tin n e s , “ I t th e re fo re seems a p ro b a b le in fe re n c e , th a t su ch
was th e p o sitio n o f th e "equinox w h e n th e c a le n d a r o f
m o n th s an d seasons was a d ju s te d as d e sc rib e d in th e -V e d a s ;”
a n d h en c e h e in fe rs th a t th e d iffe ren t h ym n s , a n d o th e r
fra gm e n ts o f w h ic h th e V ed a s co n sisted , were- n o t a rra n g e d
in th e ir p re s e n t fo rm , in o th e r w o rd s, th a t th e V e d a s w ere
n o t com p ile d ti ll th e fo u rte e n th c e n tu ry b e fo re th e C h ris tia n
e ra .*
W e h a v e n ow a n o p p o rtu n ity o f c om p a rin g th r e e , differe
n t re s u lts , d e riv e d from se p a ra te d a ta , in re la tio n to a v e ry
im p o rta n t p e rio d o f In d ia n h is to ry , n am e ly th a t o f th e e ra
o f th e M a h a b h a ra ta o r G re a t W a r , o b ta in e d ^by c om p a rin g
th e lis ts o f k in g s a n d In d ia n d y n a stie s a n d t;th e d a te s
a ss ig n e d to P a r a s a r a a n d to th e com p ila tio n o-f th e V ed a s.
I t m u s t b e o b se rv ed , th a t a ll th e s e e v en ts b e lo n g n e a rly to
th e sam e p e rio d . P a r a s a r a th e a stro n om e r w a s th e fa th e r
o F V y a s a , b y w h om th e V ed a s w e re com p iled , and; Who is—
a lw ay s m e n tio n e d as th e a u th o r o f—th o se b o o k s . M o reo v e r,
V y a sa was c o n tem p o ry w ith K ris h n a , a n d th e h e ro e s o f th e
M a h a b h a ra ta . E v e ry th in g th e re fo re th a t c an h e o b ta in ed
in ev id en c e from th e s e d iffe ren t so u rces co in cid es in th e
co n c lu sio n , th a t th is e v e n t im In d ia n h is to ry is to b e d a te d
fo u rte e n c e n tu rie s b efo re th e C h ris tia n e ra . T h e a c cu ra cy
o f th is in fe re n c e is fu r th e r co n firm ed b y a c a lc u la tio n
d e riv e d from th e R a ja T a rin g in i, said to be. th e m o s t a u th e n tic
c h ro n o lo g ic a l w o rk , o r th a t w h ic h m o s t n e a tly a p p
ro a c h e s to su c h a c h a ra c te r, th a t is e x ta n t in a l l th e rem a in s
o f In d ia n a n tiq u ity . F rom th e d a ta afforded b y th is
w o rk P ro fe s so r W ilso n h a s p la c e d th e re ig n o f h e firs t Go-
n e rd a , th e k in g o f K a shm ir, sa id to h av e b een co n tem p o ra ry
w ith K ris h n a , a b o u t on e th o u s a n d fo u r h u n d re d y e a rs b efo re
C h ris t.
P a r a s a r a was th e g ra n d so n o f V a n ish t’h a , a n a stro n om e r
a n d a le g is la to r, wh o was p re c e p to r o f R am a , k in g o f Ayo-
d liy a, o r O u d e, th e h e ro o f th e firs t g re a t ep ic o f th e H in do
o s. W e th u s o b ta in a c lu e as to th e d a te o f th e e v e n t o f
* Colebrooke on the Veda?,—Asiat. Res. v. 8. p, 493 e t seq; item. vol. 7.
p. 284 e t seq.
COMMENCEMENT OF INDIAN HISTORY 105
w h ic h ,th a t poem g iv es a p o e tic a l atid em b e llish e d n a rra tiv e .
This'reveirtrwas a m o st im p o rta n t one in th e h is to ry o f In d ia .
I t was f e f i r s t invasion 0 $ th e D e k h a n b y th e so v e re ig n s o f
N o rth e rn H in d u sta n .*
P a ra g ra é^É ^ ^ t th e cbmm en cemelÉ ^o f th e d y n a stie s.—
v : E a rlie s t p e rio d o f J n d ia n a n tiq iiity ;
T h e age, ?of th e Mahabharata*. b e in g c o n sid e red as a n
h ié ta ric a l ep o ch , a n d d a ted in tbM o u r te e n th c e n tu ry b efo re
C h ris t, a ttè id p ts -h a v e /b e e lq 'mad e to c a lc u la te fu r th e r u p w
a rd s, a n d to fo'mi^aM^8% n a te o f -th e a n tiq u ity o f th e o ld e r
In d ia n m o n a rch ie s: T h e w rite rs who h a v é p u rs u e d th is
in q u iry ^S irw W . J 6®es$ M a jo r W ilfo rd , a n d in la te tim e s ,
C o lo n 4 b # o d a n d P ro fe sso r W ilso n , 'h a v e en d e av o u red to
compute, th e events? o f In d ia n ; chroSïbtógy in ag es lo n g
a n te rio r t d the« timeb@ff th e M a h a b h a ra ta ^ b y m ean s o f th e
se rie s o f prineeé. ©,f th e S o la r an d L u n a r lin es, who a re said
to h a v e / reigned--.-over d iffe ren t p a rts o f In d ia from th e
earHesttpe riods. -| Colonels Tod^ï o n ë ’ o f - th e latest* a n d m o s t
• a c c u ra te w rite rs who h a s en g ag ed in th is in v e s tig a tio n , w as
ofM>pinioht> th a t fifty-five re ig n s m ig h t be? reckoned? u p w
a rd s w ith satisfa c to ry e v id e n c e /from th e ag e o f K ris h n a
a n d Y u d h ish t’h ir a , w h ic h was th a t o f th e M a h a b h a ra ta , to
B d d h a , th e fo u n d e r;o f th e L u n a r ra c e . . T h is, on th e av erag e
o f tw e n ty y e a rs t o e ach reign;;, g iv e s 'a p e rio d o f " one th o u s a
n d o n e h u n d r e d y e a rs. > C o lo n e l T o d ad d s to th e above
p e rio d o f one th o u s a n d one h u n d re d y e a rs a n e q u a l n um b e r
* The only difficulty attendant on this computation is the fact, th a t the events
before mentioned are reckoned by the Hindbos’to h av e happened at the com*-
mencèment of the Kali Yug, or fourth astronomical age, or about the end of
the Dwapar Yug which preceded it. The prevalent chronology of the Brahmans
carries back the commencement of the,Kali age to three thousand one
hundred and twenty, one years before Christ. This is one result of the hypothetical
system adopted b y the Brahmans, according to which they associate
the events of history with certain • astronomical eras', and by carrying them
hack accordingly to period's of remote,antiquity, throw every thing into confusion,
and represent persons who were contemporaries, or who lived in succeeding
ages, as separated by centuries, and even by thousands óf years. On
this subject, and on the system of Indian astronomical cycles, the reader will
find some explanatory remarks in a note at the end of the present section.
V O L .IV. M