23 2 ON THE GODS OF GREECE, 



44 thataffumed fhape ? Never before have I feen or heard 

 44 of lo prodigious an inhabitant of the waters, who, 

 44 like thee, haft filled up, in a fingle day, a lake an 

 " hundred leagues in circumference. Surely, thou art 

 44 bhdgavat, who appeared before me; the great Heri, 

 44 whole dwelling was on the waves; and who now, in 

 44 compaflion to thy fervants, beared the form of the 

 44 natives of the deep. Salutation and praife to thee, O 

 44 firlt male, the lord of creation, of prefervation, of 

 44 deftrirction ! Thou art the higheft object, O fupreme 

 44 ruler, of us thy adorers, who pioufly feek thee. All 

 44 thy delufive defcents in this world give exiftence to 

 44 various beings : yet I am anxious to know for what 

 44 caule that, fhape has been affumed by thee. Let me 

 44 not, O lotos-eyed, approach in vain the feet of a 

 44 deity, whofe perfect benevolence has been extended 

 44 to all; when thou haft mown us, to our amazement, 

 44 the appearance of other bodies, not in reality exifting, 

 44 but fucceffively exhibited." TheLord of the Univerfe, 

 44 loving the pious man, who thus implored him, and 

 44 intending to preferve him from the fea of deftruction, 

 44 caufed by tin. d -pravity of the age, thus told him how 

 44 he was to a6t. " In feven days from the prefent time, 

 44 O though tamer of enemies, the three worlds will be 

 44 plunged in an ocean of death; but, in the midft of 

 44 the deltroyinu waves, a large veffel, fent by me for 

 44 thy ufe, mail ftand before thee. Then fhalt thou take 

 44 all medicinal herbs, all the variety of feeds ; and, 

 44 accompanied by feven faints, encircled by pairs of all 

 44 brute animals, thou Ihalt enter the fpacious ark, and 

 44 continue in it, fecure from the flood, on one immenfe 

 4 * ocean without light, except the radiance of thy holy 

 44 companions. When the lhip fhall be agitated by an 

 44 impetuous wind, thou fhalt faften it with a large fea- 

 44 ferpent on my horn; for I will be near thee, draw- 

 41 ing the veffel, with thee and thy attendants. I will 

 44 remain on the ocean, O chief of men, until a night 

 44 of Brahma fhall be completely ended. Thou fhalt 



44 then 



