1832.] Analysis of the Pur anas. 225 



on the ground, and the gods thought it decent to imitate her example, 

 all except Vishnu, who mounted Garura, and flew off to the river 

 Pushpabhadra', where finding an elephant asleep he took off his head ? 

 and flying back with it, clapped it on the body of Gane'sa ; hence 

 the body of that deity is crowned with its present uncouth capital. 

 On the restoration of Gane'sa to life, valuable gifts were made to the 

 gods and bra'hmans, by the parents, and by Parvati's father, the 

 personified Himalaya. The unfortunate Sani was again anathema- 

 tised, and in consequence of the curse of Parvati, has limped ever 



since. 



These legends and others of minor importance, with the various 

 prayers and addresses of the deities, occupy the first 13 chapters. The 

 next five give an account of the birth of Kartikeya. In the 1 9th 

 and 21st chapters the reason why Gane'sa's head was lopped off is 

 given. SivA offended with Aditya, the sun, slew him, and although 

 he restored him to life, incurred the wrath of the sage Ka'syapa, who 

 doomed his (Siva's) son to lose his head. The elephant was Indra's 

 elephant, and was decapitated because Indra threw over his neck the 

 garland of flowers, which the sage Durvasas gave him, and the dis- 

 respect of which, with the consequent degradation of Indra, is noticed 

 in various Purdnas, although in all other respects with different results. 

 Indra was no loser of an elephant by his decapitation, as Vishnu, 

 moved by the prayers of his mate, gave him another head in place of 

 that which he took away. The humiliation of Indra, and his reco- 

 very of Lakshmi' or glory, are the subjects of the next five chapters, and 

 the remaining half of this section is occupied with the story of Gane'sa's 

 losing one of his tusks. It was broken off by Parasurama, and the 

 occurrence therefore involves his history, and that of his ancestor Bhrigu, 

 the possession of the all-bestowing cow by Jamadagni, the attempt tt 

 carry her off by the king Kartavirya'rjuna; the conflict that en 

 sued, and the death of the sage ; Parasurama's avenging his father's 

 loss, by slaying Kartaviryarjuna ; his combats with the kings, who 

 came to the aid of that prince ; and the destruction of the military 

 race. 



After this last exploit, Parasurama, who was a favourite disciple 

 of Siva, went to Kaila'sa to visit his master ; on arriving at the inner 

 apartments, his entrance was opposed by Gane'sa, as his father was 

 asleep. Parasurama nevertheless urged his way, and after a long 

 and absurd dialogue, in which devotion to Krishna is most abruptly 

 and diffusely introduced, the parties came to blows. Gane'sa had at 

 first the advantage, seizing Parasura'ma in his trunk, and giving him 



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