490 On tlie Coins of the Gupta Dynasty, [No. 6. 



in the Sassanian retention of the identical Siva and Nandi, reverse 

 of Kadphises* and in later days of the Ghaznavi maintenance un- 

 changed of the Kecumbent Bull of the Hindus on the Moslem 

 coinage of Lahore.f 



The recognition of this APAOKPO figure as one of the forms of 

 Parvati is conclusively set at rest by her appearing elsewhere as 

 Durga seated on the lion, as well as by the subsequent modifications 

 introduced on the Gupta reverse devices, where her form appears 

 in association with the PeacockJ primarily sacred to herself " and 

 by her presented to her son Kumar a" the Indian Mars,§ whose 

 identity as that Hindu divinity is further manifested by the adop- 

 tion of his second title of Skanda into the kingly nomenclature of 

 the Guptas. || 



It is necessary to advert for a moment to the variety in the types 

 of the monograms on these coins. Those of Col. Stacy and Major 

 Bush have the same symbol as the Ariana Antiqua piece, No. 14, 

 PI. XVIII. Prinsep's specimen, again, differs from these, in its two 

 circular ornaments below the cross-bar, while its lower portion is 



* Num. Chron. XV. 4. 



t J. R. A. S. IX. 349. 



% J. A. S. B. IV. PI. XXXIX. figs. 28, 30. A. A. XVIII. 13. 



§ Tod, I. 595. 



|| Col. Tod in speaking of the various forms of Parvati adds the following com- 

 prehensive remarks on the subject : 



" This Isis of the Suevi * * the Budha and Ella of the Rajpoots ; in short, 

 the earth, the prolific mother, the Isis of Egypt, the Ceres of Greece, the Anna- 

 purana (giver of food) of the Rajpoots * * * Gunga, the river goddess, like 

 the Nile, is the type of fertility * * has her source amidst the higher peaks of 

 the gigantic Himalya, where Parvati is represented as ornamenting the tiara of 

 Iswara ' with a beaming moon.' 



** The mysteries of Osiris and those of Eleusis were of the same character, com- 

 memorative of the first germ of civilization, the culture of the earth, under a 

 variety of names Ertha, Isis, Diana, Ceres, Ella. With the [Buddhists] the bene- 

 ficent Lacshmi, Sri, or Gauri, is an object of sincere devotion * * such is the 

 affinity between the mythology of India, Greece and Egypt, that a bare recapitu- 

 lation of the numerous surnames of the Hindu goddess of abundance would lead 

 us beyond reasonable limits ; all are forms of Pdrvatijir Durgd Mdtd, the Mater 

 Montana of Greece and Rome, p. 574 to 5/6, Vol. I." 



