ceded by the son of a cow-herd; one who has eaten with a cow-keeper, who has led cows to pasture; and has been guilty of all manner of abominations!' Krishnŭ restrained his rage for some time, but at length became exceedingly angry, and cut off his head at one blow. It was prophesied of Shishoo-palŭ that as soon as he saw the person by whose hands he should die, two of his four arms would fall off; and this is said to have happened the moment he saw Krishnŭ at the meeting of the kings at this sacrifice.

Another Story.-On a certain occasion the lascivious Krishnŭ heard, that king Dăndee possessed a horse, which every night assumed the form of a beautiful female. Krishnu asked for this horse; but the king refused him, and fled to Bheemu, Krishnŭ's friend, who, rather than abandon a person who had claimed his protection, resolved to break the ties of friendship with Krishnu, and go to war with him. A war commenced, which continued to rage with the utmost fury, till the horse, assuming the shape of a kinnŭree, ascended to heaven, the period of the curse under which it lay being expired.

Krishnu ruining his friend by urging him to declare a deliberate falsehood.—In the war betwixt the family of Dooryodhůnŭ and the Pandŭvůs, Dronacharjyŭ was so mighty a warrior that the Pandúvŭs had no hopes of success unless they could cut him off; to accomplish which, Krishnŭ contrived to throw Dronacharjyü off his guard, by causing it to be reported through the army, that his son Ushwätt'hama was killed. The father refused to believe the report unless Yoodhist❜hiru would say it was true. Krishnŭ pressed Yoodhist❜hiru to tell this lie, as it would insure success to their affairs; and, in cases of extremity, the shastră had declared it lawful to employ falsehood. Yoodist❜hiră at first positively refused, but was at length persuaded by the entreaties of Krishnu, Urjoonů, and others, who told him the assertion would not be a lie, for an elephant of Dooryodhana's, of the same name, had actually been killed in battle. Dronacharjyŭ was so overcome when he was thus brought to believe the that Urjoonŭ soon dispatched him; which completely changed the face of the battle. On account of this falsehood, Yoodhist'hiru, in going to heaven, was terrified by a sight of the torments of hell. Where did Krishnů, the father of this lie, go?

news,

Theft and murder committed by Krishnu.-When Krishna was going to Müt'hoora, to destroy Kingsu, as he approached the city, he felt ashamed of the meanness of his dress, which consisted only of some shreds of cloth, like ropes, tied round his loins; and said to his brother Bŭlu-ramŭ, 'All are going to this sacrifice elegantly dressed; we cannot go in this condition.' Krishnů then sent his brother to a washerman, who however would not part with the clothes in his possession, as they belonged to king Kungsi. A quarrel ensued, in the midst of which Krishnů killed the washerman, and carried off the clothes; these free-booters next went to a shop and stole two necklaces; and afterwards seized some sandal-wood, which a deformed woman was taking to the palace of Kungsŭ; but, to reward her, Krishnů pulled her straight, and made her more beautiful than the upsŭras. The woman asked Krishnů, since he had made her so beautiful, who should marry her. Krishnů asked her to whom she wished to be united. She said to himself;-and from that time she became his mistress.

SECTION LII.

Gopalu.*

THIS is an image of Krishnŭ in his childhood.

He is resting on one knee, with

his right hand extended, craving some sweetmeats from his mother.

This infant god is worshipped at the festivals in honour of Krishnu: the ceremonies are the same, though the formulas are different.

Those who preserve stone, or brass, or other images of this god in their houses, as many do, worship them every day, or whenever they choose. receive the initiating incantation of Gopalŭ as their guardian deity.

Many persons

Gireeshu-chundrů, the raja of Nudceya, in the year 1807, had two dreams, in which the god Gopali appeared to him, and told him, that in a certain place in

The cowherd.

Nudēēya, a beautiful image of him was buried deep in the ground. The raja paid no attention to his dreams, till the god appeared to him a third time, telling him the same thing; when he consulted his principal servants, who sent labourers to dig up the image, but none was found. A few nights after, Gopalŭ appeared again, and told the raja that he was to be found in such a place, describing the spot in a more particular manner. The raja again sent his servants, who found the image. The greatest rejoicings took place at Nudeeya on this occasion; learned bramhuns were called; and a vast concourse of people collected from the surrounding country to behold this miraculously discovered god, and to witness his installation, at which four thousand roopees were expended: a temple was afterwards erected on the spot, and the god placed in it. This image is now become very famous: the offerings presented to it do not amount, it is said, to less than two hundred roopees monthly.

Another image of the infant Krishnů, called Balu-gopală, made of stone or metal, is kept in the houses of many, and worshipped daily, as well as at the festivals in honour of Krishnă.

SECTION LIII.

Gopee-nat'hu.

THIS is another form of Krishnů: In some places the image is worshipped every day, as well as at the festivals in honour of Krishnů.

A celebrated image of this god is set up at Ŭgrů-dweepů, where an annual festival is held, on the 11th and five following days of the decrease of the moon, in Choitrů. The origin of this image is so recent, that the story is known to every Hindoo: two religious mendicants, since become famous among the followers of Krishnů, Choitůnyŭ and Nityanŭndă, sent their disciple Ghoshu-t'hakoorů, who did not relish an austere life, to Ŭgrŭ-dwēēpŭ, and directed him to take a certain stone with him, and make

Ghoshi

an image of Gopee-nat'hŭ, which he should set up there and worship. t'hakooră obeyed his spiritual guides; took the stone on his head; set it up as a god, the gift of Choitйnyŭ and Nityanăndă, and began to worship it in public daily. The god soon appeared to him in dreams, and revealed a number of secret things; so that by degrees Gopēēnat'ha of Ugru-dwēēpu became very famous. One night a

stranger came to the temple at a very late hour, when no one was awake to give him refreshment. The god himself, however, in the form of Ghoshŭ-t'hakoorů, took an ornament from his ancle, and purchased some food for the stranger, at an adjoining shop. In the morning there was a great noise in the town about this ornament, when the shopkeeper and the stranger declared these facts, so creditable to the benevolence of the god; and from this circumstance the fame of Gopēēnat'h spread still wider. After the death of Ghoshu-t'hakoorů, the god appeared to his successor, and directed him to perform the funeral rites; in the celebration of which it was contrived that the god himself should present the offering to the manes; for when the kooshŭ grass, the rice, and the water were put into the hands of the image, the god (a little more water than usual being poured into his hand) poured out the offering, when the crowd set up a great shout, declaring that the god himself had presented the offering to the manes. At present, it is said, this god brings. in not less than 25,000 roopees annually to his owner.

At the above-mentioned festival, it is supposed that 100,000 people assemble each c'ay at Ŭgrŭ-dwēēpŭ, among whom are great multitudes of lewd women, who accompany the religious mendicants. Filthy songs about Krishnŭ and his mistresses are sung by the crowd, and all manner of indecent diversions practised. Different casts eat together here.

After the death of Ghoshu-t'hakoorŭ the image fell into the hands of the raja, or lord of the soil, who sent bramhins to perform the ceremonies before the image, and receive the offerings. Raja Nuvů-krishnŭ of Calcutta once seized this image for a debt of three lacks of roopees, due to him from the owner, raja Krishnů-chŭndru-rayŭ. The latter afterwards regained the image by a suit at law; but not till Nuvŭ-krishnŭ had made another Gopēē-nat'hŭ exactly like it.

All this has arisen out of a stone given by two mendicants to one of their compa nions!-Who can avoid feeling a mingled sensation of disgust and pity, while he be holds such multitudes, the abject slaves of a superstition so degrading.

SECTION LIV.

Jugunnathu.*

THE image of this god has no legs and only stumps of arms;† the head and eyes are very large. At the festivals the bramhŭns adorn him with silver or golden hands.

Krishnŭ, in some period of Hindoo history, was accidentally killed by Ŭngŭdů, a hunter; who left the body to rot under the tree where it fell. Some pious person, however, collected the bones of Krishnŭ and placed them in a box, where they remained till Indru-dhoomnŭ, a king, who was performing religious austerities to obtain some favour of Vishnoo, was directed by the latter to form the image of Jugănnat'hŭ, and put into its belly these bones of Krishnů, by which means he should obtain the fruit of his religious austerities. Indru-dhoomnŭ enquired who should make this image; and was commanded to pray to Vishwŭ-kŭrmů.‡ He did so, and obtained his request ; but Vishwŭ-kŭrmŭ at the same time declared, that if any one disturbed him while preparing the image, he would leave it in an unfinished state. He then began, and in one night built a temple upon the blue mountain in Orissa, and proceeded to prepare the image in the temple; but the impatient king, after waiting fifteen days, went to the spot; on which Vishwŭ-kurmů desisted from his work, and left the god without hands or feet. The king was very much disconcerted; but on praying to Brumha, he promised to make the image famous in its present shape.

The lord of the world, from jugut, the world, and nat’hů, lord.

+ The Athenians placed statues at their doors to drive away thieves, which they called IIermæ, from Mercury. These images had neither hands nor feet, and hence Mercury was called Cyllenius, and by contraction Cyllius, from Kullos, viz. without hands or feet.