1865.] On the Sena Rdjds of Bengal. 151 



This king of the earth erected a temple to Pradyumneshwar, which 

 was girdled by the oceans and contained inside the whole ethereal 

 firmament. It extended to all directions in space, and vied in lofti- 

 ness with Meru, round which the sun, moon and the stars move. It 

 became the mid-day mountain of the sun who rises and sets in the 

 eastern and western mountains. 



■si ^J 



O sun ! in vain have you obliged Agastya to remain in the southern 

 quarter ; look, this lofty temple has obstructed the passage of your 

 horses.* Let Agastya go in any direction he likes, and let Vindya 

 increase its heights as much as it can, but it shall never be able to 

 attain the loftiness of this temple. 



[According to the Purans, the sun is represented as moving round 

 Sumeru, a mountain supposed to be situated in the middle of the 

 earth. This particular honour paid to it, excited the jealousy of Vin- 

 dhya, another mountain, (the mountains are supposed to possess animal 

 life), and he worshipped Shiva and obtained the power of increasing his 

 body as high as he wished. Vinclhya did so, and obstructed the passage 

 of the sun which doomed the half of the earth to darkness. The gods, 

 having perceived this, were alarmed and prevailed upon Agastya, a 

 moonie and spiritual guide of Vindhya, to leave Kashi (Benares) and 

 to prevent his increase. Agastya acceded to their wishes, and went to 

 Vindhya who, seeing his guru, prostrated himself on the ground. 

 Agastya, thereupon in order to serve the purposes of the gods, ordered 

 him to remain in that posture till his return from the southern quarters, 

 where he is supposed still to reside.] 



If Brahma, making the earth as a potter's wheel builds a pot, taking 

 as much mud as the Sumeru is in weight, then that pot can bear 

 resemblance to the golden one placed by this king on the summit of 

 this temple. 



* The mythological story of Phoebus and his horses. 



