168 
HI N D O O S T A M. 
fourth Manwantara; and that the fourth Menu derived 
his name, TamaJ'a, from the univerfal darknei's which then 
overfpread the earth ; therefore, the two fyftems agree in 
this point. 
The next period is the Treta, or filver age, at or about 
the commencement of which the Hindoo empire began 
under the folar and lunar dynafties. Budha, the fon of 
Soma, the fon of Atri, was the firft of the lunar line, and 
from him down to the end of the Dwapar, or brazen age, 
(being 1200 years,) there were about fifty reigns. Now 
by looking into the Puranas under that period, we there 
find, among other names of perfons who then lived, thofe 
of Atri, Soma, and Budha; which Ihows the exaCt agree¬ 
ment between the two fyftems. 
We next come to the fixth Manwantara, before C'hrift 
2.093, which began in years later than the Treta, or fil¬ 
ver age. Among the names we find mentioned in the 
Puranas in this period, are Bhrigu and Daciha, who ap¬ 
pear to have been cotemporary, or nearly fo. For Ya- 
yati, the fourth prince in defcer.t from Budha in the lu¬ 
nar dynafty, according to the Puranas, was married to 
Devayani, the grand-daughter of Bhrigu, of whom he be¬ 
gat two fons, Yadu and Turvafu; and of Sarmiftita, the 
daughter of Vrifhaparvan, the grandfon of Dacilia, he be¬ 
gat three Ions more, viz. Druhya, Anu, and Puru ; con- 
fequently, Bhrigu and Daclha muft have lived about the 
fame period, and Budha could have been earlier only 
by a few years, perhaps one or two generations at molt. 
Thefe circumftances, though they may appear at firft light 
as trivial, involve faCts of confiderabls importance in the 
Hindoo hiftory ; while, at the fame time, they prove the 
truth of the ancient fyftems.- Dacfna appears to have been 
an altronomer, and to have formed the twenty-feven lunar 
manfions, and other conftellations, of which he is allego¬ 
rically called.the Father. 
We next proceed to the 7th Manwantara. Among the 
names given in the Puranas in this period, we find thole 
of Jamadagni, Bifwamitra, and Bharadwaja, men who, ac¬ 
cording to the Hindoo hiftory, lived towards the"clofe of 
the Treta- Yug; for Jamadogni was the father of Parafu- 
rama, and nephew of Bifwamitra. Hence the two fyftems 
agree in this point. 
The next period we come to is the Dwapar Yug, or 
brazen age of the firft fyftem. This period is rendered 
famous in the Hindoo hiftory, by the war that took 
place towards the clofe f it, between the fons of Dhrita- 
rafhtra and thofe of Pandu. Among the names of men 
we find mentioned in Hindoo hiftory, as living in this 
period, are thofe of Parafara, Vyas his fon, Garga, Ga- 
lava, Afwatthaman, Caulica, Diptiman, Cripa, Rilhyaf- 
ringa, See. This period correfponds to the eighth Man¬ 
wantara of the fecond fyftem; under which we accord¬ 
ingly look in the Puranas, and find thefe names, which 
clearly eftablilh the truth of the ancient fyftems. 
We now proceed to l'ome of the obfervations that have 
been left us by Parafara, Garga, and others of the an¬ 
cients, which will enable us to judge with more certainty 
of the actual time in which they lived, as well as of the 
progrefs then made in the fcience of aftronomy in India. 
It appears, from what is ftated in the Parafari Sanhita, re¬ 
lative to the commencement of the fix Hindoo feal'ons, 
that the folltitial colure had parted through the firft point 
of Dhanifht’ha, and the middle of Aftelha, while the equi¬ 
noctial colure cut the tenth degree of Bharani, and 3 0 20' 
of Vifac’ha. 
About the year'A. D. 527, the Folltitial colure, accord¬ 
ing to Brahma Gupta, cut U. Alhara in 3 0 20', and Pu- 
narvafu in the tenth degree, which made a difference in 
the pofitions of the colures, of 23 0 20, from the time of 
Parafara. For the longitude of the firft point of Sravilht’ha 
•in the Hindoo fphere is - - = 9 s 23 0 20' 
And 3 0 —20' of U. Afhara - = 9 00 00 
Difference or preceflion to A. D. 527 =2 • 23 20 
Which at 50 leconds per annum gives 1680 years. 
Add from A. D. 527, to this time 22 1277 
JTotal years Jince the time of Parafara 2957 
Which make about one hundred and fifty years before the 
beginning of the Cali Yug of the firft fyftem of the Graha 
Munjari; or about one hundred and thirty-one years before 
the end of the eighth Manwantara of the lecond fyftem. 
It appears alfo that the fun and moon were fuppofed 
to return to a line of conjunction in the firft point of 
Sravilht’ha, at the inftant of the winter folltice at the 
end of every cycle, or yug, of five years. In this period 
the moon was fuppofed to make fixty-two revolutions to 
the fun, and fixty-leven to the fame fixed ftar, or the equi¬ 
nox ; for, it feems, they lead no knowledge of the precef- 
lion of the equinoxes at that time. 
The number of mean folar days aftigned to this cycle 
of five years was 1830, and the number of lunar days in 
the fame time i860. 
Hence, 
1 ft. The folar days' 
l - 18 30 
: 366 day! 
in a year - - 
1 5 
2d. The lunar days! 
l- i 860 
_ 
372 
in a year - - J 
3d. The moon's 1 
1 s 
| 
mean annual 
= -S 7 = 
: I3 r 
4 s 
2 4 0 
o' Q ,f 
motion j 
1 5 
4th. The moon’s ) 
daily motion J 
L — -| 4 U — 
[ — 1 8T0 — 
13 
10 4 9 ii 
5th. The moon’s J 
. _ 1 830 - 
27 d 
7 * 
3 1 ' 
20" Aa 
67 
periodical revol.J 
" 6 7 
6th. The moon’s J 
13 30 
12 
12 JLZ 
1 J 31 
fynodical revol. J 
29 
23 
It appears alfo, that the greateft length of the day was 
thirty-two dandas, or twelve hours forty-eight minutes; 
confequently, the latitude of the place of obfervation 
muft have been about x 3f-° north. There is no mention 
made in the work of Parafara, of the names of the days 
of the week, or of the twelve figns. 
From the above fketch, the reader will be able to judge 
of the progrefs made in aftronomy in India near 3000 
years ago. He will perceive that the Hindoos at that 
time, poffeffed nothing that could be called aftronomy, 
beyond other nations. 
The Hindoos made the luna -7 . h , - 
tionthen-- - l = 2 9 d I2h * 3 ' 1 
The Europeans make it now - 29 12 44 3 
Difference about ------ 20 49! 
Which in lei's than 165 years would produce an error of 
one lunation. 
After this period, we meet with nothing on aftronomy 
till we come down to Brahma Gupta, being a i'pace of 
1080 years, which feems to be an entire blank in the Hin¬ 
doo aftronomy. This aftronomer flourillied about A. D 
527; and, finding that the ancient fyftems were very im¬ 
perfect, on account of the lhortnels of the periods, he 
framed an entire new fyftem, on a much 'larger fcale, 
making the Calpa to confift of 4320000000 years. To 
this cycle, or period of years, he aifigned the following re» 
volutions of the planets, &c. 
Pianets. 
Apfides. 
Nodes retro. 
Sun, 
Moon, 
Mertury, 
Venus, 
Mars,' 
Jupiter, 
Saturn, 
4320000000 
57753300000 
-17936998984 
7022389492 
, 2296828522 
364226455 
146 567298 
480 
488105858 
332 
653 
292 
855 
41 
23231x168 
511 
893 
267 
63 
584 
rhe revolution of the equinoxes, \ _ 
in 4320000000 years - - - - J ” 199 ™? 
dean lblar days,.. 5779 l6 4 S° 0 °A 
»unar days, or tithis, - - - 1602999000000 
He made Sunday the firft day of the Calpa; on which 
lay, at lunrife, the planets, &c. are ajfumed to have been 
>n a line of mean conjunction in the firft point of Aries 
n the Hindoo fphere The years expired of this fyftem 
>n the ill of Vaiiacha (or Vyfahh ) this year —-1972948905. 
Hence, 
