these words, in pleasing accents, thus answered the lotos-eyed Ramů, Attend, I will inform thee whose is this hermitage, and in what manner it became solitary, cursed by the great one in his wrath. This was the sacred hermitage of the great Goutămă, adorned with trees, flowers and fruits. For many thousand years, O son of Rugboo, did the sage remain here with Ühilya, performing sacred austerities. One day, O Rami, the sage being gone far distant, the king of heaven, acquainted with the opportunity, and sick with impure desire, assuming the habit of a sage, thus addressed Ŏhulya, 'The menstrual season deserves regard,† O thou ***

This depraved woman, O afflicter of enemies, knowing Shukri,‡ in the disguise of a sage, through wantonness consented, he being king of the gods. The chief of the gods having perpetrated his crime, she thus addressed him, ' O chief of gods, thou hast accomplished thy design, speedily depart unobserved. O sovereign of the gods, effectually preserve thyself and me from Goutimi.' Indri smiling, replied to Ŭhŭlya, ‘O beautiful one, I am fully pleased; I will depart; forgive my transgression.' After this, he, O Ramů, with much caution, left the hermitage, dreading the wrath of Goutĭmů. At that instant he saw Goutumй enter, resplendent with energy, and, through the power of sacred austerities, invincible even to the gods ;|| wet with the waters of the sacred teērt'ha,§ as the fire moistened with clarified butter,* he saw him coming to the hermitage, laden with sacrificial wood, and the sacred kooshů. Perceiving him, Shukru was overwhelmed with sadness. The sage clothed in virtue, be

* That is, the habit of Goutamů. This resembles Jupiter's seducing Alcmena, the wife of Amphytrion, in ber husband's absence, in the likeness of Amphytrion.

According to the shastras, sixteen days from the appearance of the menses is reckoned the menstrual season. All connubialintercourse is forbidden during the first three of these days. The guilt incurred by a violation of this rule, on the first day is equal to that of a criminal connection with a female chundală, on the second day equal to the same act with a washerwoman, and on the third to the same act with a female shōōdrů.!

A name of Indrỡ, signifying strength,

The Hindoos believe that the merit of works is such as to be sufficient to raise a person higher than the gods themselves.

Teert'has are certain places esteemed peculiarly sacred by the Hindoos. oned highly meritorious.

Bathing in these places is reck

That is, the fire of the burnt offering.

holding the profligate lord of the gods in the disguise of a sage, in dreadful anger thus addressed him: 'O profligate wretch, assuming my form thou hast perpetrated this crime: therefore become an eunuch." At the word of the magnanimous and angry Gou tumu, the thousand-eyed god instantly became an eunuch. Deprived of manly energy, and rendered an cunuch by the anger of the devout sage, he, full of agonizing pain, was overcome with sorrow.* The great sage, having cursed him, pronounced a curse upon his own wife: Innumerable series of years, O sinful wretch, of depraved heart, thou, enduring excessive pain, abandoned, lying constantly in ashes, invisible to all creatures, shalt remain in this forest. When Ramŭ, the son of Dushŭrüť❜hů, shall enter this dreadful forest, thou, beholding him, shalt be cleansed from thy sin. Having, O stupid wretch! entertained him without selfish views, thou, filled with joy, shalt again approach me without fear." Having thus addressed this wicked woman, the illustrious Goutumů, the great ascetic, abandoned this hermitage, and performed austerities on the pleasant top of Himůvut, frequented by the siddhus and charŭnus.'+

Indru was also guilty of stealing a horse consecrated by king Sŭguru, who was about to perform, for the hundredth time, the sacrifice of this animal.

Indru, though king of the gods, has been frequently overcome in war: Méghunadu, the son of Ravănŭ, the giant, once overcame him, and tied him to the feet of his horse. On condition of releasing the king of the gods, Brùmha conferred on Méghü-nadů the name Indri-jit, that is, the conqueror of Indră. He was called Méghŭ-nadů because he fought behind a cloud (méghй), and this enabled him to overcome Indru, who, in the engagement, was unable to see him, though he had a thou sand eyes.

Kushyйpů, the sage, once performed a great sacrifice, to which all the gods were invited. Indru, on his way to the feast, saw C0,000 dwarf bramhuns trying in vain

Other accounts say, that Goutůmă imprinted a thousand female marks upon him as proofs of his crime, and that Indru was so ashamed, that he petitioned Goutămă to deliver him from his disgrace, The sage, therefore, changed these marks into eyes, and hence Indrů became the thousand-eyed god.

+ Carey and Marshman's translation of the Ramayŭnů, vol. 1, page 435.

This word signifies thunder,

to cross a cow's footstep which was filled with water; and had the misfortune to laughi at these pigmies, at which they were so incensed, that they resolved to make a new Indru, who should conquer him and take away his kingdom. Indru was so frighten

ed at these 60,000 pigmy bramluns, who could not get over a cow's footstep, that he entreated Brumha to interfere, who saved him from their wrath, and continued him on his throne.

Description of Umŭravălēē, the residence of Indrů, from the Mühabharŭlů: This heaven was made by Vishwů-kurma, the architect of the gods. It is 800 miles in circum ference, and 40 miles high; its pillars are composed of diamonds; all its elevated seats,, beds, &c. are of gold; its palaces are also of gold. It is so ornamented with all kinds of precious stones, jasper, chrysolite, sapphire, emeralds, &c. &c. that it exceeds in splendour the brightness of twelve suns united.. It is surrounded with gardens and forests

containing among other trees the parijatu, the fragrance of the flowers of which extends 800 miles, that is, fills the whole heaven.* In the pleasure grounds are pools of water, warm in winter and cold in summer, abounding with fish, water-fowl, water-lilies, &c. the landing places of which are of gold.. All kinds of trees and flowering shrubs abound in these gardens. The winds are most refreshing, never boisterous; and the heat of the sun is never oppressive. Gods, sages, upsŭras, kinnŭrŭs, siddhüs, saddhyés, dévůrshees, brůmhŭrshees, rajŭrshees, Vrihůsputee, Shookră, Shinee, Boodhů, the winds, clouds, Oiravitū, (Indru's elephant), and other celestial beings, dwell in this heaven. The inhabitants are continually entertained with songs, dances, music, and every spe cies of mirth. Neither sickness, sorrow, nor sudden death, are found in these regions, nor are its inhabitants affected with hunger or thirst. When the god Narudů was sitting in an assembly of princes at king Yoodhist'hiru's, the latter asked him whether he had ever seen so grand a scene before. Narudi, after some hesitation, declared he had beheld a scene far more splendid in Indru's heaven, of which he then gave the above account; but confessed that the place exceeded all his powers of descrip tion.

A scene in Indru's heaven :-On a certain occasion an assembly of the gods was held in this place, at which, beside the gods, Narudi and the rishees, the gunŭs, důkshús,

* It is a curious fact, that though this flower is so celebrated in the pooranus for its fragrance, it has no scent at all.

6

To crown their

The king of the

gundhurvis, &c. were present. While the courtezans were dancing, and the kinnăris singing, the whole assembly was filled with the highest pleasure. joys, the gods caused a shower of flowers to fall on the assembly. gods, being the most distinguished personage present, first took up a flower, and, after holding it to his nose, gave it to a bramhun. The assembled gods laughing at the bramhin for receiving what Indrů had used, he went home in disgrace ; but cursed Indru, and doomed him to become a cat in the house of a person of the lowest cast. Suddenly, and unknown to all, he fell from heaven, and became a cat in the house of a hunter. After he had been absent eight or ten days, Shuchēē, his wife, became very anxious, and sent messengers every where to enquire for her husband. The gods also said among themselves, What is become of Indru ?-A total silence reigns in his palace, nor are we invited to the dance and the usual festivities! What can be the meaning of this?"-All search was in vain; and the gods assembled to enquire where he was ?* They found Shuchee in a state of distraction, of whom Brimha enquired respecting the lost god. At length Brümha closed his eyes, and by the power of meditation discover ed that Indru, having offended a bramlun, had become a cat.. Shuchee, full of alarm, asked Brimha what she was to do? He told her to go to the house of the bramhun, and obtain his favour, upon which her husband would be restored to her. Shichee obeyed the directions of Brumba, and went to the house of the bramhun, who was at length pleased with her attentions, and ordered her to descend to the earth, and go to the house. of the hunter, whose wife would tell her what to do that hier husband might be restor ed to his throne in heaven. Assuming a human form, she went to the house of the hunter, and, looking at the cat, sat weeping. The wife of the hunter, struck with the di vine form of Shuchēē, enquired with surprize who she was. Shuchee hesitated, and expressed her doubts whether the hunter's wife would believe her if she declared her real name. At length she confessed who she was, and, pointing to the cat, declared that that was her husband, Indri, the king of heaven! The hunter's wife, petrified with. astonishment, stood speechless. Shuchēē, after some farther discourse, said, she had been informed that she (the hunter's wife), alone could assist her in obtaining the deliverance of her husband. After some moments of reflection, this woman directed Shuehēē to perform the Kalika-vrutů. She obeyed; and poor Indru, quitting the form

of the cat, ascended to heaven, and resumed his place among the gods. No doubt he took care in future not to offend a bramhún.

Another scene in the heaven of Indru, from the Shree-bhaguoülü.-On a certain occasion, the heavenly courtezans and others were dancing before the gods, when indrŭ was so charmed with the dancing, and the person of Oorvushee, one of the courtezaus, that he did not perceive when his spiritual guide Vrihüsputee entered the assembly, and neglected to pay him the usual honours. Vrihusputee was so incensed at

*

this, that he arose and left the assembly. The gods, perceiving the cause, in the utmost consternation, went to Indri, and made him acquainted with what had passed. The latter intreated the gods to join him in seeking for the enraged Vrihusputee; but the spiritual guide had, by the power of yogi, rendered himself invisible. At last they found the angry gooroo in his own house, and the gods joining their petitions to those of Indru entreated that the offence might be forgiven. Vrihăsputee declared that he had for ever rejected Indru, and that his resolution would not be changed. Indru, offended that for so small an offence he should be so harshly treated, declared that he would make no farther concessions, but seek another religious guide. The gods approved of his resolution, and advised him to choose Vishwů-rōōpů, a giant with three heads. In process of time, at the suggestion of his mother, Vishwu-rōōpй began a sacrifice to procure the increase of the power of the giants, the natural enemies of the gods. Indru heard of this, and, hurling his thunders on the head of the faithless priest, destroyed him in an instant. The father of Vishwu-rōōpi heard of his son's death, and, by the merit of a sacrifice, gave birth to a giant, at the sight of whom Indru fled to Brimha, who informed the king of the gods that this giant could not be destroyed by all his thunders unless he could persuade Dudheechee, a sage, to renounce life, and give him one of his bones. The sage consented, and by the power of yogu renounced life; when Vishwŭkurma made this bone into a thunder-bolt, and the giant was destroyed. But immediately on his death, a terrific monster arose from the body to punish Indrŭ for his bramhŭnicide. Wherever the king of the gods fled, this monster followed him with his mouth open, ready to swallow him up, till Indră took refuge in a place where the monster could not approach him; however he sat down, and watched the trembling culprit. After some time the gods began to be alarmed: there was no king in heaven, and every thing was falling into complete disorder. After consultation, they raised to the throne of hea

A Hindoo considers the anger of his spiritual guide as the greatest possible misfortune.