278 SKETCH OF THE 



the ninth century before the Christian era, admitting the Jain chronology 

 of Verddhamana's existence, but it is difficult to concur in the accuracy 

 of so remote a date, and whatever indirect evidence on the subject is 

 procurable, is opposed to such a belief. 



It has been supposed that we have notices of the Jaina sect as far 

 back as the time of the Macedonian invasion of India, or at least at the 

 period at which Megasthenes was sent ambassador to Sandracoptus, and 

 that these notices are recorded by Strabo and Arrian — the nature of the 

 expressions which those and other writers have employed has been canvas- 

 sedbyMr. Colebrooke, and shewn satisfactorily to establish the existence 

 at that time of the regular Brahmans, as well as of other sects : what those 

 sects were, however, it was no part of his object to enquire, and he has 

 left it still to be ascertained how far it can be concluded that the Jainas 

 were intended. 



Much perplexity in the Greek accounts of the Brahmans and Gym- 

 nosophists has, no doubt, occurred from their not having been acquainted 

 with the subdivision of the priestly cast into the four orders of student, 

 householder, hermit, and mendicant, and therefore they describe the 

 Brahman sometimes as living in towns, sometimes in woods, sometimes 

 observing celibacy, and sometimes married, sometimes as wearing clothes, 

 and sometimes as going naked ; contradictions which, though apparently 

 irreconcileable if the same individuals, or classes be meant, were 

 appreciated by the shrewdness of Bayle more justly than he was himself 

 aware of, * and are all explained by the Achdras, or institutes of the 



* '•'• It may be that they ' the Brachmanes did not follow the same institute in all ages, and 

 that with a distinction of time one might reconcile some of the variations of the authors who have 

 spoken of them." — Article Brachmans, NoteC. Harris, (1. 45t) also has riglitly estimated the real cha- 

 racter of the Germanes, and concluded that they were nothing but Gioghis, from Pietro della Valle's 

 description of the latter. 



