the Veds; Vyákurnu, or grammar; Nirookti, or explanation of the peculiar terms of the Veds; Ch,hundus, or prosody; and Jyotish, or astronomy: which all belong to the inferior kind of knowledge. Now the superior kind is conveyed by the Oopunishuds and is that through which absorption into the eternal Supreme Being may be obtained. That Supreme Being who is the subject of the superior learning, is beyond the apprehension of the senses, and out of the reach of the corporeal organs of action, and is without origin, colour, or magnitude; and has neither eye nor ear, nor has he hand or foot. He is everlasting, all-pervading, omnipresent, absolutely incorporeal, unchangeable, and it is he whom wise men consider as the origin of the universe;-In the same way as the cobweb is created and absorbed by the spider independently of exterior origin, as vegetables proceed from the earth, and hair and nails from animate creatures, so the Universe is produced by the eternal Supreme Being.

From his omniscience the Supreme Being resolves to create the Universe;-Then nature, the apparent cause of the world, is produced by him ;-From her the prior operating sensitive particle of the world, styled Bruhmá, the source of the faculties, proceeds. From the faculties the five elements are produced; thence spring the seven divisions of the world, whereon ceremonial rites, with their consequences, are brought forth. By him who knows all things, collectively and distinctly, whose knowledge and will are the only means of all his actions, Bruhmá, name, and form, and all that vegetates are produced.

End of the first Section of the 1st Moondukum.

Those rites,* the prescription of which wise men, such as Vushisthu, and others found in the Veds, are truly the means of producing good consequences. They have been performed in various manners by three sects among Brahmuns, namely, Udhuryoo, or those who are well versed in the Ujoor-ved; Oodgata, or the sect who know thoroughly the Samu-ved; and Hota, those Bruhmuns that have a perfect knowledge of the Rig-ved. You all continue to perform them, as long as you feel a desire to enjoy gratifications attainable from them. This practice of performing rites is the way which leads you to the benefits you expect to derive from your works.

Fire being augmented when its flame waves, the observer of rites shall offer oblations to deities in the middle. of the waving flame.

If observance of the sacred fire be not attended with the rites required to be performed on the days of new and full moon, and during the four months of the rains, and in the autumn and spring; and be also not attended with hospitality and due regard to time or the worship of Vushyudevu, and be fulfilled without regard to prescribed forms, it will deprive the worshipper of the enjoyments which he might otherwise expect in his seven future mansions.

Kalee, Kuralee, Munojuvá, Soolo-hitá, Soodho-omruvurná, Sphoolinginee, Veshwuroochee, are the seven names of the seven waving points of the flame.

He who offers oblations at the prescribed time in

* In the beginning of this section, the author treats of the subject of the inferior knowledge; and in the conclusion he introduces that of the superior doctrine, which he continues throughout the whole Oopunishud.

those illuminating and waving points of fire, is carried by the oblations so offered through the rays of the Sun to the Heaven where Indru, prince of the celestial gods, reigns. The illuminating oblations, while carrying the observer of rites through the rays of the Sun, invite him to heaven, saying, " Come in! come in!" and entertaining him with pleasing conversation, and treating him with veneration, say to him, "This is the sum"mit of the heavens, the fruit of your good works."

The eighteen members of rites and sacrifices, void of the true knowledge, are infirm and perishable: Those ignorant persons who consider them as the source of real bliss, shall, after the enjoyment of future gratification, undergo transmigations. Those fools who, immersed in ignorance, that is, the foolish practice of rites, consider themselves to be wise and learned, wander about, repeatedly subjecting themselves to birth, disease, death, and other pains, like blind men when guided by a blind man.

Engaged in various manners of rites and sacrifices, the ignorant are sure of obtaining their objects: but as the observers of such rites, from their excessive desire of fruition, remain destitute of a knowledge of God, they, afflicted with sorrows, descend to this world after the time of their celestial gratification is expired. Those complete fools believe, that the rites prescribed by the Veds in performing sacrifices, and those laid down by the Smrities at the digging of wells and other pious liberal actions, are the most beneficial, and have no idea that a knowledge of, and faith in God, are the only true sources of bliss: They after death, having enjoyed the consequence of such rites on the summit of heaven,

transmigrate in the human form, or in that of inferior animals, or of plants.

Mendicants and hermits, who residing in forests, live upon alms, as well as householders possessed of a portion of wisdom, practising religious austerities, the worship of Brahma and others, and exercising a contro] over the senses, freed from sins, ascend through the northern path* to the highest part of heaven, where the immortal Brahmá, who is coeval with the world, assumes his supremacy.

Having taken into serious consideration the perishable nature of all objects within the world, which are acquirable from human works, a Brahmun shall cease to desire them; reflecting within himself, that nothing which is obtained through perishable means can be expected to be eternal: hence what use of rites? He then, with a view to acquire a knowledge of superior learning, shall proceed, with a load of wood in his hand, to a spiritual teacher who is versed in the doctrines of the Veds, and has firm faith in God. The wise teacher shall properly instruct his pupil so devoted to him, freed from the importunities of external senses, and possessed of tranquillity of mind, in the knowledge through which he may know the eternal Supreme Being.

End of the first Moondukum.

According to Hindoo theologians, there are two roads that lead to distinct heavens, one northern, the other southern. The former is the path to the habitation of Bruhma and the superior gods, and the latter to the heaven of Indru and the other inferior deities.

He, the subject of the superior knowledge, alone is true. As from a blazing fire thousands of sparks of the same nature proceed, so from the eternal Supreme Being (O beloved pupil) various souls come forth, and again they return into him. He is immortal, and without form or figure, omnipresent, pervading external and internal objects, unborn, without breath or individual mind, pure and superior to eminently exalted nature.

From him the first sensitive particle, or the seed of the universe, individual intellect, all the senses and their objects, also vacuum, air, light, water, and the earth which contains all things, proceed.

Heaven is his head, and the Sun and Moon are his eyes; space is his ears, the celebrated Veds are his speech; air is his breath, the world is his intellect, and the earth is his feet; for he is the soul of the whole universe.

By him the sky, which is illuminated by the Sun, is produced; clouds, which have their origin from the effects of the Moon, accumulating them in the sky, bring forth vegetables in the earth; Man imparts the essence drawn from these vegetables, to Woman; then through the combination of such physical causes, numerous offspring come forth from the omnipresent Supreme Being.

From him all the texts of the Veds, consisting of verses, musical compositions, and prose, proceed; in like manner by him are produced Deeksha, or certain preliminary ceremonies, and sacrifices, without sacrificial posts or with them; fees lastly, offered in sacrifices, time, and the principal person who institutes the performance of sacrifices and defrays their expences;