514 ON MOUNT CAUCASUS. 



ful, those who speak ill of their spiritual guides, or 

 otherwise behave ill to them, or defile their beds: 

 all these you may devour : but do not touch a Brdh- 

 men^ whatever be his guilt ; should you presume to 

 devour him, he will prove a scorching flame in your 

 throat ; spare also my servants, and those of Maha'- 

 de'va, and the righteous in general: for if you 

 should transgress, your strength and power will be 

 thereby greatly diminished. Vishnu having thus 

 spoken, disappeared. Long after Garud'a spying 

 a Brahmen dressed like a Shaharay or mountaineer, 

 laid hold of him, and attempted to devour him : but 

 he soon felt a scorching flame in his throat, which 

 forced him to disgorge the priest alive. Some time 

 after he met with a servant of Maha'-De'va, who 

 was rambling stark naked through the woods, and 

 looked like an ideot : Garud'a sprung upon him; 

 but found his body as hard as the thunder bolt. 

 When Garud'a saw this, he carried his prey to his 

 den, where he bound him, that he might devour 

 him at his leisure : but he never could make the 

 least impression upon him. The unfortunate pri- 

 soner called on Maha'-deVa, who sent Haraja 

 to rescue him. Haraja or Hara-cula requested 

 Garud'a to release him, saying, you are the chief 

 of birds, this man is a favorite of Maha'-de'va, 

 you also are a favorite of his, set him at liberty, or 

 come and fight me. For a whole month they fought, 

 when Garud'a's strength failed him : he saw then, 

 that his prisoner was a servant of Maha'-de'va, 

 and recalled to his mind, the words of Vishnu. He 

 then set him at liberty, observing to Haraja, that 

 in his life he never found so tough a subject. 



The situation of Goracsha-van is well known to 

 the Hijidus ; and I have seen many pilgrims, who 

 have visited this singular spot. Near it, in the 

 mountains, according to (he sacred books, is situated 

 the forest and place ofGARUD'A : there it was visited 



by 



