THE HI>^DU RELIGION. 75 



is said to have arisen from his sleep, heing invoked, 

 and awakened with this Alantra^ or incantation. 



*' The clouds are dispersed, the full moon will ap- 

 *' pear in perfect brightness, and I come in hope of 

 " acquiring purity, to offer the fresh flowers of the 

 *' season ; awake from thy long slumber, awake 

 ''Lord of all Worlds." 



Let us compare the Hindu legend with tiie Egyp- 

 tian hieroglyphic, and I think no doubt can remain 

 of the identity of Horus and Vishnu, or Heri; 

 and if this position be admitted, we shall find our- 

 selves in possession of the Key to the Egyptian^ 

 Grecian^ and Roman mythology. 



Of the Durga' Pu'ja'. 



The Abbe Plug he mentions an Egyptian hiero- 

 glyphic from the Isiac table. Horus, armed with 

 an arrow, is slaying a river horse, or Hippopotavws^ 

 which is surrounded with the leaves of the Lotos, 

 and other aquatic plants. He says, '' By this mon- 

 '^ ster, which dwells in the Nile^ and comes out of 

 *' it to lay waste and devour whatever it meets 

 " with, we can understand nothing but the inun- 

 " dation." Horus is the same with Heri or Vish- 

 nu. If the Saivas admitted in this country a simi- 

 lar victory over the inundation, they would substi- 

 tute SiVA, or his consort, for the l^aishnava S3mbol 

 Horus. 



The sphinx, an emblem of the Sun's passa<>-e 

 through Leo and Virgo, would suggest the idea 

 of decorating Ca'ii, like the armed Pallas, as 

 Virgo, attended by her Sink, or Lion, who is Siva 

 himself in that form; and they ascribe to her a 

 victory over the monster iMafiisk A'sura, a giant, 

 with the head of a bulii^kio : this animal delights in 

 water; and, when he comes out of it, is as destruc- 



