he thought it was a river, and entreated another bramhin to help him over it. On his arrival, he went to ask a gift of Bŭlee. The king was so pleased with him, on account of his diminutive form, that he promised to give him whatever he should ask. He petitioned only for as much land as he could measure by three steps. Bulee pressed him to ask for more, intimating that such a quantity was nothing; but Vamănů persisted, and the king ordered his priest to read the usual formulas in making such a present. The priest warned the king, declaring he would repent of making this gift, for the little brambun was no other than Vishnoo himself, who would deprive him of all he had. The king, however, was determined to fulfil his promise, and the grant was made. Vamŭnů then placed one foot on Indru's heaven, and the other on the earth, when, lo! a third leg suddenly projected from his belly, and he asked for a place upon which he might rest this third foot. Bulee having nothing left, and being unable to fulfil his promise, was full of anxiety. His wife having heard what was going forward, came to the spot, and, seeing the king's perplexity, advised him to give his head for Vamŭnů to set his foot upon. He did so; but Vamŭnŭ then asked for what is called dukshinů, a small present which accompanies a gift, and without which the gift itself produces no fruit to the giver. Bulee knew not what to do for dŭkshinů: his all was gone. His wife advised him to give his life to Vamănă as dukshinů. He did this also, but the latter told him, that as he had promised Průlhadă not to destroy any of his race, he would not take his life. He therefore gave him his choice, either of ascending to heaven, taking with him five ignorant persons, or of descending to patalu, the world of the hydras, with five wise men.* Bŭlee chose the latter, but said, that as he had done much mischief on earth, he was afraid of going to patălů, lest he should there be punished for his crimes. Vamănă told him not to fear, as he would, in the form of Vishnoo, become his protector. At the close, this god having restored every thing on earth to a state of order and prosperity, returned to heaven. The sixth is the Purushoo-ramŭ incarnation. Purushoo is the name of an instrument of war. The occasion of this appearance of Vishnoo is thus related: The kshutriyus, from the king to the lowest person of this cast, were become very corrupt. * It is a proverb among the Hindoos, that there is no pleasure in the company of the ignorant in any place or circumstances, and that a bad place, in the company of the wise, is better than a good one in that of the ignorant. B f He Every one did as he pleased; the king was without authority; all order was destroyed, ed. At Purushoo-ramů hearing of the defeat and death of his father Jumůdugnee, went. to complain to Shivů, on the mountain Koilasů, but could not get access to him till he had knocked down the gods Gunéshŭ and Kartiků, Shivŭ's door-keepers. Shivů gave Purushoo-ramů the instrument purushoo, and promised him the victory. On his return Púrushoo-ramů met his mother, who was about to throw herself on the funeral pile of her husband. After attending upon this ceremony, Purushoo-ramŭ went to the residence of Ŭrjoonŭ and killed him.‡ The earth personified. That is, the cow which yields every thing desired. This story is told variously in the pooranŭs: according to the Ramayünü, Vüshis'thŭ was the owner of this cow, and Vishwŭmitrů the person who fought with the moonee to obtain it. These six incarnations are said to have taken place in the sutyu yoogů.* are no images respecting them made for worship. There The seventh incarnation is that of Ramu to destroy the giant Ravůnů; for the history of which see the Translation of the Table of Contents of the Ramayŭnů, in the second volume. The eighth incarnation is that of Bülŭramů, to destroy Průlumbŭ and other giants. This latter incarnation is said to have taken place in the dwapŭrů-yoogů.-The, ninth is the Booddhй incarnation, in which Vishnoo appeared as Booddhi, to destroy the power of the giants. In order to effect this, Booddhŭ produced among mankind by his preaching, &c. a disposition to universal scepticism; that having no longer any faith in the gods, the giants might cease to apply to them for those powers by which they had become such dreadful scourges to mankind. In this appearance the object of Vishnoo, the preserver, was accomplished by art, without the necessity of war: though the dreadful alternative to which he was driven to accomplish his object, that of plunging mankind into a state of universal scepticism, affords another proof how wretchedly the world would be governed if every thing depended on the wisdom of man.—The tenth incarnation is still expected, under the name of the Kulkee Ŭvůtarů. See translation from the Kulkee poorani, in the second volume. The appearance of Vishnoo, when he took the name of Krishnu to destroy the gi ant Küngshi, is called the descent of Vishnoo himself, and not an incarnation of this god. There are, however, beside the preceding ten incarnations, and this of Krishni, many others mentioned in the pooranus, all having their source in Vishnoo, -The Shrēē-bhaguvitu contains accounts of the following: Soo-yugnŭ created certain gods, and removed distress from the three worlds;-Kupilŭ taught his mother the knowledge of Brůmhu, by which she obtained absorption ;-Dŭttatréyŭ delivered all his disciples, by means of the ceremony called yogi, from future birth, and obtained for them absorption ;-Koormaru declared the events that had happened in a former age; that is, previous to the dissolution of things which preceded his incarnation ;-Nurů-Narayŭnů was such a perfect ascetio that the These ravages of tyranny, and bloody contests, form a sad specimen of the happiness of the Hindoo sütyu Foogu, could we believe that there ever had been such a period. courtezans sent by the gods to allure him from his religious austerities were unsuccessful; Vishnoo himself created a female on purpose to divert him from his devotions, but her attempts were equally abortive;-Prit❜hoo opened the bowels of the earth, and brought forth its treasures ;-Rishŭvů was an incomparable yogee, who was worshipped by the purům-hungsus and other ascetics;—Hŭyŭgrēēvŭ was so great a saint, that the words of the védŭ were uttered every time he breathed ;-Hŭree delivered his disciples from all their enemies whether among men or the inferior animals ;—Hũngsă taught his disciples the mysteries of yogŭ, and obtained absorption himself while performing the ceremonies of a yogēē ;-Munoo's fame filled the three worlds, and ascended even as far as Sutyŭ-loků;-Dhunwŭntŭree delivered all diseased persons from their disorders on their mere remembrance of his name, and gave the water of immortality to the gods;-Vyasŭ arranged the védus, was the author of the pooranus, &c.—Vibhoo was the spiritual guide of 80,000 disciples, whom he taught the knowledge of Brumhŭ,. and the ceremonies of yogů;—Sŭtyŭsénŭ cleared the earth of hypocrites and wicked persons ;-Voikoont'hu created the heaven of Vishnoo known by this name, and performed other wonders ;—Ŭjitu instructed the gods to churn the sea to obtain the water of immortality, and did other things which distinguished him as an incarnation.. Mohunee was incarnate to prevent the giants from obtaining the water of immortality at the churning of the sea;-Naridů revealed the work called Voishnůvă Tăntrů.The following incarnations are expected : Sarvůbhoumů to dethrone the present Indru, and instate Bŭlee in his stead;-Vishwüksénů as the friend of Shumbhoo, when he becomes the king of heaven ;-Dhurmu-sétoo to nourish the three worlds;-Soodhama to assist Roodru-savurnee, the twelfth of the fourteen munoos;-Yogeshwără to place Divus-putee on the throne of Indrů;-Vrihudbhanoo to make known many new religious ceremonies.-The reader, however, is not to suppose that there are no other incarnations mentioned in these marvellous books. Every hero, and every saint, is complimented by these writers as an incarnate deity. I have not discovered any proof in the Hindoo writings, or in conversation with learned natives, that these incarnate persons are personifications of any of the divine attributes; or that these stories have any other than a literal meaning. No doubt they were written as fables, which the ignorance of modern Hindoos has converted into facts; or, many of them may relate to common events here magnified into miracles. Stone images of Vishnoo are made for sale, and worshipped in the houses of those who have chosen him for their guardian deity. There are no public festivals in honour of this god, yet he is worshipped at the offering of a burnt sacrifice; in the form of meditation used daily by the bramhuns; at the times when the five gods' are worshipped, and also at the commencement of each shraddhŭ. No bloody sacrifices are offered to Vishnoo. The offerings presented to him consist of fruit, flowers, water, clarified butter, sweetmeats, cloth, ornaments, &c. Many choose Vishnoo for their guardian deity. These persons are called Voishnuvůs. The distinctive mark of this sect of Hindoos, consists of two lines, rather oval, drawn the whole length of the nose, and carried forward in two straight lines across the fore. head. This mark is common to the worshippers of all the different forms of Vishnoo. It is generally made with the clay of the Ganges; sometimes with powder of sandel wood. Vishnoo has a thousand names,* among which are the following :-Vishnoo; that is, the being into whom, at the destruction of the world, all is absorbed.-Narayunŭ, or, he who dwelt in the waters,† and he who dwells in the minds of the devout.Voikoont'hŭ, or, the destroyer of sorrow.-Vishturů-shrůva, or, he who, in the form of Virati, is all eye, all ear, &c.-Rhishēēkéshů, viz. the god of all the members, and of light.-Késhůvů, or, he who gave being to himself, to Brumha and Shivă; or, he who has excellent hair.-Madhŭvů, or, the husband of Lŭkshmēē.—Mŭdhoo-sōōdhŭnŭ, the destroyer of Mudhoo, a giant.-Swimbhōō, or, the self-existent.Doityaree, or, the enemy of the giants.-Poondūrēēkakshu, or, he whose eyes are like the white lotos.-Govindů, or, the raiser of the earth.-Pitamvěrů, or, he who wears yellow garments.-Ŭchyootu, or, the undecayable.-Sharingēē, or, he who possesses the horn bow.-Vishwukshénů, or, he whose soldiers fill all quarters of the * The meaning of the principal names of some of the gods is to be found in the comment upon the Umðrŭ-koshů by Bharată-müllikŭ, Jupiter had so many names, they could scarcely be numbered; some of them derived from the places where he Hived and was worshipped, and others from the actions he performed. * At the time of a průlüyü, when every thing is reduced to the element of water, Vishnoo sits on the snake Unüntü which has 1000 heads. |