________________
386
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1889.
Commencement of Plava ... 2194 294.5182 Expressed in days of the Julian period, the
30th September, A.D. 1889, new style, 8 hours 2194 655-4912
after mean sunrise, is - Bum i.e., the 21st August, A.D. 1296, 11 h. 47'3 m.
2411 276-3333. after mean sunrise, - end of Pla 7a.
Table 3 - 2394 309-5483 = end of year 48. But the year Khara of the third example ended remainder 16 972-7850; as put down in Table 3, on the day of the Julian Table 4. - 16 966 7300 = commencement period 2082 741 0107, i.e., on the 27th March,
of year 48. A.D. 990, 0 h. 154 m. after mean sunrise.
remainder 7.0550; sum 96=60+ 36 Finally, to show here also how to find by the
(Subhaksit). Tables Jupiter's year current at any given Accordingly, the current year is Subhakpit, and moment, we will ask : What year was current, at the given moment there had elapsed of that and what portion of that year had elapsed, on the year 70650 days = 7 days, 1 hour, 19.2 minutes. 30th September, A.D. 1889, 8 hours after mean
F. KIELHORN sunrise ?
Göttingen.
NOTES AND QUERIES.
RUSTIC CUSTOMS IN OUDH. LAKHIA BHUT.
| down on their hands and knees and are freely Lakhi Bhat, is the name of a festival bathed in it. which is, I hear, of Gurkha origin, and is held at
The procession is followed by a crowd, with the planting of the paddy during the monsoons.
music and songs, and the LAkhia Bhat dancTwo men, masked, and with horns tied to their
ing wildly in the midst. The bhut is dressed heads, are yoked to a plough. Two rows of men,
up in a woman's dress, wears a large mask, and facing each other, walk sideways behind them, flowing hair made of the tail of the chdwar gde advancing towards and retreating from each
(yák). other, while imitating the planting of the paddy.
| Query.--Who or what is the " LAkhia Bhat" ? When they meet a pool of water, the "oxen' drop
Lucknow.
G. H. R.
BOOK NOTICE. PHILOSOPHISCHE HYMNEN AUS DER RIG- UND ATHARVA- existence, while, however, simultaneously in this
VEDA-SAXHITA, VERGLICHEN MIT DEN PHILOBOPHEMEN DER ALTEREN UPANISHAD's von Dr.
absolute "Nothing" a Primitive Being is involved, Lucian Scherman; Strassburg, Karl J. Trübner. which out of the non-existing (as out of one of its 1997; 8vo. Pp. vii., 96.
own limbs) causes the Universe to proceed. In 1883 the Faculty of Philosophy of the (2) The main factors, which the Primitive University of Munich offered a prize for an Being used for the development of the world, are investigation into the philosophic hymns of the the abstracts, Tapas, Káma, and Manas, i.e., the Ķig. and Atharva-Veda-Sanhita, with regard Working of the Spirit, the Will, and Absolute to themselves, and in relation to the philosophy Thought, of which the last two work reciprocally. of the older Upanishads. The prize was won by Tapas eventually became identified with the Dr. Scherman in 1885, and his essay, revised and neuter) Brahman. corrected, has since been published. The author (3) The act of creation is similarly explained first gives a revised translation of six hymns or in the hymns and in the Upanishads. With the portions of hymns of the Rik-Sanhita, and of help of Tapas (i.e. Brahman), Manas, and Kama, thirteen of the Atharva-Samhita. Each transla- the universe arises in a perpetual order of develoption is supplied with copious notes, and (when ment. necessary) with a short paraphrase or interpre- (4) With the recognition of the impossibility tation of its contents, and of their philosophic of a clear explanation of the development of the import. It is then, in each case, followed by a world, the way is opened for the confession that comparison of similar tenets put forward by the the soul of man is not able to solve such questions. older Upanishads. The author finally sums up, The above does not pretend to do more than in seven pages of concluding remarks, the princi- indicate the direction of the conclusions arrived pal points of connexion between the hymns and at by the author in his very interesting and the Upanishads.
learned paper to which the reader must be reThese are: (1) The primitive condition of All ferred for further particulars. is a general denial of all existence and non
GEO. A. GRIERBOX.
