IN THE MUSEUM OF THE SOCIETY..; 385 



spoken on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, were ap- 

 plied to denote the Sun as well as the star Sirius, which is 

 one of the most brilliant of the fixed stars visible in the cli- 

 mate of the Mediterranean. Crishna is another name given 

 by the Hindus to the idol that they have formed as a per- 

 sonification of the Sun. Crishna, the shepherd god, is also 

 considered to be an incarnation of Vishnu, and his life upon 

 earth is related in Hindu books : in a celebrated temple 

 in India, Crishna is worshipped under the name of la- 

 gan-nath, that is, the lord of nature. The figure of Suria is 

 here erect. The principal figure, and three of the at- 

 tendants, are placed upon bases, formed like the flower 

 of the nelumbo or water-lily, and flowers are represented 

 on each side, indicating the power of the sun in promoting 

 the vegetation of plants on the earth. The hands of the figure 

 are broken off, but there remains an octopetalous flower, which 

 was held in the left hand. By the side of the figure of Suria 

 are three smaller figures, in the same dress as the principal 

 figure, with the hands clasped in the attitude of adoration : 

 they are called the gopis or shepherdesses; one of them 

 has four arms. Four small figures, seated with the legs across, 

 are in the upper part of the composition, and a figure seated 

 with the legs across is in the head-dress of Suria. The 

 head-dress is formed of several tiers of ornaments, somewhat 

 in form of crescents, or like the two horns of a chamois. At 

 the lower part of the composition, on the left, is a small figure 

 bearing a club, the emblem of the strength of the divinity. 

 A small figure on the right of the deity, and lower than the 

 feet, has the head of an elephant, as the Indian god Gunees 

 is usually represented : Etymologists have remarked the re- 

 semblance between the name of Gunees and the Janus of the 



3 c 2 ancient 



