ascertaining the meaning assigned to the word Yavana,
and the time when the Hindus first became acquainted
with the Greeks. It is unreasonable to assume
without proof that this acquaintance commenced at
the time of Alexander’s invasion. On the
other hand, there are very good reasons for believing
that the Greeks were known to the Hindus long before
this event. Pythagoras visited India, according
to the traditions current amongst Indian initiates,
and he is alluded to in Indian astrological works
under the name of Yavanacharya. Moreover, it
is not quite certain that the word Yavana was strictly
confined to the Greeks by the ancient Hindu writers.
Probably it was originally applied to the Egyptians
and the Ethiopians; it was probably extended first
to the Alexandrian Greeks, and subsequently to the
Greeks, Persians, and Arabians. Besides the Yavana
invasion of Ayodhya described in Harivamsa, there was
another subsequent expedition to India by Kala Yavana
(Black Yavana) during Krishna’s lifetime described
in the same work. This expedition was probably
undertaken by the Ethiopians. Anyhow, there are
no reasons whatever, as far as we can see, for asserting
that Hindu writers began to use the word Yavana after
Alexander’s invasion. We can attach no
importance whatever to any inferences that may be
drawn regarding the dates of Panini and Katyayana
(both of them lived before Patanjali) from the statements
contained in Katha Sarit Sayara, which is nothing more
than a mere collection of fables. It is now seen
by Orientalists that no proper conclusions can be
drawn regarding the dates of Panini and Katyayana
from the statements made by Hiuan Thsang, and we need
not therefore say anything here regarding the said
statements. Consequently the dates of Panini
and Katyayana still remain undetermined by European
Orientalists. Goldstucker is probably correct
in his conclusion that Panini lived before Buddha,
and the Buddhists’ accounts agree with the traditions
of the initiates in asserting that Katyayana was a
contemporary of Buddha. From the fact that Patanjali
must have composed his Mahabhashyam after the composition
of Panini’s Sutras and Katyayana’s Vartika,
we can only infer that it was written after Buddha’s
birth. But there are a few considerations which
may help us in coming to the conclusion that Patanjali
must have lived about the year 500 B.C.; Max Muller
fixed the Sutra period between 500 B.C. and 600 B.C.
We agree with him in supposing that the period probably
ended with B.C. 500, though it is uncertain how far
it extended into the depths of Indian antiquity.
Patanjali was the author of the Yoga Sutras, and this
fact has not been doubted by any Hindu writer up to
this time. Mr. Weber thinks, however, that the
author of the Yoga Sutras might be a different man
from the author of the Mahabhashya, though he does
not venture to assign any reason for his supposition.
We very much doubt if any European Orientalist can
ever find out the connection between the first Anhika