1832.] Analysis of the Purdnas. 227 



as her lover ; at the same time, however, granting the prayers of 

 Brahma and the gods, who solicited his appearance to relieve the 

 earth from the burthen of the iniquities under which she laboured, 

 the legitimate purpose of every descent or Avatdra. In order to pro- 

 vide Krishna and Radiia with suitable associates, all the gods and 

 goddesses also assumed their respective characters as Gopas and 

 Gopis, or members of the family of Yadu, and the heroes of the 

 Mahdbhdrat. Vasudeva, the father of Krishna, was an incarnation 

 of Kasyapa, and De'vaki, his mother, of Aditi. Nanda was an 

 incarnation of one of the Vasus, and Yasoda of his spouse Dhara. 

 Durga was incarnate as the daughter of the bear Jambavan. Jam- 

 bavaiti one of Krishna's brides, and Lakshmi', multiplied herself 

 into the sixteen thousand princesses, whom Krishna enumerated 

 amongst his wives. 



The story of Vasudeva and De'vaki, and the birth of Krishna are 

 narrated in the usual manner, which gives occasion to directions for 

 the celebration of the Janmdshthami, or festival in commemoration of 

 the birth-day of Krishna on the 8th lunation of the month Srdvan, 

 and the Purdna authorises its observance agreeably to the practice of 

 the Sdktas, which allows it to be independent of the moon's entering into 

 the asterism Rohim y although should the position of the moon and 

 the lunation occur together, the festival is the more holy, and is termed 

 Jayanli or triumphant. The festival is on no account to commence 

 on that day, in which a part of the 7th lunation may occur. The 

 variety of doctrine and observance on this head is explained in the 

 Asiatic Researches (vol. xvi. page 92, note.) To omit the observance 

 altogether is a crime not to be expiated, and is equal in atrocity to 

 the murder of a hundred brdhmans. 



The infant exploits of Krishna are next related, and require no 

 particular comment. Garga, the Muni, points out Radha, the 

 daughter of Vrishabiia'nu, as an eligible bride for the youth, and 

 acquaints Nanda, Krishna's foster father, of the secret of her divinity, 

 in which he thus expounds her name. 



" The letter R preserves persons from sin, the vowel A obviates 

 regeneration, D'A shortens the period of mortal existence, and the 

 second long vowel sunders all worldly bonds." The marriage was 

 accordingly celebrated with great rejoicing, and the distribution of 

 viands in large quantities, and the donation of immense treasures. The 

 incompatibility of such profusion, with the condition of Nanda, the 

 cowherd, is of no consideration to the author of this work, although it 



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