was a delusion: and he who shall devoutly hear this important allegorical narrative will be delivered from the bondage of sin."*

The reader, in perusing the above passage, has undoubtedly compared it with the sacred history, and the coincidences cannot have escaped him. What is figured under the losing of the sacred books, the luminaries of the moral world, but the universal corruption of the human race? What means the stealing of them by the strong demon, but the violence of the giants and the mighty men? How strongly is the character of Noah depicted in that of Satyavrata! He was so spiritual, that water was his only sustenance. He was the servant of the spirit whose dwelling was on the waves, -the spirit which in the beginning "moved upon the face of the waters." He is termed the pious king, and he shows by his performance of sacred rites, his religious meditation, his prayers, and his hymn of praise to his preserver, that he deserved the appellation. Like Noah, he is preserved for his piety, from the destruction occasioned by the general depravity-like him, he is forewarned of a deluge, and instructed what he shall do. Observe too the circumstances of the ark, the pairs of animals, the promised protection, the seven days, the re-appearance of the Deity in the end, to deliver him, his gratitude and the sacred Purána, the instructions communicated to him as to Noah by the Deity when he came forth to repeople the earth.

Another Hindoo composition, denominated the Geeta, highly mythological in its style and character, appears to allude to the same great event. The Soors met in solemn council upon the summit of a great golden mountain. The Amreeta, or water of im

* Sir WM. JONES's translation. Asiatic Researches, Vol. I.

mortality, had been lost beneath the ocean. They, in order to recover it, resolved to churn the ocean with a mountain called Mandar. Not being able of themselves to command sufficient power for this purpose, they presented themselves before Veeshnu, who was sitting with Brahma, and thus addressed them. "Exert, sovereign beings, your most superior wisdom to remove the mountain Mandar, and employ your utmost power for our good." Veeshnu and Brahma replied, "It shall be according to your wish." He with the lotos-eye then directed the king of serpents to appear. Ananta arose, and was instructed in that work by Brahma, and commanded by Nará yen to perform it. Then Ananta, by his power, took up that king of mountains, together with all its forests and every inhabitant thereof; and the Soors accompanied him into the presence of the ocean, whom they thus addressed. "We will stir up thy waters to obtain the Amreeta ;" and the lord of the waters replied, "Let me also have a share, seeing I am to bear the violent agitations that will be caused by the whirling of the mountain. Then the Soors and Asoors spake to Courma-rajah, the king of the tortoises, upon the strand of the ocean, and said, “My lord is able to be the supporter of this mountain." The tortoise replied, "Be it so ;" and it was placed upon, his back. "So the mountain being set upon the back of the tortoise, Eendra began to whirl it about as if it were a machine. The mountain Mandar served as a churn, and the serpent Vasookee for the rope; and thus, in former days, did the Dewtahs, the Asoors, and the Danoos, begin to stir up the waters of the ocean for the discovery of the Amreeta. The mighty Asoors were employed on the side of the serpent's head, whilst all the Soors assembled about his tail. Ananta, that sovereign

DEW, stood near Naráyen. They now pull forth the serpent's head repeatedly, and as often let it go; while there issued from his mouth, thus violently drawn to and fro by the Soors and Asoors, a continual stream of fire, and smoke, and wind; which ascending in thick clouds replete with lightning, it began to rain down upon the heavenly bands, who were already fatigued with their labour, whilst a shower of flowers was shaken from the top of the mountain, covering the heads of all, both Soors and Asoors. In the mean time the roaring of the ocean whilst violently agitated with the whirling of the mountain Mandar by the Soors and Asoors, was like the bellowing of a mighty cloud. Thousands of the various productions of the waters were torn to pieces by the mountain, and confounded with the briny flood; and every specific being of the deep, and all the inhabitants of the great abyss which is below the earth, were annihilated; whilst, from the violent agitation of the mountain, the forest-trees were dashed against each other, and precipitated from its utmost height, with all the birds thereon; from the violent confrication of all which, a raging fire was produced, involving the whole mountain with smoke and flame, as with a dark blue cloud and the vivid flash of lightning. The lion and the retreating elephant are overtaken by the devouring flames, and every vital being and every individual object are consumed in the general conflagration. The raging flames, thus spreading destruction on all sides, were at length quenched by a shower of cloud-borne water poured down by the immortal Eendra. And now a heterogeneous stream of the concocted juice of various trees and plants ran down into the briny flood. It was from this milk-like stream of juices, produced from those

streams, trees, and plants, and a mixture of melted gold, that the Soors obtained their immortality."* Maurice observes in regard to this passage, "Concerning these extravagant mythological details of the Hindoos, I must remark, that however mysterious the allegory, and however wild and romantic the language in which it is clothed, this fact may be depended upon, that there, in general, lies concealed at the bottom some physical meaning, or deep theological truth. Divested of its inflated diction and fabulous incidents, the invention of an oriental fancy, what can this general and stupendous convulsion of nature;-the mountain buried in the tempestuous bosom of the ocean; the ocean roaring and raging amidst the conflict of contending elements; the torrents of descending rain poured down by Eendra, the Hindoo god of the firmament; the total annihilation of every living thing on the mountain, and of all the inhabitants of the great abyss which is below the earth, (an expression very similar to the Scripture phrase all the fountains of the great deep;)-what can all this accumulation of magnificent and dreadful images shadow out, except the desolation of the earth, during the period of the universal deluge, when the Soors and Asoors, who may be considered as the ministers of the divine vengeance, were commissioned to harass the agitated globe?"†

I would here cease to adduce evidences from the Hindoo mythology and tradition, were I not desirous to present to my readers one more extract, remarkable for the almost literal coincidence between it and some parts of the life of Noah in the Scripture history. I have supposed it would be the most satisfactory to the mind of the reader to lay

*Geeta, pp. 146-148, WILKINS's translation.

+MAURICE, Indian Antiq. Vol. II. pp. 273–274.

before it, wherever it could be done, the nearest approach to the original passages themselves,—a literal translation. In this way the mind attains the fullest view of the force and nature of the proof. The following is the extract:

"To Satyavarman, that sovereign of the whole earth, were born three sons; the eldest Sharma ; then Charma; and third, Jyápeti by name. They were all men of good morals, excellent in virtue and virtuous deeds; skilled in the use of weapons, to strike with or to be thrown; brave men, eager for victory in battle. But Satyavarman, being continually delighted with devout meditation, and seeing his sons fit for dominion, laid upon them the burden of government; while he remained honouring and satisfying the gods, and, priests, and kine. One day, by the act of destiny, the king having drunk mead, became senseless, and lay asleep naked; then was he seen by C'harma, and by him were his two brothers called, to whom he said, what has now befallen? In what state is this our sire? By those two was he hidden with clothes, and called to his senses again and again. Having recovered his intellect, and perfectly knowing what had passed, he cursed C'harma, saying, thou shalt be the servant of servants; and, since thou wast a laugher in their presence, from laughter shalt thou acquire a name. Then he gave to Sharma the wide domain on the south of the snowy mountains, and to Jyápeti he gave all on the north of the snowy mountains; but he (Satyavarman,) by the power of religious contemplation attained supreme bliss."*

Wilford, in a paraphrase which he has given of this same passage, says that C'harma and Sharma

*Sir WM. JONES's translation, Asiatic Researches, Vol. III. p. 263.