a u th e n tic ity o f th e ir re c o rd s o f d y n a stie s, so th e y h av e
g r e a tly th e a d v a n ta g e in « th e e x te n t, a n d , as Ih fseems, in
th e a c c u ra c y a n d v a lu e o f th e ir a stro n om ic a l rem a in s. S ir
Is a a c N ew to n en d e a v o u re d to th row lig h t on th e G re c ia n
c h ro n o lo g y b y n o tic in g th e p o sitio n s o f th e c o lu re s in th e
sp h e re o f C h iro n a n d th e A rg o n a u ts ; a n d a sim ila r a ttem p t
h a s b e e n m a d e , p e rh a p s w ith b e tte r au sp ices, to_ a sc e rta in
th e a g e o f th e M a h a b h a ra ta from th e a stro n om ic a l w o rk s o f
P a ra s a ra , wh o is sa id to h a v e b een c o n tem p o ra ry w ith th e
G re a t W a r , a n d to h a v e le ft d o cum en ts from w h ic h th e p o iS ?
tio n o f th e h e a v e n ly bo d ies in h is tim e can b e d e te rm in e d .
T h e ag e o f P a r a s a r a is o f th e g r e a te s t im p o rta n c e in? In d ia n
h is to ry , a s i t co n n e c ts its e lf n o t on ly w ith th e d a te mêstjh&
M a h a b h a ra ta , b u t lik ew ise w ith th e com p ila tio n o f th e
V ed as. I t is th e re fo re a s u b je e t o f in q u iry w o rth y o f th e
p a in s w h ich h a v e b e en bestowed u p o n it.
I t a p p e a rs , in d e e d , w h en we firs t a d v e rt to t h e . subject,-?
e x trem e ly im p ro b a b le th a t sc ien tific tre a tis e s sh o u ld have;
been p re s e rv e d in In d ia from a p e rio d so rem o te as .th e
fo u rte e n th c e n tu ry b e fo re th e C h ris tia n era.i T h e b e s t in fo
rm e d a n d th e m o s t ju d ic io u s am o n g th o se, who; h av e
d ev o ted th em se lv e s to th e s tu d y o f In d ia n lite r a tu re a p p e a r,
h ow ev e r, u n a n im o u s in th e o p in io n th a t- tÉ e d a te a ss ig n e d
to th e s e o b se rv a tio n s b y M r. D a v is, th e firs t successful
in v e s tig a to r o f In d ia n a stro n om y , is c o r r e c t* I t seems?
th a t a ll th e a stro n om ic a l w rite rs o f th e H in d o o s, in c lu d in g
some w h o a re re p u te d to b e o f v e ry a n c ie n t d a te , as V a ram i-
h ir a a n d B ra hm e g u p ta , re f e r to th e m o re a n c ie n t w o rk s o f
P a ra s a ra . C o rre c tio n s w e re m a d e from tim e to tim e b y
la te o b se rv e rs, b u t a ll a g re e in th e sta tem e n t, th a t P a ra s a ra ’s
o b se rv a tio n s, w h ic h re p re s e n te d th e sta te o f th e h eav en s
a t th e p e rio d w h e n h e liv e d , a re th e b a sis on w h ic h th e y
p ro c e ed . P a ra s a ra ’s w o rk , in th e o p in io n o f M r. D av is,
p re s e rv e s a tru e a c c o u n t o f th e p o sitio n o f th e so lstitia l
co lu re s in h is tim e , a n d i t was b y c a lc u la tin g b a c kw a rd s
from th is p e rio d th a t th e H in d o o s c o n s tru c te d th a t h y p o th e -
* See Mr. Davis’s Treatise on the astronomy of the Hindoos, in the second
volume of the Asiatic Researches, and séveral papers By Sir W. Jones, and by
Mr. Colebrooke on the same subject, in other volumes of th a t series.
tic a l sy stem w h ic h was lo n g re p re s e n te d to th e w o rld as a
series o f re a l o b se rv a tio n s h a n d e d down from p e rio d s o f
v a s t a n tiq u ity . F rom the. p o sitio n s o f th e co lu re s as th e y
sto o d in th e tim e o f P a ra s a ra , i t was c a lc u la te d a t firs t b y
M r. D av is th a t th is a stro n om e r liv e d a b o u t o n e th o u s a n d
one h u n d re d ,a n d e ig h ty y e a rs b e fo re C h ris t. B u t th e same
w rite r hiiv in g re c o n s id e re d the? su b je c t w ith g re a te r a tte n tio
n , came fin ally to th e co n clu sio n , th a t th e re c o rd e d o b serv
a tio n s, w h ic h fix th e p o sitio n s o f th e c o lu re s, m u s t h av e
b e e n m a d e on e th o u sa n d th r e e h u n d re d a n d n in e ty one
y e a rs b e fo re th e C h ris tia n e ra j a n d th is c a lc u la tio n h as b e en
Confirmed, as i t . h a s b e e n o b se rv ed b y M a jo r W ilfo rd , b y
o th e r ev id en c e d e riv e d from th e w o rk s o f P a ra s a ra .*
I t ts im p o rta n t to. o b se rv e , th a t th is c a lc u la tio n o f th e
a g e o f P a r a s a r a , a n d o f th e re a l in itia l p e rio d o f a stro n om ic
a l o b s e rv a tio n s h a n d e d d ow n from th e Iiin d fi a stro n om e rs,
co in c id e s w ith th e co n c lu sio n s o b ta in e d b y M r . C o leb ro o k e ,
one o f th e m o s t ju d ic io u s as w e ll a s th e m o s t le a rn e d o f
A n g lo -In d ia n sch o la rs,, re sp e c tin g th e ag e o f th e V ed as,
t h a t is o f th e . com p ila tio n o f th e s e w o rk s j fo r m a n y o f th e
h ym n s a n d p ra y e rs w h ic h th e y c o n ta in a re su p p o sed to b e o f
m u c h g re a te r a n tiq u ity .^ M r. C o le b ro o k e h a s o b serv ed ,
th a t the? Jy b tish j.o r c a le n d a r o f m o n th s a n d seasons, a d ju s te d
to th e d iffe ren t religious^eeremonies o rd a in e d in th e V ed a s,
c o n ta in s a d e q u a te m e an s fo r d e te rm in in g th e p e rio d a t w h ich
th is a d ju s tm e n t was l a i d down, a n d in w h ich i t w o u ld
a p p e a r th a t-th e Vedas w e re c o m p i le d # H e d isco v e red th a t
th e p la c e s o f th e so lstitia l p o in ts aiid? equinoxes* a t th e
tim e w h e n th is c a le n d a r was fo rm ed , a re c le a rly p o in te d o u t
in s e v e ra l p a ssag e s. “ T h e V e d a ,” h e says, re f e rrin g p a r tic
u la r ly to th e Y a ju rv e d a , ‘ - c a n n o t b e m u c h o ld e r th a n th e
o b se rv a tio n s o f th e co lu res re c o rd e d b y P a r a s a r a ,J w h ic h
m u s t h a v e b een m a d e n e a rly one th o u s a n d th r e e h u n d re d
a n d n in e ty o n e y e a rs b e fo re th e C h ris tia n e ra .Ӥ H e th e n
d e sc rib e s p re c ise ly th e p o sitio n o f th e c o lu re s, a n d con-
* Asiatic Researches, vol. 5. p. 228. octavo.
t Colebrooke’s Essays, vol. 1. p. 200-202.
t See Asiatic Researches, vol. 2. p. 268, and 393.
§ Asiatic Researches, vol. ^. p. 288.