430 Q. n Egypt and the Nile 



on the ground wiming for death ; but Gang a', the river-goddefs, appear- 

 ed to him, commanded him to return home, and allured him, that he 

 ihould have a fon, whom fhe would adopt by the narneof Ga'nge'yana's, 

 who fhould overcome Indra, and reflore the horfe to his grandfather. 

 Her prediction was in due time accomplifhed ; and the young hero defeat- 

 ed the army of Indra in a pitched battle near the river Calx, whence he 

 acquired the title of Virauja-j it, or vanquifner of Indr az the field of 

 battle was thence named Samara-Jfbdn ; and is alfo called Virafaya, becaufe 

 the flower of heroes had b^en there lulled in the fleep of death. Bha'le'- 

 y ana's, having a very religious turn of mind, placed his fon on the 

 throne, and, -obferving, that his iider Ant arm a da' had the fame incli- 

 nations, retired with her to the foreit of Tafias in Upper Egypt ; both in- 

 tending to clofe their days in devout auflerities and in meditation on the 

 fupreme fpiriU Ma'ya'-de'vT, or the goddefs of worldly iilufion, who 

 refcmbles the Aphrodite Pcuidemos of the Greeks, and totally differs from 

 Jny//na-de'vi, cr the goddefs of cehftial wifdom, attempted to dinu-rb 

 •them, and to prevent them from reaping the fruit of their piety ; but -Ihe 

 was unable to prevail over the fervent devotion of the two royal anchorites. 

 Her failure of fuceefs, however, gave her an unexpected advantage; for An- 

 tarmad a' became too much elated with internal pride, which her name 

 implies j and, boaiting of her victory over Ma'ya'-de'vj', Ihe added, that 

 •the inhabitants of the three worlds would pay her homage, that (lie fhculd 

 be like ARirNDHATT, the celebrated eonfort of Vasisht'ha, and that, 

 after her death, fhe ihould have a feat in the ftarry manfion : this vaunt 

 provoked Ma'y a'-de'vi' to a phrenfy of r.'ge ; and the flew to Aurva, 

 reque fling him to fet on fire the foretls of Tapas ; but Vishnu, in the 

 fi a^eof a hollow conical mountain, furrounded the princefs, and faved 

 ht/: from the flames ; whence the place, where ilie ftood, was called the 



