 



I would only, further, mention, that having already translated nearly one half of 

 the works I would propose to publish in Sanscrit ; I might hereafter, perhaps, be 

 able, if it should appear desirable, to publish a literal version into English of all 

 the treatises, with critical and historical notes, introductory to the several works, 

 and elucidatory of their contents. 



Calcutta, July 1st, 1846. , J. H^eberlin. 



Ordered that the proposal be referred to the consideration of the 

 Committee of Papers. 



Owing to the lateness of the hour, the meeting broke up without 

 receiving the reports of the Curators. The Geological Curator, however, 

 handed over to the Secretary the following reports of a former month, 

 which owing to some oversight remained hitherto unpublished. 



