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402
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1890.
the pious for the purpose of procreation contains sible to be positive. For there are some more wain a remarkable quid pro quo. It is possible quotations which I am unable to trace, viz. one to understand how Bôrani got the notion of pro- short one (Indica II. 6+), two longer ones (ibid. creation. The latter word seems to be the result II. 64-65 and 65-66). These must have been taken of a mistaken rendering of prajd, which means from the tripartite Vishnudharmóttara, as in two also offspring. But I am unable to suggest of them Markaudôya is named as the narrator and whence he may liave got the idea that 'the good Vajra as the person instructed. I do not think and pious were collected.' Equally inexplicable that I can have overlooked them, as I have gone is the further statement that 'then the Kitayuga repeatedly over the astronomical chapters, and I lies far behind them,' instead of which the Sans- believe it more probable that they have been acci. krit test and the concluding sentence of Bôrdni's dentally omitted in the MS. used, which is only a rendering require then the Kritayuga returns.' modern Nagari transcript. An examination of The number of self-contradictions and absurdities the older Sårada copies of the Deccan College in this passage is so great, that one cannot help collection may perhaps shew that they actually Lssuming the Arabic text to be seriously corrupt. are contained in the Vishnudharmóttara. In But making alt due allowance for such possibili. conclusion, I may add that Bôrant seems to ties, there still remain some cases, where Bēruni have taken a good deal more from the Vishnuhas made bad mistakes in translation or has falsi- dharmóttara without saying so. fied the text by interpolating information from ther sources.
One instance certainly occurs (Indica II. 191)
where Bêrûni has awkwardly rendered some stateWith respect to two other quotations I am not ments from V. Dh. I. 60, and has succeeded in curtain whether I have found the passages to making them look like utter nonsense. He says which Borant refers. According to Indica I. 54, there that one civil day which includes portions Markandêya asserts in the Vishnu-Dharma that of three lunar days. is called trihaspaka or Brahman, Kårttikêya, Lakshmi, Daksha and triharkasha," and adds: “It is an unlucky day, Umâdôvi have each of them existed in the middle boding evil, and it is counted among the pun. of this Kalpa, and that they have existed already yakála (i. o, the holy days]." In the Vishnudhar. many timos. Similar utterances are, of course, not mittara, loc. cit., Sankara informe Parasurama rare in the Vishnudharnsttara. One such passage that a civil day including portions of three tithis ocoura at the beginning of Chapter 171, where it is is called trvahasprik, which forin is of course said that the Fish, the Tortoise, the Main-lion, the the original of Beruni's corrupt trihaspaka. He Dwarf, Brahman, Siva, the Sun, the Moon, Indra
further states that fasts, the worship of Késava, and other celestial beings, appear, in order to fulfil muttered prayers, oblations in the fire and gifte, the objects of creation, if they are united with offered on such days, are most effectual for the lustre of Vishnu, and that they disappear when
securing specially desired rewards, but that quch Vishnu withdraws his light from them. Again days, though most holy and sanctifying, are un. in Chapter 190 a much longer list of deities is suited for all other business :given, which are stated to have appeared and dis.
52 a fare: goz: TTTTT: 1 appeared many times. As Borant is not very particular about the names of the deities and often
Tatarou FTTaRa:
11 leaves out a great deal, it is not absolutely im. जपो होमस्तथा दानं कामवद्धिर्भहस्फलम् । possible that his quotation may refer to one of
Tir ozi fe at 11 these passages. Again, according to Indica II. 64, the Vishnu-Dharma asserts that the sun nourishes
This is intelligible, while Bêrani's version inthe moon and the stars, and that if the sun didvolves in apparent contradiction. not exist, there would not be a star nor angel nor The remaining three passages, in which Bs. man.' I cannot find a passage which actually runt quotes the Vishnu Dharma, have been contains these words. But in the Vishnudharis. | taken from a work, which, though likewise a ttara, I. 30, it is repeatedly stated that everything punition of the Bhagavata sect and though exists through the sun, and in the hymn, which likwise called butll'ishna Dharma and VishnuIsvara-Siva addresses there to the Sun, it is said : i lej er, has nothing to do with the tripartite "Thou nourishest (pushnitsi) all the worlds, hence Vislenudheemittunt. Professor A. Weber has thou art called Pashan." I believe it quite given a description of the Berlin MS. in his possible that Bêrůni may have made up his 'quo- Catalogue of the Sanskrit and Praksit MSS. of tation' out of these utterances. But it is impos. I the Berlin library, Vol. II. part 1, p. 338 ff. This
78 This is in Sanskrit tryaharikasha.
