SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST, &C. Q57 



of tliem : and the whole must he brought together 

 and compared with the account given of her in the 

 above Na/.aca, or dranuitic poem. 



It is my intention to resume her liistory in the 

 course of this work.; and, in the mean time, I shall 

 observe, that she was born at Tihotra (or Trl-hotra), 

 to the west of Dekli; acknowledged to be the same 

 place which is now called Tchora or Tehaura, and 

 Tahora in the Peutingerian tables, near the river 

 Sutluj : Tihotra is also supposed to be the same with 

 Tri-garta, a place often mentioned in Hindu books. 



That goddess was the daughter of Aurvasa, who 

 presides over the elementary fire, and is most-inimical 

 to the Stliawars, and their lord and pati of course. 



The story of the two doves, mentioned in my 

 essay on Semiramis, is unknown to the Faiiranics; 

 but there are some le^'ends about them in the wes- 

 tern parts oi India, wiiere they apply them to, or, 

 perhaps, framed them, in consequence of the two 

 doves found by Mohammed in the Caaba at Mecca; 

 which they claim,, with some reason, as a place of 

 worship belonging originally to tlie Hindus. 



The misfortune which befel Maka'-deva is well 

 known : but the discerption of the sacred Linga is 

 represented, in the Puranas, in a dirfercnt light. 

 It was divided into twelve parts, besides many 

 splinters. These twelve Z/;?«y75 preside over the 

 twelve months of the year. I Was concerned, for 

 a long time, that I could not discover the least ves- 

 tiges of the legends concerning Perseus, Andro- 

 meda, and Pegasus, nor even the names of the 

 principal characters : but these I have lately found 

 in the Yantra-raja, and other books, with a most 

 ample account of the thirtv-six Decani, SQ famous 



Vol. Vm. S 



