MADKAS JOURNAL 



OF 



LITERATURE AND SCIENCE. 



No. 39. January— June s 1851. 



I. Remarks on Book IL Chapter 2 of the Vishnu Purana» 



It is natural to suppose that the literary and scientific works of 

 Hindustan contain much information of an indirect character re- 

 garding the most important epochs of Hindu advancement; and 

 it is a matter for congratulation that, both in Germany and Great 

 Britain, strenuous efforts are being made to throw open the stores 

 of Sanscrit learning to individuals unacquainted with that language. 

 Owing to Professor Wilson's labours, the Vishnu Purana is no longer 

 a sealed book to the mere European scholar; and, in the perusal of 

 his Translation we were led to examine a little closely the Second 

 Book, which treats especially of Geography and Astronomy. The 

 names of the principal features and divisions of India do not in general 

 enable us to recognise them, but it cannot be doubted that a careful 

 examination of the geographical chapters would throw much light 

 on the ancient geography of India. Our object in the present paper 

 is not, however, connected with these chapters but with the eighth, 



VOL. XVII. NO, XXXIX. 



