"THE gods and the giants desiring to procure themselves immortality, after the counsel of Vichenou, transported the mountain of Mandriguiri into the sea of milk, to get the Amourdon: they surrounded it with the serpent Addissechen, and drawing it alternately, some by the head and some by the tail, they turned the mountain topsyturvy, that they might change the sea into butter. They drew it with such swiftness, that Adissechen, overcome with weariness, could no longer support the fatigue; his body trembled, his thousand shivering mouths made the earth resound with his hissings; a torrent of flame issued from his eyes; his thousand tongues, black and hanging, palpitated; and he vomited a terrible poison, which in an instant spread itself every where. Vichenou, more intrepid than the other gods and giants, who fled, took the poison, and rubbed his body with it, which immediately became blue. It is in commemoration of this event, that in almost all the temples dedicated to him, they represent him of a blue colour. The gods and giants returned to their work; they laboured during a thousand years, after which the mountain sunk by degrees into the sea. Vichenou then took the form of a tortoise of an extraordinary size, went into the sea, and easily lifted up the sunk mountain. All the gods, after having given him praises, united to turn the mountain. At last, after many ages, the cow Camadenou came out of the sea of milk, as also the horse Outchisaravam, and the white elephant Ariapadam, and the tree Calpaga Vroucham. Their labours also produced three goddesses, Latchimi, goddess of riches, wife of Vichenou; Sarasouadi, goddess of sciences and harmony, whom Brahma took to his wife; and Moudevi, goddess of discord and misfortune, with whom, for good reason, no person would trouble themselves; for the Indians suppose, that whoever is under her influence will never have a grain of rice to appease his hunger. She is represented green, mounted on an ass, carrying a banner in her hand, on which a raven is painted. Those animals are given her as attributes, because they are held infamous by the Gentoos. The physician Danouvandri afterwards came out from the bottom of the sea with a vase full of Amourdon. Vichenou distributed it among the gods alone; and the giants, who saw themselves disappointed, furious for having been deceived, dispersed themselves over the earth, preventing homage being paid to any deity whatever, and exercised all kinds of cruelty to make themselves adored." "VICHENOU assumed the form of a woman, under the name of Moyeni, to seduce the giants and take the Amortam from them. Eswara was so struck with her beauty, that he could not resist his desires, and became with her the father of Ayenar. The Gentoos esteem this son of Eswara and Vichenou as the protector of the world, of good order, and of the police; but they do not rank him with gods of the first class. They build small temples to him in the woods, commonly at a distance from the highway, but never in towns. He is known by the quantity of horses made of dried earth, which they consecrate to him, and are placed without side the temple, but under cover. is not permitted to pass near those temples in a carriage, on horseback, or on foot with shoes on. He is the only god to whom sanguinary offerings are made; kids and cocks being sacrificed to him." It "LATCHIMI, the wealth-giver, the mother of the world, the perfectly beautiful, had by her husband Vichenou, Manmadin, god of love, a child in figure like Cupid, carrying a quiver on his shoulders, and a bow and arrow in his hand; but his bow is of sugar cane, his arrows of all sorts of flowers, and he is mounted on a parroquet. Although an infant, they have given him a wife called Radi, which signifies Debauch; they represent her as a beautiful woman, on her knees, on horseback, throwing a dart." "ESWARA unites in himself both sexes, vernment of the world and immortality; his wife Parvadi is only a part of himself. | strength of penances, had obtained the goThe first and greatest of his sons is Pollear. He presides over marriages. The Indians build no house, without having first carried a Pollear on the ground, which they sprinkle with oil, and throw flowers on it every day. If they do not invoke it before they undertake any enterprize, they believe that God will make them forget what they wanted to undertake, and that their labour will be in vain. He has an elephant's head, and rides a rat: but in the pagodas they place him on a pedestal with his legs almost crossed. A rat is always put before the door of his chapel. This rat was a giant, Gudje-mougachourin, on whom the gods had bestowed immortality, as well as great powers; which he abused, and did much harm to mankind. Pollear, intreated by the sages and penitents to deliver them, pulled out one of his tusks, and threw it against the oppressor. The tooth entered the giant's stomach, and overthrew him. He immediately changed himself into a rat, as large as a mountain, and came to attack Pollear: who sprung on his back, telling him, that hereafter he should ever be his carrier. The Hindoos, in their adoration of this god, cross the arms, shut the fist, and in this manner give themselves several blows on the temples: then, but always with the arms crossed, they take hold of their ears, and make three inclinations, bending the knee; after which, with their hands joined, they address their prayers to him, and strike their forehead. They have a great veneration for this deity, whose image they place in all temples, streets, highways, and in the country at the foot of some tree, that all the world may have an opportunity of invoking him, before they undertake any concern, and that travellers may make their adorations and offerings to him before they pursue their journey." "THE second son of Eswara is Soupramanier, whom his father produced from the eye in the middle of his forehead, to destroy the giant Soura-Parpma. This last, by "VAIREVERT, the third son of Eswara, was created from his breath, to overthrow the pride of the Deverkels and the Penitents, and to humble Brahma, who had vaunted that he was the greatest of the three gods. Vairevert pulled off one of Brahma's heads, and received the blood of all the Deverkels and Penitents in the skull; but afterwards brought them to life again, and gave them purer hearts. This is the god who by Eswara's command will come to destroy the world at the end of the ages. He is blue, three-eyed, with two tusks like crescents, a collar of heads round his neck, falling on his stomach; his girdle is made of serpents, his hair of a fire colour, bells are on his feet, he rides a dog." “THE fifth incarnation of Vichenou was in a Bramin dwarf, under the name of Vamen; it was wrought to restrain the pride of the giant Bely. The latter after having conquered the gods, expelled them from Sorgon. He was generous, true to his word, compassionate and charitable.' 1 "Their talk was of the city of the days Of old, Earth's wonder once, and of the fame Of Baly its great founder, - he whose name In ancient story and in poet's praise, The Curse of Kehama,-The City of Vichenou, under the form of a very little Bramin, presented himself before him while he was sacrificing, and asked him for three paces of land to build a hut. Bely ridiculed the apparent imbecility of the dwarf, in telling him, that he ought not to limit his demand to a request so trifling; that his generosity could bestow a much larger donation of land. Vamen answered, that being of so small a stature, what he asked was more than sufficient. The prince immediately granted his request, and to ratify his donation, poured water into his right hand; which was no sooner done, than the dwarf grew so prodigiously, that his body filled the universe. He measured the earth with one pace, and the heavens with another,' and then summoned Bely to give him his word for the third. The prince then recognized Vichenou, adored him, and presented his head to him: but the god, satisfied with his submission, sent him to governing to the sea shore; he put an arrow to his Padalon, and permitted him to return annually to the earth, on the day of the full moon in November, the anniversary of his overthrow, to witness the fireworks and illuminations, a sight of which he was very fond." | give him a place he could inhabit; he only desired the space of an arrow's flight, which he would shoot. Varounin consented, but the penitent Narader, witness of the promise he had just given, made him sensible of his imprudence, by assuring him, that it was Vichenou himself, and that he would send his arrow beyond all the seas; in which case Varounin would not know what to do with his waters. Varounin, lamenting at not being able to recall his promise, ran speedily to Yamen, god of death, begging his assistance in this dilemma. To oblige him, Yamen changed himself into a white ant, called Karia among the Indians, who, in the night time came when Parassourama was asleep, and by favour of the darkness gnawed his bow-string in such a manner, as to leave just string enough to keep the bow stretched. Parassourama, not perceiving the trick played him, repaired in the morn "PARASSOURAMA was only one part of Vichenou. He declared war against the kings of the race of the sun, defeated them all, and gave their kingdom to the Bramins. He would afterwards have retired into a corner of the country he had presented them, to pass his days in tranquillity, but none of the Bramins would permit him: and finding no asylum on the earth, he retired on the Gauts, whose foundation was washed by the waves. It was there that he called Varounin, god of the sea, begging him to withdraw his waters, in order to The classical reader will call to mind HoMER'S description of strife, Iliad, A. 443. Οὐρανῷ ἐστήριξε κάρη, και ἐπὶ χθονὶ βαίνει. With which may be compared the words in the Book of Wisdom, "It touched the heaven, but it stood upon the earth." xviii. 16. J. W. W. bow, which he was preparing to shoot with all his strength; but in drawing the string, to give it more elasticity, it broke in such a manner, that the arrow could not go far. The land over which it passed dried, and formed the country of Malealon, which we call the coast of Malabar. Parassourama recalling to mind the ingratitude of the Bramins, cursed them, and imposed this lot upon them, that if a Bramin should die on this new spot of earth, he should return to earth again, in the shape of an ass. Therefore no Bramin's residence is to be seen on this proscribed coast. According to the Tamoul tradition, this god still lives on the Malabar coast. They represent him a terrible and disagreeable figure. On the Coromandel coast he is painted green, with a more agreeable countenance, holding in one hand a hatchet, and a fan of palm leaves in the other." Chamadaguini, and mother of Parassourama. This goddess commanded the elements, but could not preserve that empire longer than her heart was pure. One day, while she was collecting water out of a tank, and, according to her custom, was making with that and earth a bowl to carry it to the house, she saw on the surface of the water some figures of Grandouers, who were flying over her head. Struck with their charms, desire seized her heart. The earth of the bowl liquified, and the water mixed again with that of the tank. From this time she was obliged to make use of a vase. This inability discovered to Chamadaguini that his wife had deviated from purity, and in the excess of his rage he ordered his son to drag her to the place where criminals were executed, and to behead her. This order was executed, but Parassourama was so much afflicted for the loss of his mother, that Chamadaguini told him to take up the body and fasten the head upon it, which he had cut off, and repeat a prayer in her ear, which he taught him, and his mother would come again to life. The son ran eagerly to perform what he was ordered, but by a very singular blunder, he joined the head of his mother to the body of a Parichi who had been executed for her crimes: a monstrous assemblage which gave to this woman the virtues of a goddess and the vices of a criminal. The goddess becoming impure by such a mixture, was driven from her house, and committed all kinds of cruelties. The Deverkels perceiving the destruction she made, appeased her in giving her the power to cure the small-pox, and promising her she should be implored for that disorder.-Mariatale is the great goddess of the Parias, who place her above the Deity. To honour her, they have a custom of dancing with several pots of water on their heads, placed The sculptured form of Marriataly stood; one above another. These pots are adorned with the leaves of the Margosier, a tree consecrated to her. Fearing her son Parassourama would no longer adore her, she prayed the Deverkels to grant her another child, and they gave her Catavareyen; the Parias divide their adoration between his mother and him. Mariatale is by many authors called the devil Ganga. They sacrifice hegoats to her." "VICHENOU resides in the sea of milk, in contemplative repose, throned on Addissechen, or Seja, the thousand-headed serpent who supports the universe. They reckon seven seas: 1, of salt; 2, of butter; 3, of tain, or curdled milk; 4, of calon, the liquor drawn from the palm; 5, of the serpent; 6, of water; 7, of milk, which they call tirouparcadel." "THE two Rachaders, Ragou and Quedou, were metamorphosed into snakes, one red, the other black. They are enemies to the Sun and Moon, who prevented them from swallowing a portion of the Amortam. Eclipses happen when they attack them." "DEVENDREN, in the figure of a handsome man, one day went to find a courtesan, to prove if she would be faithful to him. He promised her great rewards, and she received him well during the whole night. Devendren counterfeited death, and the courtesan was so prepossessed of the truth, that she absolutely would be burned with him, though they represented to her that he was not her husband. As she was going to precipitate herself into the flames, Devendren awoke, acknowledged the deceit, took her for his wife, and carried her into his paradise." rows at Eswara. The god darted flame from the eye in his forehead, and consumed him to ashes. Afterwards he restored him to life." "AROUNIN, a lame Deverkel, conducts the chariot of the sun. The chariot is supported at one end by Mount Merou, the rest is sustained by the air. There is only one wheel. It is drawn by seven green horses. The Valaguilliers, to the number of 60,000, follow the sun in his twelve chambers, adoring him, and singing his praise. "The mountain Merou is composed of 8,000 small mountains. It is of gold, in the middle of the earth. The gods alone can go there. With this mountain they churned the sea of milk to make the Amortam."1 "TAKIN is one of the ten Brahmas. Thirteen of his daughters married the Penitent Cassiapen. Of these Adidi was mother of the Deverkels; Singinde, of Ragou and Quedou; Vinde, of Arounin the lame; Catrou, of all snakes; Arite, of twelve lovely daughters, the eldest of whom, Arambe, is the dancer of the Deverkels." "THEY believe that we receive from the moon a certain vital water which gathereth and disposeth itself in the brain, descending thence, as from a source, into all the members for their functions."-Bernier. "ALL the Avatars were of a dark-blue colour, to mark their celestial descent."MAURICE. “MAYA, or, as the word is explained by some Hindu scholars, the first inclination of the Godhead to diversify himself (such is their phrase), by creating worlds, is feigned to be the mother of universal nature, and of all the inferior gods; as a Cashmirian informed On "The Amreeta-cup of immortality," see Notes to "Curse of Kehama," Poems, p. 624. J. W. W. me, when I asked him why Cama, or Love, was represented as her son."-SIR W. JONES. "THE appropriate seat of Mahadeva (Eswara) was mount Cailása, every splinter of whose rocks was an inestimable gem. His terrestrial haunts are the snowy hills of Himalaya, or that branch of them to the east of the Brahmaputra, which has the name of Chandrasic'hara, or the Mountains of the Moon.” —Ibid. "THERE the sun shines not, nor the moon and stars. These lightnings flash not in that place: how should even fire blaze there? God irradiates all this bright substance, and by its effulgence the universe is enlightened. -From the Yajurveda. Asiat. R. This may be finely applied to Eswara's glory throne. Hæc ait, et sese radiorum nocte suorum Claudit inaccessum.'” COLUMBUS. "JAMBU is the Sanscrit name of a delicate fruit, called Jáman by the Muselmans, and by us rose-apple: but the largest and richest sort is named Amrita, or Immortal; and the mythologists of Tibet apply the same word to a celestial tree bearing ambrosial fruit, and adjoining to four vast rocks, from which as many sacred rivers derive their se veral streams."—Ibid. It is odd that Sir W. Jones makes no remark upon this resemblance to the immortalizing milk, or tree of life. "GARUDA, whom Vishnu rides, is often painted with the face of a beautiful youth, and the body of an imaginary eagle. His name is better spelt Garura. He is the rational eagle."-Ibid. "KIDS are still offered to Cali, the wife of Siva, to palliate the cruelty of the slaughter which gave such offence to Buddha. The Brahmans inculcate a belief that the poor victims rise in the heaven of Indra, where they become the musicians of his band. |
