If a person be born under the planet Vrihŭsputee, he will be endowed with an amiable disposition; possess palaces, gardens, lands, and be rich in money, corn, &c.; obtaining the affections of all, his honours will increase; he will possess much religious merit; and, in short, will have all his wishes gratified. Kshůtriyus, Voishyŭs, and Shōōdrus, if born under this planet, will be prosperous and happy; but bramhŭns will not be so fortunate: the reason given is, that Vrihůsputee is a bramhŭn, and therefore does not wish to exalt those of his own cast.-Jyotish-tŭtwů. This god is charged in the Muhabharůtů with deflowering the wife of his eldest brother Ootŭt❜hyů. Names. Vrihŭsputee, or, preceptor to the gods.-Sooracharyŭ, the priest of the gods.-Gishpŭtee, the eloquent.-Gooroo, the preceptor.-Jeevů, he who revives the gods a.—Angirŭsă, the son of Ungira.-Vachŭspătee, the lord of words, viz, the eloquent. SECT. XIX.-Shookrub, or the Planet Venus. THIS god, the son of the sage Bhrigoo, is dressed in white; sits on the water-lily; has four hands: in one he holds a roodrakshŭ bead-roll; in another an alms' dish; in another a club; and with the other is bestowing a blessing. Shookrů is preceptor and officiating priest to the giants. He is represented as blind of one eye; the reason of which a That is, when the gods die in battle, Vrihůsputee by incantations restores them to life. Shookrů-varů, or Friday. is thus related:-When Vamănă went to king Bulee, to solicit a present, Shookrů, being Bŭlee's preceptor, forbad his giving him any thing. The king disregarding his advice, the priest was obliged to read the necessary formulas, and to pour out the water from a vessel, to ratify the gift. Shookrů, still anxious to withhold the gift, which he foresaw would be the destruction of his master, entered the water in an invisible form, and by his magic power prevented it from falling; but Vamŭnů, aware of the device, put a straw into the bason of water, which entered Shookru's eye, and gave him so much pain, that he leaped out of the bason; the water then fell, and the gift was offered. 'If a person be born under the planet Shookrů, he will have the faculty of knowing things past, present, and future; will have many wives; have a kingly umbrella, (the emblem of royalty;) and other kings will worship him; he will possess elephants, horses, palanqueens, footmen, &c.'Jyotish-tutwu Shookru's daughter, Dévůjanēē, was deeply in love with one of her father's pupils, Kuchů, the son of Vrihŭsputee. This youth had been sent by his father to learn from Shookru an incantation for raising the dead. One day Dévůjanee sent Kuchŭ to bring some flowers to be used in worship from a forest belonging to the giants. Previously to this, Kuchů had been devoured several times by different giants; but Shookrů by the above incantation had restored him to life: when he tore open the bellies of these cannibals, and destroyed them. The giants now resolved to make Shookrŭ himself eat this boy; for which purpose they caught him in the forest, cut him into the smallest Gathering flowers for the worship of the gods is often at present the employment of young persons. pieces, boiled him up in spirits, and invited Shookrů to the entertainment. Kuchů not returning from the forest, Dévůjanee wept much, and told her father that she would certainly kill herself if he did not bring back her lover. Shookru at length, by the power of meditation, discovered that he had eaten this youth, so beloved by his daughter; and he knew not how to bring him back to life, without the attempt being fatal to himself. At last, however, while the boy continued in his belly, he restored him to life, and taught him the incantation for raising the dead; after which Kuchu, tearing open Shookru's belly, came forth, and immediately restored his teacher to life. Küchǔ, having obtained the knowledge of revivifying the dead, took leave of his preceptor, and was about to return to his father Vrihŭsputee, when Dévůjanēē insisted upon his marrying her. Kuchů declined this honour, as she was the daughter of his preceptor; at which she was so incensed that she pronounced a curse upon him, by which he was doomed to reap no advantage from all his learning. In return Kuchu cursed Dévŭjanēē, and doomed her to marry a kshůtriyů; which curse after some time took effect, and she was married to king Yujatee. After Dévůjanēē had borne two children, she discovered that the king maintained an illicit connection with a princess of the name of Summisht'ha, by whom he had three sons. She appealed to her father Shookrů, who pronounced a curse on Yujatee; when his hair immediately became grey, his teeth fell from his head, and he was seized with complete decrepitude. Yujatee remonstrated with his father-in-law, and asked him who should live with his daughter, who was yet young, seeing that he had brought old age upon him. Shookrů replied, a The Hindoo children often resort to this threat to extort some favour from their parents. that if he could persuade any one to take upon him this curse, he might still enjoy connubial felicity. Yŭjatee returned home, and asked his eldest son by Dévůjanēē to take this curse for a thousand years, and possess the kingdom; at the close of which time he should become young again, and continue in the kingdom: but this son, his brother, and the two eldest sons of Summisht'ha refused the kingdom on these conditions; which so enraged the father, that he cursed them all. The youngest son, however, by Summisht'ha accepted the conditions, and instantly became weak and decrepid; when the father assumed his former youth, and returned to the company of his wives. Names. Shookrů, or, he who sorrows at the destruction of the giants. Doityŭ-gooroo, preceptor to the giants.Kavyŭ, the poet.-Ooshŭna, the friend of the giants.Bhargŭvů, the descendant of Bhrigoo. SECTION XX.-Shunee, or Saturn. THIS god is dressed in black; rides on a vulture; has four arms; in one he holds an arrow; in another a javelin; • Shunee-varů, or Saturday. One of the names of Shunee is Shŭnoi shchůru, viz. he who travels slowly. f This god is represented as sitting on this bird, probably, to denote his destructive power. Saturn, in the Grecian system of idolatry, was represented as devouring his children. The vultures in Bengal are highly useful in devouring the dead bodies of men and beasts, many of which are left in the roads and on the banks of rivers. It is astonishing how swiftly these birds collect wherever a dead body falls, though one of them should not have been seen in the place for weeks or months before; illustrating, in the most striking manner, the words of our Lord, Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the vultures be gathered together." Matt. xxiv. 28. 66 in another a bow; and with the other is giving a blessing. He is said to be the son of Sōōryŭ by Chaya. All the Hindoos exceedingly dread the supposed baneful influence of this god, and perform a number of ceremonies to appease him. Many stories of him are to be found in the writings of the Hindoos, such as that of his burning off the head of Gŭnéshů; his burning Dushŭrůt'hu's chariot in his descent from heaven; his giving rise to bad harvests, ill fortune, &c. If a person be born under the planet Shunee,' says the Jyotish-tŭtwů,' he will be slandered, his riches dissipated, his son, wife, and friends destroyed; he will live at variance with others; and endure many sufferings.' The Hindoos are under constant fear of bad fortune from this planet. Some persons, if absent from home at the time of his appearance, return through fear, and others forsake their business lest they should meet with misfortunes. If one person persecute another, the latter sometimes takes it patiently, supposing it to arise from the bad fortune which naturally springs from the influence of this star. The Hindoos believe that when Shunee is in the ninth stellar mansion, the most dreadful evils befal mankind: hence when Ramů broke the bow of Shivu, which was the condition of obtaining Sēēta in marriage, and when the earth sunk, and the waters of the seven seas were united in one, Purushoo-ramů, startled at the noise of the bow, exclaimed, Ah! some one has laid hold of the hood of the snake, or fallen under the ninth of Shunee.' At present, when a person is obstinate, and will not hearken to reason, a byestander says, 'I suppose he has fallen upon Shunee, or he has laid his hand upon the hood of the snake, viz. he is embracing his own destruction.' When Ramu found that 0 2 TH 647222 A APTON, L. HOW AW |