from the Ancient Books of the Hindus. 305 



faying, that the Hydafpes flows from a place named Trhe'nz, ufes the phrafe 

 three hairs, or three locks of hair, which is a literal verfion of the Sajfcrit* 

 Now the Cab confifts of three f acred Jlr earns ; the Nild, or Nile of Ethiopia, 

 the Nanda, or Nile of Abyjfnia, and the little CriJJind or AJl'himatu The 

 junction of the Great Crifhnd with the Nanda was held peculiarly facred, 

 as it appears from the following couplets in the Afharva-veda, which are 

 cited in the original as a proof of their authenticity- 5 



Bhadrd Shagavat) Crllhna grahanacjhatra malini* 

 Samvehm forty amaril viswafya jagatd ntid'i 

 Agnichaura nipdtefhu ferva graha nivdrane, 

 Dacfhd bhagavati devi Nandaya yatra fangata 1 ': 

 Serva papa prasamani hhadre pdramasi mahi, 

 Sitd Jitafamdyogdt par am yd na nivertate'* 



That is word for word s 



w CrTshna' the profperous, the imperial, the giver of delight, there- 

 *' flrainer of evil, decked, like the night of the whole world, with a chap- 

 " let of planets and ftars ; the fovereign goddefs tranfcendently beneficial in 

 41 calamities from fire and robbers, in checking the bad influence of all planets, 

 *' where me is united with the Nanda': fhe it is, who expiates all fin. O pro- 

 *' pitious river, thou art the mighty goddefs, who caufes us to attain the end of 

 " mortal births, who, by the conjunction of black with white waters, never 

 «' ceafes to produce the higheft good." 



Potamos, or the river, in Theophrastus, is commonly fuppofei 

 to be only an emphatical appellative denoting fuperiority ; but I cannot 



