ON MOUNT CAUCASUS. 477 



ing the fray, it fell into the fire, and was burnt. They 

 brought a he-goat, whofe head they cut off, and placed 

 upon the lifelefs corpfe of Dacsha, who inftantly re- 

 vived: but he remained weak and without power till he 

 was born again a fon of Noah. 



Maha'-de'va then took up the body of his beloved 

 SiTA' on his flioulders, and went feven times round the 

 v/orld, bewailing his misfortune. Here I fhall remark 

 that, when any accident happens to the Gods, they ge- 

 nerally fet off at full fpeed, going feven times round the 

 world, howling all the way mo ft woefully. 



The gods, whom Sita' contained in her womb, burft 

 out, her limbs were fcattered all over the world; and 

 the places, where they fell, are become facred. Her 

 breafts fell near yaldnder in the Panjab; the jy 072/ into 

 A'fam, and the guhya* into Nepal, where they are moft 

 devoutly worfliipped to this day. The latter is a fmall 

 cleft in a rock, with an intermitting fpring: it is called 

 Giihya-Jihdn. 



Puja^ with offerings, are direfted to be made to Pi- 

 CE'SA, whenever there happens to be in the year two 

 months of ^AJJoa'd^ha^ the fecond of which, is embolif- 

 mic. The firft ^AJha'd'ha, is reckoned impure, and 

 the religious rites are to begin on the day of the full 

 moon, if poffible: if not on the third or leventh day. 

 For this purpofe an image of the Picas is to be made; 

 the body of gold, the wings of precious ftones, the beak 

 of red coral, and the eyes alfo of a precious Rone of a 

 red colour, cdWtA 7nanica. Women particularly ought 

 to be cautious not to omit this religious performance, 

 on any account whatever; fhould any woman fail in 

 this, file v.ill be born a Vyali (a fnake) in fhe forefts. 

 Whatever woman performs it duly, will have many 



• Podex. 



children 



