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APRIL, 1877.3
THE INDIKA OF MEGASTHENÉS.
119
(vyalagrívcs), others having horses' heads(turanga. "Of the slight mistakes into which he fell, some cadanás, afvamuchds), others with feet like dogs are of that kind into which even the most careful (svépadis), others with four feet (chatushpadás), observer may be betrayed, as for instance his others with three eyes (trinétrás), and others with incorrectly stating that the Vipas pours its six hundred.
waters into the Irå vati. Others had their "Nor were the companions of Alexander able to origin in his misapprehension of the meaning of disregard these fables,-in fact, scarcely any of Indian words; to which head must be referred his then doubted their truth. For, generally speaking, assertion that among the Indians laws were not they were communicated to them by the Brah- written, but everything decided by memory. Bemans, whose learning and wisdom they held in sides he alleges that on those Brahmans who had the utmost veneration. Why, then, should we be thrice erred in making up the calendar silence for surprised that Megasthenes also, following exam- the rest of their lives was enjoined as a punishment. ples so high and numerous, should have handled | This passage, which has not yet been cleared up. those fables ? His account of them is to be found I would explain by supposing that he had heardi in Strabo711; Pliny, Hist. Nat. vii. 2. 14-22; Solinus the Indian word dunin, a name which is applied 52." (Sch. p. 64.)
both to a taciturn person and to any ascetic. Schwinbeck then examines the fables related by Finally, some errors had their source in this, Megasthenes, and having shown that they were of that he looked at Indian matters from a Greek's Indian origin, thus proceeds (p. 74) :
point of view, from which it resulted that he did "The relative veracity of Megasthenos, thon, can- not correctly enumerate the castes, and gave a mis. not be questioned, for he related truthfully both taken account of the Indian gods and other matwhat he actually saw, and what was told him by ters. others. If we therefore seek to know what re- "Notwithstanding, the work of Megasthenes-in liance is to be placed on any particular narrative, so far as it is a part of Greek literature and of Greek this other point must be considered, how far his and Roman learning-is, as it were, the culmina. informants were worthy of credit. But here no tion of the knowledge which the ancients ever ground for suspicion exists; for on those matters acquired of India: for although the geographical which did not come under his own observation science of the Greeks attained afterwards a perhe had his information from those Brahmans fect form, nevertheless the knowledge of India who were the rulers of the state, to whom he derived from the books of Megasthenes has only again and again appeals as his authorities. Ac- approached perfect accuracy the more closely those cordingly he was able not only to describe how who have written after him on India have followed the kingdom of the Prasii was governed, but his Indika. And it is not only on account of his also to give an estimate of the power of other own merit that Megasthenôs is a writer of great nations and the strength of their armies. Hence importance, but also on this other ground, that we cannot wonder that Indian ideas are to be while other writers have borrowed a great part of found in the books of Megasthenes mixed up with what they relate from him, he exercised a powerful accounts of what he personally observed and with influence on the whole sphere of Latin and Greek ideas.
Greek scientific knowledge. " Therefore to him, as to the companions of Al- "Besides this authority which the Indika of exander. it cannot be objected that he told too Megasthenés holds in Greek literature, his remains inuch. That he did not tell too little to give an have another value, since they hold not the last adequate account of Indian affairs to Greek place among the sources whence we derive our readers we know. For he has described the knowledge of Indian antiquity. For as there country, its soil, climate, animals, and plants, its now exists a knowledge of our own of ancient government and religion, the manners of its India, still on some points he increases the know. people and their arts,-in short, the whole of ledge which we have acquired from other sources, Indian life from the king to the remotest tribe ; even though his narrative not seldom requires to and he has scanned every object with a mind be supplemented and corrected. Notwithstanding, sound and unprejudiced, without overlooking even it must be conceded that the new information we trifling and minute circumstances. If we see any have learned from him is neither extremely great in part omitted, a little only said about the religion amount nor weight. What is of greater importance and gods of the Indians, and nothing at all about than all that is new in what he has told us, is-tbat their literature, we should reflect that we are not 1 he has recalled a picture of the condition of India reading his veritable book, but only an epitome at a definite period, -- service of all the greater and some particular fragments that have survived value, because Indian literature, always self-conthe wreck of time." (p. 75.)
sistent, is wont to leave us in the greatest doubt
