nat'hŭ, and his brother and sister, visit the god Radhavullŭbhů; and here the wives of bramhŭns, who are never seen at shews, and who seldom leave home, come to look at Jugŭnnat'hů. The car stands empty during this time, and the crowd flock to gaze at the indecent figures2, alluding to the abominations of the gods, which are painted all over it. Temporary shops are erected near the place where the car stands, like booths on a race-ground". At the end of eight days, the god is again drawn up by the neck, placed in the car, and carried back to the place from whence he came; but the crowd is not quite so great as when the carriage is drawn out. Many recent instances might be collected of persons, diseased or in distress, casting themselves under the wheels of this ponderous car, and being crushed to death.

This festival is intended to celebrate the diversions of Krishnu and the milkmaids, with whom he used to ride out in his chariot.

SECT. V.—Bălŭ-ramů.

THIS god was cotemporary with Krishnů. His image, painted white, almost always goes with that of Jŭgun

y Another form of Krishuй. The name intimates that this god is the paramour of Radha.

Romans i. 27.

• The spirit of gambling is very prevalent at this festival. I have been credibly informed, that, a year or two ago, at Serampore, a man actually sold his wife for a slave, in order to supply himself with money for gaming.

He who pursues pleasure, or bestows it, in his own strength.

nat'hŭ, though in a few temples it is set up alone. At the worship of Jugunnat'hŭ, and also at that of Krishnů, a short service is performed in the name of Bulů-ramů, whose image also sometimes accompanies that of Krishnů. Some place the image of Révŭtee by the side of her husband. From the sŭtyŭ to the kŭlee-yoogŭ this female, the daughter of king Révůtů, remained unmarried. The king, at length, asked Brumha, to whom he should give his daughter in marriage: Brumha recommended Bŭlu-ramů, who saw her for the first time when ploughing. Notwithstanding her immense stature, (it is said her stature reached as high as a sound ascends in clapping the hands seven times,) Bŭluramŭ married her; and to bring down her monstrous height, he fastened a plough-share to her shoulders.

SECT. VI.-Ramu&.

THE following history of this god forms a brief table of contents of the Ramayŭnů, an epic poem, much celebrated 'among the Hindoos.

At a certain period, king Dushů-răt❜hů, having been cherished with great affection by his wife Kékoiyēē1, promised her whatever she should ask. She told him that she would avail herself of his promises on some future occa

This old maid must have been 3,888,000 years old at the time of her marriage, if we date her birth from the beginning of the sŭtyŭ-yoogů. a The happy, or he who makes happy.

• I have omitted the long table of contents of this work inserted in the first edition, thinking it unnecessary, as the Ramayůně with an English translation is issuing from the Serampore press. [The second edition is now published in England. Ed.]

f Dushů-růt'hu had 250 wives.

sion; and when Ramu was called to the coadjutorship by the voice of the people, and to which Dushŭ-rut'hŭ gladly assented, Kékoiyēē reminded the king of his promise; and at the instigation of a deformed and revengeful female slave, whom Ramů had formerly beaten, she petitioned that Ramů might be exiled to a distant forest to live as an ascetic, and that Bhůrůtů her son might be installed in his stead. The king reluctantly complied. Ramů however readily submitted, and went into the forest, taking with him Sēēta and his brother Lukshmůnů. Důshŭ-růť’hů soon died of grief for Ramu; after which a shoe of Ramŭ's was placed on the throne, Bhŭrůtů refusing the crown. When in the forest, Sōōrpŭ-nŭkha, the sister of Ravŭnů, a giant who reigned at Lunka, (Ceylon,) proposed marriage to Ramů, who sent her to Lukshmŭnů; he sent her again to Ramů; Ramů sending her back to Lukshmŭnů, the latter cut off her nose: on this she fled to her brothers Khuru and Dōōshunů, who immediately made war upon Ramŭ; Ramů, however, destroyed them, as well as their army of 14,000 giants, (rakshúsŭs.) Ravůnů, on hearing of these events, requested Murēēchů, another giant, to go to the residence of Ramŭ in the form of a beautiful deer, and tempt Ramů to pursue him, while he stole Sēēta. Mareechu consented, and Ramu, at the urgent request of Seeta, pursued the flying deer, leaving Lŭkshmůnů to guard his family. When Mareechů, in the form of the deer, was wounded, he set up a loud cry like the voice of Ramŭ; which greatly alarmed Seēta, who prevailed on Lŭkshmŭnů to follow her beloved husband. While Seēta was thus left alone, Ravănŭ carried her off in triumph. The poem then describes the grief of Ramŭ and his brother for the

8 A name given to her on account of her having nails like a Hindoo fan for winnowing corn.

loss of Seēta. Ravănă, in taking away Seeta, was met by Jutayoo, a vulture, formerly the friend of Dushŭ-rut'hů, This bird endeavoured to deliver Seeta by fighting with Ravănů; but being unsuccessful, Sēēta directed him to inform Ramu, that Ravunŭ was carrying her away. Ramů in his search for Seeta met with this bird, which, as soon as it had delivered this account, died of the wounds it had received in fighting with Ravŭnů. Ramů and his brother now went forward in pursuit of Ravŭnů, and met with the giant Kŭbundhů, whom they destroyed. This giant immediately assumed another body, and informed Ramŭ that he had formerly lived in the heaven of Indrů, but had been cursed, and sent down to take the body of a rakshŭsů. He further informed Ramu, that two brothers, (monkies,) Soogrēēvů and Balee, were in a state of warfare, Balee having seduced his brother's wife; he therefore advised Ramů to destroy Balee, and contract an alliance with Soogrēēvů, by whose means he should obtain Sēēta. Ramů took this advice, and having destroyed Balee", restored Soogrēēvu to his kingdom. To prove his gratitude to Ramu, Soogrēēvů collected his army of monkies, and sent them to seek for Seēta. The monkies who went southward met Sumpatee, a vulture without wings, brother to Jutayoo, who informed them that he had seen Sēēta at Lunka, (Ceylon.) Hunooman, one of Soogrēēvů's generals, immediately leaped across the sea, (five hundred miles,) to Lunka, where he found Seeta in a garden belonging to Ravănů; to whom he gave a ring from Ramu, while she, in return, sent Ramů a jewel from her hair. Hunooman

h Ramů, compared with Krishnŭ, is a pure character; yet we see him here, without provocation, destroy the rightful heir to a throne, and set up one who had seduced the wife of his brother.

i No one can doubt the propriety of making a spy of a monkey who can leap 500 miles at once.

then began to destroy one of Ravŭnů's gardens; who sent people to kill Hunooman, but he destroyed those who were sent. Ravůnŭ then sent his son Ŏkshŭyŭ against the mischievous monkey; but he also was destroyed. Ravănů next sent his eldest son Indrăjit, who seized Hŭnooman, and bringing him before his father, the king ordered his attendants to set fire to his tail; when the enraged monkey, with his burning tail, leaped from house to house, and set all Lunka on fire: after finishing which he came to Sēēta, and complained that he could not extinguish the fire that had kindled on his tail; she directed him to spit upon it, and he, raising it to his face for this purpose, set his face on fire. He then complained, that when he arrived at home with such a black face, all the monkeys would laugh at him. Seeta, to comfort him, assured him, that all the other monkies should have black faces also; and when Hunooman came amongst his friends, he found that, according to the promise of Seeta, they had all black faces as well as himself. After hearing the account brought by Hunooman, Ramů and Lukshmůnů, with Soogrēēvů and his army of monkeys, proceeded to invade Lŭnka. They tore up the mountains, trees, and other large substances, and cast them into the sea to form a bridge *;

Ramŭ was at a loss

* Ramu's bridge. See the map of Hindoost'han. how to lead his army across the sea to Lunka. He fasted, and prayed to Sagürü for three days, and was angry with the god for not appearing to him. He therefore ordered Lŭkshmůnů to fire an arrow, and carry away the god's umbrella. He did so, and the arrow, carrying away the umbrella, penetrated even as far as patalů. The god, aroused from his sleep, exclaimed, 'Is Ramŭ arrived by the sea side, and I have not known it?' He then directed Ramů to apply to king Nülů, to whom he had given a blessing, that whatever he threw into the sea should become buoyant. At the command of Nülü, the monkeys tore up the neighbouring mountains, and cast them into the sea. Honooman brought three mountains on his head at once, each 64 miles in circumference; and one