260 ON THE GODS OF GREECE) 



tarahijdpuline navahallavz 

 perifaddfaha celicutuhaldt 

 drutavilamwitachdruvihdrinam 

 herimaham hri dayena fadd vahe. 



" I bear in my bofom continually that God, who, for 

 " fportive recreation with a train ofnine (young) dairy- 

 " maids, dances gracefully, now quick, now flow, on 

 " the fands juft left by the Daughter of the Sun." 



Both he and the three Rdmas are defcribed as youths 

 of perfect beauty ; but the princeffes of Hindujldn, as 

 well as the damfels of Nanda's farm, were paffionately 

 in love with Crifhna, who continues to this hour the 

 darling God of the Indian women. The feci; of Hindus, 

 who adore him with enthufiaftick, and almoft excluhve, 

 devotion, have broached a doctrine, which they main- 

 tain with eagernefs, and which feems general in thefe 

 provinces; that he was diftinct from all the Avatars, 

 who had only an an/a, or portion, of his divinity; while 

 Crifhna was the per/on of Vijhnu himfelf in a human 

 form : hence they confider the third Rama, his elder 

 brother, as the eighth Avatar, inverted with an emana- 

 tion of his divine radiance; and in the principal Sanfcrit 

 Dictionary, compiled about two thoufand years ago, 

 Crifhna, Vdfadeva, Govinda, and other names of the 

 Shepherd God, are intermixed with epithets of Ndrdyan, 

 or the Divine Spirit. All the Avatars are painted with 

 gemmed Ethiopian, or Parthian coronets ; with rays 

 encircling their heads; jewels in their ears; two neck- 

 laces, one ftraight, and one pendent on their bofoms, 

 with dropping gems; garlands of well-difpofed many- 

 coloured flowers, or collars of pearls, hanging down 

 below their waifts; loofe mantles of golden tiffue or 

 dyed filk, embroidered on their hems with flowers, 

 elegantly thrown over one fhoulder 3 and folded, like 



ribands, 



