.SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST'. ^^ 



All these particulars prove that 'Sweta or Rajata is the same with 

 'Sdcam in a more limited sense, and also part of "Sdca-dwipa in a more 

 extensive one. Besides, JVandi, the bull of 'Siva, is said, in the Ambicd- 

 c'handa, a seftion of the Scanda-purdna, to rule in the Amritcdra island, 

 or Electris, in the White Sea, This is the same; with the White 

 Island, called Electris by Sotacus, according to Pliny; and it is called 

 also Amritd-shayam, the abode or place of Jmrtt, in the Mahd-Bhdrata, 

 In the same book, he is said to rule in 'Saca; or rather himself and com- 

 panions colleaively, called the J^andi-gan as . These are probably the 

 Mentores or Minotauri m the island af Scheria or White IslmU;vi\\o killed 

 Hyllus, in the fet attempt made by the Fh^acians to settle in that island. 



It is said in the Purdtias, that tlie gods having been frightened by 

 the Baitya Mahishdsura, or the demon in the shape of a buffaloe, and 

 called in the Deccan, and by Sig. BayeRs Maidhasur, they fied to the 

 White Island as usual, to claim the prote6lion of Hari or Vishnu : but 

 in the V dmana-purdn a this island is called S'dcay because it is really the 

 same. 



The Astagiri mountain is the same with that called Chandra'CaKtair-fot: 

 it is declared that the sun disappears in the west behind them. They ape 

 also placed in the same latitude from the context, : and at the furthesemost 

 extremity of the world. The Astagiri is" called Chandra-cdnta, and Charf" 

 drddaydy because the moon in her monthly course rises behind it; and they 

 must be the same ; for where the sun disappears, there tlie moon makes 

 her first appearance; and according to the PaurdnicSy the moonis juSt 

 seen creeping at that time on the shoulders of the sun, and appearing on 

 his forehead. Hence Sivay or the sun, in the west, is represented with thfe 



crescent on his forehead, under the name of CJiandra'Cdntci'wara-Mahdz 



P 



