Mopern Imiration or tue Vepas, &c. 87 
or Sacred Writings of the Hindus,” im the eiehth volume of the Asia« 
tic Researches, and the veil in which ignorance had shrouded these 
writings has, therefore, been removed. More recently, translations of 
parts of them have been made;* but much remains still to be known, 
and the following observations on their arrangement, substance, and 
style of composition, if not possessing the recommendation of complete 
novelty, may perhaps be found to afford some addition to the knowledge 
we possess on a subject, which, until lately, was involved in impenetrable 
‘obscurity: they are here introduced to prove the assertion made in the 
preceding paragraph and to shew that in these particulars, the Psewdo= 
Védas differ, toto celo, from the genuine Védas. 
"Tue four Vedas, including the A?harvana under that title, are each 
commonly divided into two parts: the Purva-cdidam, the anterior 
division, also called Carma-candam, the division on workss and the 
Utiare-cdiidam, the posterior division, also, called the JInyina or 
Brahma-cdiidam, the division on knowledge or on Gop. The former 
relates to religious works, appoints sacrifices and other ceremonies, and 
prescribes the mode in which they are to be performed. The latter 
relates to spiritual knowledge, teaches the being and nature of the god- 
head, of the soul, &c. The substance of each of these ‘great divisions is 
technically arranged under three heads: First, Vidhi; Precepts, teaching 
in the Pifrva-caixidam the fruit to be expected from every ‘rite, as 
aaa SSSSSSSEIBS—<«”™m——«—mm— 
ee Is bpanishat, with a tranlation, is appended to Dr. Carey’s Sanscrit Grammar, and of this 
and of the Cénopanishat, a version, after Sancanacudnyas Commentary, has been made by Rxu 
Mo“en Raz, and published at Calcutta, 
K 
