from the Ancient Books of the Hindus. 347 



eternally in the divine idea, that he might inftrudt his pofterity in their civil 

 and religious duties. Atri firft repaired to a weftern region, where he be- 

 came the father of the lovely Tuhina-rasmi, or with dewy beams : he thence 

 paffed into the country watered by the river Sam ha-naga, where proceeding 

 to the Sane ha-muc ha hills, he fat on the Sweta-giri, or White Mountain^ 

 fixed in deep meditation on the author of his exiftence. His arrival was 

 quickly known throughout the country ; and the few inhabitants of it came 

 to worihip him, bringing even their wives and daughters, that they might 

 bear children by fo holy a perfonage; but his days and nights being wholly 

 devoted to contemplation and facred acts, his only time for -dalliance was dur- 

 ing the morning twilight : he became, however, the anceftor of a confiderabIe r 

 nation, who were distributed, like other Hindus, into the facerdotal, military, 

 commercial^ and fervile claffes. 



His- flrfr. born Sanc'ha'yana had a fair complexion and great bodily 

 -ftrength, but was .irreligious, turbulent, and libidinous, eating forbidden fleih, 

 and living in the caverns of rocks - } nor were his brethren and their offspring 

 better in the end than himfelf : thus the yews, who have borrowed many 

 Indian fables, which were current, I fuppofe, among their neighbours, infift 

 in their Talmud, that Adam begat none but demons, till he was 150 years 

 ,old (a). The pious patriarch, deeply afflicted by the vices of his children, 

 expostulated with them long in vain, and, feeing no remedy, contented him- 

 felf with giving them the beft advice 3 teaching them how to make more 

 habitable caves in the mountains, pallis, or arbours under trees, and ghofhas, 

 or inclofures for their herds ; permitting them to eat what they pleafed ; com- 

 manding them to dwell conftantly on the mountains afligned to them, and to 



(.a) Kruvin, p. i| 

 U u 2 



