The work named Upanishad, contains chiefly extracts from the Vedas; the Upaveda, commentaries on them.

The poem entituled the Maha-bharat, or the Great Bharat, relates the wars between the Kourous and the Pandous. It contains, we are told, no less than 125,000 verses, and is supposed to have been written by Krishna Douypen Vyas above 4,000 years ago. A famous battle, said to have been fought at the beginning of the Kaly-Youg, near the spot where Delhy now stands, gave the sovereignty to Yuddhishthira, the oldest of the Pandous. Arjuna, who bears a conspicuous part, and is said to have been a favourite of the god Vishnu, never himself reigned, though his son succeeded to the throne.*

The Pouranas, consisting of eighteen volumes in verse, are histories. The Oupa

* An episode of this poem, containing dialogues between Krishna and Arjuna, named " Bhagvat Geeta," was translated from the Sanscrit into English, by Mr., now Dr. Charles Wilkins.

Pourana, which is an addition to those, consists also of eighteen volumes, containing things said to have been omitted in the Pouranas, as well as a commentary on each. In this work, beside various other matters, is the epic poem, named Ramayan, containing the wars and heroic feats of Rama, which are related in twenty-four thousand couplets.*

The Shastras, and the commentaries upon them, are, we believe, still more voluminous than any of the other sacred books above-mentioned. The DhermaShastra alone consists of above ten large volumes, comprehending all law books of authority.+

But it would be useless to recapitulate

* An English translation of the Ramayuna has been executed by Drs. Carey and Marshman, in three vols.

4to.

+"The word Sastra, derived from a root signifying to ordain, means generally an ordinance, and particularly a sacred ordinance delivered by inspiration: properly, therefore, this word is applied only to sacred literature, of which the text exhibits an accurate sketch."-Jones..

the names of all the numerous Hindu writings that have been mentioned of late years, unless we were at the same time to give an analysis of each: we shall, therefore, only observe, that from the researches and examinations of learned orientalists, it fully appears, that the books of the Hindūs contain not only their civil and religious institutions, but also treat of all the various branches of science and literature which are known to, or practised by Europeans; though unquestionably some of the sciences have, in the course of time, and in consequence of discoveries, been improved, and may continue to receive still further improvements.*

The following extracts from their works, will serve to illustrate what has been advanced with respect to the real tenets of the Hindu religion.

* Those who may wish to inform themselves more particularly on this interesting subject, are recommended to consult the works already quoted in the course of this essay, together with those which are referred to in the following pages.

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By one Supreme Ruler is this universe pervaded; even every world in the whole circle of nature. Enjoy pure delight, O man, in abandoning all thoughts of this perishable world; and covet not the wealth of any creature existing."

"There is one Supreme Spirit, which nothing can shake, more swift than the thought of man."

"That Supreme Spirit moves at pleasure, but in itself is immovable: it is distant from us, yet near us: it pervades this whole system of worlds, yet is infinitely beyond it.'

"The man who considers all beings as existing even in the Supreme Spirit, and the Supreme Spirit as pervading all beings, henceforth views no creature with contempt."

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In him who knows that all spiritual beings are the same in kind with the Supreme Spirit, what room can there be for delusion of mind, or what room for sorrow, when he reflects on the identity of spirit?"

The pure enlightened soul assumes a

luminous form, with no gross body, with no perforation, with no veins, or tendons, -unblemished, untainted by sin;-itself being a ray from the infinite spirit, which knows the past, and the future,-which pervades all,-which existed with no cause but itself,-which created all things as they are in ages most remote."

"To those regions, where evil spirits dwell, and which utter darkness involves, will such men surely go after death, as destroy the purity of their own soul."

They who are ignorantly devoted to the mere ceremonies of religion, are fallen into thick darkness; but they surely have a thicker gloom around them, who are solely attached to speculative science."

“A distinct reward, they say, is reserved for ceremonies, and a distinct reward, they say, for divine knowledge; adding, This we have heard from sages who declared it to

us."

"He alone is acquainted with the nature of ceremonies, and with that of speculative science, who is acquainted with both at