394 ON THE VEDAS, 



which ciUudes to a singular legend. 'Asanga, son 

 of Playoga, and his successor on the throne, was 

 metamoiphosed into a woman; but retrieved his 

 sex through the prayers of Me'd'hyatit'hi, whom 

 he therefore rewarded most liberally. In this hymn 

 he is introduced praising his own munificence; 

 and, towards the close of it, his wife 'Sas'wati', 

 daughter of Angiras, exults in his restoration to 

 manhood. 



The next hymns applaud the liberality of the 

 kings ViBHixDU, Pacast'haman (son of Cura- 

 -ya'n'a), Curunga, Cas'u (son of Che'di'), and 

 TiRiNDTRA (son of Paras'u), wlio had severally 

 bestowed splendid gifts on the respective authors of 

 these thanksgivings. In the third chapter of the 

 same book, the seventh hymn commends the gene- 

 rosity of Trasada'syu, the grandson of Ma'nd'- 

 ha'trL The fourth chapter opens with an invoca- 

 tion containing praises of the liberality of Ceiitra ; 

 and tlie fourth hymn of the same chapter celebrates 

 Varu, son of Susha'man. 



In the first chapter of the tenth book, there is a 

 hymn to water, spoken by a king, named Sind'hu- 

 D^rl'?A, the son of Ambarisha. The seventh 

 chapter contains several passages, from the fifteenth 

 to the eighteenth siicta^ which allude to a remark- 

 able legend. Asa m a'ti, son or descendant of Icsh- 

 wa'cu, had deserted his former priests, and employ- 

 ed others : the forsaken Brahmanas recited incanta- 

 tions for his destruction ; his new priests, however, 

 not only counteracted their evil designs, but retali- 

 ated on them, and caused the death of one of those 

 Brahman'as : the rest recited these prayers, for 

 tlieir own preservation, and for the revival of their 

 companion. 



