1920.] Hindu Astronomical Deities. 75 
overlap to some extent but they are very interesting and are 
here summarised—(a) When Praiyavrata, king of Sakadvipa, 
desired to erect a temple and place in it a golden image of the 
Sun, he brought eight Brahmans, known as Sauryas, from 
foreign parts. (b) The king, after erecting a temple and placing 
the image of the Sun in it, prayed to the god to provide 
priests to carry on the worship ; and the god created eight 
Brahmans from the eight parts of his body. (c) The Graha 
Yamala relates that the eight Munis, Markanda, Mandava, 
Garga, Parasara, Bhrigu, Sanatana, Angira and Jahnu belonged 
to Sakadvipa. Their sons, who were planet worshippers, were 
by the orders of Sri Krishna brought to Sambapir (Multan) by 
Garuda. The descendants of these Sakadvipi Brahmans and 
Vaishya women are Ganakas. (d) Saganka, king of Gaur, being 
ill, sent for certain Maga Brahmans from the banks of the river 
Sarju (Ghogra). By propitiating the planets these Magas effect- 
ed a cure and they were persuaded to settle in the country. 
and the planet worshippers (Graha Vipras) are said to be their 
descendants. 
The distinction between the Ganakas or astrologers and 
the Sakadvipi Brahmans, Graha Vipras or planet worshippers, 
that Nagendra Nath Vasu elaborates, is interesting. As he points 
out, the astrologer class is treated with some contempt in the 
Sastras, and is generally considered as apankteya; but not so 
the Graha Vipras proper. However, although the differentia- 
excluded the consideration of purely astrological matters. — 
history of astrology in India and its connexion with and influ- 
ence on religious and social practice is a subject for further 
research. 
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