whose history is related in the Mŭhabharŭtů. This work says, that Vanŭ, in the month Choitrů, instituted these rites, and inflicted a number of the cruelties here detailed on his own body, viz. he mounted the swing, pierced his tongue and sides, danced on fire, threw himself op spikes, &c. At length he obtained an interview with Shivu, who surrounded his palace with a wall of fire, and promised to appear when❤ ever he should stand in need of his assistance. Those who perform these ceremonies at present, expect that Shivu will bestow upon them some blessing either in this life or in the next. Doorga is the wife of Shivů. This goddess is known under other names, as Bhŭgü vūtēē, Sūtēē, Parvŭtēē, &c. In one age Shivu was married to Sutēē, the daughter of king Dukshŭ, and in another to the same goddess under the name of Parvutēē, the daughter of the mountain Himalŭyü; hence she is the mountain-goddess. When Doorga was performing religious austerities to obtain Shivŭ in marriage, the latter was so moved that he appeared to her, and enquired why she was thus employ ed? She was ashamed to assign the reason, but her attendants replied for her. He, in jest, reproved her, observing that people performed religious austerities to obtain something valuable; in the article of marriage they desired a person of a good family, but he (Shivu) had neither father nor mother ;-or a rich person, but he had not a garment to wear ;-or a handsome person, but he had three eyes. When Shivă was about to be married to Parvutee, her mother and the neighbours treated the god in a very scurrilous manner: the neighbours cried out, "Ah! ah! ah! This image of gold, this most beautiful damsel, the greatest beauty in the three worlds, to be given in marriage to such a fellow-an old fellow with three eyes; without teeth; clothed in a tyger's skin; covered with ashes; incircled with snakes; wearing a necklace of human bones; with a human skull in his hand; with a filthy juta (viz. a bunch of hair like a turban), twisted round his head; who chews intoxicating drugs; has inflamed eyes; rides naked on a bull, and wanders about like a madman. Ah! they have thrown this beautiful daughter into the river!"*-In this manner the neighbours exclaimed against the marriage, till Narŭdů, who had excited the disturbance, interfered, and the wedding was concluded. A number of stories are related in some of the Hindoo books of an inferior order, respecting the quarrels of Shivă and Parvutēē, occasioned by the revels of the former, and the jealousy of the latter. These quarrels resemble those of Jupiter and Juno. Other stories are told of Shivů's descending to the earth in the form of a mendicant, for the preservation of some one in distress; to perform religious austerities, &c. Shivă is said, in the pooranus, to have destroyed Kündürpü (Cupid) for interrupting him in his devotions, previous to his union with Doorga. We find, however, the god of love restored to existence, after a lapse of ages, under the name of Prudyoomnu, when he again obtained his wife Rutee. After his marriage with the mountain goddess, Shivă on a certain occasion offended his father-in-law, king Dükshů, by refusing to bow to him as he entered the circle in which the king was sitting. To be revenged, Dukshu refused to invite Shivů to a sacrifice which he was about to perform. Sutēē, the king's daughter, however, was resolved to go, though uninvited and forbidden by her husband. On her arrival Dŭkshŭ poured a torrent of abuse on Shivu, which affected Sutēē so much that she died.+ When Shivů heard of the loss of his beloved wife, he created a monstrous giant, whom he commanded to go and destroy Dikshй, and put an end to his sacrifice. He speedily accomplished this work, by cutting off the head of the king, and dispersing all the guests. The gods, in compassion to Dˇkshu, placed on his decapitated body the head of a goat, and restored him to his family and kingdom. This god has a thousand names, among which are the following: Shivu, or, the be * In allusion to the throwing of dead bodies into the river. This resembles the surprize said to have been exAnother very singular coincidence betwixt the European idolatry and that of the Hindoos is furnished by the story of Vulcan and Minerva and that respecting S ivă and Mohinëë as given in the Markǎndéyů poorană; but which I have suppressed on account of its offensive nature. cited by the marriage of Venus to the filthy and deformed Vulcan. + In reference to this mark of strong attachment, a Hindoo widow burning with her husband on the funeral pile is called Sǎtée. Ꭰ nefactor. Mühéshwŭrů, the great god. Eeshwuru, the glorious god. Chundrůshékůru, he whose forehead is adorned with a half-moon. Bhōōtéshů, he who is lord of the bhōōtus.+ Mriri, he who purifies. Mrityoonjúyů, he who conquers death. Krittivasa, he who wears a skin. Oogrů, the furious. Shrēē-kuntů, he whose throat is beautiful.‡ Kupalŭbhrit, he whose alms' dish is a skull.§ Směrů-hürů, the destroyer of the god of love. Tripoorantuků, he who destroyed Tripoorů an ŭsoorů. Gŭngadhŭră, he who caught the goddess Gŭnga in his hair.|| Vrishŭ-dwůjŭ, he whose standard is a bull.* Shōōlēē, he who wields the trident.+ St'hanoo, the everlasting. Shurvu, he who is every thing. Gireeshŭ, lord of the hills, he who dwells on the hills. The following account of the heaven of Shivŭ is translated from the work called Krityu-tutwů. This heaven, which is situated on mount Koilasů, and called Shivŭpoorů, is ornamented with many kinds of gems and precious things, as pearls, coral, The pandits give proofs from the shastrås, in which Shivă is acknowledged to be the greatest of the gods, or Mů ha-dévă: from Muha, great, and, dévů, god. +Bhōōtus are beings partly in human shape, though some of them have the faces of horses, others of camels, others of monkeys, &c. Some have the bodies of horses, aud the faces of men. Some have one leg and some two. Some have only one ear, and others only one eye. Shivŭ is attended by a number of these blootus, as Bacchus hada body of guards consisting of drunken satyrs, demons, nymphs, &c. After Shivă, to preserve the earth from destruction, had drank the poison which arose out of the sea, when the gods churned it to obtain the water of immortality, he fell into a swoon, and appeared to be at the point of death. Allthe gods were exceedingly alarmed; the ŭsoorus were filled with triumph, under the expectation that one of the gods, (even Shivă himself) was about to expire. The gods addressed Doorga,who took Shivă in her arms, and began to repeat certain incantations to destroy the effects of the poison: Shivă revived. This was the first time incantations were used to destroy the power of poison. Though the poison did not destroy Shivů, it left a blue mark on his throat; and hence one of his names is Néelů-kŭntů, the blue-throated. This is Brimha's skull. Shivů in a quarrel cut off one of Brumha's five heads, and made an alms' dish of it. Brimha and other gods, in the character of mendicants, are represented with an earthen pot in the hand, which contains their food. This pot is called a humundŭloo. In Gunga's descent from heaven, Shivă caught her in the bunch of hair tied at the back of his head. Shiva's conduct, on the day of his marriage with Parvutēē puts us in mind of Priapus. The Indian god rode through Kamu-röõpŭ on a bull, naked, with the bride on his knee. + Here Shivă appears with Neptune's sceptre, though I cannot find that he resembles the watery god in any thing else. 17 gold, silver, &c. ... .Here reside gods, danŭvŭs,' gündhŭrvus, upsür us, siddhús, charünüs,5 brümbürshces,6 dévürshees, and muhŭrshees; also other sages, as Sūnatunŭ, Sünŭtkoomarŭ, Sünündŭ, Ŭgŭstyů, Ŭngira, Poolŭstyŭ, Poolůhůŭ, Chitrũ, Angirüsü, Goutumů, Bhrigoo, Purashŭrů, Bhŭrŭdwajŭ, Mrikůndů, Markůndéyů, Shoonŭshéphů, Ushtavŭkru, Dhoumyŭ, Valmēēkee, Vushisht'hu, Doorvasa, &c. These persons con< stantly perform the worship of Shivu and Doorga, and the upsuras are continually employed in singing, dancing, and other festivities....The flowers of every season are always in bloom here: among which are, the yōōthēē,9 jatēē,1o mŭllika,11 malŭtēē,12 dorů,15 tugŭrů,14 kŭrūvēērů,15 kŭlharů,16 kŭrnikarů, késhŭrů,18 poonnagŭ,19 drona, 20 gundhurajů, shéphalika, chumpŭků,3 bhōōmee-chŭmpŭků, nagū-késhŭrů,25 moochŭkoondů,26 kanchŭnů,27 pioolee,28 jhintēē,29 nēēlŭ-jhintēē, rūktů-jhintēē,3 kūdūmbŭ,s2 rŭjūnēēgŭndhŭ,35 tūrkŭ,34 tŭroolŭta,35 parijatŭ,36 &c. &c. Cool, odori ferous and gentle winds always blow on these flowers, and diffuse their fragrance all over the mountain. The shade produced by the parijatŭ tree is very cooling. This mountain also produces the following trees and fruits: shala,37 talŭ,58 tŭmalŭ,39 hintalů,40 kūrjōōrů,41 amrů,42 jūmvēērů,15 goovaků,11 păůnůsŭ,45 shrēēphülŭ,46 draksha,47 ingoodēē,18 vutů,49 ushwüt'hů,50 kupitt'hů,51 &c. A variety of birds are constantly singing here, and repeating the names of Doorga and Shivů, viz. the kakŭ,52 shooků,53 paravŭtů,54 tittiree,55 chatuků,56 chasŭ,57 bhasů,58 kōkilů,59 sarasů,60 datyōōhй,61 chủ. krūvaků,62 &c. &c. The waters of the heavenly Ganges (Mundakinēē) glide along 56 The sparrow. 61 The gallinule. 62 Anas caserca. 37 Phoenix sylvestris. 41 Diospyrus cordi folia, 45 Artocarpus integrifolia. 50 Ficus religiosa. 55 The partridge. 60 The Siberian crane. in purling streams. The six seasons are uninterruptedly enjoyed on this mountain, viz. vůsŭntů (spring), grēēshmů (summer), vŭrsha (rainy), shŭrŭt (sultry), shishirŭ (dewy), and shēētŭ (cold). On a golden throne, adorned with jewels, sit Shivă and Doorga, engaged in conversation. The Shree-bhagůvŭtŭ contains another description of the heaven of Shivŭ: Sixteen thousand miles from the earth, on mount Koilasů, resides this god, in a palace of gold, adorned with jewels of all kinds. This palace is surrounded with forests, gardens, canals, trees laden with all kinds of fruit, flowers of every fragrance. The kŭlpă tree also grows here, from which a person may obtain every kind of food and all other things he may desire. In the centre of a roodrakshut forest, under a tree, Shivă frequently sits with his wife Parvutēē. The fragrance of the parijatŭ flowers extends 200 miles in all directions; and all the seasons are here enjoyed at the same time. The winds blow softly, filled with the most refreshing odours. At the extremities of this heaven southwards and northwards Shivŭ has fixed two gates, one of which is kept by Nundee, the other by Muha-kalu. A number of gods and other celestial beings constantly reside bere, among whom are Kartikeyŭ and Gunéshu, the sons of Shivă; also the female servants of Doorga, Juya and Vijuya, eight nayikas, and sixty-four yoginēēs, with bhōōtus, pishachus, Shivŭ's bull, and those disciples of Shivů (shaktus) who have obtained beatitude. The time is spent here in the festivities and abomina tions of the other heavens. • Sonini, during his travels in Greece and Turkey, made a journey into ancient Macedonia, and paid a visit to mount Olympus, the abode of the gods. It was the middle of July when this excursion was made, and although the heat was extreme towards the base of the mountain, as well as in the plain, vast masses of snow rendered the summit inaccessible. "It is not astonishing," says Sonini," that the Greeks have placed the abode of the gods on an eminence which mortals cannot reach.” The monks of the convent " who have succeeded them in this great elevation," confirmed what has been sometimes disputed, the perpetual permanence of ice and snow on the top of the mountain. With the exception of chamo's and a few bears, there are hardly any quadrupeds to be seen beyond the half of the height of Olympus. Birds also scarcely pass this limit. Eleocarpus ganitrus. |