no holy days, no birthdays of Krishna, no nights dedicated to Lakshmi; no
sacrifices or modes of worship other than those conformable to the ritual of the
Vedas. It contains no Máhálinyas or golden legends, even of the temples in
which Vishnu is adored.”
The fourth book contains a tolerably full list of royal dynasties and individuals,
with a dull chronicle of events, the authenticity of which cannot always be
accepted. In the fifth book we have the life of Krishna, one of the avatars or
manifestations of Vishnu; and in the last an account of the dissolution of the
world, “in both its major and minor cataclysms,” which, “in the particulars of the
end of all things by fire and water, as well as in the principle of their perpetual
renovation, presents a faithful exhibition of opinions that were general in the
ancient world.”
We now proceed to give a few specimens of the contents of this remarkable
work.
Origin of Rudra (Bk. i. c. 8.)In the beginning of the Kalpa, as Brahma proposed to create a son, who should
be like himself, a youth of a purple complexion appeared; crying with a low cry,
and running about. Brahma, when he beheld him thus afflicted, said to him:
“Why dost thou weep?” “Give me a name,” replied the boy. “Rudra be thy
name,” rejoined the great father of all creatures: “be composed; desist from
tears.” But, though thus addressed, the boy still wept seven times; and Brahma
therefore gave to him seven other denominations: and to these eight persons
regions and wives and posterity belong. The eight manifestations, then, are
named Rudra, Bhava, Sarva, Isana, Pasaputi, Bhima, Ugra, and Mahádeva,
which were given to them by their great progenitor. He also assigned to them
their respective stations, the sun, water, earth, air, fire, ether, the ministrant
Brahman, and the moon; for these are their several forms. The wives of the sun
and the other manifestations, termed Rudra and the east, were, respectively:
Suvarchalá, Ushá, Vikésí, Sívá, Swáhá, Disas, Dikshá, and Rohini. Now hear an
account of their progeny, by whose successive generations this world has been
peopled. Their sons were severally: Sawaischara (Saturn,) Sukra (Venus,) the
fiery-bodied (Mars,) Mamjava, Skanda, Swarga, Santána, and Budha (Mercury.)