274 AN ESSAY ON tHE 



tioii : the germ is both Mem and the Linga: the pe- 

 tals and filaments are the mountains which encircle 

 Mem, and are also the type of the Yom: the four 

 leaves of the calyx are the four vast regions toward 

 the cardinal points: and the leaves of the plant are 

 the different islands in the ocean round Jambu: and 

 the whole floats upon the waters like a boat. The 

 Hindus do not say, like the Chaldcam, that the 

 Earth has the shape of a boat, which is only the 

 type of it. It is their opinion, I do not know on 

 what authority, that at the time of the flood, the 

 two principles of generation assumed the shape of 

 a boat with its mast, in order to preserve mankind. 

 Enthusiasts among the Hindus see these two prin- 

 ciples every where, in the clefts of rocks, commis- 

 sures of branches, peaks among mountains, &c. 

 The Earth is typified by a boat ; the Argha of the 

 Hindus, the Cymbium of the Egyptians, are also 

 emblems of the Earth, and of the mysterious Yoni. 

 The Argha, or Cymbium, signifies a vessel, cup, or 

 dish, in which fruits and flowers are offered to the 

 Deities, and ought to be in the shape of a boat; 

 though we see many that are oval, circular, or 

 square. Is'wara is called Argha-nafh'a, (or the 

 lord of the broad-shaped vessel*:) and Osiris, ac- 

 cording to Plutarch, was commander of the Argo, 

 and was represented by the' Egyptians in a boat, 

 carried on the shoulders of a great many men, who, 

 I think, might be called, with propriety, Argo- 

 nauts. The ship, worshipped by the Suevi, accord- 

 ing to Tacitus, was the Argha, or Argo, and the 

 type of the mysterious Yoni. The Argha,.'w'\ih. the 

 Linga of stone, is found vail over India as an object 

 of worship. It is strewed with flowers, and water 

 is poured on the Linga. The rim represents Yoni, 

 and t\\G fossa navicularis, and instead of the Linga, 



* Asiatic Researches, Vol. Ill, page 364. 



