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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XXI. 



to a pupil in the bonds of desire, will become impure like 

 precious milk poured into a black dog-skin vessel. 



In compliance with the request, Vasishta proceeds to 

 deliver to Rama the discourses which form the bulk of this 

 work. Vasishta, it may be added, is believed by the 

 Hindus to be still alive, inspiring and enlightening seekers 

 after truth. Tradition has assigned him a perfect wife, 

 Arundati, who, translated to the skies, shines in the 

 Pleiades. Among the interesting and picturesque cere- 

 monies of a Hindu wedding is the leading of the bride into 

 the court- yard, to point out the star to her as the ideal 

 to be cherished. Vasishta himself is one of the seven stars 

 of the Great Bear, called by the Hindus the Seven Sages. 



8. The Chairman invited discussion, but as none wished to 

 speak on the subject — 



9. Sir J. T. Hutchinson, in proposing a vote of thanks to 

 Mr. Arunachalam, said : It seems to me that there is nobody here 

 who feels himself or herself competent to criticise this Paper 

 of Mr. Arunachalam' s, or the poem about which the Paper is 

 written. I do not propose to do so. I propose merely to ask 

 you to give a vote of thanks to Mr. Arunachalam, for I must admit 

 that I am quite incompetent to criticise his Paper. Speculations 

 about the nature of the universe, the soul, the mind, and the 

 deity, such as are contained in this poem of 2,055 quatrains, I must 

 confess have never been able to interest me personally very much. 

 At the same time I must admit that it is my own fault, for I 

 know very well that there are very great numbers of men much 

 better and much wiser than myself who take a profound interest 

 in this subject, and who find it a great help to them in the course of 

 their lives to follow the speculations of sages, such as the author 

 of this book, and Plato, and the others referred to in Mr. Aruna- 

 chalam's lecture. I know that my old friend Mr. Arunachalam 

 himself is very much in earnest on this subject, and that to him 

 these speculations have a meaning ; that he believes that, to all 

 who are competent and who take the trouble to study the works of 

 these sages, there is a knowledge to be obtained, which we, who 

 have not the capacity or will not take the trouble to study them, 

 are debarred from. I now propose a vote of thanks to Mr. Aruna- 

 chalam. He has evidently taken an immense amount of pains 

 with his lecture, and he has tried to communicate to us some of the 

 knowledge of this old poem which he himself has gained. 



10. Dr. Nell seconded. 



1 1. The proposition was unanimously carried, and the Meeting 

 terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman, proposed by 

 Mr. Arunachalam. 



