v 



so ESSAY ON THE 



^^ four supportSj as they are called in other Pur an' as; the one in the east 

 *' is of Gold, another of Iron is in the south : the third of Silver in the 

 *^ west : and the fourth in the north is of Brass, Between these are small- 

 <** er peaks, of crystal, coral, and various sorts of gems, Mahe'ndka, 

 *^ or the great Indra, resides in the East, in hidra-dwipa ; in the South, 

 ** Yama rules; in the West, Varun'a; and in the North, Cuve'ra, or 

 «* D'hanadAo In the intermediate points are the sfhdns of Agni in the 

 " south-east; Carbura, or JV^frn^ in the south-west ; Fiy^i in the north- 

 " west ; and Mahddeva in the north-east quarter. In the East he made 

 «* the Udaya, or the mountain of the rising sun: in the South Brah- 

 «* ma' placed the Find'hya mountains. In the west he framed a beau- 

 " tiful mountain, one half of gold, and the other half of silver ; one 

 " side looks like the sun, and the other like Indii or the moon/' As 

 this curious mountain is placed here in the west, in opposition to 

 VdaycL in the east, behind which the sun rises, it is of course the famous 

 Astagiri, behind which the sun disappears. The two halves of it are 

 the gold and silver peaks, or islands; or in other words Hira?iya, 

 (Erin,) and S'wetam or the ^Fhite Island, considered as one in the Vrt- 

 haUCat'hd, being only divided by a river or arm of the sea. What Brah- 

 ma' made, in the north Is omitted in the manuscripts ; and we read imme- 

 diately after, that the mountains glowing with rage flew about, desolating 

 and laying waste the surface of the earth : but Indra with his thunderbolt 

 clipped their wings. 



In the Harivdnsa this story is somewhat differently told. " Vishnit, 

 " for the good of mankind, having assumed the shape of a boar, rescued 

 " the earth from the waters, and secured it on all sides. Upon it he made 

 ** Mcru of solid gold : towards the East he placed the Vdaya, mountain, 



