64t OF THE ORIGIN OF 



Crishna, being an incarnation of Vishnu, is de- 

 picted with the same characteristic complexion of 

 dark azure, to identify the Deity in the symbol. 



The Earth is represented as a Cow, the cow of 

 plenty; and as the planets were considered by the 

 Hindus to be so many habitable Earths, it was na- 

 tural to describe them by the same hieroglyphic ; 

 and as the Sun directs their motions, furnishes them 

 with light, and cherishes them with his genial heat, 

 Crishna, the symbol of the Sun, was pourtrayed as 

 an herdsman, sportive, amorous, and inconstant. 



The twelve signs are represented as twelve beau- 

 tiful Nymphs; the Sun's apparent passage, from 

 one to the other, is described as the roving of the 

 inconstant Crishna. This was probably the ground- 

 work of Jayade va's elegant poem, the Gita G6- 

 xiinda. It is evidently intended by the circular dance 

 exhibited in the Ras'ijdtrd. On a moveable circle, 

 twelve Crishnas are placed alternately with twelve 

 Go'pi's, hand in hand, forming a circle; the God is 

 thus multiplied to attach him to each respectively, 

 to denote the Sun's passage through all the signs ; 

 and, by the rotary motion of the machine, the re- 

 volution of the year is pointed out. 



Crishna obtains a victor}^ on the banks of theP^:- 

 ■mu7id over the great serpent Cdl'iija Ndga, which had 

 poisoned the air, and destroyed the herds in that 



This allegory niay be explained upon the same 

 principle as the exposition given of the destruction 

 of the serpent Pytkori by the arrows of Apollo. 

 It is the Sun which, by the powerful action of its 

 beams, purifies the air, and disperses the noxious 

 vapours of the atmosphere. 



