4,52 NOTICE OF 



popular detailso To what extent the Doctrines or Divinities of" Bhot Baud- 

 dhtsm are of local origin or modification, can only be determined when the 

 condition in which this form of faith exists in other countries is more authen- 

 tically explained j but as far as we may infer from what has yet appeared in 

 the Asiatic Researches, or elsewhere, on the Bauddhism of Ceylon and Ava, 

 many and important varieties occur between the heavenly hierarchy of those 

 countries and of Bhot. Of the scale of Buddhas which prevails in the latter, 

 we have eo tract whatever in the communications of Buchanan, Mahony and 

 JoiNviLLE« Their enumeration of the human Buddhas, the only Buddhas of 

 whom they speak, differs also from that of Mr. Hodgson. Amidst the per- 

 plexity that this disagreement is calculated to occasion, any further illustra- 

 tion that is available will be, no doubt, welcome to the Society, and I 

 have therefore thought that the following notice of the only works sent 

 down by Mr. Hodgson, which I have been able to distinguish as connected 

 with the religion of Nepal in any language known to me, might not be un- 

 acceptable. The works are short, and are evidently of a popular, not a scrip- 

 tural character. As authorities, therefore, they are of no great value, although 

 they may be taken as guides to common and corrupt practice and belief. 

 They evidently, however, spring from the mythological system sketched by 

 Mr, Hodgson, and so far corroborate his statements, as well as derive confir- 

 mation from his remarks, whilst they serve also to shew how far the Buddha 

 creed has been modified by Tdntrika admixture. 



The works in question are three tracts, comprised in one volume, and 

 severally eniiilQdi—Ashtami vrata Vidhdn^ Ritual for the religious observance 

 of the Eighth (day of the lunar fortnight.) Naipdliya Devata Kalydna Pan- 

 chavinsatika, Twenty-five Stanzas invocatory of the favor of the Deities of 

 Nepal— a-nd Sapta Buddha Stotra^ Praise of the seven Buddhas. The text of 

 these tracts is Sanscrit, interspersed with a gloss in Newari, copiously infused 

 with pure Sanscrit terms. The two latter are so short that they may be 

 translated entire, A specimen of the first will be sufficiento 



