ON MOUNT CAUCASUS. 507 



the western mythologists gave out some, that D'eo- 

 Caly'un was the son of Jupiter, others of Pro- 

 metheus. Garga was a famous astronomer, being 

 Maha'-deVa himself^ and the sarrte is asserted of 

 Prometheus, who generally lived in Scythia, in 

 which is situated the peak of Caliasa the abode of 

 Maha'-deVa. Lastly, Prometheus is said to be 

 the son of Japet, the Jya-pati of the Hindus; 

 and it is very probable, as we have seen in a former 

 essay, that Jya-pati was an incarnation of Maha'- 

 deVa, or Maha'-dev'a himself. The Gred*^ my- 

 thologists were little acquainted with the number- 

 less incarnations found in the Pii?-dnas, but suppose 

 the Avdlaras and Avantaras to be the offspring of 

 the parent deity, according to the usual course of 

 nature. 



The history of Deo-ca'l-yu'n is thus related in 

 a well-known poem called Hari Vansa. Garga 

 was the spiritual guide of the Vrishnis and Andha- 

 cas : at an early period he became Brahmachdri, 

 and had such command over himself, that he never 

 longed after woman. One day, before a numerous 

 and respectable assembly, king Shala reviled him, 

 and asserted that his continence proceeded merely 

 from incapacity. The sage irritated at this reflection, 

 withdrew from the world, and performed religious 

 austerities for twelve years, during which time he 

 subsisted entirely on filings of iron. Maha'-deVa 

 being pleased granted his boon, that a son should be 

 born unto him, who would reunite in himself all the 

 energy of the Vi'ishnis and Andhacas \ and that 

 they should never prevail against him. The so- 

 vereign king of the YavanaSy having no children, 

 and hearing of this boon, went to Garga; and after 

 many entreaties prevailed on the sage to accompany 

 ■ him into his kingdom : there he brought him into a 

 Gdshiiy or hut made of leaves and branches, and 



2 K 2 placed 



