OR SACRED WRITINGS OF THE HINDUS. 399 



seem, since they are named in another portion of 

 the Veda as QAptya) sons of water (Ap)^ were op- 

 pressed with thirst while travelling in a sandy de- 

 sert. At length, they found a well ; and one of 

 them descended into it, and thence lifted water 

 for his companions : hut the ungrateful brothers 

 stole his effects, and left him in the well, covering 

 it with a heavy cart-wheel. In his distress he pro- 

 nounced the hymns in question. It appears from 

 the text, that Cutsa also was once in similar dis- 

 tress; and pronounced the same or a similar invo- 

 cation : and, for this reason, the hymns have been 

 placed, by the compiler of the Veda, among those 

 of which CuTSA is the author. 



The twenty-third chapter of the same book 

 commences with a dialogue between Agastya, 

 Indra, and the Ma ruts ; and tlie remainder of 

 that, with the whole of the twenty-fourth chapter, 

 comprises twenty-six hymns addressed by Agas- 

 tya to those divinities, and to the As'wins, fire, 

 the sun, and some other deities. The last of these 

 hymns was uttered by Agastya, under the appre- 

 hension of poison ; and is directed by rituals to be 

 used as an incantation against the effects of venom. 

 Other incantations, applicable to the same pur- 

 pose, occur in various parts of the Veda; for ex- 

 ample, a prayer by Vasisht'ha for preservation 

 from poison (book 7, ch. 3, § 18). 



The third book, distributed into five chapters, 

 contains invocations by Vis'wa'mitra, son of 

 Ga't'hin, and grandson of Cusica. The last 

 hymn or Siicta, in this book, consists of six 

 prayers, one of which includes the celebrated Gd- 

 yatri : this remarkable text is repeated more than 

 once in Q\he.xVedas; but, since Vis'wa'mitra is 

 acknowledged to be the Rishi, to whom it was 



