from the Ancient Books of the Hindus. 389 



fomc, that the Pdmaras, or Pariar nations, in different parts of India difre- 

 gard the prohibition, and that the Car haras y who were allowed by Paras'u 

 Ra'ma to fettle in the Cancan, facrifice a man, in the courfe of every gene- 

 ration, to appeafe the wrath of Re'nuca'-de'vi\ 



Before we quit the fubjecl: of Atavi, we niufl add two legends, from the 

 Brdhmanda, which clearly relate to Egypt. A juft and brave king, who 

 reigned on the borders of Himalaya, or Imam, travelled over the world to des- 

 troy the robbers, who then infeffced it ; and, as he ufually furprifed them by 

 night, he was furnamed Nactamchara : to his fon Nis'a'ch ara,. whole 

 name had the fame figniiication, he gave the kingdom of Barbara near the 

 Golden Mountains above Syene ; and Nisa'chara followed at nrft the ex*- 

 ample of his father, but at length grew fo infolent as to contend with Inj>ra, 

 and oppreffed both Dtfvas and Danavas ; who had recourfe to At a vi -de'vi" 

 and folicited her protection. The goddefs advifed them to lie for a time con- 

 cealed in Swerga, by which we mufl here underiland the mountains ; and, 

 when the tyrant rafhly attempted to drive her from the banks of the Nile, 

 fhe attacked and flew him : the De'vas then returned finging her praifes ; and 

 on the fpot, where fhe fought with Nisa'chara, they raifed a temple, 

 probably a pyramid, which from her was called Atavi-mandira. Two towns 

 in Egypt are ilill known to the Copts by the names of Atfi? Atfieh, : and Itfuz 

 and to both of them the Greeks gave that of Apbroditopolis: the diftrid round 

 the mofi northerly of them Is to this day named Ibrit, which M. D 'Anvil l-e 

 with good reafon thinks a corruption of A-fhrodite; but Atavi-mandir Is 

 Atfi to the fouth of AJkdhirah, not the Atfi or Itfu near Thebes, which alfp 

 is mentioned in the Pur anas and fad to have Hood in the forefts of 'Eapas, 



Another title of the goddefs was Asht a'ra , which {he derived from 



