SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST, &C. 299 



understand India; and many uassao'es from the 

 Fiirmias, prove that it was originally understood 

 of India only. 



The dp^/pa of Jamhit, or India, is called also 

 Cariija-dw'ipa, or the island of the virgin or damsel, 

 daiiG'liter of king; Bhauata, the fifth from Swa- 

 YAJiBHUVA, or Adam. Her name Avas Ila', or 

 the Earth : this was also the name of the daughter 

 of Satyav'rata, or Pr'ithu ; for though the 

 Earth was his wife, she became also his daughter. 

 The sea surrounding Jambu, is called the Lavana- 

 samudra, or salt sea. It would have been highly 

 imprudent for the Paiiran'ics to ha^e placed there 

 seas, either of milk or honey. 



The second dwipa, is that of Ciis'a, thus called 

 either from a sage of that name, or from the grass 

 Cus'a, or Poa, supposed to grov/ there plenti- 

 fully. It includes all the countries from the Indus 

 to the Persian gulf^ and the Cu-spinn sea, which 

 probably the Pauran'ics made the limits of that 

 country, or dwipa, and afterwards supposed to form 

 a watery belt round the zone of Cus'a, under the 

 name of sea oi^ Surd or Ira, or sea of intoxicating 

 liquors. The origin of this denomination may pos- 

 sibly have some athnity with Iran, and the Sar or 

 Assur of scripture. It is probable that Sur and 

 Assur weie once considered as synonymous ; if not, 

 then Sur, or Syria, certainly extended once from 

 the shores of the Mediterranean sea to the gulf of 

 Persia, and even included the greatest part, if not 

 the whole, o{^ Arabia, The dwipa of Cusa is the 

 land oi' Cask of scripture, at least, part of it. Cu- 

 s'ha should be pronounced nearly like Cusha, but 

 not quite so forcibly, hke the two ss in the Eng- 

 lish word cession. The third dwipa is Placsha, or 

 the country abounding with fig-trees. It is called 



