62 baiGINT AND DECLINE OF THE 



disappeared, and went to heaven. The Mamchcam, 

 who spread their errors at a very early period, not only 

 in the northern parts of Lidia, but also in the Pen- 

 insula, always represented Christ crucified upon a 

 tree, among its foHage and flowers. Though this 

 legend is not applied to Sa'li-va'han, or >Sa'la-va'- 

 HAN, as it is pronounced in the Dek/iin ; yet, when 

 the good Pe'islit-car Brahmen was stretched upon the 

 Sula or Suli, he was really Sidi-vahana, or cross borne : 

 and when the ^Sula was changed into a Sola or tree, 

 he was certainly Sala-z^dhan, or Sali-vahan, he was 

 exalted, or borne upon the tree. Though the pu- 

 nishment of the cross be unknown to the Hindus^ 

 yet the followers of Budd'ha have some knowledge 

 of it, when they represent DeVa-Tat, crucified by 

 order of Budd'ha upon an instrument somewhat re- 

 sembling a cross, according to the account of several 

 travellers to Siam, and other countries. 



We read in Sanscrit lexicons, that Sa'liva'han was 

 also called Ha'la a plough : it should be Ha'la-va'- 

 HANA, or in composition, Ha'li-va'hana ; he who 

 was borne, or crucified upon a plough. The old 

 Indian plough had originally the shape of the letter 

 Y, like the old Latian Fitrca, or bifurcated stump of 

 a tree. To one branch the plough-share was fixed ; 

 and the other branch served as a handle. In the sta- 

 tues of Vishnu, and Bala-ra'ma, the plough in 

 their hands is represented nearly in that manner; 

 and, from that circumstance, Bala-ra'ma is called 

 also Ha'la, and Ha'li, or he with the plough. 



The legend of the good Pcishc-car Brahmen, is 

 found in Major Mackenzie's historical sketches 

 of the ajicient kings of JVarangola, otherwise I should 



