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SECTION VIII.-Ugnee.

THIS god is represented as a red corpulent man, with eyes, eye-brows, beard, and hair, of a tawny colour. He rides on a goat; wears a poita, and a necklace made with the fruits of eleocarpus ganitrus. From his body issue seven streams of glory, and in his right hand he holds a spear. He is the son of Kushyŭpu and Ŏditée.

Ügnee has his forms of worship, meditation, &c. like other gods; but is especially worshipped, under different names, at the time of a burnt-offering, when clarified butter is presented to him. The gods are said to have two mouths, viz. that of the bramhun, and of fire (Ugnee).

At the full moon in the month Maghŭ, when danger from fire is considerable, some persons worship this god before the image of Brŭmha, with the accustomed ceremonies, for three days. When any particular work is to be done by the agency of fire, as when a kiln of bricks is to be burnt, this god is worshipped; also when a trial by ordeal is to be performed.

Some bramhuns are distinguished by the name sagnikŭ, because they use sacred fire in all the ceremonies in which this element is used, from the time of birth to the burning of the body after death. This fire is preserved in honour of the god Ugnee, and to make religious ceremonies more meritorioust.

There may be some resemblance in this to the custom of the Romans, in preserving a perpetual fire in the temple of Vesta.

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Ugnee, as one of the guardian deities of the earth, is worshipped at the commencement of every festival. He presides in the S. E.

Bhrigoo, a sagnikŭ bramhŭn and a great sage, once cursed his guardian deity Ugnee, because the latter had not delivered Bhrigoo's wife from the hands of a giant, who attempted to violate her chastity when she was in a state of pregnancy. The child, however, sprang from her womb, and reduced the giant to ashes. Bhrigoo doomed the god to eat every thing. Ugnee appealed to the assembled gods, and Brumha soothed him by promising, that whatever he ate should become pure. Ugnee was also once cursed by one of the seven rishees, who turned him into cinders.

Urjoonů, the brother of Yoodhisthirů, at the entreaty of Ügnee, set fire to the forest Khůndůvů, in order to cure him of a surfeit contracted in the following manner:-Mŭrootů, a king, entered upon a sacrifice which occupied him twelve months, during the whole of which time clarified butter had been pouring on the fire, in a stream as thick as an elephant's trunk: at length Ŭgnee could digest no more, and he intreated Urjoonů to burn this forest, that he might eat the medicinal plants, and obtain his appetite again.

Swaha, the daughter of Kushyupů, was married to Ŭgnee. Her name is repeated at the end of every incantation used at a burnt-offering, as well as in some other ceremonies. The reason of this honour is attributed to Ugnee's uxori

ousness.

The heaven of this god is called Ugnee-loků. His principa! names are:-Vunhee, or, he who receives the clarified butter in the burnt-sacrifice (homu).-Veêtihotrů, he who puri

fies those who perform the homŭ.—Dhůnŭnjŭyů, he who conquers (destroys) riches.-Kripēētuyonee, he who is born from rubbing two sticks together.-Jwŭlunů, he who burns.-Ugnee, he to whom fuel is presented.

SECTION IX.-Pŭvůnů.

THIS is the god of the winds, and the messenger of the gods". His mother Uditēē, it is said, prayed to her husband, that this son might be more powerful than Indrů: her request was granted; but Indrů, hearing of this, entered the womb of Uditēē, and cut the fœtus, first into seven parts, and then each part into seven others. Thus Půvůnů assumed forty-nine forms. He is meditated upon as a white man, sitting on a deer, with a white flag in his right hand.

Půvůnů has no separate public festival, neither image, nor temple. As one of the ten guardian deities of the earth, he is worshipped, with the rest, at the commencement of every festival. He is said to preside in the N. W. Water is also offered to him in the daily ceremonies of the bramhuns; and, whenever a goat is offered to any deity, a service is paid to Vayoo, another form and name of Půvůnů. In

"I can find no agreement betwixt this god and either Mercury or Æolts. * The forty-nine points. The Hindoos have 49 instead of 32 points; and the pooranus, which contain a story on every distinct feature of the Hindoo philosophy, have given this fable: and in the same manner all the elements are personified, and some remarkable story invented to ac, count for their peculiar properties.

the work called Udikůrůnů-mala, a burnt-sacrifice of the flesh of goats is ordered to be offered to this god.

The following story is related of Půvănů in the Shreebhagŭvůtů:-On a certain occasion Narŭdŭ paid a visit to Sooméroo2, and excited his pride in such a manner, that he protested the god Půvănă could not approach his summit. Narudŭ carried the news of Sooméroo's insolence to Půvůnŭ, and advised him to go and break down the summit of Sooméroo; which, even to the depth of 800 miles below the surface, was of solid gold. Půvůnů went, and produced such a tempest, that the earth trembled to its centre; and the mountain god, terribly alarmed, invoked Gŭroorů, who came to his relief, and, covering the mountain with his wings, secured it from the wrath of Půvůnů. For twelve months, however, the storm raged so that the three worlds were hastening to destruction. The gods desired Narŭdů to prevail on Půvůnů to compose the difference with Sooméroo; instead of complying with which the mischievous rishee went, and calling Půvůnů a fool for exciting such a storm to no purpose, told him that as long as Gŭroorů protected the mountain with his wings, there was no hope; but that, if he would attack Sooméroo when Gŭroorů was carrying. Vishnoo out on a journey, he might easily be revenged. This opportunity soon occurred: all the gods (330,000,000) were invited to Shivů's marriage with Parvutee, among whom were the mountains Sooméroo, Trikōōtů, Oodŭyŭ, Üstů, Vindhyŭ, Malyŭvanů, Gŭndhuma-dŭnů,

> The goat, it will be remembered, was slain in the sacrifices of Bacchus.

The mountain of this name personified.
Mountains over which the sun rises,

Behind which the sun sets,

Chitrůkōōtů, Můlůyů, Nilů, Moinaků, &c. Vishnoo, riding on Gŭroorů, also went to the marriage, and all the heavens were left empty. Seizing this opportunity, Půvůnů flew to Sooméroo, and, breaking the summit of the moun tain, hurled it into the sea".

Půvůnů is charged with an adulterous intercourse with Unjuna, the wife of Késhŭrēē, a monkey. The fruit of this intercourse was Hunoomanů.

Půvůnů was once inflamed with lust towards the hundred daughters of Kooshŭnabhŭ, a rajŭrshee; and because they refused his offers, he entered the body of each, and produced a curvature of the spine. They were made straight again by a king named Brumhu-dŭttů, to whom they were married.

The name of the heaven of this god is Vayoo-loků. His principal names are:-Shwůsŭnů, or, he who is the giver of breath. Spurshůnů, the toucher.-Vayoo, he who travels.-Matŭrishwa, he who gave his mother sorrow".-Prishůdŭshwa, he who rides on the deer.-Gundhŭvůhů, he who carries odours.-Ashoogů, he who goes swiftly.Marootů, without whom people die.-Nubhŭswůtů, he who moves in the air.—Puvănů, the purifier.-Průbhŭngjúnů, the breaker.

Some of these belong to the snowy range north of India, and others to the tropical range dividing south from north India, These and other mountains are personified, and by the Hindoo poets are designated as the residence of the gods, and by poetical licence ranged among the inferior gods.

Here it became the island of Ceylon, (Lünka.)

When Indru cut him into forty-nine pieces in the womb,

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