from the Ancient Books of the Hindus. 409 



Cimmerhim and Cerhefion ifeem ufed as fynonymous (a) ; but, however that 

 may Be, the Cerbura of the Hindus is indubitably. the Cerberus of the 

 Greeks. The Dragon of Serapis I fuppofe to be the Se'Jhanaga, which is 

 defcribed as in the infernal regions by the author of the Bhdgavat. 



Having now clofed my remarks on the parallel divinities of Egypt and 

 India, with references to the ancient geography of the countries adjacent to 

 the Nile, 1 cannot end this fection more properly than with an account of 

 the -Jamas and the three principal deities of that feet; but the fubject is 

 dark, becaufe the Brahmens, who abhor the followers of Jin a, either know 

 li:r!e of them, or are unwilling to make them the fubjeel of converfation : 

 what they have deigned to communicate, I now offer to the fociety. 



Towa'rd the middle of the period, named Padmacalpa, t'here was fuch 

 a want of rain for many fueceffive years, that the greateft part of mankind 

 perifhed, and Brahma himfelf was grieved by the diftrefs, which pre- 

 vailed in the univerfe: Ripunjaya then reigned in the weft of Cufha- 

 ixvlp, and, feeing his kingdom defolate, came to end his days at Can. 

 Here we may remark, that Cast, or the Splendid, (a name retained by 

 Ptolemy in the word CaJJidia) is called Bandres by the Moguls, who have 

 tranfpofed two of the letters in its ancient epithet Vdranesi; a name, in 

 fome degree preferved alfb by the Greeks in the word Aornis on the Ganges; 

 for, wb-n old Cdfi,' or G^dia, was deftroyed by Bh AG a wan, according 

 to the "Ptifanas, or by Bacchus, according to Dion ysius PeriEgetes, it 

 was rebuilt at fome diftanr.j from its former fite, near a place called Siva- 

 bar, and had the name of Vdranasi, or Aornis, which we find alfo written 



(a) Lib. 6. C. 6. 



D d d 



