m ' ESSAY ON THE 



They were then at the extremity of the world, and both wept for grief 

 and sorrow. Their tears formed a large lake, called As'rU'tirl'ha, or the 

 place of worship near the Tearful lake or pool, it is to the west of the 

 AstO'giri, behind which the sun disappears, near the Acshaya-vdta, the 

 VaHa or Indian Hg tree, incapable of decay. They found her at last; 

 and being reconciled, 'SIva and Pa'rvati travelled from dwipa to dwipa, 

 dallying all the w^ay ; till they came back to Canchana-hhumi, or the land of 

 gold, called also Canchana^dwipa, wqslt^iq roots of the beautiful Vdta 

 tree, close to the sea shore, in the Pushpa-cdna?ia^ or flowery grove, which 

 resounds with the humming of the proud Bramara, a sort of Fucus, or 

 rather large black bee, and with the notes of the Cocila or Cuculus, and 

 remarkable for its fragrant breezes. There he made her many presents ; 

 and remained with her an hundred years, unknown to the world. They 

 returned at last to the house of Dacsha, who was so pleased to see them 

 again, that he presented them with a self moving car, the work of Visva- 

 Carma of Twaskta'. Highly delighted with this present, they set off, 

 and travelled in it, till they reached again the ccsan, where they stopped 

 once more, under the Vdta tree, near the Asta-giri mountain. Crtshna 

 having related this story to R ad ha', proposes to her to follow their 

 example. CanchanaMumi, or the land of gold, is the same with Ca7t- 

 cJiana-dwtpa, or the golden island, or Hiran'ya and Suvarnya, which is 

 Ireland; near which, in the sea, according to some, and close to the sea 

 shore, according to others, is the fanjous Cd://^-z;nV5A^, or tree of know- 

 ledge and plenty. The lake of tears is in Caiichana-dwipa, near the 

 Vdta tree, to the west of, and not far from, the Astagiri, called also 

 Hajata-Mahdn-Astagiri, or the famous Astagiri mountain, in tlie Silver 

 pv IPliite Island^ 



