ITALY, AND INDIA. 25I 



his generative character; efpecially as the Hindu God is 

 the hufband of Bhavdm, whofe relation to the waters is 

 evidently marked by her image being reftored to them 

 at theconclufion of her great feftival called Durgdtfava. 

 She is known alfo to have attributes exactly fnnilar to 

 thofe of Venus Marina, whofe birth from the fea-foam, 

 and fplendid rife from the conch, in which fhe had been 

 cradled, have afforded fo many charming fubjects to 

 ancient and modern artiits ; and it is very remarkable, 

 that the Rembha of Indra's court, who feems to corre- 

 fpond with the popular Venus, or Goddefs of Beauty, 

 ■was produced, according to the Indian fabulifts, from 

 the froth of the churned ocean. The identity of the 

 tri'sula and the trident, the weapon of Siva and of Nep- 

 tune, feems to eftablifh this analogy; and the veneration 

 paid all over India to the large buccinum, efpecially 

 when it can be found with the fpiral line and mouth 

 turned from left to right, brings inftantly to our mind 

 the mufick of Triton. The Genius of Water is Varuna ; 

 but he, like the reft, is far inferior to Mahesa, and even 

 to Indra, who is the Prince of the beneficent Genii. 



This way of confidering the Gods as individual fub^ 

 fiances, but as diftincl perfons in diftinft characters, is 

 common to the European and Indian fyftems; as well as 

 the cuftom of giving the highefl of them the greateft 

 number of names: hence, not to repeat what has been 

 faid of Jupiter, came the triple capacity of Diana ; and 

 hence her petition in Callimachus, that (he might be 

 polyonymous, or many-titled. The confort of Siva is 

 more eminently marked by thefe diftinctions than thofe 

 of Brahma or ViJIinu: fhe refembles the I/is Myriony- 

 mos, to whom an ancient marble, defcribed by Qruter^ 

 is dedicated; but her leading names and characters 

 are Parvatz, Dwrga, Bhavani. 



T a As 



