330 Lieut.-Colonel Ton on Sculptures in the Temples of Ellora. 



so as to elicit the period, if such is meant to be designated. Volney says, 

 tiie vernal equinox coincided with the first degree of-^n'es 2504 years, and 

 with the first degree of Taurus 4G19 years, before Christ. 



The Egyptians supposed the Sun to assume the forms of the animals 

 represented in the zodiac; and such is not improbably the origin of the 

 Hindu Avataras,* an idea supported by Volney, who says : " The eag'Ze of 

 Vishnu is but one of thethousand emblems of the sun, and his incarnations 

 in ajish, boar, lion, and turtle, nothing more than the metamorphosis of the 

 same star, whicii, passing successively tiirough the signs of the twelve animals, 

 was supposed to assume these forms." 



We will now quit this speculation and proceed to the legend of the 

 sacrifice of Sati and metamorphosis of Dacsha. I give it on the autho- 

 rity of Chand, the last of the great bards of India, who has incorporated 

 numerous episodes from ancient mythologies. 



Dacsha Prajapdti\ was a prince of the Satya Yuga : his daughter Sati was 

 married to Mahadeva, who having oflended his father-in-law, he chose to 

 omit inviting him to attend a grand sacrifice, at which all the gods and demons 

 (Di/le) were present. Sati, from the summit of Kailas beholding the assem- 

 blage, requested permission to repair thither. Siva (Md/iddeva) expostulated 

 on the indelicacy of proceeding to her father's abode uninvited ; but yielded 

 to her earnest desire, giving her his own charger Nanda {Taurus), on which 

 she joined the assembly. But her family paid the consort of Siva no attention, 

 and portions of the sacred food were placed before the whole, absent and 

 present, excepting only her lord. Anger so excited the faithful Sati at this 

 disrespect to Siva, that fire issued from her body, and she was consumed 

 in the self-created flame.t The infuriated Nanda destroyed the sacrifice, 

 and returning to Kailas, related to Mahadeva the death of his spouse. In 

 affliction Mahadeva cut off his lock§ (jut'/ia) and threw it on the earth, 

 from which the giant Vira-Bhadra was born, who revenged the death of 

 Sati by the decollation of Dacsha. The gods and demons who had 

 assembled to partake of the hospitable rites, implored of Mahadeva II that 



* It may be objected to this, that there are not so many Avataras as zodiacal signs. 



f Praja-pa'ti, lord of creatures. 



\ This is the origin of the immolation of females, and of the term sati (vulg. suttee). 



§ In all ages, cutting off the lock appears to have been a sign of grief. 



II Here we see the junction of the powers of life and death' 



