74 OF THE ORIGIN OF 



within its banks, labour is resumed, and Horus is 

 awakened by Isis, or personified nature. 



In the other hieroglyphic, we have the same 

 couch with Horus swaddled up, but in the act of 

 turning himself: there are only three jars under 

 this couch, to denote, tliat this action of turning 

 himself to sleep, on liis other side, takes place at 

 the commencement of the third month. This in- 

 terpretation I have given, because what follows, 

 respecting the sleep of Visuxu, seems to justify it. 

 Let us therefore turn to the Hindu representation 

 of the four months sleep of Visnxu or Heri. 



On the eleventh day of the enlightened half of 

 the lunar month, Asarh, Vishnu begins his repose 

 on the serpent, Sesha. On the same day of the 

 bright half of the lunar month, Bhadra, he turns on 

 his side; and on this day the Hindus celebrate the 

 JalYatra, or the retiring of the waters. On the 

 eleventh day of the bright lialf of the lunar month, 

 Cariica, he is awakened, and rises from his sleep 

 of four months. 



The allusion will be made perfectly clear, when 

 it is known that water is considered as one of the 

 forms of Vjshnu. 



The water, rising till it covers the winding mazes 

 of the river's course, is personified by Vjshnu sleep- 

 ing upon the serpent Stsha, whose hundred heads 

 are the numerous channels which discharge the wa- 

 ters into the sea. As long as it continues to rise, 

 lie sleeps on one side. When the inundation, hav- 

 ing risen to its height, begins to subside, he turns 

 on the other side. When the waters have run off, 

 and the w inding banks of the river are completely 

 cleared of the bwoln waters of the inuntlation, he 



