^ ■ ESSAY ON THE 



solution of the world. Besides, there are three paradises called ^Sweta^ 

 the celestial ^Swita in the air^ the terrestrial ^ and also the infernal ouq. 



These three paradises were- not unknown to the western my thologistsi 

 for some placed the elysium under ground, as Virgil : others on the 

 surface of the earthy as Homer ; and others again in the air. But many 

 learned men in India believe, that there is but one elysium, and that 

 on the surface of the earth, ; . t 



The meaning of the above passage would then be, that truly religi- 

 ous men go at once into ""Sdcam, the terrestrial ''Swetam ; after which 

 they are translated into the heaven of Vishnu, or "Swetam the celestial, 

 called the Gd-ldcas; and the geography of which is the same exa6lly 

 with that of the terrestrial ^Swetam, but upon a larger scale: for these 

 three "Swetams appear as so many se6lions of an inverted cone, like 

 Meru, to which they are compared. The Sanscrit expression of Swerga- 

 hhilmi, or celestial earth or region, is perfedlly synonymous with our 

 terrestrial paradise, since the word paradise is become synonymous 

 with heaven, the abode of the blessed. The terrestrial moon of divines 

 in the west, is the island of the moon, which was a terrestrial heaven. 

 Besides this, they had also, according to Macrobius, a celestial earth or 

 region, which they were apt to mistake for the moon: but. this was no 

 other than the Gdlocas of the Hindus ^ exa6tly above the terrestrial moon 

 or '^Swe'tam^ in the air. 



Christian divines, and J^m/^^ commentators, who reason sometimes 

 conformably to certain ideas once prevailing, and probably the remains 

 of some old system, throw some light on this subje6l. Enoch was 

 translated into a terrestrial paradise j or Swerga-bhumi; of this there 



