THE ORIGIN OF MECCA, &c. 3 8 I 



otroy them ; the officers on the part of Sami'-Ra'ma', 

 thesovereign of Vahnist y han, assembledall theirtroops, 

 and met the army of St'ha'var-pati ; but after a 

 bloody conflict, they were put to flight. 



Sam i'-Ra'm a' amazed, enquired who this new con- 

 queror was ; and soon reflected that he could never 

 have prevailed against her, without a boon from Ma- 

 ha'-de'va, obtained by the means of what is called 

 Ugra-Tapasyd, or a Tapasyd performed with fervor, 

 earnestness of desire, and anger. She had a confer- 

 ence with St'ha'var-pati ; and as he was, through 

 his Tapasyd, become a son of Maha'-de'va, she told 

 him she considered him in that light, and would al- 

 low him to command over all the hills, trees, and plants 

 in Vahni-sVhan. The hills then humbled themselves 

 before St'ha'var-pati, and paid tribute to him. 



The origin of Ninus is thus related in the fame 

 sacred books. One day, as Maha'-de'va was ramb- 

 ling over the earth naked, and with a large club in his 

 hand, he chanced to pass near the spot where several 

 Munis were performing their devotions. Maha'-de'va 

 laughed at them, insulted them in the most provoking 

 and indecent terms; and lest his expressions should 

 not be forcible enough, he accompanied the whole 

 with significant signs and gestures. The offended 

 Munis cursed him, and the Linga or Phallus fell to the 

 ground. Maha'-de'va, in this state of mutilation, 

 travelled over the world, bewailing his misfortune. 

 His consort too, hearing of this accident, gave herself 

 up to grief, and ran after him in a state of distraction, 

 repeating mournful songs. This is what the Greek 



mycologists 



